Mole Cricket (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - orthopteran > Grasshopper, cricket or ally |
| Red List Status: | Critically Endangered (Not Relevant) [CR(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Sutton, 2015 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | Some Mole crickets records are thought to be from individuals imported with plant material and it has been proposed that some of them belong to other Gryllotalpa species (there are several species in the genus in Europe). The identity of the population at Brockenhurst in the New Forest was confirmed by P. Brock in 2018. He found a live male and obtained a leg. DNA analysis confirmed it to be G. gryllotalpa (P. Brock Atropos 62: 37-40) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Listed as Critically Endangered on GB Red List and reduced to only two known small populations, in the New Forest. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | The main known population at Brockenhurst, New Forest, is very small (with 10 singing males reported on the best year in May 2018). A further population has been reported in a private garden (P Brock, personal communication). The potential of translocating the latter to suitable habitat should be considered. Although they can fly, It is highly unlikely that the populations will spread naturally due to their small size. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | This species would not benefit from untargeted management |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 1. Taxonomy established |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Medium-high |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Although potentially at the edge of its range, the species was formerly much more widespread in England and is so abundant in parts of Europe that it is considered as an agricultural pest. It prefers soft, moist (but free draining) soils near still or flowing water, such as water meadows and flood plains. It also requires short turf and open sunny areas. Suitable habitats are therefore unlikely to be a limiting factor, hence the recovery potential could be high. Despite this, the current population in England is so small that it seems close to extinction, so a considerable effort will be needed to revert this, such as translocation of individuals from mainland Europe. The current monitoring of the main New Forest population is by a self-funded volunteer. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Conduct DNA extraction and analysis (e.g. DNA barcoding with CO1) of individuals from the populations in the New Forest (including the population found in a private garden) and individuals from N France, Channel Islands, the Netherlands, Germany and other mainland European countries in order to determine the genetic distance between populations and to confirm the species identity of the new forest private garden population. This will inform the selection of suitable donor populations for translocation.
Action targets: 1. Taxonomy established
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: Not applicable
High priority sites: New Forest sites
Comments: The identity of the population at Brockenhurst in the New Forest was confirmed by P. Brock in 2018. He found a live male and obtained a leg. DNA analysis confirmed it to be G. gryllotalpa (P. Brock Atropos 62: 37-40)
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Conduct conservation translocations. The population in the private garden in the New forest would be a priority as a donor population - species identity has been confirmed as Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa. Suitable receptor sites within the former range of the species, especially New Forest, will need to be identified.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: (Re-)introduction
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Appropriate receptor sites are likely to be within the New Forest and the recent former range of the species (e.g. around Wareham in Dorset, River Itchen near Southampton)
Comments:
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.