''Scapteriscus borellii'', the southern mole cricket, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of insect in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Gryllotalpidae. It is native to South America but is also present in the southern United States where it was introduced around 1900.

Description

''Scapteriscus borellii'' is a fairly large mole cricket growing to a length of about . Like other members of this genus, it is characterized by having two sharp claws and a blade-like process with a sharp edge on its forelegs. Other mole crickets have three or four claws.Rodríguez, F.; Heads, S. (2012)
New mole crickets of the genus ''Scapteriscus'' Scudder from Colombia (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae; Scapteriscinae).
''Zootaxa'' 3282, 61–68. The two claws are separated at the base by a gap half the width of the claw, which distinguishes this species from the tawny mole cricket (''S. vicinus'') which has claws that nearly touch at the base. The tegmina (forewings) are longer than the prothorax and the membranous hind wings are longer than the abdomen, which distinguishes it from the short-winged mole cricket (''S. abbreviatus'') whose hind wings are shorter than the forewings and which is unable to fly. The call, sung only by males, usually within two hours of sunset, is a low-pitched trill with a pulse rate of about 50 per second.

Ecology

In its native South America, populations of ''S. borellii'' are kept under control by natural enemies, but in the southern United States, where it appeared in the early 1900s, it is regarded as an invasive pest species. It lives in shallow burrows in sandy soil and causes damage to lawns, pastures, golf courses and cultivated plants, primarily through its burrowing activities which loosen the soil, uproot plants and cause the soil to dry out. Unlike the two closely related, herbivorous species (''S. vicinus'' and ''S. abbreviatus''), it is mainly a

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

. Breeding takes place in the spring and there may be two generations of nymphs in southern Florida during the summer, but only one further north. More breeding activity in the autumn results in large overwintering nymphs. In an attempt to reduce the damage done by ''Scapteriscus'' mole crickets in Florida,

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 invo ...

has been attempted using natural enemies introduced from South America. ''

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 ...

'' is a

parasitoid In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...

wasp which deposits

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. The ...

e on adult mole crickets while the fly '' Ormia depleta'' lays egg on them; in both cases, the developing larvae devour the host's tissues. The mole cricket nematode (''Steinernema scapterisci'') liberates a bacterium which causes

sepsis Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...

and death to its

host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County People *Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman * Michel Host ...

mole cricket.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10662881 Gryllotalpidae Insects described in 1894 Insects of South America