Several months ago, our supervisor, Dean A. Jones, presented us with a clipping from the Orange County Register and we have not had a chance to post it. Here it is.
Bring Out Your Bugs
Jerusalem crickets have become the focus of intense scientific scrutiny because they seem to exist in a stunning variety. In fact, you might well have a new species hiding in your back yard.
And if you do, David Weissman wants to hear from your. Weissman, a San Francisco anesthesiologist with a PhD in entomology, and local entomologist Bob Allen want residents to help them gather specimens as part of Weissman’s attempt to identify and name an estimated 40 to 50 species found in California.
Weissman says he’s interested in specimens found a little farther inland. He’s especially curious about crickets from Costa Mesa.
Weissman wants only live specimens, and he wants them mailed — after you’ve checked with him. “I do reimburse for postage,” he said.
Both scientists urge caution. The bug’s jaws can deliver a mean bite; the larger ones can draw blood. “Scoop them up in a jar,” Allen says. “Use the lid of the jar.. They’ll just walk right in.”
-Pat Brennan, The Register
Send a photo of your Jerusalem cricket to Gryllus1@juno.com . If Weissman is interested, he will tell you how to ship the live specimen.
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Posted 09 November 2008
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oily bug
Sat, Nov 8, 2008 at 6:18 PM
It was pretty big, maybe like half the size of a dollar bill. It was in the mountains in southeastern Utah. This was in early August. It was sluggish when we poked at it.
That’s about it.
Thanks
Big Utah Goober
La Sal Mountain, Utah
Potato Bug
Dear Big Utah Goober,
This is a Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket. This is one of our most frequent identification requests.
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Posted 09 November 2008
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My first potatobug encounter
I encountered this critter the other day whilst digging in my sorry excuse for a garden. It’s the biggest bug I’ve ever seen- even after spending my childhood chasing after various bugs. The part I really wanted to mention though: I’ve told more than a few people my favorite bug was the potatobug because I thought they were cute and I always played with them when I was little. This has never failed to illicit looks of disgust and I never understood why. -Now- I know why, thanks to your website… it was woodlice I liked. Not potatobugs. I’m a city gal, can you blame me? Enjoy the juicy pic. I swear it was probably a 5-pounder.
Angela
Hi Angela,
We are afraid to ask what the “wtf” title of your photo stands for since we strive (sometimes unsucessfully) to be a G-rated site. Thanks for your interesting Potato Bug anecdote.
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Posted 15 April 2008
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Hello. I keep finding this wierd bug in my garage. I live in San Diego. The garage has books, tools, random things, and some dog food in a plastic, sealed container. I attached a picture. In case the picture doesn’t come out. It is about an inch and a half long, shiny, with six legs and tan and brown stripes on the back. Any help would be great because it kind of is giving me the heebie jeebies. I have found 3 or 4 of them. Thank you!!!!
rs
Hi RS,
The Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket or Nino de la Tierra is one of our most common identification requests from the American Southwest. It is perfectly harmless, and is generally found underground. The rainy season drives them above ground when they are most commonly encountered.
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Posted 19 March 2008
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My friend found this 4" bug in California. He says: "Here’s the bug. Found at Switzer Falls in the Angeles National Forest, San Gabriel Mountains. I’m sure there will be a website somewhere that can tell you which nightmare insects live in the ANF. This thing is about four inches long. No joke. Sketchy. Any ideas?
SK
Hi SK,
There is a website with information about just about everything, though some of them have misinformation. This is a Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket, the subject of numerous queries to our site.
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Posted 09 January 2008
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whats this bug?
Hi, me and my dad were hunting in northern nevada and we were walking along the trail and came across this bug. We have never seen anything like it before in our life, so we were just wondering what it was?
Do you know? Thanks.
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
We always have a photo of a Potato Bug on our homepage, and your image will replace the one that has been posted since early September. Potato Bugs are also called Jerusalem Crickets.
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Posted 14 October 2007
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What’s this?
Here is a picture of a large insect I found in Miles City, MT. It’s about an inch and half long and kind of looks like a giant wingless bee. I can’t seem to figure out what it is. Any Ideas
Reports of Potato Bugs or Jerusalem Crickets from the American Northwest are not as common as they are in the Southwest, so we presume the insects themselves are not quite as wellknown there. Thanks for sending in your photograph.
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Posted 02 September 2007
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This thing is NASTY!
Please help me Identify this thing! I found it inside my house on the floor. Im thinking that it might have come in with a bunch of fireworks I had recently purchased! I appreciate your time and your help! Thanks!
Tyson Johnson
Salt Lake City, UT
Hi Tyson,
We are compelled to come to the defense of your Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket, and inform readers that they are not nasty. They are shy nocturnal underground dwellers that often appear inside homes and garages after a rain. They are normally one of our most common identification requests from the Western states, especially California. Our last posting was in January and we suspect the record low rainfall in California last year is responsible for low sightings recently. Potato Bugs are also known as Ninos de la Tierra or Children of the Earth in Spanish and they are in the family Stenopelmatidae. Potato Bugs do have strong mandibles and will bite, but they are not poisonous and in most cases will not even break the skin.
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Posted 17 July 2007
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Tagged: Top 10
Potato Bug
We wanted to add our Potato Bug to your file. We found this one in Brea, California. As you can see he his quite big. He is making a noise, like a hissing sound. Is this my imagination?
Betsy
Hi Betsy,
Certain insects are able to make a hissing sound by rubbing portions of their body together, a method known as stridulation.
