Distribución

La especie Scapteriscus didactylus (Latrille) (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae), es

una especie de amplia distribución originaria de sur america, desde 1924 en
registros de la academia natural de ciencias de filadelfia, se identificó este
especimen en Brazil, Guayaquil, Guayanas, Surinam (Hebard, 1924) y como lo
indica Capinera (2001), invadio puerto rico antes de 1800 causando daños
considerables en los cultivos de la isla, los autores Howard & Leppla (2008)
indica que la especie tuvo una extensión gradual del rango hacia el norte a
traves de la cadena de inslas antillas menores hasta llegar a La Española y
Puerto Rico, señaló que probablemente fue por vuelo y en 1982 en australia se
reportó probablemente por una carga contaminante aérea o marítima, se
reportó en republica dominicana en 1986, debido a daños de raices y tallos en
plantas de pimienta de 20 a 30cm de alto (Frank, et al., 1987). Este grillo
topo se ha expandido hasta norte america especialmente en florida (Lacey,
2017) Son numerosos en colonias a nivel del suelo,

Plantas hospedantes

Los grillos topo son omnivoros, en cultivos como lo indica Capinera (2001)
asociados al cultivo de fresa y tomate, tambien indica cultivos de hortalizas
como remolacha, zanahoria, acelga, por mencionar algunas, otros individuos
vegetales como tabaco, flores e incluso gramineas son afectadas por este S.
didactylus. causa daños severon en caña de azucar como lo reporta Howard &
Leppla (2008). Frank, et al. (1987) señaló que el tamaño de las ninfas en
habitats transformados con cultivos son más pequeñas que las habituales
(<5mm) es una plaga mucho menos común de cultivos agrícolas, pero aún
daña el césped regado de campos de golf y granjas de césped (Leslie, 1994) Se
encontraron mayormente ninfas colectadas en pastos (Rantz, 1995).
Descripción

La descripción aqui señalada se tomó principalmente de Rentz (1995):

Los caracteres de identificación en el nivel genérico están en las patas
delanteras. Los grillos topo son de dos, tres y cuatro garras. Las garras se
refieren al número de garras de excavación, o dactilos, en el margen anterior
(interno) de la tibia frontal. Hay garras adicionales adyacentes a estas en el
tarso frontal altamente modificado (Rentz ,1995).
de la sub familia scapteriscini tres o dos dactilos (garras) grandes fijos
(inmóviles) (Frank & Leppa, 2008). Las especies del genero Sapteriscus tienen
dos garras o dactilos en la misma posición y un pronoto notable S. didactylus,
es fácilmente reconocible por la siguiente combinación de caracteres: garras de
la tibia separadas por una distancia de menos de 0.3 mm; distancia
interocelular mayor de 1 mm, distancia interocular generalmente mayor de
2.2 mm; patrón pronotal y patrón femoral posterior distintivo (Rentz, 1995).

Ciclo de vida descrito en el libro pagina 530 Handbook of Vegetable Pests (Capinera, 2001)
(copiado y pegado)

Egg.

The eggs are deposited in a chamber in the soil adjacent to tunnels. The chamber is usually
constructed at a depth of 5–30 cm below the soil surface. It typically measures 3–4 cm in
length, width, and height. The eggs are oval to bean-shaped, and initially measure about 3
mm long and 1.7 mm wide. The eggs increase in size as they absorb water, eventually
attaining a length of about 3.9 mm and a width of 2.8 mm. The color varies from grey or
brownish. They are deposited in a loose cluster, often numbering about 25–60 eggs.
Duration of the egg stage is about 10–40 days. Total fecundity is not certain, but over 100
eggs have been obtained from a single female, and the mean number of egg clutches
produced per female was reported to be 4.8 (Hayslip, 1943).
Nymph.

Hatchlings are whitish initially but turn dark within 24 hours. They may consume the egg
shell or cannibalize siblings, but soon dig to the soil surface. The juvenile stages resemble
the adults, but nymphs have poorly developed wings. The number of instars is variable,
probably 8–10 (Hudson, 1987). Nymphs and adults create extensive below-ground tunnel
systems, usually within the upper 20–25 cm of soil. When the soil is moist and warm they
tunnel just beneath the surface, but crickets tunnel deeper if the weather becomes cooler or
the soil dries. They come to the surface to forage during the evening, usually appearing
shortly after dusk if the weather is favorable.
Adult.

