Creepy Potato Bugs

Jerusalem crickets can be found throughout North America, but are especially common in southern California. They live only about one to two years. They are actually a large flightless insect and not a cricket at all. They are part of the insect family of Stenopelmatidae. The fact that their antennae reaches the length of their body places them in the Orthoptera order. Jerusalem crickets are large, brownish insects, about two inches in length. They have a large, bald, shiny head with two beady, dark eyes on either side, just below their sleak antennaes. This creature looks rather like a spider with a swollen head.

The name Jerusalem cricket and "Potato Bug" are synonomous. The latter name coined because this insect will feed on the decaying roots of potato plants. These are not to be confused with the Colorado Potato Beetle, which has a smaller head and defined stripes on its back, and is an absolute pest in the garden, as it feeds above the ground. The Spaniards refer to the Jerusalem cricket as, Nina de la Tierra, meaning "Child of the Earth," but the native Americans christened these insects, Who-tzi-Neh, (Wo-se-na) which means "Old Bald-Headed Man." This is a good fit as these insects are bizarre looking creatures with "humanoid" looking heads. People have gone so far as to give them scary names such as "Satan's fetus." People react when seeing them for the first time with fear and disgust. Then the fear quickly turns to interest as they find these creatures do not bite unless provoked, are not poisonous, make good pets and even better topics of conversation.

These types of crickets are natural caretakers of the environment. They will feed on debris and dead leaves and rotting fruit. They also relish small insects and even meat. They live in warm, moist soil and grassy pastures, sleeping by day and digging and traveling about at night. Jerusalem crickets have short, stout legs which suit them nicely, for digging up the soil. They dig in their feet and use their heads and mandibles as hoes, moving the soil, out of their way, so that they can burrow beneath it.

They help the food chain along, as they make great meals for the creatures of the night. Owls, badgers, foxes and cayotes all dine on this insect. One more note of interest about these creatures is that like many insects of the cricket family, the males have a unique type of calling card, they beat their stomachs on the ground, which produces sort of a drumming sound, to attract the female.

As they are not classified as pests, the most negative thing about these creatures is that they leave a foul-smelling odor if they become afraid, and their bite may sting a bit. For all the hype that surrounds them, these little burrowers, don't even come close to living up to their frightening alien appearance or their infamous reputation.