Jerusalem
crickets (see this picture of Jerusalem cricket,
aka sand crickets or potato bugs) are truly
bizarre looking insects. People sometimes think
they have uncovered an alien species the first
time they encounter one.
The
large shiny head and scorpion-like abdomen
immediately suggest that this creature is
dangerous but it is not, Jerusalem crickets
can't sting and are non-venomous. However, like
any large insect, up to 2" in this case, they can
bite.
While
not a true cricket, Jerusalem crickets feed on
plant material in the same way that crickets and
grasshoppers do, but are not usually present in
numbers that would cause damage to garden plants.
Jerusalem crickets live mostly underground, or
under rocks, and may wander into outbuildings
looking for shade and/or water. These insects are
actually fairly common throughout the western US
and other dry, semi-arid climates worldwide. No control is
necessary.
