Mole cricket

From Nookipedia, the Animal Crossing wiki

Artwork of mole cricket
Real-world info
Name: Gryllotalpa brachyptera
Family: Gryllotalpidae - Mole crickets
Main appearances

Other appearances
Names in other languages
 オケラ
 蝼蛄
 Taupe-grillon
 Grillo cebollero
 Grillotalpa
 Медведка
 땅강아지
 螻蛄
 Taupe-grillon
 Grillo cebollero
 Maulwurfsgrille
 Veenmol

The mole cricket[nb 1] is a bug in the Animal Crossing series that has appeared in every game to date.

In the games that the mole cricket appears in, it is an uncommon bug that the player can encounter, and can be found flying underground, making a chirping noise. If the player digs where the noise is the loudest, the mole cricket is unearthed and will crawl away. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it can be caught from late fall to late spring.

Catch details[edit]

In Animal Crossing[edit]

#37
Mole cricket
"I caught a mole cricket! I wonder if he hates bright lights... (You know, because he's a MOLE cricket?)"

Time of year[nb 2] Nov – May
Time of day All day
Location Underground
Weather Any weather
Selling price  200 Bells
Furniture size 1.0 x 1.0


In Wild World[edit]

#31

Mole cricket
"I caught a mole cricket! I don't see any moles on you, little guy!"

Description Unknown
Time of year Nov – May
Time of day All day
Peak times N/A
Location Underground
Bug size 35 mm
Selling price  280 Bells
Furniture size 1.0 x 1.0


In City Folk[edit]

#34

Mole cricket
"I caught a mole cricket! Proceeding with interrogation!"

Description These live underground but can fly and swim. They're multitalented.
Time of year Nov – May
Time of day All day
Peak times N/A
Location Underground
Bug size 35 mm
Rarity Very uncommon
Selling price  280 Bells
Furniture size 1.0 x 1.0


In New Leaf[edit]

#38

Mole cricket
"I caught a mole cricket! And I didn't even have to reset!"

Time of year Nov – May
Time of day All day
Peak times N/A
Location Underground
Size 44 mm
Rarity Very uncommon
Selling price  280 Bells
Furniture size 1.0 x 1.0


In New Horizons[edit]

#37

Mole cricket
"I caught a mole cricket! I really dug it!"

Time of year North: Nov – May
South: May – Nov
Time of day All day
Location Underground
Weather Any weather
Spawn requirement Appears from the start of the game
Selling prices  Nook's Cranny 500 Bells
 Flick 750 Bells
Furniture size 1.0 x 1.0


Donating to the museum[edit]

In Animal Crossing[edit]

"My my my! Good gracious! This is a frightfully large mole cricket, eh wot? Yes, rather large indeed. Interesting, isn't it? How its monotonous song drags on and on, while the insect itself is nowhere to be seen? That very secret is what sets the mole cricket apart from its relatives. You see, it lives underground, wot wot! It may be because it's become a bit scarce, but I believe that most folk aren't even aware the mole cricket exists. To be nitpicky, it's not actually a true cricket, but rather a distant relative of crickets and grasshoppers. It has rippingly powerful forelegs adapted for digging. In fact, it's these mole-like limbs that give it its name. Its rear legs are shorter than a true cricket's as well. Bleeeeeech! All this talk of bug legs... Simply dreadful! Hooo... But I digress..."

In Wild World[edit]

When accepting the mole cricket, Blathers will impart his knowledge of the bug to the player:

"The mole cricket is a bug, of course, but it resembles a mole! Hence the name. It's clear once you inspect its lower half that it is most definitely a cricket. Blech! Add "imitating moles" to the list of unforgivable things bugs are capable of!"

In City Folk[edit]

Blathers will say this when he reluctantly takes the bug:

"As both mole crickets and moles dig holes, it's said many parts of their bodies evolved on similar paths... But the mole is nowhere near as off-putting as this bug... How could they be? Moles don't have antennae."

In New Leaf[edit]

"Mole crickets live underground in tunnels they dig themselves, moving freely through soil. Their forelimbs resemble those of moles and are very suitable for digging. They have large wings that enable them to fly, but they can also swim if the need arises. In the past, people used to think the noise they made underground was actually coming from worms."

In New Horizons[edit]

"Be warned, there is nowhere one might hide from the mole cricket. This plump pest has powerful front claws made for digging holes, and oh how it loves to burrow underground! A cousin to the grasshopper, it also has wings and can easily take to the air. And I swear this on my pinfeathers... Some have even been seen walking on water! Oh mercy, I may need a moment. This is making me feel rather woozy..."

Gallery[edit]

Real-world information[edit]

A real-life mole cricket, species Gryllotalpa brachyptera.

Mole crickets can be found throughout the world, specifically in more temperate climates. They are nocturnal and hibernate during the winter. They are rarely seen, as they live underground in tunnel networks, but are nonetheless regarded as pests. They have large forelimbs that can be used to dig and swim. They are roughly three to five centimeters long and are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. In some areas of Asia they are eaten, but only when fried. Mole crickets also appear as a character in another of Nintendo's games: Mother 3.

The mole cricket featured in-game is similar in appearance to Gryllotalpa brachyptera, a mole cricket native to Australia, but it could belong to any of the Gryllotalpidae species.

Names in other languages[edit]

Japanese オケラ
Okera
Mole cricket

Korean 땅강아지
Ttanggang-aji
Mole cricket

Simplified Chinese 蝼蛄
Lóugū
Mole cricket

Traditional Chinese 螻蛄
Unknown

Russian Медведка
Medvedka
Mole cricket

Dutch Veenmol Mole cricket

German Maulwurfsgrille Mole cricket

European Spanish Grillo cebollero Mole cricket

European French Taupe-grillon Mole cricket

Italian Grillotalpa Mole cricket

Notes[edit]

  1. Japanese: オケラ Hepburn: Okera
  2. All bugs and fish in the first-generation games can appear at a lower spawn rate up to five days before the start of their first month of availability.