Mole Cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) Mating Calls: Characteristics in Recently Expanded Geographic Areas

Reynolds, D. S.; Verburgt, L.; Schoeman, A. S.; Brandenburg, R. L.

Mole Cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) Mating Calls: Characteristics in Recently Expanded Geographic Areas

2015

Reynolds, D. S. | Verburgt, L. | Schoeman, A. S. | Brandenburg, R. L.

Mole crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) damage warm-season turfgrasses throughout the southeastern United States. The two most destructive species are the southern mole cricket, Scapteriscus borellii Giglio-Tos, and the tawny mole cricket, S. vicinus Scudder. Both species use mating calls to attract and locate potential mates. Male mating calls have often been used to distinguish among different species of crickets. Calling characteristics can vary within a species due to numerous factors, including climate. There has been no research conducted on the call characteristics of mole crickets as they have expanded their range of inhabitance to North Carolina. Male calls of southern and tawny mole crickets were recorded at night in 2009 and 2010. Analysis of the calls indicated that there was little change in the calling characteristics from previous research. This allows us to continue to expand our management plans for this pest and coordinate our efforts with other regions where mole crickets are located.

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