Hobbies And Interests
Crickets
Crickets are of the order Grylloptera, and there are more than 271 species of crickets in Texas. That makes for a loud chorus at night when crickets sing their distinctive song. The sounds are created when crickets scratch a ratchet on a wing vein. A membrane near the bottom of the wing vibrates to increase the sound. The house cricket, which is in the family Gryllidae, is found in Texas and originated in Africa. As its name suggests, it finds shelter in houses. Green tree crickets are found outdoors, and their trills are heard in summer and fall. The sounds or trills that it makes change in frequency according to the temperature of the air. By measuring the frequency of the trills you can create an audible thermometer.
Katydids
Katydids are in the same order as crickets but they are in the family Tettigoniidae. Texas is home to the broadwing katydid and the conehead katydid, among others. The broadwing katydid, also known as Microcentrum rhombifolium, is a green cricket that is frequently heard singing from the treetops, where they feed on leaves. The conehead katydid, also known as Neoconocephalus triops, is found in meadowland and gardens. While it primarily feeds on grass, it does on occasion prey on other insects. The sound it makes is created by rubbing its wings together, which results in a scratchy, hissing sound.
Cicadas
The insect that produces one of the loudest insect sounds on the planet is known as the giant cicada. These insects look as if they've stepped out of prehistoric times, and they can grow to more than 2 inches in length. Before it matures and finds a home in the tops of trees, the juvenile bug can live for up to four years underground, where it feeds on the roots of trees. The sound that the giant cicada makes has been described as earsplitting and has been likened to a train whistle blowing. The cicada creates this sound through the vibration of tymbals located on its abdomen. Tymbals are specialized membranes that vibrate. The giant cicada is found in South Texas.
Grasshoppers
Texas has a number of grasshopper species, including the white-whiskered grasshopper, the bigheaded grasshopper and the redlegged grasshopper. Grasshoppers feed on a variety of plants, which they often destroy in the process. Large numbers of grasshoppers can destroy or damage corn, cotton, soybean and rice crops. The nymphs grow unnoticed among the tall weeds, but when they mature they can fly and seem to appear out of nowhere to cause damage to plants and vegetables in gardens. Male grasshoppers rub their legs against their wings to create sounds that alert females to their whereabouts.