Orthoptera - Blog Posts

bugs-bolts-beer

10 months ago

Omg these pics are incredible~ god I love mole crickets they have to be one of my favorite bugs out there.

I was soundly defeated by this large Gryllotalpa nymphicus mole cricket I picked up in Singapore. with stunning speed and strength, she deposited a sticky goo on my hands, pried my fingers apart, and gave me a vicious bite before disappearing beneath a pile of rotten wood (where she then posed nicely for photos)

never met a gryllotalpid before, and wasn’t expecting the viscous slime or the bite! I did know they’re incredibly strong though, and this smaller (much less nasty) male seen later displays mole crickets’ beefy digging arms:

the videos I’ve seen of smaller US species just bumbling about and trying to burrow in peoples hands made me expect a charming dirt puppy. the big female ran under my shoe at one point and I could actually feel her lifting me up from the road. I suppose I was trying not to squish her, but still! incredibly powerful beasts