Cockchafer vs Mole Cricket
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Cockchafer | Mole Cricket |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Melolontha melolontha | Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa |
| Order | Coleoptera | Orthoptera |
| Family | Scarabaeidae | Gryllotalpidae |
| Size | 25-30 mm | 35-46 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Rivers & Streams |
| Diet | Root Feeders | Root Feeders |
| Regions | Western Europe, Central Europe, Northern Europe | Europe, Asia, Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Cockchafer
A large, clumsy-flying chafer beetle that emerges en masse on warm May evenings. Its white C-shaped larvae are familiar agricultural pests across Europe.
Did You Know?
In medieval Europe, cockchafer swarms were so destructive that they were once put on trial in court.
Mole Cricket
Extraordinary burrowers with powerful shovel-like forelegs adapted for digging. Males construct horn-shaped burrows that amplify their mating calls up to 600 meters.
Did You Know?
Mole crickets build double-exponential horn-shaped burrows that act as acoustic amplifiers, broadcasting their mating calls at 90 dB — audible from 600 meters away.