Mole crickets belong to the insect class Orthoptera Mole crickets. It is a nocturnal insect with a generally brownish back and grayish-yellow belly, with slight shades of color depending on how long it lives. The front feet are large, shovel-shaped, suitable for digging soil, and have tail whiskers. It lives in soil and feeds mainly on plant rhizomes, earthworms, etc. in the soil. There are 4 known species in China: North China mole cricket, African mole cricket (it should be Oriental mole cricket, all over the country, generally there are more Oriental mole crickets south of the Yangtze River), European mole cricket and Taiwan mole cricket.
The body is elongated and narrow. The head is small, conical. The compound eyes are small and prominent, with 2 in one eye. The dorsal plate of the prothorax is oval, the dorsal surface is raised like a shield, and the sides extend downward, almost enclosing the basal ganglia of the forefoot. The forefoot is specialized in a stubby structure, with a particularly short and wide basal segment, a slightly curved leg segment, and a sheet-like tibial segment that is very short, triangular, and has a strong end spine, which is convenient for excavation. There is 1 cleft on the inside for the auditorium. The forewings are short, the male can sing, the articulation mirror is imperfect, and it is only bounded by diagonal veins and oblique veins, forming a triangular chamber;The end net area is small, and the female ovipositor is degenerate.
It is precisely because of this habit that mole crickets have become a headache pest in agricultural production. Mole crickets mainly feed on the rhizomes of crops, especially in areas where rice, corn, wheat and other food crops are grown, and the harm of mole crickets is particularly serious. They dig tunnels to cut off the rhizomes of crops, causing them to fail to grow properly or even die.
Are mole crickets beneficial or pests?In fact, mole crickets have both beneficial and harmful sides. From the perspective of ecology, as a creature in the natural ecological environment, the harm of mole crickets in agricultural production cannot be ignored. They cause damage to the rhizomes of crops, affecting the growth and yield of crops. Therefore, for agriculture, mole crickets are undoubtedly a pest.
But mole crickets are actually a kind of Chinese medicinal materials, dried adults of North China mole cricket and Oriental mole cricket. Larger nymphs can also be used as medicine. Mole crickets have diuretic, swelling and detoxification functions. Oral administration of 5 grams and 10 grams can eliminate edema, diuretic treatment of drenching and treatment of bruises, abscess and sores and other symptoms. So from this point of view, mole crickets are undoubtedly another beneficial insect.
In general, as a beneficial and pest with dual identities, the existence of mole crickets not only has medicinal value, but also brings certain harm to agricultural production. Therefore, when we understand and treat mole crickets, we should look at it from multiple angles, not only to see its benefits, but also to pay attention to its harms. Only in this way can we make better use of and protect this special biological resource and realize the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.