Parktown Prawn

The Parktown prawn, Libanasidus vittatus', is a monotypic species of king cricket found in Southern Africa. Although a member of the cricket order Orthoptera, it is placed in the family Anostostomatidae, separate from that of the true crickets, Gryllidae. The insect gets its English name from the suburb of Parktown in Johannesburg, South Africa where they are frequently found. In Angola, it is found in the southern savanna and semi-arid regions, whereas in Namibia it is found throughout the territory. The Parktown prawn is also related to the New Zealand tree weta which is also in the family Anostostomatidae.

A fancied resemblance to a prawn accounts for its name. The Parktown prawn is held in low regard by some, while gardeners value them for controlling garden snail populations and attracting the Hadeda Ibis.

The animal is omnivorous, feeding on a variety of food including snails, and vegetable matter. In urban environments, they will readily take food made available by suburban dwellers, including cat food, and dog food. Adults are usually around 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 5 cm (2.0 in) in length, with 2 cm (0.79 in) antennae.