Can a Cricket Live 6 Months Without a Head?

A black cricket scurries out from the cover of the grass.

With such a diversity of wildlife all around us, there is a smorgasbord of fun and exciting facts we know little about. This unknown factor is the chief cause of wives tails and old sayings that exist around even common insects such as the cricket.

Regeneration

Various studies have been performed on the regenerative properties of the common crickets. According to Kyoto University, It has been proven that a cricket can regenerate a leg if lost. However, it has not been proven that a cricket can survive for any significant period of time after removing the head or other key body parts such as the abdomen.

Geography

Crickets are found throughout the world and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources notes that common crickets have been kept as pets in countries such as Greece and China for over 2,500 years, mainly for the males' singing and fighting skills.

Biology

According to the University of Arizona (UoA), crickets are part of the family Orthoptera (grasshoppers and katydids). Crickets may be brown to black in color while the front wings can vary in length from half to the full size of the abdomen. Antennae length typically measures from the head to the end of the abdomen. The UoA lists that an interesting feature of the cricket is that it has a tympanum or ears on its hind legs.

References

• University of Arizona: Cricket Information
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Buggy Sounds of Summer
• Universy of Kentucky: Unifying Principles of Regeneration

Resources

• University of Arizona: Cricket Information