Desert Ant Cricket
Myrmecophilus manni
This record describes Myrmecophilus manni (species). Recorded family: Myrmecophilidae. Recorded order: Orthoptera.
Identification and Appearance
David Ferguson: Apparently (???) the only way to tell them apart is that M. oregonensis runs darker as adults, and averages larger. Supposedly, M. oregonensis is from the Sierra westward to the coast and M. manni is east on the dry side (except sneaking west into western San Diego County). More recent records seem confused, or in fact the two occur together all along the coast. I suspect there are lot of misidentifications (and further I suspect that they are one species anyway).
Wikipedia reference for Myrmecophilus manni: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecophilus_manni.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
- Suborder
- Ensifera
- Family
- Myrmecophilidae (Ant Crickets)
- Genus
- Myrmecophilus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
About Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids: the wider group
Order-level background for Orthoptera, the group containing Myrmecophilus manni. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Orthoptera includes ~28,000 described species of grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids. Desert locusts can form swarms covering 460 square miles containing up to 80 million individuals per square kilometer.
Ecological role of the group
Grasshoppers and crickets are a primary food source for birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Cricket farming is a growing industry - crickets require 12× less feed than cattle to produce the same amount of protein, using 2,000× less water.
Economic and practical significance of the group
A single large locust swarm can consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people. The 2019-2021 East Africa locust crisis affected food security for 42 million people across multiple countries. Global crop losses from locusts can reach billions annually.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, UN World Food Programme, research publications. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Desert Ant Cricket (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Tim Loh; Additional contributions by john and jane balaban , David Ferguson , James Bailey