Anurogryllus muticus

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Anurogryllus muticus
Anurogryllus muticus 2 3.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Ensifera
Family: Gryllidae
Genus: Anurogryllus
Species:
A. muticus
Binomial name
Anurogryllus muticus
(De Geer, 1773) [1]
Synonyms
  • A. angustulus (Walker, 1869)
  • A. clarazianus (Saussure, 1874)
  • A. comptus (Walker, 1869)
  • A. guadaloupensis (Fabricius, 1793)

Anurogryllus muticus, also known as De Geer's short-tailed cricket [2] or simply short-tailed cricket (a name common to many Anurogryllus species) is a species of cricket in the family Gryllidae.

Contents

It is native to Bermuda, the West Indies, Central and South America. It is nocturnal and hides in a burrow by day.

Taxonomy

At one time, nearly all the short-tailed crickets in the United States were considered to belong to the species Anurogryllus muticus, the range of which extended from Canada to much of South America. In a revision of the genus made by T. Walker in 1973, Anurogryllus arboreus was split off on the basis of the calling behavior of the male, and on certain morphological differences. [3] The range of A. muticus is now considered to include Bermuda, the West Indies, Central and South America as far south as southern Brazil while that of A. arboreus covers much of the continental United States. [1]

There are two subspecies; A. muticus caraibeus (Saussure, 1874) is found in the West Indies, the type locality being Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and A. muticus muticus (De Geer, 1773) which is found in Central and South America, the type locality being Suriname. [1]

Description

Anurogryllus muticus is a small, pale brown cricket with a very short ovipositor. [4] The adults have wings, which is in contrast to A. arboreus which sheds its wings soon after maturing. [3]

Behavior

Anurogryllus muticus is nocturnal, concealing itself in a burrow during the day. It forages at night and carries food into the burrow to side-chambers which it excavates. The entrance to the burrow is normally kept plugged except when its owner is outside. [4] Its preferred food seems to be the clover Alysicarpus vaginalis and the burrow is often constructed close to this food source. [5] This is particularly advantageous for females, which forage on this plant before egg-laying, transport time being minimised by its close proximity. [6]

Males of A. muticus call to attract a mate; the call is made during much of the night which is in contrast to A. arboreus which only calls for a period of two to three hours shortly after sunset. [7] Much energy is expended on calling and although the cricket metabolises both carbohydrates and lipids when at rest, while calling it mostly metabolises the lipids which have been stored in the testes. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gryllidae</span> Family of crickets

The family Gryllidae contains the subfamilies and genera which entomologists now term true crickets. Having long, whip-like antennae, they belong to the Orthopteran suborder Ensifera, which has been greatly reduced in the last 100 years : taxa such as the spider-crickets and allies, sword-tail crickets, wood or ground crickets and scaly crickets have been elevated to family level. The type genus is Gryllus and the first use of the family name "Gryllidae" was by Francis Walker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mole cricket</span> Members of the insect family Gryllotalpidae

Mole crickets are members of the insect family Gryllotalpidae, in the order Orthoptera. Mole crickets are cylindrical-bodied, fossorial insects about 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) long as adults, with small eyes and shovel-like fore limbs highly developed for burrowing. They are present in many parts of the world and where they have arrived in new regions, may become agricultural pests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree cricket</span> Subfamily of crickets

Tree crickets are insects of the order Orthoptera. These crickets are in the subfamily Oecanthinae of the family Gryllidae.

<i>Gryllus pennsylvanicus</i> Species of cricket

Gryllus pennsylvanicus is known as the fall field cricket. G. pennsylvanicus is common in southern Ontario, is widespread across much of North America and can be found even into parts of northern Mexico. It tends to be absent in most of the southwestern United States including southern California. Within its geographic range this field cricket will burrow into soil in fields and forest edges. Individuals inhabit grassy disturbed areas and are often found around areas of human habitation.

<i>Gryllus veletis</i> Species of cricket

Gryllus veletis, commonly known as the spring field cricket, is abundant throughout eastern North America. G. veletis is a solitary, aggressive, omnivorous, burrow-inhabiting species of cricket. This species is commonly confused with Gryllus pennsylvanicus, as they inhabit the same geographical area. However, the two species are easily distinguished through examination of life history, ovipositor and behavioural differences. Predators of G. veletis include American toads, wild turkeys, red-tailed hawks, wolf spiders and red-backed salamanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerusalem cricket</span> Type of cricket-like animals

Jerusalem crickets are a group of large, flightless insects in the genera Ammopelmatus and Stenopelmatus, together comprising the tribe Stenopelmatini. The former genus is native to the western United States and parts of Mexico, while the latter genus is from Central America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cricket (insect)</span> Small insects of the family Gryllidae

Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets, and, more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms, "crickets" were placed at the family level, but contemporary authorities including Otte now place them in the superfamily Grylloidea. The word has been used in combination to describe more distantly related taxa in the suborder Ensifera, such as king crickets and mole crickets.

