The Parktown prawn, scientifically known as Libanasidus vittatus, is a species of king cricket endemic to Southern Africa. It is also known as the African king cricket or tusked king cricket.
Despite its name, it is unrelated to prawns; Libanasidus belongs to the order Orthoptera, which includes crickets, locusts, and similar insects. It's important to note that king crickets are not true crickets either, as they belong to the family Anostostomatidae, while true crickets are in the Gryllidae family.
Origin and Habitat
The insect gets its English name from the suburb of Parktown in Johannesburg, South Africa, where they are commonly found.
Meet the Killer Cricket that EATS Deadly Spiders!
Libanasidus vittatus was unknown within Johannesburg before the 1960s; the first known specimen was found in Barberton in 1899 by William Forsell Kirby. They only became prevalent after 1960, when Johannesburg began to expand rapidly in size. Johannesburg is on the South African highveld and has a dry climate, unsuitable habitat for the Parktown prawn.
Appearance
The Parktown prawn is one of the larger invertebrates found around Johannesburg homes.
Read also: Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority
- A large specimen may grow to be 6 to 7 cm (2.8 in) or more, with long whip-like antennae extending to about the same length.
- The exoskeleton is orange to light brown, with darker brown or black stripes across the abdomen.
- The conspicuous markings probably are aposematic in effect.
- The male insect sports a strong set of tusk-like projections on its mandibles, although the need for them is not fully explained.
Diet and Behavior
Libanasidus vittatus is omnivorous, feeding on slugs, snails, and moth larvae such as cutworms, as well as a fairly wide range of vegetable matter. They have been seen feeding on dead birds and other carrion, the food of pet dogs and cats, pet droppings, dry oatmeal, and also on fallen fruit. They have been known to chew on wooden floor boards and wooden structures such as garden furniture, though they are not equipped to digest sound wood.
Ecological Role
The Parktown prawn is held in low regard by many householders, but gardeners value them for controlling garden snail populations and attracting the hadeda ibis. Gardens that have a healthy population of Parktown prawns are practically free of slugs and snails, so gardeners who are aware of their habits regard Parktown prawns as an effective natural means of controlling such pests.
Interaction with Humans
Although perceptive South Africans commonly regard Parktown prawns as desirable in gardens, they can be unwelcome visitors indoors, where they are seen as pests; the insects can jump actively and often eject offensive black faecal liquids when threatened. Accordingly, they frighten nervous persons and they may chew carpets and fabrics. They most often emerge into the open after rain during summer, which also is when they are likeliest to be found indoors. Commonly they are most active at night.
Cultural Significance
The Parktown prawn has found its way into South African popular culture. A popular urban legend, propagated by April Fools' Day articles published by the Johannesburg newspaper The Star, claims that the Parktown prawn was the result of a genetic experiment by students from the University of the Witwatersrand in the 1960s (thus explaining the insects' sudden arrival in Johannesburg at that time).
Interesting Facts
- Parktown Prawns were first discovered in Barberton, Mpumalanga in 1899 by William Kirby who was an English entomologist and folklorist.
- When Kirby named this insect in 1899, he designated it to the family Stenopelmatidae and there was a debate on the matter until it was resolved in 1987 when Peter Johns (University of Canterbury, New Zealand) concluded that the Parktown Prawns belongs to the family Anostostomatidae and that they are distinct from the Jerusalem crickets from which they were assumed to be directly related.
- Parktown Prawns can jump high and when threatened they have a tendency to squirt foul-smelling black faecal matter quite far.
- They are even believed to have been the inspiration behind the movie District 9’s prawn alien species.
- Their strong structural makeup allows them to survive several attacks so please forget about squashing them because, unlike cockroaches, these folks don't die from being crushed.
Here is a table summarizing key facts about the Parktown Prawn:
Read also: Discover Thula Thula
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Libanasidus vittatus |
| Other Names | African king cricket, tusked king cricket |
| Family | Anostostomatidae |
| Size | 6-7 cm (up to 12.7 cm) |
| Appearance | Orange-brown exoskeleton with black stripes, long antennae |
| Diet | Omnivorous: snails, slugs, insects, vegetable matter, carrion |
| Habitat | Southern Africa (Johannesburg, Namibia, Angola) |
| Ecological Role | Pest control (snails, slugs), food source for birds |
Read also: Traditional South African Bread
Popular articles:
tags: #Africa
