Survival of the specialized is the law of the Namib Desert. Thanks to a tough protective shield, this giant cricket can fend off predators and survive the tough elements. From: NAMIBIA'S WILD WONDERS bit.ly/1qxabMH
In southern Italy there are many as big as those in the summer. I used to play with them when i was a kid. Actually they werent crickets but GRASSHOPPERS (in italian, “locuste”), they had big wings and went around flying (especially by sunset).
Acanthoplus discoidalis, as in this video, are neither locusts nor grasshoppers, but katydids of the family Tettigoniidae... however, it is their biology that defines them as CRICKETS. ;)
Very important notation on your part - Thank you! ... Years ago, I found out that ‘Orthoptera’ was split into two sub-orders. First is ‘Caelifera’ in which grasshoppers & locusts are the main elements. Second is ‘Ensifera’ (Latin for sword-bearer/female’s external ovipositors) which includes 'katydids' (long-horned grasshoppers/bush-crickets), 'true-crickets', and all other elements “cricket-like” in respect to their various families, of whom I have a fully comprehensive list. I have been addressed before regarding my use of the term “cricket”, as it seems a bit loose… However, when I consider the biology of an [Orthopteran] insect and it sports (a.) long antennae (with some exceptions to families ‘cooloolidae’ and ‘gryllotalpidae’), (b.) tympanic membranes under the front knees, (c.) [females with an] external egg-laying organ, (d.) [male] ‘wing-on-wing’ stridulation to make sound; regardless of size, color or morphology… I call a ‘cricket’ a “cricket” - this used to be a complicated issue for myself. Not anymore. ;) *Food For Thought For Us All* As members of the suborder Caelifera family ‘Tetrigidae’ are called “pygmy-locusts/grasshoppers”… perhaps ‘true-crickets’ of the suborder Ensifera family ‘Gryllidae’ should be called “Pygmy-Katydids” … 0_0 ... Think about it! :o)
Strange to think “what if they didn’t exist” the grasses would grow so much the soil would become useless and all plants would die. All bugs would die and the animals that eat the bugs and the predators that eat the bug/grass eating animals. These things are natural landscapers who are employed seasonally
I saw one of those on a nature show. It went up a tree to eat a baby bird then the mama bird came back and pecked it so it spewed it’s yellow nasty blood at it and then it fell down and the other crickets became cannibals and ate it.
Crazy. I came from another video where these insects trying to eat baby birds and squirt blood! Everyone in the comments had a different take on them than “cute” or “cool” which is what I’m reading in this comment section 😂
