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Cricket song is a sound of the Australian bush. Even in cities, the rasping calls signify Australia's remarkable cricket biodiversity. Crickets are notable for a variety of reasons. When their population booms, some of these species become agricultural pests and destroy crop pastures. Some introduced species are of biosecurity concern. Other crickets are important food sources for native birds, reptiles and mammals, as well as domestic pets. Soon you might even put them in your cake or stir-fry, as there is a rapidly growing industry for cricket products for human consumption.
Featuring keys, distribution maps, illustrations and detailed colour photographs from CSIRO's Australian National Insect Collection, A Guide to Crickets of Australia allows readers to reliably identify all 92 described genera and many species from the Grylloidea (true crickets) and Gryllotalpoidea (mole crickets and ant crickets) superfamilies. Not included are the Raspy Crickets (Gryllacrididae), King Crickets (Anostostomatidae) or the so-called 'Pygmy Mole Crickets' (Caelifera), which despite their common names are not related to true crickets. Natural history enthusiasts and professionals will find this an essential guide.
Dedication
Preface
Acknowledgements
Australian National Insect Collection
Introduction
Australian cricketers
Biology
Cricket life cycles and development
Collecting techniques useful for crickets
Morphology
Crickets and culture
Crickets as food
Cricket identification
Superfamily GRYLLOIDEA
Superfamily GRYLLOTALPOIDEA
List of the crickets of Australia
Glossary
Entomological supplies
Websites and special interest groups
Orthopteroid food mix
Cricket recipes
Bibliography
Index
David Rentz AM specialises in katydids, crickets and other members of the suborder Ensifera. He spent 25 years as Curator of Orthopteroid Insects in the Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra. David is currently an Adjunct Professor at James Cook University and an Honorary Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences. He is the author of several books, including A Guide to the Katydids of Australia, which won a Whitley Award commendation for best field guide. David was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2013.
You Ning Su studied Australian nemobiine crickets (Gryllidae: Nemobiinae) and is co-author of the book A Guide to Australian Grasshoppers and Locusts. Since 2008, he has been a Research Projects Officer at CSIRO, with responsibility for the Lepidoptera and Orthoptera collections. You Ning has co-authored several taxonomic revisions describing new Lepidoptera and Orthoptera species.
