Parktown prawn

Parktown prawn
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Orthoptera
Suborder:	Ensifera
Family:	Anostostomatidae
Genus:	Libanasidus
Species:	L. vittatus
Binomial name
Libanasidus vittatus W. F. Kirby,1899

Female

Male with "tusks" on mandibles

TheParktown prawn,African king cricketortusked king cricket(Libanasidus vittatus) is a species ofking cricketendemictoSouthern Africa.It is unrelated toprawns,Libanasidusbeing insects in theorderOrthoptera– crickets, locusts and similar insects. The king crickets are not true crickets either: they belong to the familyAnostostomatidae,whereas true crickets are in theGryllidae.The insect gets its English name from the suburb ofParktowninJohannesburg,South Africa,where they are common. It is found throughout Namibia, and in the southernsavannaand semi-arid regions ofAngola.The Parktown prawn is related to the New Zealandtree wētā,which is also in the family Anostostomatidae.

The Parktown prawn is held in low regard by many householders, but gardeners value them for controllinggarden snailpopulations and attracting thehadeda ibis.The animal isomnivorous,with a diet that includessnails,other invertebrates, and vegetable matter. In urban environments, they will readily take food made available by suburban dwellers, includingcat foodanddog foodand their droppings.

History and discovery

Libanasidus vittatuswas unknown within Johannesburg before the 1960s; the first known specimen was found inBarbertonin 1899 byWilliam Forsell Kirby.They only became prevalent after 1960, when Johannesburg began to expand rapidly in size. The reason for the increase in the insect's numbers is unclear, although they have done much better in an urban environment than in the wild, and it has been suggested that some ecological controlling factor is absent in its suburban habitat.

Johannesburg is on the South Africanhighveldand has a dry climate, unsuitable habitat for the Parktown prawn. With the arrival of suburban dwellers, irrigated gardens provided lush, forest-like conditions, an environment more suited to king crickets.Certain suburbs in Johannesburg are very green and leafy, and represent a radical transformation of local flora.

Description

The Parktown prawn is one of the largerinvertebratesfound around Johannesburg homes. 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 theabdomen.The conspicuous markings probably areaposematicin effect. A large specimen can jump more than a metre high.

The male insect sports a strong set of tusk-like projections on itsmandibles,although the need for them is not fully explained. It is suggested that they may be used in sexual competition between males.The female has a well-developed sword-likeovipositor,through which she may lay between 80 and 200 eggs in damp or wettopsoilduring the mating season.

Diet

Libanasidus vittatusisomnivorous,feeding onslugs,snails,and moth larvae such ascutworms,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, dryoatmeal,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. 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. In turn the king crickets have their own natural predators, such as thehadeda ibis,fiscal shrikeandhelmeted guineafowl,birds at home in the urban habitat are able to deal with such large insects.

Relationship 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. They have also been called "crickets from hell".

A popular urban legend, propagated byApril Fools' Dayarticles published by the Johannesburg newspaperThe Star,claims that the Parktown prawn was the result of a genetic experiment by students from theUniversity of the Witwatersrandin the 1960s (thus explaining the insects' sudden arrival in Johannesburg at that time). The insect's unusual size, strength and vivid orange colouring are presented as confirmation of the idea.

The Parktown prawn has found its way into South African popular culture.Andrew Buckland's 1988 playThe Ugly Noo Nooused Parktown prawns as part of an extended parody of South African politics of the time.They feature in the daily comic stripMadam & Eve.

The aliens in the filmDistrict 9resemble anthropomorphic Parktown prawns, and are called "Prawns" by the human characters.

They are the subject of a song that was crowd-sourced, written and performed on 23 February 2018 byAmanda Palmerin Johannesburg, South Africa.

External links

• The monstrous cricket "turns 200"; while "badboy" Parktown prawn steals the limelight