The crickets used for feeding to pets are typically Acheta domesticus, the brown house cricket.They are gray-brown in color and easily recognizable.

Crickets are cheap, readily available, and nutritionally well-balanced. This makes them the most popular insect feeder for insectivorous and omnivorous reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and other exotic pets. They are also a popular insect for human consumption in some parts of the world, particularly when fried or roasted.