March, 1918.] Weiss & Dickerson : Mole Cricket, 19 



In regard to its occurrence in the Old World, Step states that it is 

 plentiful in central and southern Europe and extends through Egypt 

 and Western Asia to the Himalayas. In some localities, at least, it 

 is abundant enough to cause more or less injury and accounts of its 

 life history and habits may be found in various European publica- 

 tions. A few of these references are noted at the end of this paper 

 and it is from these and from our observations at Rutherford that 

 material for this account has been obtained. 



The adult hibernates in horse manure or other warm places and 

 becomes active in March. Mating occurs above ground in May and 

 shortly afterward oviposition takes place. For this purpose, the 

 female burrows into the ground and two or three inches below the 

 surface, makes an oval chamber about the size of a hen's egg. Ac- 

 cording to Wood, the chamber is placed near the surface so that the 

 eggs may be affected by the sun's heat. In this cavity eggs are laid 

 from time to time, the total numbering from 100 to 400. The indi- 

 vidual egg measures 2.5 mm. in length, is of an oval shape and dirty, 

 grayish yellow in color. At Rutherford, in mid July, both eggs and 

 young nymphs were collected, in some cases from the same nest. 

 In about thirty days the young appear and remain in or near the nest 

 under the supervision and protection of the female until after the first 

 molt, according to some authors and until after the second molt, accord- 

 ing to others. Step states that the female has to protect the young from 

 the male. According to Van Den Broek and Schenk, the third molt 

 occurs near winter and in April of the next year, the fourth molt 

 takes place and wing pads appear. The fifth and last molt occurs 

 about a month later and soon afterward mating takes place. Some 

 authors believe that four years are required for the completion of 

 the insect's development. - 



In both sexes the wings are folded close against the body ; the 

 elytra or fore wings are comparatively broad and short and reach 

 about half the length of the abdomen, while the under wings com- 

 pactly folded extend posteriorly between the anal cerci. Figuier 

 says ''they make little use of them (the wings), and it is only at 

 nightfall that the mole cricket is seen to disport himself describing 

 curves of no great height in the air." Wood states that " the flight 

 of the mole cricket consists of a series of dips." 



Thus while the insect may be found above ground in flight and at 



