Orthoptera of North Carolina
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Euhadenoecus adelphus Hubbell, 1978 - A Cave Cricket

Euhadenoecus adelphus
Male		Euhadenoecus adelphus
Female
Taxonomy
Family: Rhaphidophoridae Subfamily: Ceuthophilinae Tribe: Hadenoecini
Comments: One of four species in this genus, all of which are restricted to the Appalachian Mountain region (Hubbell and Norton, 1978; Cigliano et al., 2018). Two species have been recorded in North Carolina. Hubbell and Norton (1978) raised Euhadenoecus as a separate genus from Hadenoecus, which previously contained puteanus. Along with adelphi, they also described three other species of Euhadenoecus and included both Euhadenoecus and Hadenoecus in a new tribe, the Hadenoecini within subfamily Dolichopodinae.
Species Status: The type locality for adelphus is Granite City on the Macon-Jackson County line (Hubbell and Norton, 1978)
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: BugGuide, Google Images,  iNaturalist, GBIFTechnical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Hubbell and Norton (1978)                                                                                  
Comments: Dorsum is ochraceous buff, bordered by reddish-brown on the sides; individuals from higher elevations are more uniformly dark (Hubbell and Norton, 1978). The vertex has five, narrow, brown longitudinal lines; the pronotum has a mesal dark stripe. Euhadenoecus puteanus is similar in coloration but usually is somewhat paler and smaller; individuals at high elevations, however, may be distinguishable only by male reproductive structures.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 16.5 mm, male type; 15.5 mm, female allotype (Hubbell and Norton, 1978)
Structural Features: Males are identifiable based on the shape of the pale glandular areas located on sides of the epiproct. In adelphus, they are narrowly triangular or sub-crescentic, with the area in between dark brown. In puteanus, they are rounded or sub-quadrate and the intervening area is pale (Hubbell and Norton, 1978). The sides of the fastigial prominences are pale in adelphus but shaded with brown in puteanus, often with a pale ocellation.
Structural photos
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: Unlike other members of Tribe Hadenoecini, neither adelphus and puteanus are cave-dwelling species, occuring instead in forested areas, usually associated with talus fields or boulders with deep fissures (Hubbell and Norton, 1978). At Mount Mitchell, however, a number of individuals was observed on the sides of cabins and outbuildings. No large boulders were seen in the vicinity although they are common around the summit of the mountain.
Diet: Probably omnivorous
Observation Methods: This species is active at night and can be spotted both on and within buildings located within or close to forested areas
Abundance/Frequency: Can be locally common; frequency of occurrence is unknown
Adult Phenology: Generations overlap but most adult records come from late summer
See also Habitat Account for Montane Mesic Rock Faces and Crevices
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [W3]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: [GNR] [S2S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands
Comments: The global range of this species is very small, virtually corresponding with its range in North Carolina. It is also a habitat specialist, strongly requiring cool, moist microclimates, usually provided by deep rock crevices, cave openings, and spring houses, all under forest cover. This species is currently found over the entire range of elevations in the Southern Blue Ridge, from 1450 ft near Bat Cave to at least 6,200 ft at Mt. Mitchell. However, this species may be vulnerable to the drying and heating effects of global climate change and may eventually become more and more restricted to higher elevations.

Image Gallery for Euhadenoecus adelphus - A Cave Cricket

Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan
Yancey Co.
Comment: Male; identification based on examination of a specimen (see structural photos)		 Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan
Yancey Co.
Comment: Found in and around cabins