Orthoptera of North Carolina
Scientific Name: Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
« »
View Gryllidae Members: NC Records

Gryllus rubens Scudder, 1902 - Southeastern Field Cricket

Gryllus rubensGryllus rubens
Taxonomy
Family: Gryllidae Subfamily: Gryllinae Tribe: GrylliniSynonym: Acheta rubens
Comments: One of eighteen species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Weissman and Gray, 2019), five of which have been recorded in North Carolina.
Species Status: Recognized as a distinct form -- the Triller -- by Fulton (1952), who also recognized three other, reproductively isolated forms of what he considered to be a single species, Gryllus assimilus. All differ in habitats, morphologies, phenologies, and songs, and were ultimately described as separate species by Alexander (1957). In the case of rubens, Alexander found that they are a morphological match to a species (Achaeta rubens) that Scudder originally described in 1902 on the basis of a single female collected in Alabama.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Capinera et al. (2004, illustrated); Elliot and Hershberger (2006)Online Photographs: SINA; BugGuide; Songs of Insects, Google Images,  iNaturalist, GBIFTechnical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Scudder (1902); Alexander (1957)SINA 482a.htm                                                                                  
Comments: According to Scudder (1902), the head and body are shining black but with the pronotum marked with reddish along the front and hind borders and along the edges of the lateral lobes. The tegmina are testaceous (dull brick red) but clouded with blackish; Alexander (1957) describes the tegmina as brown. The legs are also pale or rufous to testaceous and shaded with black.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 20 mm, female (Scudder, 1902)
Structural Features: Pronotum widest at the front margin or at least anterior to the middle; head of the male is usually wider than than the pronotum and appearing globose (Alexander, 1957). Both long- and short-winged forms have been observed.
Singing Behavior: As described by Fulton (1952), the song of this species consists of a continuous trill (broken at irregular intervals) rather than the series of chirps typical of this genus. The dominant frequency ranges between 4.8 kHz (at 78 degrees F, SINA) to 5 kHz (Elliot and Hershberger, 2006); we have at least a few records where the frequency is just above 4 kHz. The pulse rate is about 60 pulses per second (Alexander, 1957), at least when fairly warm. Each individual phoneme typically consists of a sharp vertical spike, with little of the frequency modulation shown in other trilling species. The low pitch, pulse rate, and phoneme shape are usually enough to identify this species.
Recording playback at normal speed.

Download Video: "MP4"

Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Adult Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Fields and grasslands (Fulton, 1952). Some individuals are also heard in open areas of woodlands, usually in the vicinity of grassy fields (S. Hall, pers. obs.)
Diet: Probably omnivorous
Observation Methods: Most easily found by song, which males produce both day and night
Abundance/Frequency: Usually heard singing in moderate densities
Adult Phenology: According to Fulton (1952), the "Triller" normally begins singing on the first warm days in March, but a graph he presented (Figure 1) indicated that at least a few adults emerge in the late fall or early winter, persisting until the spring. We have, in fact, records of males singing on November 30, December 30, and on February 24, all during warm spells. Singing males do not become common until late March, however, singing until mid-June, with a second brood starting in early July and persisting until mid-September (Fulton, 1952).
See also Habitat Account for General Successional and Semi-Natural Grasslands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: [G5] [S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands
Comments: Appears to be widespread in the Piedmont and associated with common types of habitat; appears to be secure within the state

Image Gallery for Gryllus rubens - Southeastern Field Cricket

Recorded by: Michael P. Morales
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall, David George, Jeff Niznik
Orange Co.
Comment: A large number of males were heard singing out in the old fields and within the woods margins
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 4 calling weakly at 59 F from a manicured flower/shrub garden in the Charlotte city center, 33 pulses per call		 Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 4 calling weakly at 59 F from a manicured flower/shrub garden in the Charlotte city center, 33 pulses per call
Recorded by: Steve Hall and Andy Walker
Carteret Co.
Comment: Several heard singing around the edges of the depression ponds. ~ 60 F		 Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Michael P. Morales
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Steve Hall and Savannah Hall
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan
Moore Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan
Scotland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall
Rockingham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Hall
Orange Co.
Comment: Males appear to be reaching another peak in singing activity; no chirping species of Gryllus has been heard singing in this area		 Recorded by: Stephen Hall
Orange Co.
Comment: A couple of adults were seen along the greenway; males are still singing in the vicinity but G. fultoni ceased calling about a month ago
Recorded by: Steve Hall and Dee Stuckey
Orange Co.
Comment: 20:11, ~78 F. Recorded in thick grass cover. Two adult females were seen nearby		 Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman
Scotland Co.
Comment: Male
Recorded by: Steve Hall
Orange Co.
Comment: One individual heard singing in grass below a shrub planted in a stormwater detention swale. Temperatures have been in the 70s for the past several days and it was 71 at dusk today (65 on 25-FEB-2018, when the recording was made).		 Recorded by: Steve Hall
Chatham Co.
Comment: Recorded in a dry patch of Andropogon virginicus growing in the ruins of an old mill. Irregular trill but with a dominant pitch and shape of individual pulses matching Gryllus rubens. 16:30, ~60 F.
Recorded by: Steve Hall
Orange Co.
Comment: Several heard out in open fields, but at least few were also heard singing along a berm next to a creek within a stand of young second growth hardwoods		 Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: J. Shimel
New Hanover Co.
Comment: Identification is based on the spring date and dark tegmina

MP3 Gallery for Gryllus rubens - Southeastern Field Cricket

1 Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
2023-02-21
70 F, 6:39 PM, calling from the ground in leaf litter, first orthoptera of the year for me		2 Recorded by: Jim Petranka
Madison Co.
2022-04-27
Calling in open woodland border next to the French Broad River; air temp = 65 F.
3 Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
2022-04-09
38 pulses per second, 66 F, 8:13 PM, calling from ground throughout a suburban neighborhood		4 Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
2022-02-19
4 calling weakly at 59 F from a manicured flower/shrub garden in the Charlotte city center, 33 pulses per call
5 Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin
Yancey Co.
2021-05-24
Several individuals were singing in tall grass in a hay field; frequency around 4.7-4.8 kHz; temp = 80 degrees. 		6 Recorded by: Jim Petranka
Madison Co.
2021-04-26
Several widely-spaced individuals were singing from a grassy area. Air temperature around 75 degrees; around 4000 KHZ; pulse rate 34-39 per second.
7 Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
2021-04-04
calling from ground at 7:45 pm, 24 C, 25 pulses per second, 4 kHz, several as I walked my neighborhood		8 Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
2020-10-17
calling from a weedy wet area in a detention basin, 62 F, 42 pulses per second, 4.1 kHz
9 Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
2020-04-03
25C, 17:30, two counts of 1 second intervals gave 39 and 41 pulses, in short vegetation in open waste area along with others spaced out over several square meters		10 Recorded by: Steve Hall
Orange Co.
2017-04-10