<i>Gryllus</i> Genus of crickets

Gryllus is a genus of field cricket. Members of the genus are typically 15–31 mm long and darkly coloured. The type species is Gryllus campestris L.: the European field cricket.

<i>Gryllus rubens</i> Species of cricket

Gryllus rubens, commonly known as the southeastern field cricket, is one of many cricket species known as a field cricket. It occurs throughout most of the Southeastern United States. Its northern range spans from southern Delaware to the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas, with a southern range stretching from Florida to eastern Texas.

<i>Oecanthus fultoni</i> Species of cricket

Oecanthus fultoni, also known as the snowy tree cricket, or thermometer cricket, is a species of tree cricket from North America. It feeds on leaves but also damages fruit. The chirp of this species is often dubbed onto sound tracks of films and television shows to depict a quiet summer's night. The rate of chirp varies depending on the heat of the environment, allowing a listener to estimate the temperature.

<i>Gryllus bryanti</i> Species of cricket

Gryllus bryanti is a species of cricket in the subfamily Gryllinae. G. bryanti lives on islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Eleuthera Island and Andros Island in the Bahamas.

Gryllus integer, commonly known as the western trilling cricket, is one of many species of field cricket in the genus Gryllus. It is called the "triller" field cricket because its song is nearly continuous rather than broken into discrete chirps. G. integer can be found in parts of the Western United States, having been recorded from Oregon, California, Arizona and New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grylloidea</span> Superfamily of cricket-like animals

Grylloidea is the superfamily of insects, in the order Orthoptera, known as crickets. It includes the "true crickets", scaly crickets, wood crickets and other families, some only known from fossils.

<i>Gryllus assimilis</i> Species of cricket native to the Western Hemisphere

Gryllus assimilis, commonly known as the Jamaican field cricket and sometimes referred to as the silent cricket among other names, is one of many cricket species known as a field cricket. Its natural habitats are the West Indies and parts of the southern United States, Mexico, and South America, though as a result of widespread breeding programs to supply feeder insects to the pet industry since 2010, it has become available commercially throughout North America and Europe.

<i>Anurogryllus</i> Genus of crickets

Anurogryllus, commonly known as short-tailed crickets, is a genus of crickets in the tribe Gryllini; species are recorded from the Americas. The common and scientific names derive from the vestigial, poorly developed ovipositors of females.

<i>Brachytrupes membranaceus</i> Species of cricket

Brachytrupes membranaceus, the tobacco cricket, is a species of cricket in the family Gryllidae. It is a pest of crops including young tobacco plants. There are four subspecies, all of which are native to Africa.

<i>Anurogryllus arboreus</i> Species of cricket

Anurogryllus arboreus, the common short-tailed cricket or arboreal short-tailed cricket, is a species of cricket in the family Gryllidae. It is native to the southern and south-eastern United States where it lives in a burrow that it digs.

<i>Velarifictorus micado</i> Species of cricket

Velarifictorus micado, the Japanese burrowing cricket, is a cricket in the subfamily Gryllinae. It is found in southern Asia, along with an introduced population in the United States. It was first reported in the US in 1959, likely as overwintering eggs in the soil of imported plants, and has since spread all throughout the eastern half of the country.

Anurogryllus celerinictus, the Indies short-tailed cricket, is a species of cricket in the family Gryllidae. It was described in 1973 by Thomas J. Walker.

<i>Acanthogryllus fortipes</i> Southern African cricket species

Acanthogryllus fortipes, or the brown cricket, is a species of cricket from southern Africa. It is mostly dark brown in colour and has a large head. It is a common species in short grass, including artificial habitats such as lawns and fields.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Species Anurogryllus muticus (De Geer, 1773)". Orthoptera Species File. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  2. Walker, T. J. (1973). "Systematics and acoustic behavior of U.S. and Caribbean short-tailed crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Anurogryllus)" (PDF). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 66: 1269–1277. doi:10.1093/aesa/66.6.1269.
  3. 1 2 Costa, James T. (2006). The Other Insect Societies. Harvard University Press. pp. 104–. ISBN   978-0-674-02163-1.
  4. 1 2 Walker, Thomas J. "Genus Anurogryllus". Singing Insects of North America (SINA). Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  5. Lee, How-Jing; Loher, Werner (1996). "Influence of age and environmental factors on burrow-making behavior of the short-tailed cricket, Anurogryllus muticus (De Geer) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)". Journal of Insect Behavior. 95: 819–834. doi:10.1007/bf02213558.
  6. Lee, How-Jing (1989). Behavioral and Physiological Study of Reproduction in the Short-tailed Cricket, Anurogryllus muticus. University of California, Berkeley. p. 21.
  7. Gerhardt, H. Carl; Huber, Franz (2002). Acoustic Communication in Insects and Anurans: Common Problems and Diverse Solutions. University of Chicago Press. p. 261. ISBN   978-0-226-28833-8.
  8. Lee, How-Jing; Loher, Werner (1993). "The Mating Strategy of the Male Short-tailed Cricket Anurogryllus muticus de Geer". Ethology. 95 (4): 327–344. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.1993.tb00481.x.