Gryllus fultoni
(Alexander, 1957)
Southern Wood Cricket
Gryllus fultoni, the southern wood , is a found in the southeastern United States. It overwinters as a and matures in spring, inhabiting forested environments. The species produces a distinctive calling song consisting of fast-pulsed chirps. In areas of sympatry with Gryllus vernalis, G. fultoni exhibits reproductive character displacement, with divergence in calling song characters and mirror area that enhances reproductive isolation.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Gryllus fultoni: //ˈɡrɪl.əs ˈfʊl.toʊ.ni//
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Identification
Distinguished by unique patterns and stridulatory ; males possess file and structures on forewings for sound production. In sympatry with G. vernalis, G. fultoni shows convergent body size characters ( width, hind length) but divergent mirror area relative to G. vernalis.
Habitat
Various forest ; southeastern United States.
Distribution
Southeastern United States; ranges extend from Georgia (Jackson, Rutledge, Winder) northward through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri; occurs in sympatry with G. vernalis between eastern Kansas and the Appalachian Mountains.
Seasonality
Overwinters as ; active and matures in spring; present during warmer months.
Life Cycle
Overwinters as ; matures in spring; deposited in soil; emerge and develop through multiple molts before reaching adulthood.
Behavior
Males produce calling songs consisting of three-pulse chirps to attract mates; females exhibit toward male songs and discriminate against heterospecific (G. vernalis) signals in ; males engage in aggressive interactions involving chirping, snapping, and foreleg grappling.
Similar Taxa
- Gryllus vernalisOccurs in sympatry with G. fultoni between eastern Kansas and the Appalachian Mountains; distinguished by reproductive character displacement in calling song and mirror area; G. fultoni converges in body size but diverges in mirror area in sympatry.
- Gryllus pennsylvanicusFall with similar and ; distinguished by geographic distribution (more northern) and seasonal activity period.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Catalogue of Life
- Host and a Parasite: Battle of Sand Field Crickets vs. Horsehair Worms | Bug Squad
- Home invaders III - Fall field cricket, Gryllus pennsylvanicus — Bug of the Week
- The troubadour downstairs – fall field cricket, Gryllus pennsylvanicus — Bug of the Week
- What’s all this chirping about? Ask the fall field cricket, Gryllus pennsylvanicus — Bug of the Week
- Field crickets invade a home with a wake-up call: Fall field cricket, Gryllus pennsylvanicus — Bug of the Week
- What do insects do in winter, Part 2? Tolerating the big chill: Banded woolly bears, Pyrrharctia isabella, field crickets, Gryllus spp., baldfaced hornets, Dolichovespula maculata, and others — Bug of the Week
- Southern Wood Cricket, Gryllus fultoni (Alexander) (Insecta: Orthoptera: Gryllidae)
- Convergent and divergent patterns of morphological differentiation provide more evidence for reproductive character displacement in a wood cricket Gryllus fultoni(Orthoptera: Gryllidae)