**Jerusalem Crickets** (genus *Stenopelmatus*) are large, flightless, nocturnal insects native to the western United States and Mexico. They are also widely known by evocative common names like **Potato Bugs** (due to their occasional feeding on tubers), **Nina de la tierra** (“child of the earth”), or **Face of a Child** (due to their large, round head). They are not true crickets, but are in their own specialized family (Stenopelmatidae). They are recognized for their robust bodies, powerful spiny legs, and their prominent, often intimidating, head and mandibles. They are generally harmless and do not sting, but can inflict a painful bite if handled.
Taxonomy and Classification
Jerusalem Crickets belong to the order Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, katydids). They undergo incomplete metamorphosis. They are closely related to King Crickets and Wetas. They are solitary and do not swarm. Communication is achieved through **drumming** the abdomen rhythmically on the ground to attract mates and establish territory—they do not chirp like true crickets.
Physical Description
Jerusalem Crickets are large, robust insects, 1 to 3 inches long.
- **Appearance:** They have thick, highly rounded heads and smooth, yellowish-brown bodies with dark bands. They are wingless and have large, spiny hind legs adapted for burrowing.
- **Head and Mandibles:** The head is disproportionately large, and the jaws (mandibles) are powerful.
- **Habitat:** They are strictly terrestrial, inhabiting loose soil, leaf litter, and subterranean burrows, preferring moist, cool environments. They are most active at night.
- **Diet:** They are **omnivores**, feeding primarily on decaying plant roots, tubers (potatoes, carrots), and occasionally small insects.
Distribution and Habitat
Jerusalem Crickets are native to the western U.S. (California to the Great Plains) and Mexico. Their habitat is restricted to areas with loose, sandy, or moist soil that allows them to burrow easily. They are often found under rocks, logs, or patios, and sometimes inadvertently enter homes through basements or ground-level doors, especially after heavy rain.
Behavior and Conflict
Jerusalem Crickets are primarily beneficial decomposers, but they can be minor garden pests.
- **Garden Damage:** In small, high-value gardens, large populations can occasionally damage root vegetables, bulbs, or seedlings, but this is less common than damage from other pests.
- **Nuisance:** Their appearance, coupled with their large size and defensive posture (holding the head up and mandibles open), causes fear when encountered indoors, though they are harmless unless cornered.
- **Defensive Bite:** If handled roughly, they will bite with their strong mandibles. While painful, the bite is non-venomous and not dangerous.
Management and Prevention
Control focuses on exclusion and moisture reduction.
- **Exclusion:** Seal cracks and crevices in the foundation and around ground-level doors to prevent indoor entry.
- **Moisture Control:** Reduce excessive moisture and harborage near the home by removing leaf litter, debris, and excessive mulch from the foundation perimeter.
- **Garden Protection:** For high-value root crops, consider using wire mesh or plastic cages to protect developing tubers from feeding damage.
- **Pesticide Use:** Insecticides are rarely necessary or effective, as the insects are protected in their burrows. If one is found indoors, simply scoop and release it outside.
Conservation and Research
Jerusalem Crickets are managed as beneficial, native soil inhabitants. Research focuses on cataloging the numerous species and subspecies within the genus, studying their unique drumming communication system, and understanding their ecological role in arid soil health.