Subject: Strange looking Bug
Geographic location of the bug: Modesto, CA
Date: 01/11/2018
Time: 09:55 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I just moved into a new house in Modesto, CA and it’s not surprising that there is a lot of bugs around because I live about 200 yards away from a River. So I see a lot of centipedes and Beatles but about a week ago I seen a bug that I’ve never seen in my entire life. The only way I can describe the look of this bug was that it looked like an Alien. So I need some help to figure out exactly what kind of bug this is.
How you want your letter signed: Franky Ocegueda
Dear Franky,
We don’t know from whence you moved to Modesto, but if you originated in Southern California, we are surprised you never encountered a Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket in the genus Stenopalmatus before this. The first winter rains often bring these normally subterranean dwellers to the surface. Their large size and vaguely humanoid appearance make them unforgettable. Because your individual does not have a striped abdomen, we suspect it might be a Mahogany Jeerusalem Cricket, , a species identified on BugGuide where it states: “Can be distinguished from other Stenopalmatus species by its lack of striping on the abdomen.”
