Subject: Student Submission
Location: Chandler, Indiana
August 18, 2013 6:50 am
One of my third graders brought this deceased insect in to ask me what it was. I have never seen anything like it. Though it’s missing some of its middle and read legs, its giant front legs look almost like a mole’s. Its modified wings are interesting, too. Can you help us figure out what it is so we can label it properly for our classroom display? Thanks!
Signature: Mr. R.
I immediately figured out that it was a mole cricket after I sent this request. I know you get hundreds, so feel free to skip this one. Mystery solved.
Dear Mr. R.,
If you just used some of your key words from your description, you should easily find the identity of this Mole Cricket using a search engine. We typed in “insect mole wings” and were quickly led to the Mole Cricket page of the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension website. You will find that Mole Crickets are subterranean dwellers that use their front legs to dig like a mole. Winged species are also capable of flying and they are often attracted to lights. We get submissions of Mole Crickets from many parts of the world, including Australia, the Middle East, Europe and many locations in North America.
P.S. We just realized you self-identified.
I live in fort Scott Kansas and we found this “mole cricket” in our swimming pool . If they are attracted to light that explains it. We have a porch light that shines on our pool. I have lived here my whole life and I have never seen anything like it. Thank you for helping me find out what this weird bug was!