Gryllotalpa

/ɡrɪloʊˈtælpə/ noun

Definition

A genus of burrowing crickets commonly called mole crickets, named for their mole-like front legs adapted for digging.

Etymology

Scientific Latin compound: 'gryllus' (cricket) + 'talpa' (mole in Latin), literally 'cricket-mole' because of their resemblance to moles in their digging behavior.

Kelly Says

Mole crickets are evolution's weird experiment—they have cricket bodies but mole-like front legs, and they tunnel underground making them the least visible but most destructive crickets to lawns.

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