Jerusalem Cricket

Jerusalem Cricket

Stenopelmatus coahuilensis
Stenopelmatus fuscus
Stenopelmatus intermedius
Stenopelmatus longispina
Stenopelmatus mescaleroensis
Stenopelmatus navajo
Stenopelmatus nigrocapitatus
Stenopelmatus pictus
plus numerous unnamed species (>30)

Jerusalem crickets are a group of large, flightless insects of the genus Stenopelmatus. They are native to the western United States and parts of Mexico. Its large, human-like head has inspired both Native American and Spanish names.

Despite their common name, Jerusalem crickets are not true crickets, as they belong to the family Stenopelmatidae, while crickets belong to the family Gryllidae; nor are they native to Jerusalem. These nocturnal insects use their strong mandibles to feed primarily on dead organic matter but can also eat other insects. Their highly adapted feet are used for burrowing beneath moist soil to feed on decaying root plants and tubers.

While Jerusalem crickets are not venomous they can emit a foul smell and are capable of inflicting a painful bite.

Read more about Jerusalem Cricket:  Classification, Communication, Names

Famous quotes containing the words jerusalem and/or cricket:

    And was Jerusalem builded here,
    Among these dark Satanic Mills?
    William Blake (1757–1827)

    All cries are thin and terse;
    The field has droned the summer’s final mass;
    A cricket like a dwindled hearse
    Crawls from the dry grass.
    Richard Wilbur (b. 1921)