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Looks like a bumblebee crossed with a lobster
Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 9:02 PM
Bugman,
My husband found this bug outside our sliding glass door tonight. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area. We get a lot of wildlife in our yard, and I’ve seen quite a few interesting bugs, including black widows, wolf spiders, and lots of bees. In fact, at first I thought that this bug was a bumblebee, but then I noticed the head, which looks completely different. The bug is about 3 inches long and appears not to have any wings. I couldn’t find any pictures online to identify it. Any idea what it is? Thanks!
ER
Northern California – San Francisco Bay Area

Hi ER,
Potato Bugs or Jerusalem Crickets like the one in your photo are one of our most frequently requested identifications, so much so that we only post a fraction of the letters we receive.  We get so many requests that along with House Centipedes, Potato Bugs are at the top of the Top Ten list.  We really like your description, and your photo is quite good, so we thought it was time to have a new photo of a Potato Bug on our Homepage, especially since they are frequently seen after rains in the Western part of the country.

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