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Look first at the antennae and the ears: true crickets usually have long, thin antennae and a hearing organ on each front leg, while short-horned grasshoppers typically have shorter antennae and a hearing organ on the abdomen. Sound, activity time and diet can help confirm your guess, but they are tendencies rather than rules. Both insects are related jumpers with chewing mouthparts, so a single clue—especially color or a big leap—cannot reliably identify one.
Crickets and grasshoppers belong to the insect order Orthoptera. Their powerful hind legs and similar overall build explain why they are often confused, but several features make a useful quick comparison. The clearest distinction is the combination of antenna length and the location of the hearing organ, called a tympanum. Other differences—how they make sounds, when they are active and what they usually eat—are helpful supporting clues, not guarantees for every species.
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At a glance: cricket vs. grasshopper
| Clue | True cricket | Short-horned grasshopper | How useful is it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antennae | Usually long and thin, sometimes several times the body length | Typically shorter and more robust | One of the strongest quick clues; not enough on its own |
| Hearing organ | One tympanum on each front leg, just below the knee | Tympanum on the abdomen | A strong anatomical distinction when visible |
| Sound mechanism | Commonly rubs the forewings together | Commonly rubs pegs on a hind leg against a forewing | Useful if the insect is calling, but not every individual calls |
| Typical activity | Many are most noticeable in the evening or at night | Generally more active in daylight | A supporting clue, not a rule |
| Typical diet | Many are omnivorous or scavengers; some eat insects as well as plant or organic matter | Tend to feed mainly on plants | A broad tendency; diet varies among species |
| Appearance | Can be pale green or greyish brown; body shape varies | Often green, brown or grey; may look more sausage-shaped | Weak clue: colors and proportions vary |
| Hind legs | Strong legs adapted for jumping | Strong legs adapted for jumping | Shared feature, not a way to tell them apart |
| Life cycle | Egg, nymph, adult; no pupal stage | Egg, nymph, adult; no pupal stage | Shared pattern, not a difference |
| Broad classification | True crickets are in Ensifera; Gryllidae is the true-cricket family | Short-horned grasshoppers are in Caelifera | Useful context, though common names can overlap |
1. How long are the antennae?
For a quick first check, compare the antennae with the insect’s body. A true cricket’s antennae are usually long, fine and conspicuous—sometimes several times the body length. A short-horned grasshopper’s antennae are generally much shorter and sturdier by comparison.
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This is a useful clue, not a stand-alone verdict. Orthoptera includes other groups with long antennae, including katydids, and common names can blur the categories. The Australian Museum’s overview of Orthoptera helps put crickets, grasshoppers, katydids and locusts in context. For a particular insect, check the antennae alongside the hearing-organ location and other features.
When looking at a photo, make sure the antennae are actually visible before using this clue. A cropped image or an antenna that blends into the background can make a long antenna seem short or absent. The comparison is about relative length and build, not a precise measurement that identifies a species. If antennae suggest one group but another visible feature points elsewhere, treat the result as uncertain and check the broader combination.
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The hearing organs provide one of the clearest anatomical differences: crickets have tympana on their front legs, just below the knees, while grasshoppers have a tympanum on the abdomen. “Ears on their knees” is an easy way to remember the cricket clue; anatomically, it is the front-leg tympanum that matters.
The structures may be hard to see on a moving insect or in a photograph, so this clue is most useful when you have a clear view. If you cannot locate them, do not guess from body color; use the antennae and, if available, the sound and time of activity as additional evidence. The Australian Museum and the Canal & River Trust identification guide describe this contrast.
In practice, “look for the ears” does not mean that a casual glance will always settle the question. The insect may be facing away, its legs may be folded, or the image may not show the relevant area sharply. Do not mistake a missing view for evidence that the organ is absent. The useful distinction is its anatomical location: paired on the front legs in true crickets, versus on the abdomen in short-horned grasshoppers.
