CRICKETS, GRASSHOPPERS, KATYDIDS, AND MANTIDS

Jerusalem Cricket, Stenopelmatus fuscus

Order: Orthoptera (Crickets, Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Mantids)

Size: Up to 2"

Habitat: Dark, moist places in soil, leaf litter, under rocks, etc.

Range: Western United States

Although fearsome in appearance, the Jerusalem Cricket is not poisonous or dangerous, although it has been known to deliver a mild bite if threatened. Looking almost like a fat, oversize ant, it also goes by a number of common names, including “old bald-headed man,” “child of the earth,” “skull insect,” and “potato bug.” The abdomen is plump and clearly segmented; the head is large, round, and smooth with beady black eyes; and the limbs are compact and have spines to aid in digging. Wings are absent. The color is glossy amber-brown with dark brown bands over the abdomen. These crickets are active mostly at night, feeding on decaying organic matter on the ground, burrowing into the soil for plant tubers, or wandering into homes. It can make a hissing sound by rubbing the back legs against the body, or a thumping sound by tapping its abdomen against the ground.