Lawn Shrimp

Subject:  Help! These are in my laundry room.
Geographic location of the bug:  Houston, Texas
Date: 05/12/2019
Time: 09:13 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Please tell me what these are. I have been finding them by the door that leads outside, next to my dogs crate in the laundry room
How you want your letter signed:  Becky S

Dear Becky,
You have Lawn Shrimp, also known as House Hoppers.  They are introduced terrestrial Amphipods from Australia that have naturalized in California, and have also been reported in Georgia, according to BugGuide, but this is the first report we know of from Texas.  According to BugGuide their habitat is  “Moist soil and organic matter within 13 mm of the surface, often among ivy or other ground covers, mostly eucalyptus. Their exoskelton has no waxy coating to keep moisture in, so they can’t survive dryness. They drown in water, though, so they need continuously moist, but not waterlogged conditions.”  BugGuide also notes:  “These are rarely seen except when flooding or lack of moisture forces them to abandon their home in the soil in search for suitable conditions. At such times they often end up dieing on pavement or in homes and become a nuisance. Once they start appearing, there’s not much that can be done except to sweep them up- pesticides are pointless, bcause by then they’re already dying or dead.”