The sandgroper is an unusual insect, related to grasshoppers, that spends most of its life underground. Their bodies are long and cylindrical and well adapted to burrowing with short powerful flattened front legs for digging. They are wingless and have small simple eyes. The rear two pairs of legs are near the middle of the body and are small and can be tucked in close to the sides of the body. They burrow by parting the soil in front of them with their strong front legs and compressing it against the sides to form a tunnel. Nymphs and adults produce an unpleasant smelling secretion from a pair of glands on the abdomen. Adult sandgropers are brown with lighter bands on the abdomen. Nymphs are a paler creamy color.