Mole cricket (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa) © The Natural History Museum, London 2005
The mole crickets compose family Gryllotalpidae, of thick-bodied insects about 3–5 centimetres (1.2–2.0 in) long, with large beady eyes and shovel-like forelimbs highly developed for burrowing and swimming. They can also fly: the adult mole cricket may fly as far as 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) during mating season, is active most of the year, and spends the winter in hibernation. Younger insects can have shorter wings, and their appearance varies by species, with some resembling grasshoppers or very large ants or dark-colored "termites" when wings are short.
There have been a couple of sightings in the UK over the past view years.
Have you seen one? Let us know!
