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The European Mole Cricket in its native habitat This is really a weird looking creature and I saw (and photographed) my first one recently at Federsee near where we live. It looks like a strange cross between a cricket and a lobster - and it was just creeping across the path as we hiked through the "Wobbly Forest" near Federsee. Although I have traveled all over the world to see strange and marvelous creatures, it is amazing that I can still find some in the middle of Europe! Baden-Würtemburg,European mole cricket,Fall,Federsee,Geotagged,Germany,Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa Click/tap to enlarge PromotedCountry intro

The European Mole Cricket in its native habitat

This is really a weird looking creature and I saw (and photographed) my first one recently at Federsee near where we live. It looks like a strange cross between a cricket and a lobster - and it was just creeping across the path as we hiked through the "Wobbly Forest" near Federsee. Although I have traveled all over the world to see strange and marvelous creatures, it is amazing that I can still find some in the middle of Europe!

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  1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
    Ferdy Christant
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    I totally know what you mean. I first saw one in Colombia:

    Mole Cricket - top view, Montezuma, Colombia Quite an insect highlight of our trip, as we've never seen a creature like this before. This mole cricket (Gryllotalpidae) came swimming(!) super fast out of a pond at night as we lit it with flashlights and then made way to jump on shore and onto a low wall. Apparently they are part of the grasshoppers and crickets family, yet as you can see, they look quite unusual. They live most of their life underground, and feature strong jaws and a heavily armored chest plate. <br /> <br /> I had no idea of this family even existing, so it blew our minds.<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/55911/mole_cricket_montezuma_colombia.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/55910/mole_cricket_-_front_view_montezuma_colombia.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/55909/mole_cricket_-_front_view_ii_montezuma_colombia.html Cerro Montezuma,Choco,Chocó,Colombia,Colombia Choco & Pacific region,Montezuma,South America,Tatama National Park,Tatamá National Park,World

    I thought I discovered some very odd tropical insect. Only then learned they are in Europe too! In particular people who grow their own vegetables say they encounter them often, and hate them for the damage they do.     Posted 5 years ago, modified 5 years ago

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The European mole cricket

"Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa", commonly known as the European mole cricket is widespread in Europe and has been introduced to the eastern United States. The scientific name is derived from the Latin 'gryllus' meaning a cricket and 'talpa', a mole, and is descriptive because of the fine dense fur by which it is covered and its subterranean habits, and because of the mole-like forelegs adapted for digging, a good example of convergent evolution.

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Similar species: Grasshoppers And Crickets
Species identified by Barry
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By Barry

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Uploaded Oct 5, 2019. Captured Oct 3, 2019 15:16 in Naturerlebnispfad im Wackelwald, Wackelwald, 88422 Bad Buchau, Germany.
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Captured in the fall. More fall photos.