Uk-endangered
Guides
Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa
European mole cricket
Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa, the European mole cricket, is a subterranean insect native to the Western Palaearctic and introduced to the eastern United States. It is characterized by fossorial forelegs adapted for digging, velvety body covering, and a subterranean lifestyle. The species is now understood to represent a cryptic species complex distinguishable by song patterns. In the United Kingdom, it is legally protected and considered endangered due to dramatic range contraction.