Status
Fragmentation of habitats and loss of populations have been recognized as main threats for many species, including the Field cricket. The artificial establishment of new populations is, therefore, a consistent method for enhancing the survival probability of a species. The aim of translocation projects is usually to reduce the risk of extinction for an endangered species by creating more self-sustaining populations. Studies of translocation and natural populations of G. campestris in Germany have shown that translocation does not result in a significant loss of genetic diversity. Translocation of nymphs from different subpopulations may in fact be a suitable method to decrease the loss of genetic diversity and reduce the risk of inbreeding, and large numbers of nymphs may be translocated without negative effect on the source population.
Habitat
The Field cricket Gryllus campestris prefers dry, sunny locations with short vegetation, like dry grasslands and is restricted to heathlands and oligotrophic grasslands at the northern edge of its range. They are flightless and unable to migrate long distances.
Reproduction
The reproductive season of the univoltine species lasts from May to July. The males make a burrow with a platform at the entrance from which they attract females with their courtship stridulation. They chirp during daytime as well as the first part of the night, only when the temperature is well above 13°C.Nymphs hatch in June till mid July and hibernate during their tenth or eleventh instar. The final moult takes place at the end of April or at the beginning of May. Males are territorial and defend their burrows fiercely, while females are vagrant and are attracted by singing males. They lay their eggs in bare ground either close to a burrow or inside the burrow. Populations of G. campestris are known to undergo extreme fluctuations and are strongly affected by weather conditions.
Predators
The Field Cricket Gryllus campestris is the most endangered cricket species in Britain. It is declining and red-listed in large parts of Central and Northern Europe, such as the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark and Lithuania.It has declined severely in part of its northern range due to the disappearance of its heathland habitat and by the early 1990s the species was reduced to a single surviving colony of just 100 individuals in Coates, West Sussex
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