ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE—PLANT PROTECTION AND WEED CONTROL MOLE CRICKETS identified in Cherokee Co., detected in the early 1990’s. The Oklahoma, but it is not believed prairie mole cricket is found to be established there. mostly in tall grass prairie. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed The southern and southeastern the prairie mole cricket for states are home to 3 introduced threatened Prairie Mole Crickets species of mole crickets which status in 1990. Subsequent cause considerable damage to distributional studies lead to the turf, these include the conclusion that the species was shortwinged mole cricket not entirely dependent of Mole crickets can be serious pests (Neoscapteriscus abbreviates), undisturbed native prairie, as of turf grass, vegetable plants, the Southern mole cricket originally thought, and the sod farms, home lawns and golf Neoscapteriscus borellii and the nomination for threatened status courses. What makes the mole was withdrawn in 1992. tawny mole cricket cricket such a pest? Mole crickets Historic data for prairie mole cricket is Neoscapteriscus vicinus. dig tunnels throughout the soil from: Mole crickets lay eggs in https://entomology.uark.edu/outreach/ using specialized front legs for chambers adjacent to the main arthropod-museum/arthropod- digging, museum-bibliography.php). tunnels usually 5-30 cm below the As the crickets burrow they sever surface. The egg stage last 10 to plant roots and cause the ground 40 days. The nymphs on hatching to bulge upwards. The mole burrow near the soil surface but cricket most likely encountered in dig deeper if the soil is dry or the Kansas would be the northern weather becomes cooler. mole cricket Neocurtilla Southeastern Kansas, Missouri, hexadactyla and is not generally Oklahoma and Arkansas are Mole cricket damage to crops a pest. home to the prairie mole cricket The southern mole cricket thought to be extinct in 1984, but Neoscapteriscus borellii has been isolated populations were December 29, 2017 Edition 64, Volume 4 .