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Jerusalem Cricket

Scientific Name:

Stenopelmatus (taxonomic family)

Type:

Invertebrate

Habitat:

Prefer more arid habitats and are most commonly found in loose dirt, sandy soil, and under rocks where it is easiest for them to burrow underground; people have also reported finding them in their gardens and compost piles

Range:

Native to the western half of the United States and northern Mexico

Status:

Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)

This species is

NATIVE

to the Truckee Meadows.

Identification:

Jerusalem crickets (also commonly called "potato bugs") is a North American insect that looks a lot like a large bulbous cricket. Jerusalem crickets can be identified by their 6 legs, large jaws on a smooth face, and a round body with black and tan/orange striped coloration on its abdomen. Adults can grow up to be 2 to 3 inches long. These wingless, six-legged bugs are slow moving and mostly nocturnal. Potato bugs feed primarily on dead plant matter and smaller insects where available, they will also suck out the juices of live plant stems and leaves. Unlike crickets who rub their legs together to communicate, potato bugs use their abdomen and legs to make a drumming sound to serenade each other during mating season.

Fast Facts:

  • Potato bugs are slow compared to other insects as well as being quite docile. However, if they are handled wrong or provoked, they will use their large jaws to inflict a rather painful bite.

  • Jerusalem crickets are non-venomous.

  • Each species of Jerusalem cricket has its own unique drumming pattern used to find a mate.

Sources:

Contributor(s):

Kevin Livingstone (research & content)

Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)

Last Updated:

June 24, 2021 at 11:36:01 PM

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