Nisitrus malaya
Males of this cricket call from shrubs through the day, unusual for its family, and the species was only formally described in 2021.
| Where | Forest understory, shrubs and gardens |
|---|---|
| Size | 8 to 11 mm forewing length |
| When | January to December |
This cricket has a black head with a yellow front and cream coloured rings on otherwise black antennae, and its legs are orange brown. The hindwings form a dark tail that extends well past the folded forewings.
It lives among shrubs and herbaceous plants rather than grasses, feeding on flowers of native and weedy garden plants as well as the foliage of understory herbs, and can be locally abundant where these plants grow thickly.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Black, Yellow, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Calls from shrubs by day; harmless to people, feeding only on plants.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Paler overall with a cream coloured, not black, basal patch on the forewing, and juveniles whitish rather than dark grey.
Questions
Is Nisitrus malaya dangerous to people?
Calls from shrubs by day; harmless to people, feeding only on plants.
When can you see Nisitrus malaya?
Nisitrus malaya can be seen from January to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Ong Jyh Seng, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Crickets and grasshoppers›True crickets›Nisitrus
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.