Stenopelmatus sp. - Jerusalem cricket sexing

[Gnat]

does anyone know how to sex these guys? i got 3 this week, one looks to be a juvenile about 3/4" the other 2 are larger and close to adult. i havent been able to find any info on sexing them on the net. ive found some scientific info but nothing on sexual dimorphism or anything on sexing. can anyone direct me to papers or publications on these guys?

 

[Pssh]

I dont know how the females lay eggs, but their "butts" will be different from the males since they need to lay. You should probably figure out how they lay, then investigate the general method in crickets/hoppers (as the genitals will probably, generally, be similar to other species that share that method.)

 

[H. laoticus]

I may be wrong, but I think males have larger heads than females.

 

[Scythemantis]

I've heard that there's been zero success in breeding them in captivity...they may require soil thick with the roots of living grass and other plants, though that's just common speculation.

 

[BiologicalJewels]

there is no prominent visual cue to determine sex in these afaik.

 

[H. laoticus]

Wouldn't you know it, I went herping the other day and found myself a jerusalem cricket

Here are pics just for the heck of it--enjoy!

Don't worry, he/she is still alive:

 

[zonbonzovi]

^Nice detail pics of a great species, H.

 

[What]

http://arthurevans.wordpress.com/2010/03/29/backyard-monsters-nope-just-jerusalem-crickets

Adult males are distinguished by a pair of small black hooks located between the cerci, a pair of short projections near the tip of the abdomen. Adult females have the short blades of their egg-laying tube or ovipositor located just beneath the cerci.

Sexually receptive males and virgin females drum their abdomens on the soil to attract species of their own kind. The drumming is audible nearly 60 feet away and is “heard” by special organs located near the bottom of each leg of the JC.

Courtship involves a bit of a tussle and sometimes resembles an energetic wrestling match as the male grapples for position. Eventually the male deposits a sperm packet, after which the female may kill and eat her mate. The function of the sperm packet in JCs is not understood. In other crickets and katydids the packet not only provides the female with reproductive materials and a nutritious snack, it also serves to block the amorous advances of other males.

Eggs are probably laid in small clutches in the soil soon after mating. They are oval and white with a roughened surface. In California, JCs reach adulthood during the summer. Small nymphs appear either by fall or early the following spring. Hatchlings resemble miniature adults and may take nearly two years to develop, while individuals experiencing nutritional deficiencies or parasitic infections may take up to five years. Nymphs may molt up to eleven times before reaching maturity. Like stick insects, JCs can regenerate legs lost during molting. In time, the new leg may approximate a normal leg in size, increasing in size with each successive molt.

Does that help?

 

[Gnat]

What, that helps tremendously, thanks alot!!

H. those are some great shots

 

[ZergFront]

I'm guessing they'll have to be fattened up a lot because how do you monitor a cannibalistic, subterranean animal pairing?