Orthoptera of North Carolina
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Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACRIDIDAE
GRYLLACRIDIDAE
GRYLLIDAE
GRYLLOTALPIDAE
RHAPHIDOPHORIDAE
ROMALEIDAE
TETRIGIDAE
TETTIGONIIDAE
TRIDACTYLIDAE
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Gryllidae Members:
Acheta domesticus
Anurogryllus arboreus
Gryllus unidentified species
Gryllus firmus
Gryllus fultoni
Gryllus pennsylvanicus
Gryllus pennsylvanicus/veletis
Gryllus pennsylvanicus-veletis
Gryllus rubens
Gryllus veletis
Miogryllus verticalis
Velarifictorus micado
Hapithus agitator
Orocharis unidentified species
Orocharis luteolira
Orocharis saltator
Cycloptilum unidentified species
Cycloptilum bidens
Cycloptilum pigrum
Cycloptilum slossoni
Cycloptilum tardum
Cycloptilum trigonipalpum
Cycloptilum velox
Myrmecophilus pergandei
Allonemobius allardi
Allonemobius fultoni
Allonemobius griseus griseus
Allonemobius griseus funeralis
Allonemobius maculatus
Allonemobius socius
Allonemobius sparsalsus
Allonemobius tinnulus
Allonemobius walkeri
Allonemobius unidentified species
Eunemobius carolinus
Eunemobius confusus
Eunemobius melodius
Eunemobius unidentified species
Neonemobius cubensis
Neonemobius palustris
Neonemobius variegatus
Pictonemobius ambitiosus complex
Pictonemobius ambitiosus
Pictonemobius hubbelli
Oecanthus unidentified species
Oecanthus celerinictus
Oecanthus exclamationis
Oecanthus fultoni
Oecanthus latipennis
Oecanthus nigricornis
Oecanthus niveus
Oecanthus pini
Oecanthus quadripunctatus
Neoxabea bipunctata
Phyllopalpus pulchellus
Anaxipha delicatula
Anaxipha exigua
Anaxipha litarena
Anaxipha rosamacula
Anaxipha thomasi
Anaxipha tinnula
Anaxipha tinnulacita
Anaxipha tinnulenta
Anaxipha vernalis
Anaxipha unidentified species
Cyrtoxipha columbiana
Falcicula hebardi
Gryllidae unidentified species
NC
Records
Neonemobius variegatus
(Bruner, 1893) - Variegated Ground Cricket
No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Family:
Gryllidae
Subfamily:
Nemobiinae
Tribe:
Pteronemobiini
Synonym:
Nemobius bruneri
Comments:
One of six species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Cigliano et al., 2017), three of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Online Photographs:
SINA, Google
Images
,
iNaturalist
,
GBIF
Technical Description, Adults/Nymphs:
Hebard (1913); Blatchley (1920)
SINA
546a.htm
Comments:
Hebard (1913) describes the general color as clay yellow mottled or flecked with mummy brown. The head below the antennae is distinctively shining dark brown, but the occiput is cinnamon, mottled with brown. In the male, the dorsal surface of the abdomen is dark brown, but in the female it is clay color spotted with dark brown.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]:
7 mm, males (Washington DC); 9.1 mm (Maryland) (Hebard, 1913)
Structural Features:
Members of Neonemobius are distinguished by their small size -- males are less than 9 mm in body length. Females also possess short, upwardly curved ovipositors, less than or equal to 2/3 the length of the hind femur, and that have fine teeth only on the dorsal side of the tip (SINA, 2017)
Singing Behavior:
Fulton (1931) described the song of variegatus (= bruneri) as similar to that of Allonemobius allardi (which he identified as A. f. fasciatus). However, rather than the separate "sharp chirps" of that species, the song of variegatus is "higher pitched, weaker", and with a vibrato that is "more rapid, and not perceptible at high temperatures". Recordings provided by by David H. Funk to SINA (accesssed 2021) have pulse rates of 34 to 35 pps and a dominant frequency ranging from 6.7 to 6.9 kHz at around 20 C.
Distribution in North Carolina
County Map:
Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Adult Dates:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)
Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Fulton (1931) describes the habitat as consisting of stream borders, particularly on somewhat open gravel bars.
Diet:
Probably omnivorous
Observation Methods:
Abundance/Frequency:
Adult Phenology:
Fulton (1951) reported that adults of variegatus are the latest of the ground crickets to emerge as adults in the Raleigh are, appearing in the first half of September and persisting until the first week of November
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
GNR SHS3
State Protection:
Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands
Comments:
We have very few records for this species and there is comparatively little information in the literature. The habitat of this species, however, is widespread and it has probably been generally overlooked. More information is needed, however, of its distribution and exact habitat associations in the state before its conservation status can be accurately assessed.