BAUMGARTNER: COPULATION IN GRYLLID.E. 341 



IN GRYLLOTALPA. 



Fenard (6) cites the fact that the Locustidse and the Gryl- 

 lidse produce spermatophores and that those two families have 

 the large mass of annexed glands. Continuing, he says : "Then 

 wherever we find the glandular tubes similar to those in the 

 above-mentioned groups we have a right to conclude, until 

 there is proof to the contrary, that they secrete a substance 

 destined for the formation of spermatophores more or less 

 complex." He suggests that in Gryllotalpa, whose copulation 

 has never been seen, fertilization occurs by means of a sperma- 

 tophore, because they have the annexed glands similar to 

 those of Gryllus. 



In the abstract (2) I made the statement that in the mole 

 crickets the sperm are transferred by means of a spermato- 

 phore. In order to observe copulation I kept four mole crickets, 

 two pairs, for several weeks each in a separate aquarium partly 

 filled with wet sand, grass roots and slices of potatoes. For 

 five nights I placed them by pairs into battery jars which con- 

 tained just enough sand to allow the animals to make a burrow 

 around the edge. Thus I could watch them continuously. After 

 some twenty hours I finally observed copulation. As a result 

 of these vigils I am able to give the facts concerning chirping 

 and the protective gland published elsewhere (3), as well as 

 the following concerning copulation. 



The courting is somewhat similar to that in Gryllus. The 

 male calls the female with loud, long chirps. As she ap- 

 proaches the chirps become short and much softer. He then 

 frequently turns his abdomen towards her. As the pair get 

 ready to copulate the position assumed is quite different from 

 that of any other animals of which I know. They turn poster- 

 ior end to posterior end, and ventral side to ventral side, so 

 that the cloacal openings are just opposite each other. The 

 female stands erect with her abdomen slightly raised, while 

 the male lies on his back. The abdomens are tightly held to- 

 gether by hooks, described with great detail by Peytoureau 

 (19). The sperm were carried to the female by a spermato- 

 phore. The time it takes for the transfer is not over a minute ; 

 but the pair kept their relative position, the abdomens simply 

 touching each other, for more than ten minutes. After dis- 

 turbance the male followed the female and again assumed this 



