Short-Winged Mole Cricket

Scapteriscus abbreviates

The Short-Winged Mole Cricket is a lawn-damaging insect that is found mainly in Florida and Georgia attacking Bahiagrass and Bermudagrass. Also known as Scapteriscus abbreviates, lawn damage caused by this species of mole cricket usually occurs in late summer and early fall.

Identify

Mole Crickets

Sub Surface

An adult Short-Winged Mole Cricket is dark to reddish-brown in color. This lawn pest can be identified by the U-shaped opening between the claws on its foreleg, and by its pronotum, which has several darker spots in the center and along the margins. But it's the hind wings that are the key identifying feature for the Short-Winged Mole Cricket—they are significantly shorter than its body and also shorter than the hind wings of most other species. Unlike other mole crickets, it cannot fly—despite being winged—so it travels by tunneling or by someone or something moving of infested soil. Signs of Short-Winged Mole Cricket damage in lawns usually consists of severe stunting, wilting and yellowing of the grass—sometimes even death. Areas infested by this lawn-damaging insect show spots of varying sizes and shapes, though the boundary between affected and healthy areas of a lawn is usually well-defined. This lawn pest prefers plant material for food.

Life Cycle

Control

There are two methods for controlling Short-Winged Mole Crickets that TruGreen® recommends: 1. Use professionally applied pest control designed to prevent excess lawn pest populations, which can cause damage to your lawn 2. Kill insects, grubs and other lawn pests before they have a chance to damage your lawn Proper mowing and watering techniques can also help foster a healthy lawn that's more tolerant to lawn pest attacks—plus you'll get a lawn you'll want to live on in the process.