Mole crickets have peculiar enlarged forelegs that are used for digging in the soil. The
foretibiae have large blade-like projections, called dactyls, and the number and arrangement
of dactyls are diagnostic. These crickets also bear antennae which are shorter than the body.
Females lack a distinct ovipositor. Both sexes have elongate cerci at the tip of the abdomen.
The male produces a courtship song that is attractive to females; they normally call during
the night. Except for the shortwinged mole cricket, the male enlarges the entrance to his
burrow, forming a horn-shaped opening, in preparation for calling. This increases the
volume of the call, and allows flying females to locate males. Mating occurs within the
male's burrow in the soil, and apparently the female may usurp the burrow after mating.

Shortwinged mole cricket bears front wings that are shorter than the pronotum. The front
wings cover the hind wings, which are minute. The body is mostly whitish or tan in color,
though the pronotum is brown mottled with darker spots. Also, the abdomen is marked with
a row of large spots dorsally, and smaller spots dorsolaterally. These crickets measure 22–
29 mm long. The two dactyls on the foretibiae are slightly divergent, and separated at the
base by a space equal to at least half the basal width of a dactyl. Shortwinged mole cricket
makes no calling song, producing only a weak 1–5 pulse chirp during courtship. (See color
figures 159 and 171.)

Southern mole cricket has long hind wings that extend beyond the tip of the abdomen. The
front wings are longer than the pronotum, about two–thirds the length of the abdomen.
They are broad and rounded at the tips. This cricket is brown, with the dorsal surface of the
pronotum often quite dark. As with short-winged mole cricket, in southern mole cricket the
two dactyls on the foretibiae are separated at the base by a space equal to at least half the
basal width of a dactyl. Thus, these two species can be distinguished by the wing length.
Southern mole cricket produces a calling song that consists of a low-pitched ringing trill at
about 50 pulses per second. It usually is emitted during the first two hours after sunset. (See
color figure 161.)

Tawny mole cricket is quite similar to southern mole cricket in general appearance, with
moderately long front wings and long hind wings, a yellowish brown body, and a dark
pronotum. It can be distinguished from southern mole cricket by dactyl form. The tibial
dactyls are nearly touching at the base, separated by less than half the basal width of a
dactyl. Tawny mole cricket produces a loud, nasal trill at about 130 pulses per second
during the first 90 minutes after sunset. (See color figure 160.)

Summaries of mole cricket life history were given by Worsham and Reed (1912), Thomas
(1928), Hayslip (1943), and Walker (1984), though biology of short-winged mole cricket is
poorly documented. Keys to North American and Caribbean area mole crickets were
provided by Nickle and Castner (1984).
Damage

The crickets usually damage seedlings, feeding above-ground on foliage or stem tissue, and
below-ground on roots and tubers. Girdling of the stems of seedling plants at the soil
surface is a common form of injury, though young plants are sometimes severed and pulled
below-ground to be consumed. Additional injury to small plants is caused by soil surface
tunneling, which may dislodge seedlings. Southern mole cricket does much more tunneling
injury than tawny mole cricket.

Bibliografia

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), 303-306.

Lacey, L. A. (Ed.). (2016). Microbial control of insect and mite pests: from theory to
practice. Academic Press.

Capinera, J. (2001). Handbook of vegetable pests. Academic press.

Frank, J. H., Woodruff, R. E., & Nunez, C. A. (1987). Scapteriscus didactylus (Orthoptera:
Gryllotalpidae) in the Dominican Republic. Florida Entomologist, 478-483.

Maros, A., Louveaux, A., Godfrey, M. H., & Girondot, M. (2003). Scapteriscus didactylus
(Orthoptera, Gryllotalpidae), predator of leatherback turtle eggs in French Guiana. Marine
Ecology Progress Series, 249, 289-296.

Hebard, M. (1924). Studies in the Dermaptera and Orthoptera of Ecuador. Proceedings of

the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 76, 109-248.

Frank, J. H., & Leppla, N. C. (2008). Mole crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) and their
biological control. Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2442-2449.

Pessarakli, M. (Ed.). (2007). Handbook of turfgrass management and physiology. CRC

press.

Leslie, A. R. (1994). Handbook of integrated pest management for turf and ornamentals.
CRC Press.