Introduced Japanese burrowing cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Velarifictorus (Velarifictorus) micado) range continues to expand in North America

Abstract

Japanese burrowing cricket, Velarifictorus (Velarifictorus) micado (Saussure, 1877), was introduced into the eastern United States in 1959 and has since increased its distributional range to include the eastern Great Plains and the northern United States. Although generally thought of as an urban species associated with human habitation, some specimens are now being captured in more remote areas, which is attributed to this species sometimes being macropterous and dispersing through flight. Public data sources such as BugGuide and iNaturalist were found to be sound, passive tools for identifying the expanding range of this species in the Americas. Collection and observation in atypical habitats suggest that potential ecological impacts may be occurring.