Mole cricket! (Gryllotalpidae: Neocurtilla hexadactyla, from Iowa). These funky critters are a beautiful example of convergent evolution; that is, traits that evolve independently from (relatively) unrelated lineages in response to a similar problem. Put another way, the ancestors of mammalian moles and mole crickets evolved a structurally analogous solution (large, powerful front legs with lots of surface area that excel at pushing soil in a lateral motion) to a shared challenge (needing to dig to find food and avoid predators).
Katydid nymph from Panama.
Cryptic grasshopper from Panama.
