Gryllus vernalis

Blatchley, 1920

Northern Wood Cricket

Gryllus vernalis, the northern wood , is a of to deciduous woodlands of the midwestern United States. It is distinguished by its predominantly black , occasionally marked with red on the , and a notably wide . The species inhabits leaf litter and shows evidence of reproductive isolation mechanisms, particularly strong female discrimination against heterospecific mates in .

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Gryllus vernalis: //ˈɡrɪl.lus vɛrˈnaː.lɪs//

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Identification

Identified by its totally black with occasional red on the and a wide . The is slightly narrower than the pronotum. are all black and appear in early spring as late- individuals.

Habitat

Deciduous woods of the midwestern United States, primarily in leaf litter.

Distribution

Midwestern United States; recorded from Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.

Seasonality

active in spring; late- observed in early spring.

Similar Taxa

  • Gryllus fultoniClosely related wood with similar three-pulse chirp calling-song structure; occurs sympatrically with G. vernalis and subject to reproductive character displacement studies.

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