''Scapteriscus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of insects in the family

Gryllotalpidae Mole crickets are members of the insect family Gryllotalpidae, in the order Orthoptera (grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets). Mole crickets are cylindrical-bodied, fossorial insects about long as adults, with small eyes and shovel-like fore ...

, the mole crickets. Members of the genus are called two-clawed mole crickets.Genus ''Scapteriscus''.
In: Walker, T. J. ''Singing Insects of North America''. Entomology and Nematology. University of Florida, IFAS. They are native to South America.Parkman, J. P. and J. H. Frank. (1992)
Infection of sound-trapped mole crickets, ''Scapteriscus'' spp., by ''Steinernema scapterisci''.
''Florida Entomologist'' 75(1) 163-65. Some species have arrived in other regions (by flight or as contaminants of ship ballast or cargoes), including parts of North America, where some have become invasive and have become established as

pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

Description

These are medium-sized or large mole crickets characterized by the structures on their forelegs: two sharp claws and a blade-like process with a sharp flange or tooth. Other mole crickets have three or four claws.Rodríguez, F. and S. Heads. (2012)
New mole crickets of the genus ''Scapteriscus'' Scudder from Colombia (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae; Scapteriscinae).
''Zootaxa'' 3282, 61–68. Like other mole crickets, these burrow in the ground and the males produce calls with their tegmina.Nickle, D. A. (2003)
A revision of the mole cricket genus ''Scapteriscus'' with the description of a morphologically similar new genus (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae: Scapteriscinae).
''Transactions of the American Entomological Society'' 129(3–4) 411–485.

Impacts

''Scapteriscus'' species have been called "the most damaging crickets in the New World". The major pest species include ''S. abbreviatus'', ''S. borellii'', ''S. didactylus'', and ''S. vicinus''.Names, Origins, and Distribution of Mole Crickets.
Entomology and Nematology. University of Florida, IFAS. These burrowing insects are pests of

lawn A lawn is an area of soil-covered land planted with grasses and other durable plants such as clover which are maintained at a short height with a lawnmower (or sometimes grazing animals) and used for aesthetic and recreational purposes. ...

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or s ...

s, and gardens. Some species feed on plant roots and seedlings,Tawny Mole Cricket, ''S. vicinus''.
Entomology and Nematology. University of Florida, IFAS. while others are carnivorous and damage turf with their digging activity.
Entomology and Nematology. University of Florida, IFAS. They are notorious in the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern po ...

, where they have been called "the most damaging insect pests of turf and pasture grasses in Florida". ''S. didactylus'' is invasive in Australia, where it damages turf, especially on

golf courses A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

, and attacks crops such as rice and

peppers Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...

.Rentz, D. C. F. (1995)
The changa mole cricket, ''Scapteriscus didactylus'' (Latreille), a New World pest established in Australia (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae).
''Australian Journal of Entomology'' 34(4) 303-06. In

French Guiana French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic ...

, ''S. didactylus'' is a predator of the eggs of the critically endangered

leatherback sea turtle The leatherback sea turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea''), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, reaching lengths of up to and weights ...

(''Dermochelys coriacea'').Maros, A., et al. (2003)
''Scapteriscus didactylus'' (Orthoptera, Gryllotalpidae), predator of leatherback turtle eggs in French Guiana.
''Marine Ecology Progress Series'' 249,289-96. Agents of

biological pest control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also i ...

have proved effective for these mole crickets. The nematode ''

Steinernema scapterisci ''Steinernema scapterisci'', the mole cricket nematode, is a species of nematode in the order Rhabditida. It is a parasite of insects in the order Orthoptera, the grasshoppers, crickets and their allies. Native to southern South America, it was i ...

'' kills the mole cricket by carrying

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were am ...

into its body, introducing an overwhelming infection.Smart, G. C. (1994)
''Steinernema scapterisci'', a nematode parasite of mole crickets, ''Scapteriscus'' spp.
Nematology Circular No. 206. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The tachinid fly ''

Ormia depleta ''Ormia depleta'', sometimes called the Brazilian red-eyed fly, is a species of fly in the family Tachinidae. It is a parasitoid of mole crickets in the genus ''Scapteriscus''. It is native to South America but has been imported into the United ...

'' is a parasitoid that leaves its carnivorous

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. Th ...

on the body of the mole cricket The crabronid wasp ''

Larra bicolor ''Larra bicolor'' is a parasitoid wasp native to South America. It was introduced into Florida as a biological pest control of invasive mole crickets. Description Adult females of this species are about 22 mm long, with the males somewhat ...

'' (family

Crabronidae The Crabronidae are a large paraphyletic group (nominally a family) of wasps, including nearly all of the species formerly comprising the now-defunct superfamily Sphecoidea. It collectively includes well over 200 genera, containing well over ...

) catches the mole cricket and sticks an egg to it. When the larva emerges, it consumes the mole cricket alive.Frank, J.H. and Sourakov, A. 2012. ''Larra'' wasps, mole cricket hunters. http://entnem.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/Larra_wasps.htm

Diversity

In 2003, 21 species were in the genus. More have since been described. Species include: *'' Scapteriscus abbreviatus'' – short-winged mole cricket *'' Scapteriscus borellii'' – southern mole cricket *'' Scapteriscus cerberus'' *'' Scapteriscus costaricensis'' *'' Scapteriscus didactyloides'' *'' Scapteriscus didactylus'' – West Indian mole cricket, ''changa'' *'' Scapteriscus ecuadorensis'' *'' Scapteriscus grossi'' *'' Scapteriscus imitatus'' – imitator mole cricket *'' Scapteriscus macrocellus'' *'' Scapteriscus peruvianus'' *'' Scapteriscus quadripunctatus'' *'' Scapteriscus saileri'' *''

Scapteriscus tenuis ''Scapteriscus'' is a genus of insects in the family mole cricket, Gryllotalpidae, the mole crickets. Members of the genus are called two-clawed mole crickets.

'' *''

Scapteriscus vicinus ''Neoscapteriscus vicinus'', the tawny mole cricket, is a species of insect in the mole cricket family, Gryllotalpidae. This species is native to South America and also occurs in the Southern United States, where it arrived as a contaminant of ...

'' – tawny mole cricket *'' Scapteriscus zeuneri'' Two species of ''Scapteriscus'' were separated and placed in the new genus '' Indioscaptor''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10662880 Gryllotalpidae Ensifera genera