Gryllinae, Laicharting, 1781

Massa, Bruno, 2020, Annotated checklist of Orthoptera of the Maltese Islands, Zootaxa 4885 (1), pp. 107-124 : 111-113

Subfamily: Gryllinae

Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer, 1773

Quite common within the rural-urban fringe and in synanthropic environments. A recent case of accidental introduction is reported by Massa & Fontana (2020).

Distribution. Fairly extensive range comprising the Palaearctic, Oriental and Afrotropical regions.

Gryllus campestris Linnaeus, 1758

A very uncommon species, known solely from a handful of sparse recorded occurrences ( Lanfranco 1955; Cassar 1990a).

Distribution. Western Palaearctic region; however, markedly less common than G. bimaculatus in the southern part of the region.

Brachytrupes megacephalus (Lefebvre, 1827)

A vulnerable, stenotopic species known from both Malta and Gozo, where it maintains relatively small populations in coastal localities, mostly on sandy habitats but also on Quaternary substrates ( Cassar & Conrad 2008). The largest population occurs at Ghadira, on the main island, within less than two kilometres from the Ahrax promontory, where a metapopulation made up of at least eleven subpopulation clusters has been recorded ( Cassar et al. 2018). Only one population is known from Gozo, which occurs within the sand dunes and adjacent agricultural land at Ramla Bay on the northern coast of the island ( Cassar 2019).

Distribution. Mediterranean, specifically parts of North Africa, the central Mediterranean area and southern tip of Sardinia. It also occurs in the central Sahara, on the northern fringe of the Afrotropical region. In Europe, B. megacephalus only occurs within Italian (Sicily and Sardinia) and Maltese territories, where it is afforded protection via a number of Natura 2000 sites. The species has also been afforded protection status through the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the Bern Convention ( Cassar et al. 2017).

Acheta domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

More common than previously thought. This species occurs in synanthropic environments, including rural settings.

Distribution. Widespread within the Palaearctic, Oriental and Nearctic regions.

Svercus palmetorum palmetorum (Krauss, 1902)

Restricted to hydric and mesic habitats. More work to better define its local status and distribution is necessary.

Distribution. Mediterranean, extending to the Canary Islands.

Eumodicogryllus bordigalensis bordigalensis (Latreille, 1804)

Quite common locally, from a fairly broad array of habitats, ranging from mesic dry river valleys (seasonal run-off conduits) to agricultural parcels of land and other synanthropic environments.

Distribution. Widespread across the entire Palaearctic region.