#neocurtilla

Mole crickets are amazing, their abdomen is soft almost like velvet and they are deceivingly strong for their size, love their little shovel paws

Northern Mole Cricket, Neocurtilla hexadactyla.   If, in the fall, you hear a frog calling, it probably isn't.  It probably is this thunderous gladiator of a cricket.  It does like the edge of wetlands, and makes little sound chambers in the ground from where it broadcasts its love calls.  Find their calls on the web, very froggy.  Found by Liz Humes in wetland areas along transmission lines on Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.  I think this would make a good tattoo for a ditch digger.    

Went mothing last night so of course the highlight was not a moth but a MOLE CRICKET! How cool is this thing??? Look at those claws, those are digging claws! This was one of three that showed up at the moth light.