Types of Crickets & Bugs in Ohio

Wherever you go in Ohio, you probably will see hundreds of bugs or crickets, especially in warm weather. Some of these creatures may fly, crawl, glide or jump to travel around. Ohio bugs and crickets appear in various shapes, sizes colors and distinct characteristics.

  1. Wasps

    • You will find wasps throughout Ohio, especially the small yellow jacket when it makes its appearance from August to October of every year. This type of wasp may be dangerous to some people since when it stings it injects venom in its victims. Another type of wasp, the spider wasp, strike spiders and with one sting can paralyze the spider. The paralyzed spider serves as food for growing larvae of wasps, according to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Ohio also is home to the perilampid wasp, a parasitic wasp that feeds on other bugs.

    Beetles

    • Beetles -- of which there are hundreds of species -- are a common type of bug found in Ohio. Ohio History Central says one particular type, the ladybird beetle (commonly known as the ladybug) is found in all of Ohio's 88 counties, and there are more than 450 ladybug species in North America as a whole. The ladybird beetle is the official insect of Ohio. Other beetles of Ohio include the ground beetle and the burying beetle. The burying beetle, which is on the endangered species list, buries small carrion such as rodents and lays its eggs in the carcass. The beetle measures between 0.98 to 1.4 inches long. A ground beetle usually hides under objects in fields and forests. It is predominantly black with brownish legs and antennas, and has grooves on its wings. This type of beetle can grow to be a little longer than half an inch.

    Flies

    • Ohio often has a variety of flies that may become a nuisance. Flies in Ohio range from 0.15 to 0.39 inches in length. Some common flies of Ohio include the hairy-legged parasitic fly, bee fly, deer fly and the blue bottle fly. Many flies are scavengers, feeding on rotting animal tissue and droppings. The blue bottle fly looks similar to a housefly, except it appears shimmery blue. In a residential home this type of fly may typically be found near windowsills, making loud buzzing sounds. Another type of fly in Ohio is the bee fly. The bee fly typically hovers over flowers and drinks nectar with its long proboscis. In addition, bee flies are a greenish-yellow fly and grow up to 0.59 inches in length.

    Crickets

    • Crickets typically make a high-pitched chirping sound for showing aggression, mating purposes and announcing their territory. Female crickets do not chirp. One type of cricket, the Ohio snowy tree cricket, can grow up to 5/8 of an inch long and is light green with antennas longer than its body. This type of cricket eats only plants as an adult and eats different type of vegetation as a young cricket. Ohio's most common type of cricket, the house cricket, can intrude residential or commercial space, and grow between 3/4 to 7/8 inches in length. In addition, it features a yellow-brown color with three bands and flat wings.