Mole cricket identification
Mole crickets (see drawing right
and picture of mole cricket here)
are crickets, insects closely related to
grasshoppers, that burrow in soil instead
of living above ground like other crickets. Mole
crickets have front legs that are adapted to
burrowing and lack the jumping hind legs that are
characteristic of some crickets and grasshoppers.
Mole crickets can be important pests in
certain crops and turf grass such as home lawns,
golf courses, sod farms, and so forth. Damage is
caused by direct root feeding and the burrowing
activity that destroys roots. Mole crickets feed
on small soil insects as well as plant roots and
shoots. Some species are extremely damaging to
turf especially in warm climates like the southeastern
US.
Mole crickets typically have only one
generation per year so populations will tend to
grow slowly. They exhibit a simple type of
development in which immature mole crickets
(nymphs) resemble adults except in size and they
lack wings.
other common names: camel crickets, hump
backed crickets, southern mole cricket, tawny mole
cricket
