''Scapteriscus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of insects in the family Gryllotalpidae, 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 Poaceae, grasses and other durable plants such as clover lawn, clover which are maintained at a short height with a lawn mower (or sometimes grazing animals) and used for aesthetic an ...

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

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 known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

, 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". ...

, and attacks crops such as rice and peppers.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 Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...

, ''S. didactylus'' is a predator of the eggs of the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle (''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, whether pest animals such as insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or plants by using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or ot ...

have proved effective for these mole crickets. The

nematode The nematodes ( or ; ; ), roundworms or eelworms constitute the phylum Nematoda. Species in the phylum inhabit a broad range of environments. Most species are free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but many are parasitic. Parasitic worms (h ...

'' Steinernema scapterisci'' kills the mole cricket by carrying

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

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'' 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 ...

that leaves its carnivorous

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

on the body of the mole cricket The crabronid wasp '' Larra bicolor'' (family

Crabronidae The Crabronidae is a large family of wasps within the superfamily Apoidea. Taxonomy and phylogeny This family has historically been treated as a subfamily in the now-defunct Spheciformes group under the family Sphecidae. The Spheciformes inclu ...

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

'' *'' Scapteriscus grossi'' *'' Scapteriscus imitatus'' – imitator mole cricket *'' Scapteriscus macrocellus'' *'' Scapteriscus peruvianus'' *'' Scapteriscus quadripunctatus'' *'' Scapteriscus saileri'' *'' Scapteriscus tenuis'' *''

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

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

References

{{Authority control Gryllotalpidae Ensifera genera