Ellipes Pygmy Mole Cricket vs Central American Locust

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ellipes Pygmy Mole Cricket Central American Locust
Scientific Name Ellipes minuta Schistocerca piceifrons
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Tridactylidae Acrididae
Size 3-5 mm 45-65 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Farmland
Diet Detritivores Herbivores
Regions Central America, South America Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Ellipes Pygmy Mole Cricket

One of the smallest orthopterans in the world, barely visible to the naked eye. It lives in moist sand and mud along tropical waterways.

💡

Did You Know?

At just 3 mm long, it is smaller than many ants and is easily overlooked even by entomologists specifically searching for it.

Central American Locust

A significant agricultural pest locust in Mexico and Central America. It periodically swarms and can devastate corn, bean, and other staple crops.

💡

Did You Know?

The ancient Maya recorded plagues of this locust, and it remains a recurring agricultural threat in the Yucatan Peninsula today.