Concentrating particularly on grassy plants, nymphs and adults are voracious foliage feeders. Coloration varies widely among species and antennae are never longer than the body. Crickets generally are not considered serious economic pests. Some species, however, can damage pastures significantly by consuming large quantities of grass. Easily overlooked, members of this group are usually brown or black, with antennae at least as long as their body.
Female adults have a needlelike ovipositor which they use to place eggs in soft organic matter.
Mole crickets are among the most striking and unique of all insects. Their stout, shovellike forelegs and large, beady eyes give them an almost crawfishlike appearance. Although they feed on the roots of grasses, they do not usually directly damage field crops. As these insects tunnel through the soil, they destroy roots and cause the soil to dry out. As a result, crops on infested soils wilt from lack of water.