Arthropods Daily – Issue No. 322

The wood cricket is a small, dark brown insect found in Europe and North Africa. It prefers forest edges and woodland clearings, especially those with oak, beech, hazel, and holly trees. It feeds on decaying leaf litter and may consume fungus. Males stridulate (sing) to attract mates, and their call is difficult to locate due to the high number of calling individuals. Wood crickets overwinter as eggs or nymphs and have a lifespan of two years. They have limited dispersal abilities, with males being able to move further than females and nymphs.