# Great Grig (*cyphoderris monstrosa*)

The Great Grig is a fascinating insect known for its loud chirping sounds! Kids love to listen to it during warm summer nights!

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Great Grigs live in grassy areas, gardens, and fields, especially where it's warm and sunny.
- **Also known as:** Giant Cricket, Singing Insect, Summer Chirper

![Great Grig](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cyphoderris_monstrosa_male_01.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Kevinjudge, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cyphoderris_monstrosa_male_01.jpg)

## Appearance

The Great Grig is a robust, mostly flightless katydid with a thick, squat body, typically brown or reddish-brown. It has short, rounded wing pads and notably long, powerful hind legs adapted for jumping. Its overall appearance is stout and somewhat bumpy, distinct from slender flying grasshoppers.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Orthoptera
- **Family:** Prophalangopsidae
- **Genus:** Cyphoderris

## Interesting facts

- Even though they have wings, Great Grigs prefer to hop or walk, not fly!
- Males offer females a special yummy 'nuptial meal' during mating!
- Their antennae are super long, often much longer than their whole body!
- These amazing insects are often called "ice bugs" because they survive freezing!

## Special abilities

- **Super Jumper:** Great Grig can leap impressive distances because of its powerful hind legs that help it escape predators quickly.
- **Nighttime Serenade:** Great Grig can 'sing' loudly by rubbing its wing pads together, a sound that helps males attract mates in the darkness.
- **Frost Fighter:** Great Grig has natural antifreeze in its blood, allowing it to survive freezing temperatures that would kill most insects.
- **Chemical Camouflage:** Great Grig can blend into its environment using cryptic coloration that helps it hide from predators among vegetation.

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 15-30 mm
- **Lifespan:** 60-120 days
- **Leg Count:** 6

## Diet & Feeding

Great Grigs are omnivores, munching on small insects and various plants found in their habitat.

- **Primary Foods:** small insects, leaves, grasses, seeds, berries
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [American Crow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-crow) (*Corvus brachyrhynchos*) — Predatory birds often hunt them.
- **Eaten by:** [Deer Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/deer-mouse) (*Peromyscus maniculatus*) — Rodents find them a tasty meal.
- **Eats:** [Quaking Aspen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/quaking-aspen) (*Populus tremuloides*) — Feeds on leaves and shoots.
- **Hunts:** Cotton Aphid (*Aphis gossypii*) — Grigs prey on small, soft-bodied insects.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue.
- [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Great Grig?

Look for six legs, antennae, three body sections and the shape of the wings. Beetles have hardened front wings; flies have just one working pair. Tiny insects may need a close view before their group is clear. Insect Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How big is Great Grig?

15-30 mm

### How long does Great Grig live?

60-120 days

### What does Great Grig eat?

Great Grigs are omnivores, munching on small insects and various plants found in their habitat.

### Where is Great Grig usually found?

Great Grigs live in grassy areas, gardens, and fields, especially where it's warm and sunny.

### How does Great Grig hunt?

Foraging

### How many legs does Great Grig have?

6

## Where to spot

- [Nahatlatch Provincial Park and Protected Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nahatlatch-provincial-park-and-protected-area) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

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Source: [Great Grig: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-grig)