| Svercus palmetorum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| S. palmetorum, male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Ensifera |
| Family: | Gryllidae |
| Subfamily: | Gryllinae |
| Genus: | Svercus Gorochov, 1988 |
| Species: | S. palmetorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Svercus palmetorum (Krauss, 1902) | |
Svercus palmetorum is a small species of cricket, and the sole member of the genus Svercus.
The subspecies Svercus p. palmetorum is widespread in North Africa, South-Western Asia, Cyprus and Malta - in Italy it was observed in Sardinia, Sicily, Calabria, and probably the subspecies can be encountered also in Corsica. Another subspecies, Svercus p. geonomes (Otte & Cade, 1984) lives in Southern Africa and Madagascar. [1]
The adult males grow up to 10.9–13.6 millimetres (0.43–0.54 in) long, while females reach 11.5–13 millimetres (0.45–0.51 in). The overall color is blackish, with a whitish band on the forehead. In both sexes, hind wings are reduced and the fore wings cover almost the entirety of the abdomen. The species resembles Modicogryllus algirius but is bigger and can be easily distinguished by the shorter wings, the shape of male genitalia and by its typical restless, melodious and sharp song emitted at a frenzied rhythm of up to 150 syllables per second.
Adults can be found in Spring and Summer in rather wet, even brackish habitats [2] and can dive and swim when needed. Its small size and its mobility make it uneasy to catch, but it can be attracted to food traps with vinegar and beer, and sometimes can be found in pitfall traps.
Gryllinae, or field crickets, are a subfamily of insects in the order Orthoptera and the family Gryllidae.
Dr. William H. "Bill" Cade is a biologist and a former president of the University of Lethbridge. He researches the role of acoustic signals in field cricket mating behaviour.
The Phaneropterinae, the sickle-bearing bush crickets or leaf katydids, are a subfamily of insects within the family Tettigoniidae. Nearly 2,060 species in 85 genera throughout the world are known. They are also known as false katydids or round-headed katydids.
Calliptamus siciliae, commonly known as the pygmy pincer grasshopper, is a species of short-horned grasshoppers belonging to the family Acrididae subfamily Calliptaminae.
Metaplastes pulchripennis, common name Italian ornate bush-cricket, is a species of 'katydids crickets' belonging to the family Tettigoniidae subfamily Phaneropterinae.
Yersinella raymondi, common name Raymond's Bush-cricket, is a species of "katydids crickets" belonging to the family Tettigoniidae subfamily Tettigoniinae. The scientific name Yersinella comes from the name of the entomologist who has described the species in 1860.
Conocephalus fuscus, the long-winged conehead, is a member of the family Tettigoniidae, the bush-crickets and is distributed through much of Europe and temperate Asia. This bush-cricket is native to the British Isles where it may confused with the short-winged conehead. These two species are phenotypically similar; however, the distinguishing factor between the two is the fully developed set of wings the long-winged conehead possesses that allows for flight. In the short-winged coneheads the hind wings are shorter than the abdomen, causing the wings to be vestigial and the species is incapable of flight. For this reason it is hard to discriminate between the two species during the early stages of their life cycle before the wings have fully developed. The colouration of the conehead is typically a grass green with a distinctive brown stripe down its back, though there are some brown phenotypes.
Oecanthus pellucens, common name Italian tree cricket, is a species of tree crickets belonging to the family Gryllidae, subfamily Oecanthinae.
Barbitistes obtusus, common name Southern Saw-tailed Bush-cricket or Alpine Saw Bush-cricket, is a species of katydids crickets in family Phaneropteridae subfamily Phaneropterinae.
Antaxius pedestris is a species of "katydids crickets" belonging to the family Tettigoniidae. It was originally described by Johan Christian Fabricius under the scientific name of Locusta pedestris.
Brachytrupes megacephalus is a species of cricket in the family Gryllidae.
Leptophyes laticauda is a species of bush-crickets belonging to the family Tettigoniidae.
Ephippiger perforatus, the North Apennine saddle bush-cricket, is a species of insect in the family Tettigoniidae.
Gryllini is a tribe of crickets and typical of the family Gryllidae. Species are terrestrial, carnivorous or omnivorous and can be found in all continenents except Antarctica.
Ephippiger terrestris, common name Alpine saddle-backed bush-cricket, is a bush cricket species belonging to the family Tettigoniidae, subfamily Bradyporinae.
Modicogryllus is the type genus of crickets in the tribe Modicogryllini. Species have been recorded from: Europe, Africa, the middle East, temperate and tropical Asia through to Australia and western Pacific islands.
Pamphagus sardeus is a large species of Pamphagidae and one of the most massive Italian Orthoptera.
Natula averni is one of the smallest and most elusive species of cricket living in the Mediterranean Basin.
Oecanthus dulcisonans is a species of cricket sparsely but widely distributed in the Mediterranean Basin and in the Middle East.
Barbitistes vicetinus, the Vicentine saw-tailed bush-cricket, is a species of katydids crickets in family Phaneropteridae endemic to Italy. The species was originally described by Antonio Galvagni and Paolo Fontana. It is found in vineyards and woody vegetation in the regions of Veneto and Trentino, in particular in the province of Vicenza. In 2016, it was listed as a Near Threatened species by the IUCN due to its restricted geographic range and extreme fluctuations in its population: its current extent of occurrence (EOO) is about 580 km2 (220 sq mi), and its area of occupancy (AOO) is between 50–100 km2 (19–39 sq mi). Formally described as a new species only in 1993, unexpected population outbreaks have severely impacted forests and crops in northern Italy in recent years.
Data related to Svercus palmetorum at Wikispecies
Media related to Svercus palmetorum at Wikimedia Commons