Evaluation on Morphological Characters of European Mole cricket, Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa (Orth.: Gryllotalpidae) in the North-west of Iran

The European mole cricket is considered to be of the most important insect pests of Iran, especially in Azerbaijan province. Its damage in some area economically is very high. In this study, morphological characteristics, including the length of various parts of the pest body, were evaluated. Analyzing of the size of fore and hind wings results of the adults in this species, showed that there were seasonal dimorphism as long-winged (L.W.) and short-winged (S.W.) among the insects. Based on the literature available seasonal dimorphism in this species is the first report in the world, and probably each morph of this species is various in different both in the biology and behavior. Sexual dimorphism can be distinguished by study pattern of venation in the forewings of sexes. One of the important characteristics in distinguishing mole cricket species is arrangement spines in the fore and hind tibia where their numbers and sizes of these spines in various species are different. The fore tibia of insect has four wide and strong dactyls in its apex, but lateral margin of the hind tibia armed with five sharp spines with seven spines at the end of its tibia.