3. How do they make their sounds?
When a calling insect is making sound, the sound-producing movement can help distinguish it. True crickets commonly rub their forewings together. Grasshoppers and locusts commonly make sound by rubbing pegs on a hind leg against a forewing.
These are common mechanisms, not a promise that every species or individual will sing. Usually males call, often to attract females, but the Australian Museum notes that some females also produce sounds. An insect that is silent has not thereby been identified: it may simply not be calling at that moment. Sound can also be difficult to interpret without seeing which insect produced it, especially where several insects are present.
If you hear a call but cannot see its source, use sound as a reason to look more closely, not as a final identification. The key comparison concerns how the sound is made, which may be difficult to observe at a distance. Where you can see the caller, combine that movement with antenna length and the position of the tympanum. Do not assume that every chirp nearby comes from the insect you happen to spot.
4. Is it active in daylight or at night?
As a general pattern, grasshoppers are more active during daylight, while many crickets are most noticeable in the evening or at night. That makes the time you see or hear an insect a useful supporting clue.
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It is not a reliable rule for every species. Some crickets shelter during the day, but a daytime sighting does not rule out a cricket; likewise, a sound after dark is not enough by itself to establish an insect’s identity. The Devon County Council comparison and the Canal & River Trust guide both use activity patterns as part of a broader comparison rather than as a definitive test.
Record when you observed the insect, but keep that note in its proper place: it is context, not an anatomical feature. A daylight sighting can fit a grasshopper’s usual pattern, and an evening call can fit a cricket’s usual pattern, yet neither observation overrides a clear view of antennae or ear placement. Activity is especially useful when it supports, rather than contradicts, the other clues.
5. What do they usually eat?
Grasshoppers tend to feed mainly on plants. Many crickets are more flexible: they may scavenge or eat plant and other organic matter, and some also eat insects. These are broad dietary tendencies, not fixed menus for every species.
Diet is therefore a weak way to identify an insect you have only glimpsed. It is more useful as a general ecological distinction than as a field test: seeing an insect on a plant does not prove it is a grasshopper, and the word “cricket” does not mean every cricket eats other insects. The Australian Museum’s Orthoptera overview describes the variety within the group.
It is easy to overread a single feeding observation. An insect on foliage might be resting rather than feeding, and a broad tendency does not mean that every member of a group has the same diet. For identification, use what you can see directly on the insect first; use diet only as a supporting piece of context when the behavior is clear.
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Color and body shape can add context, but they are among the least dependable clues. Crickets may be pale green or greyish brown, and grasshoppers are often green, brown or grey. In its regional comparison, Devon County Council describes grasshoppers as generally more sausage-shaped, but shape varies and should not outweigh antennae or ear placement.
Neither insect has one universal color or silhouette. A green insect is not automatically a grasshopper, and a brown one is not automatically a cricket. Regional species, life stage and individual variation make appearance a poor shortcut if considered alone.
Use appearance to describe what you see rather than to force a label: note the color and outline, then compare those observations with stronger features. The Devon shape description is a regional comparison, not a promise that all grasshoppers will share one profile. A field guide’s photographs and distinguishing characters can help make sense of appearance within the region where the insect was found.
7. Do both have powerful jumping legs?
Yes. Both crickets and grasshoppers have enlarged hind legs that help them jump. This shared feature is a major reason the two are easy to confuse, but it is not a difference to use for identification.
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A large jump can help you notice an insect, but it does not settle what it is. Look at the antennae and hearing-organ location instead. The Canal & River Trust guide notes this shared jumping ability alongside the traits that separate the groups.
This shared trait is worth remembering because it explains why a quick impression can mislead. Both groups are adapted for jumping, so the fact that an insect has conspicuously strong hind legs does not resolve the comparison. Treat it as evidence that you may be looking at an orthopteran, then move on to the features that actually distinguish the two groups.
