Jerusalem Cricket (Stenopelmatus fuscus)

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

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Image Credit: William R. taken at Old Cave Trail in AZ

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Image Credit: Krissy from Pasco, WA

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Image Credit: Krissy from Pasco, WA

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Image Credit: Eric from San Diego, CA

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The Jerusalem Cricket is a type of North American camel cricket, humpback and sandy tracks included.

Updated: 07/06/2021; Authored By Staff Writer; Content ©www.InsectIdentification.org

This slow-moving, humpbacked insect is often mistaken for a spider. Six legs and only 2 eyes helps eliminate that as a possibility. As members of the Camel Cricket family, they sport a rounded back like the desert animal that is covered in alternating black and tan bands. The enormous, round head brown and a strong jaw is able to deliver a painful bite if mishandled. Their hind legs have 2 rows of spines and seem short for a cricket. They do not have wings, and walk so slowly that most people are comfortable approaching them.

Jerusalem Crickets are found under rocks or often walking along gravel in valleys, sandy banks, or on hillsides. This species prefers drier climes and loose, dusty soil. The tracks they leave behind are unique, created by dragging their large abdomens across the fine particles of soil. They can make a scratching noise. Many new and related species have been found in California, but their range travels only as far east as Nebraska.

Females often eat their mates. They lay their eggs in soil after making a shallow hole. Nymphs (juveniles) are equally slow-moving. Adults and nymphs eat plant roots, other insects, decaying plant matter and potatoes. Sources say it is nocturnal though there are many sightings in daylight.

General Characteristics
Capability, Shape, Texture/Pattern, Benefits, Dangers

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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Species Breakdown

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Orthoptera

Family: Stenopelmatidae

Genus: Stenopelmatus

Species: fuscus

Identifying Information
Size, Colors, Features

Scientific Name: Stenopelmatus fuscus

Other Name(s): Potato Bug, Chaco, Ni?a de la Tierra, Woh-tzi-Neh, Devil's Baby,

Category: Grasshopper or Cricket

Size (Adult; Length): 30mm to 50mm (1.18" to 1.96")

Colors: black; brown; amber; white; yellow. red

Descriptors: stripes, thick, round, hump, bump, back

Relative Size Comparison
Typical Size Between 30mm (1.2in) and 50mm (2.0in)

Lo: 30mm
Md: 40mm
Hi: 50mm

Territorial Reach (A-to-Z)
U.S., Canada, and Mexico

Newfoundland and Labrador

Territorial Map*
U.S., Canada, and Mexico

Territory map graphic of the country of Mexico

Contiguous United States shape map layer graphic

Alaska

Hawaii

Prince Edward Is.

* MAP NOTES: The territorial heat map above showcases (in red) the states and territories of North America where the 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 Jerusalem Cricket. Insects generally go where they please, typically driven by diet, environmental changes, and / or mating habits.

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