A Mole by any other name is a Cricket
Mole Cricket
Welcome weary traveller to my Garden of Wonder.
Yes. You wonder how can a human be so useless and tending a garden.
I ask myself that very question.
Here, in my digging about my garden paradise of prickles, and weeds, I met a most amazing creature.
About 3 inches long, I'm assuming a male, it tried to scurry away.
https://youtube.com/shorts/buhwACP2kg0?feature=share
There was a bit of a bad smell due it excreting a foul smelling liquied.
They are active in summer due to it being breeding season.
The males dig a hole (notice the effective digging front legs) that amplifies its mating sound.
The females can fly but the males cannot.
Fun Fact: The females can determine by the sound of the male whether they have a dry, or damp, hole. Preferring damp holes to lay eggs in.
Location: Melbourne Australia
Yes, peculiar creatures. We have a European variety also here in Germany. They not only make holes for mating, they live basically all their life underground. And there they eat roots and other plants matter, which does not make them popular among gardeners. But nature goes amazing ways, doesn't it.
Amazing! I'd never seen one before. When the smell came I am thinking,
"Once I get a photo and let it go, I'll have to work out what's stinking back there". 😄
Well, since they are not that common, and because they live in the ground, most people don't ever see them. If they do, they are mainly shocked about how big they are. That they stink I have not heard before. May be a speciality of the Australian type - if they are not venomous they want to be nasty at least in some way... :)
You made some great photos of an impressive insect species. :)
Thx @jaki01 everytime I see a "Fascinating Insect", I think of this group 😀
What a beautifully strange little guy. The mole cricket! Great find. Thanks for sharing Jag