From crickets in Melbourne to grasshoppers in Cairns, here’s what triggers an insect outbreak
- Written by: David Rentz, Adjunct Professorial Research Fellow, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University
David RentzIn recent weeks, Melburnians have reported thousands of crickets showing up in large numbers after dark, flying into homes and shops and taking up residence.
The insect in question is the widespread, native black field cricket (Teleogryllus commodus).
Some media reports have described the swarms as a “plague”. This is not...