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Crickets, Camel Crickets and Mole CricketsTags
bug of the month6 legged spider/grasshopper
Thu, Jan 1, 2009 at 8:38 AM
Hi,
I walked into my basement one day and I found this creature on my wall. It looked like a spider had mated with a grasshopper and this odd bug was what came of it. This bug did not seem to be aggressive. It was January first and I live in Fairmont, WV. The bug had long antennas, 6 legs, the two back ones looked like grasshopper legs and the 4 front one like spider legs. I believe I might have seen this creature before while in TN. What is this mysterious bug inhabiting my basement?
Sarah
fairmont,wv
Camel Cricket
Hi Sarah,
Though your photo is blurry and the camera angle is not ideal for identifying your Camel Cricket, it is the time of the month for us to select the Bug of the Month for the New Year. Camel Crickets are also known as Cave Crickets and they are in the family Rhaphidophoridae. They frequent damp dark places. Basements are a perfect habitat for them. BugGuide indicates: “If these occur in a house the best treatment is to remove them and their breeding habitat – cool moist dark places such as piles of logs or boards in basements. A clean dry home will not be a welcoming place for these guys. Although they are scary-looking they are basically harmless to humans, except perhaps for minor damage to stored items, and are easily discouraged by eliminating the dark damp habitat they prefer.” Since your photo is not ideal for identification purposes, we will be including an older photo along with the Bug of the Month for January 2009 posting.
Shrimp-like Bug
Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 11:59 PM
We have ’smooshed’ a couple of these at my house recently. I can’t recall ever seeing them before. they can jump grasshoppers, perhaps even better than the grass hoppers we see around here.
The fact that it’s an insect is obvious. What’s less obvious is when shrimp made the transition to land. ;D It’s a rather dejected looking bug don’t you think?
So, whats that bug?
+1 dollar to the site if you can help me out.
KILL IT WITH FIRE!
North Carolina, US
Camel Cricket
Dear KILL IT WITH FIRE,
Your insect is a Camel Cricket or Cave Cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. They are often found in basements and other dark, damp habitats. According to BugGuide: “Feed on leaf debris. In houses may chew on paper products, occasionally fabric.
Related Posts
- AKA: Female Camel Cricket (July 24, 2005)
- Camel Cricket (January 23, 2005)
- Camel Cricket or Cave Cricket (November 14, 2004)
- Camel Cricket (November 9, 2008)
- Camel Cricket (October 26, 2009)
Comments 2
Hello, I was wondering if anyone can tell me if this is possible…..Ok, I have an old house with camel/cave crickets in my basement. Recently I had a rather large one make it’s way upstairs to the living quarters. I gave it the controlled “step” down , disabling it so I could catch and kill it. Ok , that all happened as planned. What’s next is totally bizarre! So I throw said carcass in the toilet bowl and go finish watching TV. I come back an hour later and there is this 4 or 5 inch long “worm” very thin with a tiny football shaped head swimming madly in my toilet bowl! So, did this come up somehow from my septic tank { highly unlikely in my opinion since it’s never happen in 35 years of living here} or was it inside that monster Camel cricket??? any help would be appreciated!!!
Posted 25 Feb 2009 at 4:35 pm ¶Dear Artifact,
Posted 04 Mar 2009 at 8:55 am ¶This is a horsehair worm, an internal parasite of some Orthopterans. We have also gotten reports that they may parasitize some spiders.
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