Diet

• Trigonidiidae are generally small omnivorous crickets. Depending on the species, they feed on tender plant material, seeds, fungi, algae, decaying vegetation, and small organic or animal matter.

• Species living on vegetation may forage directly on leaves and stems, while ground-dwelling members make greater use of leaf litter and decomposing material.

Range

• Trigonidiidae are distributed worldwide.

• Trigonidiinae includes numerous Neotropical genera. Trigonidiid crickets occur in Mexico, including tropical regions of the country, and members of the family can be encountered in the Zihuatanejo area where suitable vegetation and ground habitats are present.

Habitat

• Trigonidiids occupy a wide variety of habitats, including grassland, low shrubland, forest edges, tropical forest vegetation, leaf litter, and other areas with dense low vegetation. Some species are strongly associated with vegetation and spend much of their time climbing or running across leaves.

• Around Zihuatanejo, suitable habitat includes tropical dry forest, forest edges, scrub, gardens, grasses, and areas of dense ground vegetation. Some species shelter in leaf litter or beneath vegetation during the day and become active at night.

Description

• Trigonidiidae are generally small, slender crickets. Trigonidiinae commonly have relatively delicate bodies, long antennae, and adhesive pads that allow them to move readily across plant surfaces, including the undersides of leaves.

• Female Trigonidiinae are particularly recognisable by their distinctive sword-like ovipositor, which is adapted for inserting eggs into plant tissue.

• Nemobiinae are generally more ground-associated and include the familiar small ground or wood crickets. The two subfamilies are considered distinct monophyletic lineages within Trigonidiidae based on both morphological and molecular evidence.

• The family is quite diverse, and coloration ranges from subdued brown and grey in many ground crickets to striking green, yellow, brown, or patterned forms among the vegetation-dwelling trigs.