Spotted Ground Cricket
Allonemobius maculatus
Identification 5
Two Nemobiinae (Ground Cricket) species in Iowa are spotted or variegated: A. maculatus and Neonemobius variegatus. In most instances, they are easy to distinguish because N. variegatus is lighter colored. Allonemobius also has a long straight ovipositor and Neonemobius has a short curved ovipositor. For a longer introduction to the differences between genera, see the Allonemobius fasciatus and Eunemobius carolinus species accounts.
A. maculatus seems to vary in how dark they are, but they seem to always have some spots apparent on the inside of the femur. The A. maculatus ovipositor is also shorter than hind femur, unique among Allonemobius. They also usually or always have a light stripe or zone encircling most of the eye, though I'm not sure how diagnostic this is. Can occasionally be grayish, which can lead to be being confused with A. griseus.
Resources 5
Vickery, V.R. and Kevan, D.K., 1985. The grasshoppers, crickets, and related insects of Canada and adjacent regions. Ulonata: Dermaptera, Cheleutoptera, Notoptera, Dictuoptera, Grylloptera, and Orthoptera. Insects and Arachnids of Canada, Part 14. Agriculture Canada. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/aac-aafc/agrhist/A42-42-1985-14-eng.pdf
Bland, R.G. 2003. The Orthoptera of Michigan – Biology, Keys, and Descriptions of Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets. Michigan State University Extension, Extension Bulletin E-2815. https://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/Ag.%20Ext.%202007-Chelsie/PDF/e2815.pdf
Occurrence 5
Statewide. This species occurs throughout most of the eastern U.S.
Habitat 5
Dry open woods.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Keir Morse, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Keir Morse
- (c) C. Mallory, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by C. Mallory
- (c) Eileen S, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eileen S
- (c) Ken Potter, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ken Potter
- (c) Tyler Grant, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
