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Pest · Insect pest

Mole Crickets

Family Gryllotalpidae (order Orthoptera)

Also known as: Mole cricket nymphs and adults

Mole crickets are soil-dwelling insects with specialised digging front legs that tunnel through soil, severing roots and dislodging seedlings in maize, groundnut, and other crops, with damage often first visible as raised surface tunnels.

Dated referenceLast reviewed: 2026-07-12Updated: 2026-07-12
Illustrative diagram · AgricultureID (original)

Mole crickets are large, burrowing insects of the family Gryllotalpidae, named for their mole-like, spade-shaped front legs adapted for digging through soil. They spend most of their life underground, tunnelling near the surface to feed on roots, seedling stems, and organic matter, and to construct burrow systems used for shelter and, in males, sound-amplified mating calls.

Because mole crickets live and feed below ground, damage is often first noticed as raised, ridged tunnels across the soil surface, wilting or loosened seedlings whose roots have been severed or disturbed, and irregular bare patches in affected fields.

Identification

Adult mole crickets are large, brownish insects with enlarged, shovel-like front legs used for digging, short forewings, and a cylindrical body adapted for moving through burrows. They are mostly nocturnal and rarely seen above ground during the day.

  • Raised, ridged tunnels visible across the soil surface, especially after rain
  • Loosened or wilting seedlings with roots severed or disturbed at the base
  • Irregular bare or thinning patches in affected fields
  • Adults occasionally seen at the soil surface at night or attracted to lights

Biology and life cycle

Mole crickets develop through incomplete metamorphosis, with females laying eggs in underground chambers and nymphs resembling smaller, wingless adults as they grow through several moults, a process that can span one or more seasons depending on species and climate.

Males produce loud calling songs amplified by their burrow openings to attract mates, a distinctive behaviour that is also exploited for acoustic trapping and monitoring in some management programmes.

Damage and hosts

Tunnelling activity disturbs and severs roots and can dislodge or desiccate seedlings directly, with damage often most severe soon after planting when young root systems are most vulnerable to disruption.

Host crops include maize, groundnut, and potato, among other field and vegetable crops with vulnerable seedling or root stages.

Monitoring

A soapy-water soil flush can bring mole crickets to the surface for direct counts, while tracking surface tunnelling after rain and using light or acoustic traps for adults help estimate activity and timing of risk.

Management principles

Mole cricket management fits within integrated pest management, combining several tactics rather than relying on any single approach.

  • Conserve parasitic wasps and flies, entomopathogenic nematodes, and birds
  • Monitor with soil flushes and surface tunnel tracking to judge risk before planting
  • Time cultivation to disrupt burrows and expose nymphs where appropriate for the system
  • Manage soil moisture and drainage, since tunnelling activity often increases after rainfall

Relationships

Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.

Affects

Risk increases under

Related topics

Scope & limitations

Geographic scope: Found in warm-temperate to tropical regions worldwide wherever moist, well-drained soils support host crops; species and pressure vary regionally.

Climate context: Soil moisture and temperature strongly influence tunnelling activity and seasonal life-cycle timing, with activity typically increasing after rainfall.

  • This is a general overview of a family of soil-dwelling pests, not species-level guidance for a specific crop or region.
  • Thresholds and control-product recommendations are jurisdiction-specific and are not provided here.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) (opens in a new tab)

    University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR)

    High

    Cited for: Identification and IPM principles

    Type:
    University extension service
    Jurisdiction:
    United States (California)
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]CABI Digital Library — Crop Protection Compendium (opens in a new tab)

    CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International)

    High

    Cited for: Mole cricket biology, hosts, and importance

    Type:
    Reference database
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  3. [3]EPPO Global Database (opens in a new tab)

    European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Species nomenclature and distribution

    Type:
    Reference database
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  4. [4]University of Minnesota Extension — Crop and pest resources (opens in a new tab)

    University of Minnesota Extension

    High

    Cited for: Monitoring and management context

    Type:
    University extension service
    Jurisdiction:
    United States (Minnesota)
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12

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