Sirkkaiset

Sirkkaiset is the Finnish term for the long-horned orthopterans, a group commonly known in English as crickets and katydids. In scientific classification they form the suborder Ensifera within the order Orthoptera and include families such as Gryllidae (true crickets) and Tettigoniidae (katydids or bush crickets). The group also contains several other families of crickets and katydids, including species with varying degrees of wing development.

A defining feature of sirkkaiset is their long antennae, which are typically as long as or longer than the body. Females possess an ovipositor used for laying eggs. Many species can produce sound by stridulation, usually by rubbing wings or legs, a behavior primarily used by males to attract mates. Morphology among the group ranges from robust, ground-dwelling forms to slender, tree-dwelling katydids, with variation in wing presence and structure.

Sirkkaiset are distributed worldwide, occupying a wide range of habitats from tropical forests to temperate grasslands and urban areas. They are generally omnivorous or herbivorous, feeding on plant material, detritus, and sometimes small invertebrates. Reproduction involves eggs laid in plant tissue or soil, with nymphs that resemble miniature adults and molt through several instars before reaching maturity.

Ecological and economic notes vary by region. Sirkkaiset play important roles in food webs as herbivores and prey for vertebrates and invertebrates; some species are considered agricultural pests, while others are valued for their ecological presence or, in some cultures, kept as pets or used in research.