Stats

Lifespan

1-2 years

Size

Medium

Diet

Omnivore

Activity

Nocturnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Temperate grassland

Range

Worldwide

Movement

Burrowing

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Burrowing

Status

Common

About

This cylindrical insect lives in underground tunnels across most of the world. Its shovel-like front legs can move soil with enough force to lift 20 times its body weight.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Orthoptera

Family

Gryllotalpidae