Neocurtilla hexadactyla (Perty)

Frank, J. H., Vicente, N. E. & Leppla, N. C., 2007, A history of mole crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) in Puerto Rico, Insecta Mundi 2007 (4), pp. 1-10 : 3-4

‘ Neocurtilla hexadactyla (Perty) ’

Agustín Stahl (1882), a Puerto Rican medical practitioner in the town of Bayamón, and collector of natural history objects, reported specimens of N. hexadactyla in his collection, from Trinidad and Puerto Rico. He did not state how the identification was made, nor did he give any information about behavior or collection locality. Unfortunately, Stahl’s insect collection was poorly maintained, and we know of no surviving specimens; none of his mole cricket specimens is in the major insect collection in Puerto Rico.

Johann (Juan) Gundlach (1887), a Cuban resident and collector of natural history objects, who visited Puerto Rico thrice, in 1873, 1875-1876, and 1881, reported N. hexadactyla as a pest in the vicinity of Mayagüez, and often attracted to lights of houses (presumably adults can fly). He stated that his orthopteran specimens were shipped to Berlin and then were examined and identified by Henri Saussure (an orthopteran expert in Geneva) and named in a letter, which was sent indirectly (via Berlin) to Gundlach. He stated that his paper reproduces Saussure’s identifications, except that he (Gundlach) identified specimens of some species with which he was familiar in Cuba, and he mentioned (correctly) that N. hexadactyla occurs in Cuba. He also admitted contact with Stahl, and we know (above) that Stahl had identified Puerto Rican mole cricket specimens as belonging to ‘ N. hexadactyla .’ Thus, Gundlach may have based his use of the name N. hexadactyla on (a) his own (mis)identification, or (b) Stahl’s (mis)identification. We have not been able to find in Cuba a letter from Saussure identifying Puerto Rican Orthoptera collected by Gundlach. We have found no mention of N. hexadactyla occurring in Puerto Rico in any publication by Saussure or any other European specialist in Orthoptera . For example, Saussure (1896) lists N. hexadactyla as occurring in Cuba and Guadeloupe, but does not mention Puerto Rico. (But see our section on S. didactylus ).

López Tuero (1895) explained the pest status of a mole cricket he called simply ‘la changa’ and ‘el grillotalpa’ without using a scientific name. He noted extensive damage caused by “this terrible animal” to seedling plants of rice, tobacco, maize (corn), vegetables, and sugarcane. He also noted that this mole cricket was captured in light traps, to which it must have flown, so must be capable of flight.

Busck (1900) wrote of his encounter with ‘ N. hexadactyla ’ in Puerto Rican tobacco fields where it was “very abundant and very damaging.” He stated that it was “named for me by Dr. Stahl in Bayamón, having been introduced within his recollection.” Rehn (1903) cites only Scudder (1901), and Scudder (1901) cites only Busck (1900) as the source of information about ‘ N. hexadactyla ’ in Puerto Rico. These misidentifications rest on a misinterpretation by Stahl (1882) of the identity. Specimens collected by Busck in 1899, now in the U.S. National Museum of Natural History, were re-examined and found to belong to S. didactylus by Nickle and Castner (1984).