The Southern Mole Cricket is a large, burrowing insect with powerful, spade-like forelegs adapted for tunneling through soil. Adults fly to light at night and produce a loud, far-carrying chirp from burrow entrances. Introduced from South America, it is a serious turfgrass pest in the Southeast, tunneling through lawns and feeding on grass roots.
Best time to see a Southern Mole Cricket
The best time to see a Southern Mole Cricket is March–July, when about 63% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 594 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Southern Mole Cricket? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Southern Mole Cricket sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
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