These primeval looking, rather large insects are rarely seen. With their powerful forelimbs modified for digging they create extensive tunnel systems in which they spend almost their entire lives.
Despite their unusual appearance – they look like a mixture of a mole, a cricket and a lobster – mole crickets are harmless. They feed mainly on worms, maggots and snail eggs. Mole crickets also browse indiscriminately on plant roots and the basal part of plant stems. Seedlings may be destroyed, and young plants may wilt and die. However, the European mole cricket is usually of no or little significance as a pest and only a problem if it occurs in large numbers.
Today’s photo of a European mole cricket was taken from its side. Particularly striking are the greatly enlarged forelegs with finger-like projections, an adaptation for burrowing in the soil.