Crickets, Camel Crickets And Mole Crickets

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Mole Cricket

Found in Central Hungary
Location: Kecskemet, Hungary (central plains)
October 27, 2010 2:19 pm
Hello,
I saw this on my walk home from work on October 25, 2010. Specifically, it was crawling along the sidewalk in a residential area behind a poultry processing plant and close to the train tracks. The pen I added for scale is 14 cm long.
Thanks for your help!
Signature: Franny

Mole Cricket from Hungary

Hi Franny,
The Mole Cricket which is pictured in your photograph and the Toe-Biter are probably two of the most frequent identification requests we receive. If our memory serves us correctly, we have received requests for the identification of the Mole Cricket from every continent but Antarctica.

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¶ Posted 27 October 2010 § ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: Edible Insects: Tasty Morsels, Top 10

Greenhouse Camel Cricket

Jumping Alien Bug
Location: Cape Girardeau, Missouri-USA
October 13, 2010 4:05 pm
About a week ago we found two of these bugs barely alive in the middle of our living room floor (we kept them & took the attached pictures). Just last night we had two more appear. This time they were very alive. They definitely jump. We have a four year old daughter that is extremely interested in bugs & playing with bugs, so it would comfort me to know what type of bug this is, as well as, if it is harmful. They are about 1” long, with 2” long back legs, which were detached on the ones that were found in the middle of the floor. They have large black eyes & little prong-like arms coming from the back-end. Hopefully the attached pictures help.
Signature: Justina

Greenhouse Camel Cricket

Hi Justina,
You have Camel Crickets in the family Rhaphidophoridae, and normally we do not attempt a species identification on this family, but the unusual appearance of the divided ovipositor of the female specimen piqued our curiosity, so we looked on BugGuide and found a posting on the Greenhouse Camel Cricket, Diestrammena asynamora, that matches your specimen, but the ovipositor on the pictured individual does not appear divided. There is a robust comment section on that posting, including a recipe for cooking them submitted by Paul Landkamer, so we will probably get David Gracer, the renowned entomophage, to comment. BugGuide also has a short information page on the species, which is believed to have originated in China, and a photo of a dead specimen is also pictured with a divided ovipositor, indicating that perhaps its complex anatomical structure is revealed after death. In the event you are interested, the “little pronglike arms” you mentioned, which many people would describe as a large stinger, are actually the ovipositor or egg laying organ of the female. Many other Longhorned Orthopterans in the suborder Ensifera, including the Katydids, possess such an organ. Camel Crickets will proliferate in damp dark places like basements, and though they are an annoyance if they are plentiful, they are not harmful. BugGuide includes this comment about the Greenhouse Camel Cricket: “An oportunistic scavenger, will feed on varied organic material, dead or alive. Sometimes causes damage, particularly to young plants in greenhouses.“ Camel Crickets are also known as Cave Crickets.

Greenhouse Camel Cricket

Piotr Naskrecki provides insight
The ovipositor in the Ensifera consists of 6 valvules: a pair of lower, a pair of upper, and a pair of poorly sclerotized, inner ones. They are never permanently fused, and may get separated if the specimen is injured, like this camel cricket appears to be. What is seen in the photo is the right upper and lower valvules separated at the tip.
Piotr

David Gracer comments on edibility
Hi Daniel,
Paul’s comment (hey Paul, how’s it going?) makes sense. Technically I’d never really condemned the concept of eating camel crickets, though I think I’d been unclear. What I’d meant is that if someone suspects that a particular bug has been subsisting on dog feces, then that’s a good bug to avoid eating. Yet a lobster’s diet really isn’t any better than that. Paul’s anecdotes and directions are the first documentation I’ve seen of camel cricket consumption, and I’m happy to see that he’s stepped forward. I’ll definitely try them from now on.
Best,
Dave

¶ Posted 16 October 2010 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Crickets in Greece fall victim to bug sprays and stomping

Please help me identify this bug
Location: Trilofos, Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece
October 8, 2010 4:21 am
I recently moved to a country house in Northern Greece. Since the first few days the house had this visitor, along with his brothers, cousins and other relatives.
They are black, they jump but not very well, their usual movement is a walk with plenty of stops. They exist in large numbers around the house and they like coming in through any hole, or under the doors.
They are strong but not very fast. They like holes, corners and other hideouts. They die with cockroach sprays but not fast. If you step on them they make a crunchy noise and sometimes they don’t die, they need a second harder hit.
I am familiar, at least visually with most of the big bugs of the region, but this one is a new one for me.
I looks and moves like a bizarre hybrid between a cockroach and a grasshopper.
As I have a newborn baby girl, that will start crawling soon, I would like the species identified, in case it can be harmful in any way to the baby. I appreciate all your help.
Signature: Alexander

Cricket

Dear Alexander,
We hope we are able to convince you that you do not need to poison or stomp on these interesting Field Crickets any longer. We believe your Field Cricket is in the genus Gryllus, and though they might do some damage in the garden, they are benign insects that are actually kept as pets in Japan because of their melodic chirping. You can read more about Crickets in captivity on Insects.org and perhaps you will learn to appreciate the wonder of the insect world that surrounds you.

