Field Guide to Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets of the United States

A straw-colored cricket with dark-brown markings. From above, the most conspicuous markings are two bars across the head, one behind the eyes and the other between the eyes. Pronotum is symmetrically blotched. Distance between the antennal sockets is more than twice the width of the basal antennal segment. Forewings are as long as the abdomen or nearly so. Hind wings exceed the abdomen except when they have been shed by breaking off at their bases- house crickets never have short hind wings. The song consists of irregularly delivered brief chirps at an average rate of 1 or 2 per s. Each chirp has 2 or 3 pulses produced at a rate of about 20 pulses per s at 77 degrees F. Length is 16-21 mm.