Steppe Black Beetle - Bozdonchul Black Grasshopper
Steppe Black Cricket - Melanogryllus desertus Pall.
A large insect, 12-19 mm in length, black in color, with a round hypognathous head. The mouthparts are chewing, and the antennae are longer than the body. The thorax is large, with a well-developed pronotum that covers most of the thorax from above; the lateral parts of the pronotum form lobes that cover the prothorax from the sides. The mesothorax and metathorax are closely fused, their pleural sections sharply divided by oblique or vertical sutures into episterne and epimera. The abdomen is elongated, cylindrical, consisting of 10 tergites and 8-9 sternites, the last of which is called the genital plate. The appendages of the abdomen include cerci and an ovipositor (in females). The underside of the abdomen, the hind femora, and the tibiae are covered with dense appressed hairs. The fore tibiae have a tympanal organ for hearing. The hind legs have thickened and elongated femora and elongated tibiae, making them jumping legs, while the forelegs are walking legs.
The hind femora are black underneath, sometimes only with a brownish keel. The forewings are fully developed (then the wings are longer than the forewings) or half shortened (then there are no wings) and lack light spots at the base.
They feed on plant material. They damage cotton, sunflower, tobacco, sesame, flax, and other crops (melons, cereals, vegetables, and technical crops). They can harm garden crops and vineyards by eating the fruits of apple trees, cherries, causing noticeable damage to flowers and even biennial grape shoots. The greatest harm occurs during the seedling period. They gnaw at plants at the base, devouring cotyledons and leaves, which leads to the death and thinning of seedlings. Plants that recover from damage significantly lag behind in growth and yield reduced harvests. Crickets are especially dangerous during the irrigation of crops. To escape flooding, they gather in elevated areas where they can completely destroy seedlings. Larvae and adults, by eating seedlings, gnawing stems at the root collar, devouring immature grains in cereal crops, damaging flowers, buds, and young shoots, or completely consuming the entire plant, can cause significant harm in Kazakhstan, Central Asia, the southern European part of the former USSR, the Caucasus, and southern Western Europe. They damage various supplies (dried fish, leather) and household items (clothing, yurts, bags, etc.). They readily eat the shoots of bindweed among weeds. Wet poisoned baits are used for control.
They chirp in the evenings and at night. With their "serenades," males attract nearby females.
Only one generation develops per season. The last age larvae winter in burrows up to 40 cm deep. In deep burrows, more than 30 individuals can winter, while in shallow ones, usually only a few individuals or single specimens. They appear early in spring, transforming into imagos by the end of April to early May. Eggs are laid in the ground singly or in groups of 3-5 eggs from late June to July. Soon after laying eggs, adult crickets die.
They mainly inhabit moist areas - along riverbanks, irrigation network edges, in places with high groundwater; in areas with large clumps of soil, stones, cracked soil, and an abundance of forage plants. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle, hiding during the day in burrows or shaded areas. The main enemies of crickets are birds.
In their burrows, these crickets hide in case of danger, spend inclement days there, and raise their offspring. Only one cricket lives in each burrow. Conflicts often arise between crickets over who gets to use a ready-made burrow. With their "serenades," males attract nearby females.
Many crickets are valued for their special fighting qualities, as they have a very combative nature. In ancient times, cricket fighting was a national pastime in East Asian countries, attracting many spectators. Cricket fights are merely charming harmless entertainment compared to bullfighting (bull fights with humans) or even cockfighting.
In several countries, crickets are revered for their fighting ability and are specially bred for these purposes. They are kept in special clay pots, which are decorated, painted, and even inlaid.
However, in some cultures, crickets are considered a bad omen, just like black crows.
The appearance of a cricket in the house was considered a harbinger of illness or death for one of the family members.
Distribution: Western Tien Shan, the Fergana regions of Kyrgyzstan, Alai Valley.
Insects of Kyrgyzstan
