What is "mole cricket"

Mole \Mole\, n. [OE. molle, either shortened fr. moldwerp, or from the root of E. mold soil: cf. D. mol, OD. molworp. See Moldwarp.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any insectivore of the family Talpid[ae]. They have minute eyes and ears, soft fur, and very large and strong fore feet.

   Note: The common European mole, or moldwarp ( Talpa Europ[ae]a), is noted for its extensive burrows. The common American mole, or shrew mole ( Scalops aquaticus), and star-nosed mole ( Condylura cristata) have similar habits.

   Note: In the Scriptures, the name is applied to two unindentified animals, perhaps the chameleon and mole rat.

2. A plow of peculiar construction, for forming underground drains. [U.S.]

3. (fig.)A spy who lives for years an apparently normal life (to establish a cover) before beginning his spying activities.

   Duck mole. See under Duck.

   Golden mole. See Chrysochlore.

   Mole cricket (Zo["o]l.), an orthopterous insect of the genus Gryllotalpa, which excavates subterranean galleries, and throws up mounds of earth resembling those of the mole. It is said to do damage by injuring the roots of plants. The common European species ( Gryllotalpa vulgaris), and the American ( Gryllotalpa borealis), are the best known.

   Mole rat (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of Old World rodents of the genera Spalax, Georychus, and several allied genera. They are molelike in appearance and habits, and their eyes are small or rudimentary.

   Mole shrew (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of short-tailed American shrews of the genus Blarina, esp. Blarina brevicauda.

   Water mole, the duck mole.

n. Any of various large insects from the family ''(taxlink Gryllotalpidae family noshow=1)'' that burrow into moist soil and feed on plant roots.

n. digs in moist soil and feeds on plant roots

Mole crickets are members of the insect family Gryllotalpidae, in the order Orthoptera (grasshoppers, locusts and crickets). Mole crickets are cylindrical-bodied insects about long, with small eyes and shovel-like forelimbs highly developed for burrowing. They are present in many parts of the world and where they have been introduced into new regions, may become agricultural pests.

Mole crickets have three life stages, eggs, nymphs and adults. Most of their life in these stages is spent underground but adults have wings and disperse in the breeding season. They vary in their diet; some species are vegetarian, mainly feeding on roots, others are omnivores, including worms and grubs in their diet, while a few are largely predacious. Male mole crickets have an exceptionally loud song; they sing from a sub-surface burrow that opens out into the air in the shape of an exponential horn. The song is an almost pure tone, modulated into chirps. It is used to attract females, either for mating, or for indicating favourable habitats for them to lay their eggs.

In Zambia, mole crickets are thought to bring good fortune, while in Latin America they are said to predict rain. In Florida, where Scapteriscus mole crickets are non-native, they are considered pests, and various biological controls have been used. Gryllotalpa species have been used as food in West Java, Vietnam, and the Philippines.