weird jumping bug
Location: UK (Cornwall)
March 17, 2012 8:54 am
Seen this in the garden for the last few years (once disturbed, they jump about, somewhat clumsily). As you can see, they look almost marine-like.
Signature: Ant
Dear Ant,
Your terrestrial amphipod, Arcitalitrus sylvaticus, has many marine relatives. The species was accidentally introduced to various parts of the world from Australia, including “New Zealand, the British Isles, Florida and California” according to BugGuide. These creatures proliferate in well watered gardens and they are commonly called Land Shrimp or House Hoppers. The frequently enter homes during heavy rains, though they quickly dry out and die indoors.
These creatures are everywhere in Cornwall, and have replaced the native springtails.
Had them in my garden for the last 3 years under pots .And dead ones in the conservatory . I live in Southampton .
I have loads in my garden for a few years, and found your info here searching the internet as to what they are. I live in Brighton, East Sussex.
Thanks for the info….just had half a dozen throwing themselves around in Poole, Dorset 🙂
I’ve got thousands of these in my garden, lived in my current home two years, they’ve always been here. I’m in Gloucester, UK.
I found these little things in swansea.
Looks like they love the south west and costal places.
I’ve just found one by my kitchen door
?
I found these little things in swansea.
Looks like they love the south west and costal places.
I’ve just found one by my kitchen door
?
Found this on the carpet in Lewes, East Sussex. Thanks for the info. Boys taking it into school for show and tell.
Suddenly appeared in my house in the last 10 days or so, on the Isle of Arran off the west coast of Scotland. The ones inside up until tonight, have all been dead and salmon coloured, but tonight I found about 6 indoors jumping about on my carpet and rug. Not nice! I don’t know where they’ve come from all of a sudden, I’ve not introduced any new plants recently, but they’re obviously getting into my living room through the sliding patio door somehow. I’m going to ensure that there are no plant pots outside the doors any more, that they’re all much further away from the house in future. At least they seem to die off quickly, I don’t relish sharing my lounge with any jumping insects!
I thought these were fleas because we have animals. ..I’m so glad they’re not but how do I get rid of them? Could it be from dampness in an old cottage?
We don’t normally provide extermination advice.
Just found these in my garden in Peacehaven UK. Glad it is not a flea! Looks like one! A huge one! I left one on the deck in the sun and when I went to move it back to the soil it had died – in only about 20 seconds! Extraordinary. They seem harmless enough.
just discovered them in our back garden under pots .. we are in Northern Ireland…my kids loved them!! we nature journal so have come inside to sketch and record our findings.
I have just moved to Cornwall and have not seen these before so had to look it up. Found a dead one so just googled ‘jumpy shrimp bug’..it worked. Now I know. Lol.
ive just found on in Cardiff on 1st floor, quite a large one too. Dead though.
Just found one in my bathroom, I’m Nottingham East Midlands.
Found one today in my kitchen, my laundry basket squashed it, I’m Nottingham too
Have had them in my living room in Devon. All dead. will try moving my pots away from front door.
Loads of these in my garden in Liverpool.
we have them here in Sussex lots of them. every day.
I saw them in my garden at the start of summer. There are thousands.
I read they are in the south but I live in the North East. ?
I saw them in my garden at the start of summer. There are thousands.
I read they are in the south but I live in the North East. ?
Keep finding dead ones on the floor in my house in Northern Ireland. Glad to hear they are harmless/not a sign of a dirty home! 🙂
Me too I live by the sea in County Down and find them all over my house when hoovering. Particularly in the bathrooms
Just found a couple in my garden in North London. Never seen them before so looked them up and ended up on this page. Thanks!
We have found dozens dead in our conservatory (just outside Coventry).WE have damp garden so looks like good for them – probably recent heavy rains drove them in. Must be recent arrival as no seen before this year , although wehave had the odd woodlouse. Like Lesley lloked for whatthey were and arrived here
We moved into our house in Herne Bay, Kent almost two years ago. Our garden is paved with pots and we see dozens of lawn shrimps jumping around on the paving whenever we water the pots.
Found several dead on our down stairs floor…in the morning…seen a few live jumping about at night..we on the Isle of Lewis and live very near the shore…do not like sharing a house with them though :/
We have spotted them in Myrtle Beach South Carolina
Lawn shrimps around the food waste bucket in my garden in east Sussex. Hard to get a good look as they don’t stay still for long.
I had a problem with rats in my house and had no alternative but to put down poison, but as soon as that seemed to work, I’ve been seeing loads of these horrid little things jumping around or dead in my downstairs bathroom and kitchen. I live right on the shoreline of the Moray Firth just outside Inverness and I don’t know what’s caused the sudden appearance. Never seen them before. I’ve always had woodlice, which I can just about tolerate because I can just put them outside, but these vile jumpy things are too much.
Millions of them in north wales!