- "I caught a bell cricket! Odd, it doesn't look like money..."
The Bell Cricket, Homoeogryllus japonicus, is an uncommon bug that can be found hopping around on the ground between 5pm and 8am, between the months of September and October. It can be sold 430 Bells.
Museum[]
An information board in the bug exhibit will provide information about this bug.
"The chirping sound of bell crickets is considered beautiful and tends to represent the coming of fall. This easily recognizable chirping is created when males of the species rub their forewings together. The resulting sound is much higher in pitch than the human voice, so it can't be heard over a phone."
In real life[]
The Bell Cricket, also known as Suzumushi (鈴虫) in Japan, is a 2 cm long cricket that is famous for it’s unique chirping. They live in fallen leaves, undergrowth and in trees, from Honshu to Kysuhu. It has a dark body and long, lighter-colored antennae. Bell Crickets are omnivorous, eating through most of what they come across, whether plant, animal or fungi. When they mate, however, females get an extra snack called the spermatophore. This is a nutritious package produced by the male and given to the female in exchange for the privilege of mating with her. For this reason, it is also called the “nuptial gift”.
The cricket can vary the noise its wings make by vibrating its body as it rubs the wings together. This distorts the noise and makes the song of each male unique. In this way females can identify and learn about each male. There is a temple in Kyoto called the Kegonji Temple. It is also known as Suzumushi-dera (Bell Cricket Temple), as for centuries people have gone there to meditate to the sound of the bell crickets’ songs, which are said to signify the voice of Buddha.