Radio-telemetric evidence of migration in the gregarious but not the solitary morph of the Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex : Orthoptera : Tettigoniidae)

The Mormon cricket, Anabrus simplex, is one of just a few species of katydi ds (or bushcrickets, Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) that, like migratory locust s, appear to have solitary and migratory morphs. Using radio telemetry we s tudied movements of individuals of two morphs of this flightless species. I ndividuals within each migratory band had similar rates of movements along similar directional headings whereas solitary individuals moved little and showed little evidence of directionality in movement. Our results also add to other recent radio-telemetry studies showing that flightless insects of 1-2 g in mass can be tracked successfully using these methods.