Fauna
Insect

European Mole Cricket

Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa

Also known as Common Mole Cricket, Churrworm, Evechurr, Fen Cricket

European mole crickets are subterranean insects equipped with shovel-like front legs that displace dense soil much like the paws of a mammal mole. On warm spring evenings, males construct horn-shaped burrow entrances that amplify their persistent, low-frequency buzzing songs to attract flying females over long distances. Although their tunneling can sever seedling roots in gardens and pastures, they also aerate compacted ground and prey heavily on underground invertebrate pests.

SubterraneanNocturnalBurrowing
European Mole Cricket reference1 / 7
Eszter Kovács / CC BY-SA 2.0 de · cc-by-sa
—observations
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Data DeficientConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXData Deficient — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyEarthworms, Root Grubs, Cutworms
Predators
  • European Badger
  • Little Owl
  • European Mole
ThreatsIntensive agriculture, agrochemical use, land drainage, and soil compaction
HabitatsDamp meadows, floodplains, cultivated agricultural fields, and sandy riverbanks
Life span1–3 years
Classification
  1. FamilyGryllotalpidae
  2. SpeciesGryllotalpa gryllotalpa
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Evening spotting: Listen along marshy edges and damp lawns in late spring for their continuous churring song.
  • Gentle handling: If found on the surface, allow it to walk freely on flat palms; avoid squeezing its spiny forelegs.
  • Light trap encounters: Look around outdoor floodlights near damp fields on humid nights, where dispersing adults often land.
Related species
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