8. Do they have different life cycles?
No major difference in the basic life-cycle pattern is useful here: both develop from egg to nymph to adult, without a pupal stage. A nymph resembles a smaller, often wingless adult, rather than passing through a caterpillar-and-pupa sequence.
That resemblance can help you recognize a young orthopteran as belonging to the same broad kind of insect as an adult, but it does not distinguish a cricket nymph from a grasshopper nymph by itself. Use the same comparative clues where visible, and consult a regional guide if the nymph’s species matters. The Canal & River Trust and Australian Museum sources discuss the shared pattern.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallA young insect may not show every adult feature clearly, so an identification based on a nymph can be less straightforward. The key point is that the life-cycle stages do not provide a simple cricket-versus-grasshopper split: both have egg, nymph and adult stages. Do not expect to separate them by looking for a pupal stage in one group but not the other.
9. Are crickets and grasshoppers classified differently?
At a broad level, true crickets and short-horned grasshoppers belong to different orthopteran suborders: true crickets are in Ensifera, while short-horned grasshoppers belong to Caelifera. Gryllidae is the family of true crickets. “Grasshopper” can also be used broadly, and locusts are short-horned grasshoppers; related common names such as bush cricket and katydid can cause confusion.
This classification explains why a comparison needs careful wording. It is more accurate to compare true crickets with short-horned grasshoppers than to imply every insect called a cricket or grasshopper fits a simple two-way field rule. The Australian Museum’s overview covers the larger Orthoptera group.
The names in everyday use can suggest a neat division even when they do not map perfectly onto the broad groups. “True cricket” is the useful term when referring to crickets in Gryllidae, while “short-horned grasshopper” makes clear which grasshopper group is being compared. Katydids and bush crickets are related examples that show why antennae alone cannot define the categories.
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How can I identify one I found?
Use more than one clue, and treat the result as a likely identification rather than a species-level certainty:
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- Check the antennae. Long, thin antennae point toward a true cricket; short, robust ones toward a short-horned grasshopper.
- Look for the tympanum. A hearing organ on each front leg supports cricket; one on the abdomen supports grasshopper.
- Use sound and timing as supporting clues. Note whether it was calling, whether you could see its movement, and whether the observation was in daylight or after dark. Neither silence nor time of day is conclusive.
- Do not decide from color or jumping alone. Both groups vary in appearance and share strong jumping legs.
- For a species name, consult a local guide. Use a field guide for your region and compare several visible characters, ideally with a clear photograph. The University of Wyoming’s western grasshopper field guide illustrates a regional approach using photographs and distinguishing characters; it is not a universal guide to crickets or grasshoppers everywhere.
A practical way to apply those steps is to begin with the clearest visible feature, not the one that seems most familiar. First compare antennae; next, if the view permits, check the front legs and abdomen for the tympanum. Only then weigh sound, time of activity and behavior. If the strongest clues are hidden or point in different directions, leave the identification at the broad-group level rather than making a more specific claim than the evidence supports.
If you are using a photograph, a useful image needs to show the features you are comparing. A close, sharp view of the antennae helps with the first check; a view of the relevant legs and abdomen may help with the second. A distant image that shows only color or the insect’s overall outline is less useful. The Wyoming field guide demonstrates why photographs are most helpful when paired with distinguishing characters, rather than treated as a label by themselves.
Geography matters when interpreting identification advice and species counts. The Canal & River Trust page, last edited 9 September 2025, reports 23 cricket species and 11 grasshopper species in the UK; those are UK figures, not global totals. The Australian Museum page was updated 8 May 2020 and describes about 3,000 orthopteran species in Australia. These different regional counts illustrate why a local reference is more useful than assuming one list or set of appearances applies worldwide.
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The counts also describe different scopes: the UK comparison gives separate cricket and grasshopper figures, whereas the Australian Museum figure covers Orthoptera, the broader order that includes related groups. They are not directly comparable totals. Use them as regional context, not as a way to infer how common one insect is in your own location or to decide what a particular specimen is.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently asked questions
Are locusts grasshoppers or a separate kind of insect?
