Preliminary investigation of the fossorial fore legs of Gryllotalpidae (Orthoptera)

Gryllotalpidae, or mole cricket, is a family of burrowing Orthoptera with a highly sclaritized pronotal thorax and a pair of specially modified digging fore legs. The fossorial fore legs play a important role in the construction and maintenance of burrows that allow for amplification of sound/calls and food scavenging along grass root systems. We propose that due to the degree if sclaritization and hardening of the fossorial fore legs that metal composites will be found along the cutting edges. We will be using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with X-ray microanalysis or Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to look for the presence of metal composition. Our focus will be on species along the southern and eastern gulf coast.