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Mole Cricket

What is mole cricket?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

Family Gryllotalpidae[1]
Order Orthoptera[2]
Habitat Moist soil[1]
Forelegs Broad, adapted for digging[1]
Diet Plant roots[1]
Species count About 65 species[2]

A mole cricket is a burrowing insect in the family Gryllotalpidae, with front legs adapted for digging and a diet of plant roots.

Context

Mole crickets are burrowing orthopteran insects in the family Gryllotalpidae, with front legs adapted for digging [1]. They live in moist soil and feed largely on plant roots [1]. About 65 species exist [2]. They burrow to depths of 15 to 20 cm [2]. Some species are pests because their tunneling and feeding can injure crops, turf, and gardens [2]. They spend most of their life underground [3].

Documented claims

  • Mole crickets burrow into moist soil to depths of 15 to 20 cm. [2]
  • Some species are pests that injure crops, turf, and gardens. [2]
  • Mole crickets spend most of their life underground. [3]

Questions and answers

Are mole crickets good or bad?

Some species are pests because their tunneling and feeding can injure crops, turf, and gardens [2].

Will a mole cricket bite you?

Mole crickets feed largely on plant roots and are not known to bite humans [1].

Is it rare to see a mole cricket?

Mole crickets spend most of their life underground, so they are rarely seen [3].

Sources

  1. Mole cricket | Insect, Description, Burrowing, Nocturnal, & ... — britannica.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Mole crickets fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC — fieldofmar-e.schools.nsw.gov.au (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Mole cricket - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com — vocabulary.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Things