Japanese Bell Cricket vs Changa Mole Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Japanese Bell Cricket Changa Mole Cricket
Scientific Name Meloimorpha japonica Scapteriscus didactylus
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Gryllidae Gryllotalpidae
Size 15-22 mm 30-40 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Herbivores Root Feeders
Regions Japan, China, Korea Caribbean, South America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Japanese Bell Cricket

A small brown cricket revered in Japanese culture for its beautiful tinkling bell-like song. It has been bred and sold as a singing pet for over a thousand years.

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Did You Know?

Emperor-era Japanese nobles held "insect listening" parties specifically to enjoy this cricket's song.

Changa Mole Cricket

A large mole cricket native to South America that became a severe pest in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. It has only two claws on its digging forefeet.

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Did You Know?

Its name changa comes from the Puerto Rican Spanish word for the insect, where it historically devastated sugarcane plantations.