Clickable Guide

Interactive image map to choose major taxa

Calendar

Upcoming Events

National Moth Week was July 19-27, and the Summer 2025 gathering in Louisiana, July 19-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Family Gryllotalpidae - Mole Crickets

Mole Cricket? - Neoscapteriscus borellii - male

Mole Bug? - Neocurtilla hexadactyla - female

This is not a potato bug - what IS it?? - Neocurtilla hexadactyla - female

Any ideas? - Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa - male

Weird bug in Michigan - Neocurtilla hexadactyla

Bug found in Hudson, FL - Neoscapteriscus vicinus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)

Suborder Ensifera (Long-horned Orthoptera)

Infraorder Gryllidea (Crickets)

Family Gryllotalpidae (Mole Crickets)

Pronunciation

grill-low-TAL-pi-dee

Explanation of Names

Gryllotalpidae Fieber 1852

see Gryllotalpa

Numbers

7 spp. in our area(1), >130 spp. in 14 genera total(2)

Size

body ≥20 mm

Identification

front legs broad, modified for digging

hind legs not saltatorial (unlike in Tridactylidae)

tarsi 3-3-3

antennae <half body length

photo comparing genera & species of Neoscapteriscus(3)

widespread species:

Neocurtilla hexadactyla: pronotum brownish, somewhat produced over head; wings shorter

Neoscapteriscus borellii: pronotum grayish (usually with 4 pale spots), not produced over head; wings longer

Overview of our fauna:

Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa

G. major --no image--G. cultriger

Neocurtilla hexadactyla

Neoscapteriscus abbreviatus

N. borellii

N. vicinus

Remarks

Mole crickets build underground tunnels that amplify sounds produced by male to attract a female(4)

Print References

(5)(6)

Internet References

Identification & distribution bibliography

family account & key to genera(3)

Works Cited

1.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.

2.	Orthoptera Species File Online

3.	Singing Insects of North America

4.	The World Beneath our Feet: A Guide to Life in the Soil James B. Nardi. 2003. Oxford University Press.

5.	Field Guide To Grasshoppers, Katydids, And Crickets Of The United States John L. Capinera, Ralph D. Scott, Thomas J. Walker. 2004. Cornell University Press.

6.	Photographic Atlas of Entomology and Guide To Insect Identification James L. Castner. 2000. Feline Press.

Contributed by Cotinis on 17 June, 2004 - 6:11pm
Additional contributions by john and jane balaban, John VanDyk, Robin McLeod, Chuck Entz, David Ferguson, v belov, Chuck Sexton, metrioptera, Marci Hess
Last updated 9 October, 2025 - 12:08pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2025 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version