Is this a cricket?

Quick answer is ... yes! It's a Carolina leaf roller. It looks somewhat similar to a cave cricket (camel cricket), but it should not be mistaken for one.

The Carolina leaf roller spends its life in trees. It is a nocturnal insect that is seldom seen. During the day this insect rolls a tree leaf around itself high in a tree, where it is safe from birds that would eat it.

The Carolina leaf roller has been found in the southeastern third of the United States. Little is known about this half-inch long insect, and its population density is questionable. I found this one crawling on a vine last month, after a thunderstorm had passed. I thought it had strange feet, and it could crawl fast but did not hop.