The orthopteran family Rhaphidophoridae of the suborder Ensifera has a worldwide distribution. Common names for these insects include cave crickets, camel crickets, spider crickets, and sand treaders. Those occurring in New Zealand are typically referred to as jumping or cave wētā. Most are found in forest environments or within caves, animal burrows, cellars, under stones, or in wood or similar environments. All species are flightless and nocturnal, usually with long antennae and legs. More than 500 species of Rhaphidophoridae are described.
The family Gryllidae contains the subfamilies and genera which entomologists now term true crickets. Having long, whip-like antennae, they belong to the Orthopteran suborder Ensifera, which has been greatly reduced in the last 100 years : taxa such as the spider-crickets and allies, sword-tail crickets, wood or ground crickets and scaly crickets have been elevated to family level. The type genus is Gryllus and the first use of the family name "Gryllidae" was by Francis Walker.
Novoplectron is a monotypic genus of cave wētā in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to the Chatham Islands. Cave wētā are nocturnal, wingless crickets that occupy humid habitats. Novoplectron wētā generally live under stones and in burrows of seabirds, such as broad-billed prions, mutton birds and storm petrels.
Hadenoecus is a genus of common cave cricket of the southeastern United States and typical of the tribe Hadenoecini.
Ceuthophilus is a genus of insects in the cave cricket family Rhaphidophoridae. It contains most of the species that are known commonly as camel crickets.
Grylloidea is the superfamily of insects, in the order Orthoptera, known as crickets. It includes the "true crickets", scaly crickets, wood crickets and other families, some only known from fossils.
Euhadenoecus is a genus of camel crickets in the family Rhaphidophoridae. There are at least four described species in Euhadenoecus.
Ceuthophilus stygius, known generally as the Kentucky cave cricket or cave camel cricket, is a species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It is found in North America.
Hadenoecus subterraneus, the common cave cricket, or Mammoth Cave cricket is a species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It is found in North America.
Ceuthophilus secretus, known generally as the Texas cave cricket or secret cave cricket, is a species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It is found in North America.
Gammarotettix is a North American genus of camel crickets in the family Rhaphidophoridae. They are also called chaparral camel crickets or arboreal camel crickets and are between 10–18 mm. They live mainly in California and possibly in southern Oregon and Arizona.
Gammarotettix bilobatus, also known as the arboreal camel cricket, is a North American species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It is found in California, including along the Coast Ranges and as far south as Gilroy. Adults emerge in February and live until June. Host plants of G. bilobatus include California buckeye, California bay, coast live oak, barberry, Monterey pine, black locust, California lilac, and Christmas berry. To evade predators such as the chestnut-backed chickadee, they jump to the ground.
Euhadenoecus insolitus, the mccluney cave cricket, is a species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It is found in North America. E. insolitus regularly forage outside their cave habitat except in the winter. Different populations reproduce either through sexual reproduction or parthenogenesis.
Hadenoecus opilionides, the Tennessee cave cricket, is a species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It is found in North America.
Hadenoecus barri, or Barr's cave cricket, is a species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It is found in North America.
Hadenoecini is a tribe of cave crickets in the family Rhaphidophoridae. There are two genera and nine described species. It is sometimes considered a synonym of the subfamily Dolichopodainae.
Pachyrhamma edwardsii is a species of wētā, in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand. This species is found in caves, or large cavities where there is high humidity and little plant or animal life.
Wētā is the common name for a group of about 100 insect species in the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae endemic to New Zealand. They are giant flightless crickets, and some are among the heaviest insects in the world. Generally nocturnal, most small species are carnivores and scavengers while the larger species are herbivorous. Although some endemic birds likely prey on them, wētā are disproportionately preyed upon by introduced mammals, and some species are now critically endangered.
Novotettix is a monotypic genus of cave cricket/wētā in the family Rhaphidophoridae endemic to south-east Australia.
Tachycines asynamorus is a cave cricket and the type species of the genus Tachycines (Rhaphidophoridae). In English-speaking countries it is known as the greenhouse camel cricket or greenhouse stone cricket for its propensity for living in greenhouses. It was first described in 1902 by Russian entomologist Nicolai Adelung on the basis of specimens caught in the palm houses of St. Petersburg. Some authorities have placed this species in the genus Diestrammena, but it has now restored to its basonym.