Locusts are short-horned grasshoppers, not a separate order of insect. The term is used for certain grasshoppers, while “grasshopper” is the broader everyday label; the Australian Museum’s Orthoptera overview explains the relationship.
Can I identify a cricket or grasshopper from a photo?
Often you can make a reasonable broad identification if the photo clearly shows the antennae and the relevant hearing-organ area. A species identification may require additional regional characters and a local guide, so a single distant or blurry image can be inconclusive.
How many kinds of crickets and grasshoppers are there?
There is no single count in the sources that applies worldwide. The Canal & River Trust gives UK counts, while the Australian Museum reports an approximate Australia-wide count for the much broader order Orthoptera; these figures measure different scopes and should not be directly compared.
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Does a long antenna prove that an insect is a cricket?
No. Long, thin antennae are a strong quick clue for a true cricket, but katydids and other orthopterans can also have long antennae. Check the hearing-organ location and other features, and use a regional field guide if you need a species identification.
Can a cricket be active during the day, or a grasshopper at night?
Yes. Evening and nighttime activity is common for many crickets, while grasshoppers are generally more active in daylight, but these are tendencies rather than rules. Time of activity can support an identification, not settle it.
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Do crickets always eat insects?
No. Many crickets are omnivorous or scavengers, and some eat insects as well as plant and other organic matter. Grasshoppers tend to feed mainly on plants, but diet varies among species and is not a dependable way to identify an individual.
Can you tell a cricket nymph from a grasshopper nymph by its life cycle?
Not from the basic life-cycle pattern: both develop from egg to nymph to adult and have no pupal stage. Nymphs often resemble smaller, wingless adults, so use visible identification features and a local guide if the species matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are locusts grasshoppers or a separate kind of insect?
Locusts are short-horned grasshoppers, not a separate order of insect. The term is used for certain grasshoppers, while “grasshopper” is the broader everyday label; the Australian Museum’s Orthoptera overview explains the relationship.
Can I identify a cricket or grasshopper from a photo?
Often you can make a reasonable broad identification if the photo clearly shows the antennae and the relevant hearing-organ area. A species identification may require additional regional characters and a local guide, so a single distant or blurry image can be inconclusive.
How many kinds of crickets and grasshoppers are there?
There is no single count in the sources that applies worldwide. The Canal & River Trust gives UK counts, while the Australian Museum reports an approximate Australia-wide count for the much broader order Orthoptera; these figures measure different scopes and should not be directly compared.
Does a long antenna prove that an insect is a cricket?
No. Long, thin antennae are a strong quick clue for a true cricket, but katydids and other orthopterans can also have long antennae. Check the hearing-organ location and other features, and use a regional field guide if you need a species identification.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCan a cricket be active during the day, or a grasshopper at night?
Yes. Evening and nighttime activity is common for many crickets, while grasshoppers are generally more active in daylight, but these are tendencies rather than rules. Time of activity can support an identification, not settle it.
Do crickets always eat insects?
No. Many crickets are omnivorous or scavengers, and some eat insects as well as plant and other organic matter. Grasshoppers tend to feed mainly on plants, but diet varies among species and is not a dependable way to identify an individual.
Can you tell a cricket nymph from a grasshopper nymph by its life cycle?
Not from the basic life-cycle pattern: both develop from egg to nymph to adult and have no pupal stage. Nymphs often resemble smaller, wingless adults, so use visible identification features and a local guide if the species matters.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: For a quick cricket-versus-grasshopper check, start with antenna length and tympanum location: true crickets usually have long, fine antennae and hearing organs on their front legs, while short-horned grasshoppers tend to have shorter antennae and a tympanum on the abdomen. Sound, activity time, diet and appearance can add context, but they are variable clues. For a species name, compare several features in a field guide covering your region.
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