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Camel Crickets Numbers Increasing in US

By Peter R | Update Date: Sep 03, 2014 03:34 PM EDT

Camel cricket sightings in the US have shown their numbers may be far greater than native variety of crickets, a new citizen survey has shown.

The citizen science project initiated by researchers in North Carolina State has found that the sightings of Asian Camel Cricket or Diestrammena Asynamora, was far greater than the local variant which belongs to the genus Ceuthophilus, Time reported, by pointing out that in more than 90 percent of the photographs sent by people to the research team, the Asian Camel Cricket was identified. The report further said that 52 camel crickets were found in a single yard in NC State when tempted with molasses.

Researchers believe that the Asian species, known to be cannibalistic, may be driving the local variety out of yards and into American homes. The specie, commonly called greenhouse cricket as it was earlier restricted only to greenhouses, established its presence in the 19th century.

"We don't know what kind of impact this species has on local ecosystems, though it's possible that the greenhouse Asian camel cricket could be driving out native camel cricket species into homes," lead study author  Mary Jane Epps was quoted saying by NBC News.

The research team also identified another specie Diestrammena japonica, which was earlier not found in the US.

"There appears to be a second Asian species, Diestrammena japanica, that hasn't been formally reported in the U.S. before, but seems to be showing up in homes in the Northeast," Epps told Daily Digest News.

Researchers estimated there could be 700 million camel crickets in eastern US. Their large numbers however does not pose a threat to humans, and may in fact be useful.

"Because they are scavengers, camel crickets may actually provide an important service in our basements or garages, eating the dead stuff that accumulates there," another researcher Holly Menninger said in a release

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