The cricket known as a Corn Cricket.  Acanthoplus discoidalis is a species in the katydid family.  The mature cricket like the one which is drinking beer with us is the  most often seen in Namibia.  They need to eat and mate while there is food in a dry climate.

The black corn cricket is not quite as large as the  brown cricket above because it is the immature version of the species and they usually spend their time eating where they feel safe and not walking around looking for a mate.

The damage the insects did to these aloes are not as gruesome as it seems. An aloe has no problem to replace the leaves and it will go dormant and hang on till the rain comes.