Dear Daniel,
Thank you very much for your prompt response. I am convinced…. but
now I will need to convince my wife too, a much harder job I am afraid
when it comes to these critters.
I have to say though that our crickets do not chirp – melodically or
otherwise. Maybe they see no reason to chirp given that the summer is
over.
If any Japanese people want a new pet, I have a few hundred
immediately available and they are welcome to come and collect them
ASAP….
Thank you again,
Alexandros

add Crickets in Greece fall victim to bug sprays and stomping

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¶ Posted 08 October 2010 § ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: unnecessary carnage

Two Spotted Tree Cricket

Unknown Insect
Location: Locust, NJ 07760
October 4, 2010 1:14 pm
There were about a dozen of these insects on the ceiling near a porch light in August. Not sure what it is can you ID it for me.
Signature: not sure what youwant here?

Two Spotted Tree Cricket

Dear not sure,
This is a Two Spotted Tree Cricket, Neoxabea bipunctata, and it is nice to know they are attracted to porch lights in such numbers.

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¶ Posted 04 October 2010 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Female Carolina Leaf Roller

Unusual Orthoptera?
Location: Lawrence County Ohio (far southern ohio)
August 29, 2010 10:08 am Dear Bugman,
I wonder if you can identify this odd insect that I found on my front porch light. I live in rural Southern Ohio and have never seen any insect like this. Hopefully you can tell by the photo, it appears to be wingless, has extremely long curling antennae, and a large stinger or ovipositor. I believe it is order Orthoptera, and looks similar to the shield back katydid, but not exactly. Any ideas? Thank you!
Hilary duDomaine

Photo is too small to make out any details

Unusual Orthoptera New Photo Attached
Thanks for writing back! Attached is a much better picture taken with a digital camera. Hope this helps!
Hilary

Carolina Leaf Roller

Hi again Hilary,
Thanks for sending a much better image. Even though some parts of the body are obscured, we cannot imagine that this could be anything other than a Raspy Cricket in the family Grillacridadae known as the Carolina Leaf-Roller, Camptonotus carolinensis. You can compare it to this photo on BugGuide. The information page on bugGuide indicates it: “Hunts aphids at night” and “Bites through leaf in order to form flap. Flap is folded over, edge is pulled down with legs, and then edges are glued together with silk from gland on mouth. Sometimes uses empty Bladdernut (Staphylea) pods in which to hide instead of leaves.“ BugGuide also notes: “Runs rapidly. Antennae very long, at least five times as long as body. (These do not stick out of leaf shelter.) Ovipositor is upturned and carried over back.”

Wow thank you! That is definitely it! I have never seen one of these around my home, so it was great to get info on this unusual cricket! Thanks for your help,
-Hilary

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¶ Posted 29 August 2010 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Two Spotted Tree Cricket

Curious what this odd-looking insect is.
Location: Elk River, MN
August 9, 2010 12:26 am
Bugman,
I was at a family gathering in Elk River, Minnesota on August 8th when I spotted this bug reared up on its hind legs atop the leaf of a bush in my father-in-law’s front yard. When I took my camera out to snap a photo, it quickly retreated underneath the leaf, and it jumped away when I tried to get it to climb on my finger.
I was wondering if you could take a gander at the picture and help me identify exactly what it is i took a picture of. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You
J Bistodeau

Two Spotted Tree Cricket

Hi J,
This is a Tree Cricket, most likely a Two Spotted Tree Cricket, Neoxabea bipunctata. The markings on the dorsal surface help to identify this species, and they are barely visible in your profile view. You can read more about the species on BugGuide.

Daniel,
My utmost thanks for your reply! I used the link, and looked up two spotted tree crickets. You are indeed correct in your identification! Thank you so much! Sorry the markings weren’t too clear on that picture – I took several pictures of it, and that was the only one that came out clear (all the other ones, the leaves were in focus but the bug was not). I am glad you were able to clear up my mystery for me! I am forever grateful!
Thank you,
Jason Bistodeau

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¶ Posted 09 August 2010 § ‡ Comments (2) °

Mole Cricket from Spain

Crustacean like bug
Location: Biar, Spain
July 27, 2010 4:21 am
I found this bug in the garden, it is about 7cm long and looks a bit like a crayfish but I live in the mountains of Alicante, Spain and there is no water nearby. It walks fairly quickly and my dog is very interested in it. What is it?
Malcolm Robins

Mole Cricket

Hi Malcolm,
This subterranean insect is a Mole Cricket, and though they are found underground, many species can fly quite well, and they are attracted to lights. We get identification requests from around the world for Mole Crickets, including numerous submissions from the Middle East.

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¶ Posted 27 July 2010 § ‡ Comments (0) °

More Handsome Trigs

Red Headed Bush Cricket ??
June 30, 2010
I found this little pair today. they were crawling around on my potted strawberry plants out front. I did not see any really great photo’s on the site, so thought I would send you a few.
Very small, wingless and hairy, they were a bit less than 1/4 of in inch long. Several of them on the plant, but they were too shy, and I’m not willing to kill one to shoot it. Patience and persistence, a few crossed words, and 2 of them finally allowed me to capture their image.
Hope you like them.
Rick Nelson (SCWIDVICIOUS)
North Carolina

Handsome Trig

Hi Rick,
Yesterday evening we posted a letter with a photo of a Red Headed Bush Cricket, bug technical difficulties have not allowed the image to show. We are also posting your photos. We prefer the common name Handsome Trig for the Red Headed Bush Cricket, Phyllopalpus pulchellus.