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July 10-12, 2009
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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids (Orthoptera) » Long-horned Orthoptera (Ensifera) » Mole Crickets (Gryllotalpidae) » Two-clawed Mole Crickets (Scapteriscus) » Southern Mole Cricket (Scapteriscus borellii)

Species Scapteriscus borellii - Southern Mole Cricket

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Southern Mole Cricket - Scapteriscus borellii

Mole Cricket - Scapteriscus borellii - male

mole cricket in dunes - Scapteriscus borellii

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)

Suborder Ensifera (Long-horned Orthoptera)

Family Gryllotalpidae (Mole Crickets)

Genus Scapteriscus (Two-clawed Mole Crickets)

Species borellii (Southern Mole Cricket)

Other Common Names

Unwelcome Mole Cricket

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

species borellii Giglio-Tos, 1894

synonym acletus Rehn & Hebard, 1916

Size

25-35 mm

Identification

Brown to pinkish, dark pronotum with pattern. Body shape adapted for burrowing. Compare Neocurtilla, which has four prominent claws on fore-tarsi, instead of two. Also note the pronotum, dark with four light spots. This seems to show up in every photo of this species I've seen.

Compare also, Tawny Mole Cricket, S. vicinus, also found in southeast, on sandy soils, and Shortwinged Mole Cricket, S. abbreviatus.

Range

Southeastern United States, introduced from new world tropics (?)

Habitat

Gardens, lawns, agricultural land

Season

Spring-summer

Food

Herbivores? Some references state is mostly carnivorous, and that damage to turfgrass results from tunneling.

Life Cycle

Burrowing insects. Adults (males?) come to lights.

Remarks

Formerly (?) S. aclectus. Specific name sometimes spelled borellia?

Print References

Arnett, p. 168 (1)

Helfer, p. 324 (2)

Drees, fig. 19, p. 23 (3)

Cranshaw, pp. 512-513 (4)

Capinera, p. 214, description under S. vicinus (5)

Internet References

Univ. of Florida

Adult Southern Mole Cricket, Scapteriscus borellii--photo

Singing Insects of North America: genus Scapteriscus, Southern Mole Cricket

Clemson Univ.

North Carolina State Entomology Collection--179 specimens pinned

Works Cited

1.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico By Ross H. Arnett

2.	How to Know the Grasshoppers, Cockroaches, and Their Allies By Jacques R. Helfer

3.	A Field Guide to Common Texas Insects By Bastiaan M. Drees, John A. Jackman

4.	Garden Insects of North America : The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs (Princeton Field Guides) By Whitney Cranshaw

5.	Field Guide To Grasshoppers, Katydids, And Crickets Of The United States By John L. Capinera, Ralph D. Scott, Thomas J. Walker

Contributed by Cotinis on 17 June, 2004 - 6:22pm
Additional contributions by David Ferguson
Last updated 10 September, 2009 - 12:54am

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