Cricket (Black Field) Teleogryllus commodus

Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Gryllidae
Genus: Teleogryllus
Species: T.commodus
Scientific name: Teleogryllus commodus
Common Name: Black Field Cricket

Tetogryllus commodus is a native cricket that is also found in Australia. The Black Field Cricket hides during the day in vegetation or cracks in the soil and comes out at night to feed. The males sing at night making a sound by rubbing his wings together. They range from 2cm-4cm in length.
The Black field cricket is a serious pasture pest in Northland, Auckland, parts of Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay and the Waikato. Late nymphal stage and adult crickets cause the most pasture damage. The adult black cricket can be found from February to May in pastures.
Crickets feed above ground, predominately at night and live in cracks in the soil during the day. Damage is more apparent in clay soils prone to cracking in dry summers. Crickets feed outwards from the cracks that they live in, eating all plant matter in the pasture. New pastures are particularly susceptible to damage. They can kill older grass pastures as well, with high grazing pressure on the crown. The timing of damage generally starts in late December and is evident by bare soil patches, or when the surface pasture is moved crickets may be seen feeding.

The black field cricket produces only one generation a year, but the life stages considerably overlap. One adult female can lay 500 to 2000 eggs during her short lifespan of only a few months. The eggs are white, sausage-shaped, and about 0.3 cm long. They are laid singly, but loosely clustered, about 1 cm deep in the damp soil.

To find if you have crickets present mix up a weak solution of household detergent in a watering can then flush it down the cracks in the soil. If present crickets will come out from the cracks.
Thanks to © PGG Wrightson Seeds for some of the above information.

Two adult females