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Posted 24 January 2007
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Insect Question
Hi,
I live in Carlsbad, California and have been trying to figure out what type of insect this is. I found one in my kitchen a couple months ago and saw another one tonight on my doorstep - I’ve only seen it at night. It looks like a giant ant (about the length of my thumb) with some roach characteristics. Any idea what it is? I’ve attached a picture. If you could solve this mystery for me I would REALLY appreciate it. Thanks so much!!
Cecilia
Hi Cecilia,
We are posting your image and letter along with the other recent Potato Bug photos in our featured Bug of the Month for January section.
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Posted 19 January 2007
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thanks!!
Hi Bugman!Thanks for the wonderful site which provided the answer to my questions of WTB!! Here are 3 pictures I took of a potato bug in my yard, hopefully you’ll find them useful…
Thanks for sending us another photo of the Bug of the Month for January 2007.
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Posted 10 January 2007
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Please tell me what It is.
Hi Bugman,
I hope you could tell me what this is too. I found this in Los Angeles, California near DownTown Los Angeles on December 14, 2006. It didn’t move even if I threw a quarter or a penny. It’s more than 2"x1"x1". I believe it doesn’t have any wings and the shape might look like a bee w/o wings, or a giant ant. Hope to hear from you soon. Best Regards,
Tak S.
Hi Tak,
This is probably our most common insect query subject from southern California. This is a Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket. They are subterranean dwellers that are often discovered in gardens, especially in the winter and spring during rainy season.
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Posted 29 December 2006
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Please tell me what It is.
Hi Bugman,
I hope you could tell me what this is too. I found this in Los Angeles, California near DownTown Los Angeles on December 14, 2006. It didn’t move even if I threw a quarter or a penny. It’s more than 2"x1"x1". I believe it doesn’t have any wings and the shape might look like a bee w/o wings, or a giant ant. Hope to hear from you soon. Best Regards,
Tak S.
Hi Tak,
This is probably our most common insect query subject from southern California. This is a Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket. They are subterranean dwellers that are often discovered in gardens, especially in the winter and spring during rainy season. Potato Bugs are in the family Stenopelmatidae, and in the genus Stenopelmatus. They eat roots and tubers. Because of their unusual appearance, there are many myths and superstitions about these fascinating creatures.
Termite?
Hi,
This bug sounded so loud rooting around in our trash can we thought it was a mouse! Pretty big, looks like a termite, but not sure, can you identify it for us? We found it in our basement in Oakland, CA. Thanks,
Celeste and Steve
Hi Celeste and Steve,
Armed with the information that this is a Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket, you should be able to find enough information on our site and elsewhere online to write a term paper.
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Posted 20 November 2006
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What is this bug?
I live in pasadena,ca and found this guy on my driveway. any idea what it is?
thanks,
Rod, April and Makenna Hicks
Pasadena, CA
Hi Hicks Family,
The Potato Bug, along with the House Centipede, are our most frequent query subjects, which is why there is always a photo of each on our homepage.
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Posted 19 November 2006
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need help, what is this weird bug
Dear Bugman,
See attached picture of this bug we found in my garage. It is at least 2 inches long. We live in Santa Monica California. Any idea? Is it dangerous? What should I do with it? Thank you very much for the information. Regards,
Neil Morley and Rachel Bennahum
Hi Neil and Rachel,
The Potato Bug has several other common names including Jerusalem Cricket, Sand Puppy, and in Spanish, Ni
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Posted 15 November 2006
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what is this bug?
Recently, my family and I went for a walk and saw this creepy crawly cross our path (see attachment). It was approx. the size of a mouse and moved at about the same speed. I have tried to figure out what it could be but can’t seem to make any progress. It appears to be a very large type of ant but it’s hind legs look like a spider’s. Also, it was about 3" long. Please advise. Please accept my apologies for the quality of the photo as I took it with my cell phone. I sharpened the image a bit in photoshop. Thank you,
Marv Peters
Hi Marv,
Our homepage is never without a photo of a Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket, so we can’t understand how you missed it.
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Posted 31 October 2006
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What’s THIS bug???
Last night, late I stepped out to let the dog out and saw a big critter on the patio. I got out my flashlight and saw this enormous bug. I scooped him into a glass to take a few pics. He was nearly two inches long! I returned him to the wild, out of my curious dog’s reach. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this. I live in Southern California. Is he dangerous? He sort of looks that way. He has three stinger type things on his tail. Looking forward to learn more, if you can help!
Scott Cuzzo
Hi Scott,
We are thrilled that you wrote back that you identified your Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket from our site. The photo is truly gorgeous.
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Posted 25 October 2006
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king crickets
Hi guys,
I have been searching the web trying to find information on these guys other wise called wetas. I can find lots on the New Zealand version but we are in Brisbane QLD. I have two variations at the moment but we are not sure if their colour variation means that they are a sub species or just that their colour varies. The three I have are only on loan for a week, so I can photograph them. I would however like to know a little more about their habits, like how long they live? I have a couple of pics of only one variety that I shall attach to this email. If you can offer any info or point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
Sam
Hi Sam,
We really don’t know much about Wetas, also called Saddleback Bush Crickets. They are not true crickets, and are in the same family as the Jerusalem Cricket or Potato Bug found in the arid regions of the American Southwest. Try searching our Potato Bug page for old links to Weta information.
Strange bug in Northern Utah (cricket?)
I came across a very strange bug in the Bear Lake Valley in northern Utah at our cabin (photo attached). While I have seen my share of crickets, most recently by the tens of thousands crossing Nevada from our California home, I have never seen a bug like this. Is it a cricket?
Randy
Hi Randy,
The Jerusalem Cricket is not a true cricket. It is commonly called a Potato Bug.
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Posted 06 October 2006
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