camel cricket; cave cricket; spider cricket
Refers to the insect Diestrammena apicalis, commonly found in damp, dark places in Japan. Often called 竈馬 (かまどうま) as well.
See also: カマドウマ
I found a camel cricket in the corner of the kitchen.
Camel crickets prefer damp places.
Synonym for the same insect; 竈馬 is a more common kanji term, while おかまこおろぎ is the kana-preferred name.
Complex kanji spelling; rarely used in practice. It is usually written in kana.
Variant kanji spelling with 竃 instead of 竈; also rare.
Katakana spelling, often used in biological contexts or for emphasis.
The name likely derives from 御竈 (おかま, 'kitchen stove') and 蟋蟀 (こおろぎ, 'cricket'), referring to a cricket often found near old kitchen stoves. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.