Adults of both species are approximately 1.25 inches long and 0.4 inches wide, but the tawny mole cricket is often slightly larger and more robust than the southern mole cricket. Life Cycleīoth species of mole crickets go through incomplete metamorphosis when developing from eggs, to nymphs, then adults. Southern mole crickets are established east of a line from Corpus Christi to San Antonio to Fort Worth, and south of I-20 in most of east Texas, while the tawny mole cricket is thought to be present mostly in the southeastern part of the state, from the Houston area to Louisiana. Tawny Mole Cricket DactylsThe southern mole cricket is more widely distributed geographically across the state than the tawny mole cricket. The less common Northern mole cricket, which can also be found in Texas, has four primary dactyls on the tibia.įigure 4. Southern mole crickets have a distinct, U-shaped gap between the dactyls ( Figure 3), while the dactyls on the tawny mole cricket are nearly touching at the base, and show an acute, V-shaped gap ( Figure 4). The southern and tawny mole crickets both have two primary dactyls (toes) on the tibia (4 th division of the leg), but can be distinguished by the shape of the gap between the dactyls. All mole crickets have enlarged, shovel-like front legs for digging. The southern mole cricket is a dull, dark brown cricket with four light-colored spots on the pronotum, while the tawny mole cricket is slightly larger and lighter tan in color. Tawny and southern mole cricket adults ( Figure 2) look superficially alike however markings on the plate behind the head (pronotum) and the numbers and arrangement of “toes” on the front legs distinguish the two species. Southern (left) and Tawny Mole Cricket (right) adults Figure 3. Bahiagrass and Bermudagrass are the two grass species damaged most severely by both species, but Zoysiagrass, Centipedegrass, and Creeping bentgrass can also experience damage. Their bodies are well adapted for burrowing through the soil with shovel-like forelegs and their heavily armored thorax, which they use for shaping and packing the soil. This is especially true on golf course putting greens where their tunneling can also affect playability as well as the quality of mowing.

Tawny and Southern mole crickets both cause extensive surface tunnels that uproot and desiccate turfgrasses, and they are particularly problematic on sand-based athletic fields and golf courses where it is easy for them to tunnel. Mole crickets ( Figure 1) belong to the insect order Orthoptera (crickets and grasshoppers) and family Gryllotalpidae (mole crickets). Insect Name: Tawny Mole Cricket, Scapteriscus vicinus Scudder and Southern Mole Cricket Scapteriscus borellii Rehn and Hebard Description Figure 1. Casey Reynolds, PhD, Mike Merchant, PhD and Diane Silcox Reynolds, PhD