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Dark Jerusalem Cricket (Stenopelmatus nigrocapitatus)


Detailing the physical features, habits, territorial reach and other identifying qualities of the Dark Jerusalem Cricket


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The humpback, huge head, and large body size create wonder and confusion when first glimpsing the Dark Jerusalem Cricket.



Updated: 01/03/2022; Authored By Staff Writer; Content ©www.InsectIdentification.org
Dark Jerusalem Crickets are a slow-moving, wingless species of cricket common in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. They are rather large for a cricket and have a bulbous, round head. The most easily identifiable feature of this insect is its humpbacked abdomen featuring black and yellow bands. Thick hind legs have a whorl of fleshy 'toes' near the foot. This type of cricket has large jaws and can deliver a painful bite if mishandled, but it has also been kept as a 'pet'. Dark Jerusalem Crickets can be found hiding under logs and rocks, walking over sandy soil, and even inside homes.

The Dark Jerusalem Cricket has earned itself several playful nicknames including "Potato Bug" (not to be confused with the Potato Beetle which is also called that name), "Earth Baby", and "Nino de la Tierra" (meaning "Child of the Earth").

Mating season occurs in the spring. Females will dig a shallow hole in loose soil and lay her eggs. Nymphs look like small versions of the adult and are just as slow-moving. Their abdomens are large and heavy, often dragging on the ground while they walk, which leaves grooved tracks. This also produces a scratching noise, so sometimes the cricket is heard before it is seen. Adults and nymphs eat other insects, potatoes, roots of various plants, and decaying plant matter. They are active both day and night, searching for food.©InsectIdentification.org


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General Characteristics


Capability, Shape, Texture/Pattern, Benefits, Dangers
Insect biting icon


Taxonomic Hierarchy


Species Breakdown
Kingdom: Animalia
  Phylum: Arthropoda
    Class: Insecta
      Order: Orthoptera
        Family: Stenopelmatidae
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          Genus: Stenopelmatus
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            Species: nigrocapitatus

Identifying Information


Size, Colors, Features
Scientific Name: Stenopelmatus nigrocapitatus
Other Name(s): Earth Baby; Potato Bug; Nino de la Tierra / Child of the Earth, Chaco
Category: Grasshopper or Cricket
Size (Adult; Length): 30mm to 50mm (1.18" to 1.96")
Colorwheel Graphic Colors: black; white; yellow; brown
Descriptors: humpback; bump; large; biting; long legs


Relative Size Comparison


Typical Size Between 30mm (1.2in) and 50mm (2.0in)
Lo: 30mm
Md: 40mm
Hi: 50mm

Territorial Map*


U.S., Canada, and Mexico
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Alaska  
Hawaii  
Prince Edward Is.  
* MAP NOTES: The territorial heat map above showcases (in red) the states and territories of North America where the Dark Jerusalem Cricket may be found (but is not limited to). This sort of data is useful when attempting to see concentrations of particular species across the continent as well as revealing possible migratory patterns over a species' given lifespan. Some insects are naturally confined by environment, weather, mating habits, food resources and the like while others see widespread expansion across most, or all, of North America. States/Territories shown above are a general indicator of areas inhabited by the Dark Jerusalem Cricket. Insects generally go where they please, typically driven by diet, environmental changes, and / or mating habits.
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