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

Possibly Mahogany Jerusalem Cricket

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.”

Possibly Mahogany Jerusalem Cricket

Jerusalem Cricket or Potato Bug

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Subject:  What type of cricket is it?
Geographic location of the bug:  Salinas CA USA
Date: 11/11/2017
Time: 11:12 PM EDT
I believe that this is a cricket. What is the exact name of this cricket on the photo. I found this one on my backyard patio and took a photo.
Thanks
How you want your letter signed:  Mark

Jerusalem Cricket

Dear Mark,
Though it is commonly called a Jerusalem Cricket or a Potato Bug, this member of the genus Stenopelmatus is not a true cricket, nor is is from Jerusalem, nor does it eat potatoes.  It is nonetheless an iconic Southern California insect that lives underground and is generally only encountered when digging or after a recent rain.

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Subject:  who is THIS?
Geographic location of the bug:  solvang California
Date: 09/18/2017
Time: 04:34 PM EDT
this bug invaded our high school girlfriends weekend reunion in cali & caused lots of screaming & near-wetting-of pants
How you want your letter signed —
queenie & lulu

Potato Bug

Dear Queenie & Lulu,
Just out of curiosity, was the high school that inspired the girlfriends’ weekend reunion from elsewhere?  The Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket is a real Southern California icon, and most children who grow up in the southland know about them.  Based on your images, it appears that it headed to the pool.  That might be a sign it has been parasitized by a Horsehair Worm or Gordian Worm, an internal parasite that causes the Potato Bug to seek water, at which point the long, hairlike worm burst out, killing the Potato Bug.  Seeing that might have caused some actual “wetting of pants.”

thank you for your reply! yes, indeed we went to high school in des moines, iowa. two of the girls live in california (we were staying at one of their homes near santa barbara, at alisal ranch) and they have lived there for many years so i guess they are lucky not to have encountered such a creepy cali icon previously!
i knew i would find out what this bug was because my one time grand dog’s portable water dish got a cricket in it that DID spawn a horsehair worm so i’ve had that experience as well….SO ICKY (did not wet my pants tho, whew).
i forwarded the girls my email to you folks with the attached note to them:  Kate, Karla & Becky…do you remember me telling you on the way to the airport I would figure out this bug based on my experience of finding out about horsehair worms that hatched out of crickets that got into Oliver’s water when I took him to nitefall on the river? HOW.CRAZY.IS.THAT.

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Subject: Bug ID
Location: California
June 23, 2017 8:52 pm
Found in California. Very unusual to see something like this in California.
Signature: Joan C.

Potato Bug

Dear Joan,
We beg to differ with you.  The Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket is a Southern California icon, and it is one of the most frequent identification requests we receive.  Potato Bugs are subterranean dwellers that use their front legs to quickly dig through the earth like a mole.

Potato Bug

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