The biology of Jerusalem crickets, genus Stenopelmatus Burmeister 1838 (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae), is not well known. Recent accounts suggested that Jerusalem crickets had sexual dimorphism and adult females were cannibalistic. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was sexual dimorphism and cannibalism, as shown by North American species of Stenopelmatus, in the endemic Mexican Jerusalem cricket Stenopelmatus talpa Burmeister 1838. Behavioral traits and morphometric analyses indicated S. talpa did not show sexual dimorphism, but females tended to have larger features than did males, except the hind femur of males tended to be larger than that of females. S. talpa nymphs are cannibalistic, and the cannibalism was violent. Results were discussed and related to ecological data presented. This is the first report of this kind of data for a Mexican species of the genus Stenopelmatus.
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1 September 2017
Morphometry, Behavior, and Ecology of the Jerusalem Cricket, Stenopelmatus talpa
Dinorah A. Sánchez-Xolalpa,
Hugo A. Álvarez,
Josué De la Torre-Anzúres,
Daniel Jiménez-García
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Southwestern Entomologist
Vol. 42 • No. 3
September 2017
Vol. 42 • No. 3
September 2017