Sia ferox - mandibles

A specimen of Sia Verox, the Bulldog Raspy Cricket.

An insect remarkable in a few ways...

1. It is very large, this one measuring 10 cm from abdomen to head.

2. Despite its size, it's surprisingly rare. In the wild, it probably isn't uncommon, just hard to see. By day they hide in a burrow, whilst at night they hunt on the forest floor deeply into rain forests. This may explain why there are so few reports.

3. Perhaps its most remarkable trait is that it's considerably higher on the food chain compared to most crickets. This cricket is large, fast and predatory. It tends to take on mid-sized insects, about half its size, but doesn't shy away from taking on giant arthropods, including tarantula. It's most formidable weapon are the mandibles.

This insect had some TV fame from Discovery's "Bug Wars", yet I hate their sensationalized staged gladiotor fights, so won't link to it.