WESTERN MOLE CRICKET

Gryllotalpa cultriger Uhler
(grill-oh-TALP-a KULT-rig-er)

Distribution and Damage

The main distribution is probably in Mexico, as it is uncommon along the US border. It is not considered a pest.

Description

As with other mole crickets in the genus Gryllotalpa, the tibia of the western mole cricket has four dactyls. There is a row of five spines on the upper margin of the tibia of each hind leg. This characteristic is shared by the European and oriental mole crickets, but not by the prairie mole cricket.

In the western and oriental mole crickets, the ocelli are elliptical, and the ocellar-ocular distance is less than the ocellar length. In the western mole cricket the interocellar distance is less than the ocellar length, whereas in the oriental mole cricket the interocellar distance is greater than the ocellar length.

Life Cycle

The life cycle and seasonality of this species have not been studied, as it is very uncommon in the United States.



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