MOLE CRICKET

any member of the orthopteran insect family Gryllotalpidae (about 65 species), sometimes considered part of the family Gryllidae. This cricket lives underground, its common name deriving from its molelike appearance and habits. The mole cricket has forelegs modified for shovelling, a cylindrical body, a pointed head, and a velvety coat of hairlike setae. It burrows 15 to 20 centimetres into moist soil. The mole cricket has wings and may leave its burrow at night. The female lacks long ovipositors for egg-laying; eggs are placed in underground chambers that sometimes include plant material, which serves as food for newly hatched nymphs. Unlike most insects, one European mole cricket species (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa) guards its eggs and young. The mole cricket feeds on roots and, when present in sufficiently large numbers, injures crops and gardens. The Puerto Rico mole cricket (Scapteriscus vicinus), also known as a changa, can be a serious pest. The male mole cricket's song is deep-toned and regularly repeated.