Hadenoecus cumberlandicus

Hadenoecus cumberlandicus, the Cumberland cave cricket, is a species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It is found in North America along the west of the Cumberland Plateau.

Habitat

The Cumberland cave cricket aggregates into groups or clusters within cave wall recesses and is considered vital to cave community ecosystems, noted as a keystone species.

Features and reproduction

The crickets aggregate to minimize dehydration using specialized pheromones that reduce mobility on contact, acting as an anti-predator defense tactic from cave spiders. It has been found to have a co-occurrence relationship with the cave orb weaver spider Meta ovalis. Some populations of H. cumberlandicus are parthenogenic.

Identification

This cricket has very long legs, and a dark body. Its body is broken into scale sections. The antennae are also longer than that of an average camel cricket.