What are mole
crickets?
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
(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
