Biological Control

Control biológico

Mole Crickets

Grillos topo

Fryllotalpidae

Family: Fryllotalpidae

<p>Mole crickets can become serious pests of turfgrasses, pastures, and vegetable seedlings. Three non-native species of mole crickets occur in Florida, including the tawny, southern, and shortwinged mole crickets. Adults are about 1 1/2 inch long, light brown, and have enlarged forelegs that they use to dig in soil. The forelegs have large blade-like projections, called dactyls, and the number and arrangement of dactyls, as well as the pronotum pattern (area behind the head), are used to identify different species. Nymphs look like adults, but their wings (wing pads) are not completely developed and they can't reproduce. Shortwinged mole cricket adults have short wings and cannot fly. Mole crickets damage turfgrass in several ways. Nymphs and adults feed on grass roots and blades at night after rain or irrigation, during warm weather. Their tunneling near the soil surface dislodges plants or causes them to dry out. Small mounds of soil are also pushed up by late summer. More than 20 feet of tunneling per night can occur. Tunneling and root-feeding reduce turfgrass density and create patches of bare soil.</p>
<h2>UF/IFAS Web resources</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_topics/lawn_and_garden/mole_crickets.shtml">Solutions: Mole Crickets</a></li>
<li><a href="http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/Agricultural_IPM/Mole_Cricket_project.html">IPM Florida: Mole Cricket project</a></li>
</ul>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="es-419">Los grillos topo pueden convertirse en plagas graves de c&eacute;spedes, pastos y pl&aacute;ntulas de hortalizas. Tres especies no nativas de grillos topo se encuentran en Florida, incluidos los grillos topo leonado, sure&ntilde;o y de alas cortas. Los adultos miden alrededor de 1 1/2 pulgada de largo, son de color marr&oacute;n claro y tienen patas delanteras agrandadas que usan para cavar en la tierra. Las patas delanteras tienen grandes proyecciones en forma de cuchilla, llamadas d&aacute;ctilos, y el n&uacute;mero y la disposici&oacute;n de los d&aacute;ctilos, as&iacute; como el patr&oacute;n del pronoto (&aacute;rea detr&aacute;s de la cabeza), se usan para identificar diferentes especies. Las ninfas parecen adultos, pero sus alas (almohadillas) no est&aacute;n completamente desarrolladas y no pueden reproducirse. Los grillos topo de alas cortas adultos tienen alas cortas y no pueden volar. Los grillos topo da&ntilde;an el c&eacute;sped de varias maneras. Las ninfas y los adultos se alimentan de ra&iacute;ces y briznas de c&eacute;sped durante la noche despu&eacute;s de la lluvia o el riego, durante el clima c&aacute;lido. Su t&uacute;nel cerca de la superficie del suelo desaloja las plantas o hace que se sequen. Tambi&eacute;n levantan peque&ntilde;os mont&iacute;culos de tierra a fines del verano. Pueden ocurrir m&aacute;s de 20 pies de excavaci&oacute;n de t&uacute;neles por noche. La excavaci&oacute;n de t&uacute;neles y la alimentaci&oacute;n de ra&iacute;ces reducen la densidad del c&eacute;sped y crean parches de suelo desnudo.</span></p>
<h2>UF/IFAS Web resources</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_topics/lawn_and_garden/mole_crickets.shtml">Solutions: Mole Crickets</a></li>
<li><a href="http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/Agricultural_IPM/Mole_Cricket_project.html">IPM Florida: Mole Cricket project</a></li>
</ul>

Mole Crickets

Narrower Topics

Biological Control of Mole Crickets

Publications

Mole Cricket IPM Guide for Florida

Shortwinged Mole Cricket, Neoscapteriscus abbreviatus (Scudder); Southern Mole Cricket, Neoscapteriscus borellii (Giglio-Tos); and Tawny Mole Cricket, Neoscapteriscus vicinus (Scudder) (Insecta: Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae)

Broader Topics

Fryllotalpidae

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