Bug of the Month February 2012: Mole Crickets from Slovenia and Australia

creepy crawler unidentified
Location: Horjul, Slovenia, EU
January 31, 2012 8:21 am
Found this thing trying to eat my hardwood floor! The noise was so loud it woke me up – he was under my bed.
Signature: Creepy Crawler in Slovenia

Dear Creepy Crawler in Slovenia,
You had an encounter with a Mole Cricket, a harmless subterranean dweller that generally attracts attention when it surfaces.  Some species are capable of flying and they are attracted to lights, which might explain the presence in your home.  Since it is time for us to select a Bug of the Month for February, we are posting your letter and photo in that position.  Though we don’t get many identification requests from Slovenia, we do get identification requests for Mole Crickets from many parts of the planet, including Australia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.

Cool! Thanks. I came across your website years ago already but it was not until now that I found the pictures and so I sent them to you immediately so I wouldn’t forget again.
Best regards from Slovenia!
Daniel

Another Mole Cricket
Cockroach thing
Location: Newcastle, NSW, Australia
January 31, 2012 3:09 am
Hi,
I found this thing crawling across my floor the other day. It was about 2.5 inches long, thought it was a cockroach at first. I have no idea what it is. i have recently had a lot of those ants with wings appear in the kitchen when i got back from holiday, could this be the thing that lays those eggs? sorry if the picture is a bit blurry.
Signature: Justin

Hi Justin,
We just posted another letter from Slovenia of a Mole Cricket and we made it the Bug of the Month for February.  We are adding your letter and photo to that posting.  We get many Mole Cricket identification requests from Australia and you can see additional information on the Brisbane Insect website.