Fall Field Cricket - Gryllus pennsylvanicus
When you look underneath a bag of soil, you'd be amazed what insects can be found there. This lovely specimen was one of many individuals discovered hiding in the moist shade. Unlike the others who were able to scatter easily, this one didn't quite have the propulsion in her jump due to missing a portion of her right rear leg. Fortunately for her, I'm gentle with these little creatures and I returned her to the garden after taking these pictures. Aside from her tarsus and claws (foot), she was quite robust, healthy and beautiful. Her long, delicate antennae and rear cerci are standouts here as they are intact and pristine compared to her missing foot. Even with a missing appendage, this Field Cricket is more likely to bound around when it comes to traveling. Although this specie also possesses wings, this female won't be using them to chirp, nor will she be likely to use them for flight. They seem a tad bit short, wouldn't you say? Although there may be stable hindwings hidden beneath the forewings of this specie, the Cricket's wings may not be strong enough to allow flight relative to its size and mass.
It would also depend on the strength of the flight muscles too, but I still have my doubts. Frankly, since flying is energetically expensive and it can be difficult to sustain unless you're a strong fly, hopping about during the night may be the best travel option. For comparison, consider how many May Beetles/June Bugs crash head on into lights and tucker themselves out through extensive, somewhat clumsy flight. In any case, after returning this Cricket to the safety of the garden, I wondered if more Crickets would take up residence beneath the bag of soil if it was returned to its original spot. Checking at night, even more had arrived, upon which they scattered! While this behavior seems strange since these insects are large and not flattened, it's actually quite normal for Field Crickets. When not using the tools of humanity, it's common to find such insects hiding under rocks or wood in natural settings as long as there is moisture, safety and a bit of room to move. Of course, when it comes time to lay eggs, a female Field Cricket will need a bit more room so as to angle her ovipositor more downward into soil with help from her enlarged hindlegs.
Pictures were taken on September 3, 2021 with a Google Pixel 4.
