Female house cricket (Acheta domestica) hearing organ. Science Image

Ref: 80012344



Cricket hearing organ. Coloured scanning electron micrograph of the hearing organ (tympanum) on the foreleg of a female house cricket, Acheta domestica. The male cricket attracts the female by his "song", a chirping noise made by rubbing his wings together. The female uses the tympanum, situated below the knee joint, to pick up these vibrations. Hearing organs are also found on male crickets. Magnification: x60 at 5x7cm size.