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Mole crickets are thick-bodied insects about 1 – 2 in long, with large beady eyes and shovel-like forelimbs made for burrowing and swimming. They can also fly: the adult mole cricket may fly as far as 5 miles during the mating season, is active most of the year, and spends the winter in hibernation. Younger insects can have shorter wings, and their appearance varies by species, with some resembling grasshoppers or very large ants or dark-colored “termites” when wings are short. They are omnivores, feeding on larvae, worms, roots, and grasses.
Mole crickets are relatively common, but because they are nocturnal and spend nearly all their lives underground in extensive tunnel systems, they are rarely seen. They inhabit agricultural fields, lawns and golf courses.