Keeping Cave Crickets

satchellwk

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
257
I've recently been moving some stuff in my garage, and I found a cave cricket in a box of stuff. I've found them before from time to time, but I decided ot keep this one. He's not that big, only half an inch, but I've seen some big ones before. I was wondering, does anyone keep cave crickets? I find them really interesting and unique looking little insects. Is there a reason that they aren't regularly kept? Also, I would assume that the care for one would be pretty much the same as for a regular cricket, and give it a dark, moist area and some sort of vegetable matter ot eat.
Also, does anyone think that keeping a larger cave cricket with some kind of cockraoch would be detrimental to one or the other? I kinda have a vision of a cave-floor ecosystem terrarium, and I'm wondering how that would pan out.
 

satchellwk

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
257
I guess I'll bump this topic, and add a little more info.

I think that the scientific name is Diestrammena asynamora, but I could be wrong. I think that they are really, really interesting. They have a LOT more powerful jump than your standard house or feild cricket. I actually found a population of them in my house's crawl space, but they are hard ot catch. I got one a little while ago that's slightly smaller than the one I have now. I plan to try again tonight, when I think they'll be more active. Has anyone else ever tried to keep one of these or any similar species? I'm really intrigued by them, but I want some more info before I try to start a full on colony.
Here's a pic of the first one I caught:
 

Attachments

Pssh

Arachnoknight
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
197
I used to keep a small colony of cave crickets. They breed willingly with a moist substrate and live together just fine. I did get some cannibalism from time to time, but it was very minor. The major con for me was that they jump so well! I like to keep my bug tubs lid-less but with these I could not.

Just keep them like feeder crickets but a little more moist.
 
Top