Mole Crickets
Mole cricket adults are about 3/4 - 1 5/8 inches long. They are brownish to pinkish brown, sometimes with darker markings. The antenna is threadlike, relatively short and less than half their body length. Their front legs are broad and shovel like similar to moles. Nymphs are similar to adults but lack wings.
Mole Cricket Biology
The information summarized here is for the southern and tawny mole crickets. They overwinter as nymphs and adults with mating flights occurring in the spring. Some egg laying takes place throughout the year, but most occurs from late March to mid-June. About 35 eggs are deposited in an oval chamber usually made in the first 6 inches but up to 12 inches of soil. First adults appear in September. There is 1 generation each year.
Mole Cricket Habits
Both species have a major spring flight and a minor autumn flight. Spring flights are from March to May for the southern mole cricket and from April to July for the tawny mole cricket. Autumn flights occur from October into December on warm evenings. These crickets are nocturnal.
Large flights usually occur after heavy rains during warm weather, starting shortly after sunset and lasting about 1 hour. Mole crickets are strongly attracted to lights at night.
Mole crickets are found in the light sandy to loam soil, never in heavy soil. Each cricket has its own burrow which may be up to 14 inches deep. From here they come to the surface at night to feed, tunneling some 10-20 feet a night.
Nymphs are cannibalistic but feed mainly on roots, organic matter, other insects, and other small organisms. The southern mole cricket feeds more on insects whereas the tawny mole cricket feeds mostly on plant roots. They attach to plant roots, tubers and underground stems. Extensive damage has been done to seedlings of tobacco, sugar cane, ornamentals, tomatoes and other vegetables. However, they are a most serious pest of turf grass.
