Comments on: Bug watch – identify this insect

By: R. Paul Waddington

R. Paul Waddington — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 01:40:08 +0000

“Does anyone know if they are harmful to people or the environment?”

Lisa Mole crickets spends most of there life underground eating larvae, worms, grasses. So, depending on your point of view, their lifestyle is only a proplem to people or the enviroment if you don’t like the role for which (mother) nature created them.

Live and let live; other than for we humans no animal, in its right place, ruins or damages its environment past the point of sustainabilty.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:04:36 +0000

I live in Bibra Lake WA and have now found 4 of these bugs in the last couple of weeks… they sure do shoot black goo!! Have also found a big nest of babies… Does anyone know if they are harmful to people or the environment?

By: Mateusz

Mateusz — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:29:05 +0000

This look like Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa(this is latin’s name).

look at this page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gryllotalpa_gryllotalpa

Greetings from Poland

By: Roy Newbury

Roy Newbury — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 11:51:59 +0000

Yes, we found one tonight in Balcatta WA 6021. We caught it in a see-through bugcatcher on a handle and it squirted goo onto the plastic, too. Sounds as if Western Australia has been invaded. We let it go hoping a wild bird will have a meal. We have seen one twice in the past week and a dead one about 3 months ago in our garage.

By: Tony

Tony — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:30:34 +0000

Just found one of these in Hillary’s. Impressive looking bug reminds me of the creature in “Alien”. Luckily we got it contained before it shot out its goo cause it smells quite aweful

By: Nichole

Nichole — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:25:10 +0000

Its a mole cricket, the black goo they produce is a deffence. they use it to ward off preditiors when they feel that they are in danger

By: Levent Daldal

Levent Daldal — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:47:54 +0000

we called it Dana Dişi ..

http://images.google.com.tr/images?start=0&q=dana+di%C5%9Fi&btnG=G%C3%B6rselleri+ara&hl=tr&um=1&sa=2

u can find images here, i post link because maybe u could not access Turkish letters şn ur computer..

it simply lives underground and mostly cause troubles for farmers

By: Levent Daldal

Levent Daldal — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:45:15 +0000

very common bug in agricultural sites in Turkiye…

i recommend not to send it to museum (simply beacuse this cause the death of poor bug ) ..

take care.

By: Lonnie

Lonnie — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:27:44 +0000

We called them mole crickets when I was a kid in Florida (USA).

By: james

james — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:40:26 +0000

KILL IT
err I mean, I don’t enjoy killing bugs for fun – promise

By: A B

A B — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:35:37 +0000

I found one in New Farm (Brisbane) in around ’03. shot black goo about a foot… amazing insects.

By: Steve Johnson

Steve Johnson — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:10:04 +0000

Yes, they squirt smelly stuff out of their butts. I suggest you see if your local museum is interested in having it.

By: rob

rob — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:01:30 +0000

I just found one of these in my house and still have it. The way I found it was by having this brown liquid squirted on my foot. Anyone know of it doing this?

By: jackmo

jackmo — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 02:38:25 +0000

hmm never seen anything like it in brisbane

By: Steve Johnson

Steve Johnson — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:03:46 +0000

Thanks, I think you’re right. One of my brother’s friends came up with the same answer last night. Next one we find is going to be sent to the museum.

By: R. Paul Waddington

R. Paul Waddington — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:36:55 +0000

Hi Steve,
We do have a similar looking critter here in Sydney and I think it is a form of mole cricket. Spends most of its life underground eating larvae, worms, grasses and software engineers.

I believe they are found in a number of other countries and are an eastern Australian critter. If that is the case you may have a member of a forward invasion party, from the east, look for WestAustralian WMDs.