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Other pests

The European mole cricket (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa) is a large insect of the order Orthoptera, belonging to the family Gryllotalpidae. It is considered a major subterranean pest that is highly adapted to digging tunnels in the soil, making it a significant threat to various agricultural and ornamental crops.

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Skimmers19 Shrews12 Soleidae12 Spiketails12 Shrikes8 Silverfish (Lepismatidae)8 Siphlonuridae5 Skinks5 Six-eyed sand spiders4 Skunks4 Soft scales (Lecanidae)4 Soil centipedes (Geophilidae)4 Sminthurid springtails (Sminthuridae)3 Snakeflies3 Snakeheads3 Shipworm (Teredinidae)2 Shoebill (Balaenicipitidae)2 Shrimpfish2 Sididae2 Skeleton shrimps2
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Shiny black ant Formica gagates Shipworm (Teredinidae) 2 items Shoebill (Balaenicipitidae) 2 items Shrews 12 items Shrikes 8 items Shrimpfish 2 items Sibbaldia Sibbaldus Siberian silk moth Dendrolimus segregatus Sibine Sibine Sididae 2 items Silky ant Formica fusca Siluridae 1 item Silvereye Zosterops halmaturina Silverfish (Lepismatidae) 8 items Silverleaf whitefly Bemisia argentifolii Siphlonuridae 5 items Sitka spruce weevil Pissodes sitchensis Six-eyed sand spiders 4 items Six-spotted leafhopper Tettigella sexlineata Skeleton shrimps 2 items Skimmers 19 items Skinks 5 items Skunks 4 items Smelts 2 items Sminthurid springtails (Sminthuridae) 3 items Sminthurid springtails (Sminthurididae) 2 items Snakeflies 3 items Snakeheads 3 items Snow scorpionflies 1 item Soft scales (Lecanidae) 4 items Sogata vibrix Sogata vibrix Soil centipedes (Geophilidae) 4 items Soleidae 12 items Solenocerids 2 items Solenodontidae 2 items Solifugae 2 items Solpugids 2 items South American cotton bollworm Heliothis gelotopoeon South Russian tarantula Lycosa singoriensis South Russian tarantula Hogna tarentula Sow thistle whitefly Trialeurodes sonchi Soybean looper Pseudoplusia Soybean shoot borer Epinotia aporema Spadefoot toads 2 items Sparidae 2 items Sperm whales 2 items Sphaerophoria flavicauda Sphaerophoria flavicauda Sphaerophoria javana Sphaerophoria javana Sphegigaster solitarius Sphegigaster solitarius Spider monkeys 2 items Spiketails 12 items Spilostethus pandurus Spilostethus pandurus Spined soldier bug Podisus spinosus Spiny dogfish (Squalidae) 2 items Spiny lobsters 2 items Spiny turbots 1 item Spirobolidae millipedes 2 items Spirostreptidae millipedes 2 items Spitting spiders 2 items Spodoptera dolichos Spodoptera dolichos
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Other pests

This pest affects a wide range of plants, including potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and various leafy vegetables. It also poses a threat to lawns, golf courses, and young saplings in tree nurseries. Mole crickets are particularly destructive in moist, organic-rich soils where they can easily burrow and feed.

The life cycle of the mole cricket typically lasts from one to three years, depending on the environmental conditions. Both adults and nymphs overwinter deep in the soil. In late spring, females build subterranean nest chambers where they deposit batches of eggs. After hatching, the nymphs develop through several instars, feeding on roots and organic matter.

The damage caused by mole crickets is mainly due to their burrowing activity and feeding habits. They sever plant roots and stems just below the soil surface, causing plants to wilt and die suddenly. Their extensive tunneling also disturbs the soil structure, leading to poor plant growth and significant yield losses in infested areas.

  • Deep autumn plowing to expose and destroy overwintering sites.
  • Setting traps using manure or moist compost to attract and catch adults.
  • Application of specialized insecticidal baits placed in the soil.
  • Using biological control agents such as nematodes or entomopathogenic fungi.
  • Frequent cultivation of soil between rows to disrupt existing tunnels.