Cool Critters: It’s not an alien, it’s just a Jerusalem cricket

Entomologist Richard Zack of Washington State University fields lots of “What the heck is this?” inquiries from the public about weird-looking insects in our region. But the Jerusalem cricket tops the list.

“Jerusalem crickets are indeed one of the most unusual insects in terms of bigger, scary, unlike anything else,” he said. “I once had someone tell me they thought that they were alien in origin.”

The 2-to-3 inch-long insect has a striped humpbacked body and six spiny legs. Its large, orangish head – as bulbous and glossy as a Tootsie Pop – is affixed with two tiny black eyes peering below long, thick antennae.

What’s not to love?

In Washington, the Jerusalem cricket is found mainly east of the Cascades, said Zack, hanging out under rocks, logs and decaying debris or burrowed beneath loose soil.

“They are often not seen because they are primarily active at night,” he explained.

Zack spotted his first Jerusalem cricket later in his career while searching for scorpions near Richland as part of a study, he said, adding that he watched in wonder as it crawled across the ground at night.

“When I saw my first one, even I was amazed. It really was alien looking,” he recalled.

Note that the Jerusalem cricket crawled and didn’t jump – which leads to another weird thing about the insect. Despite its common name, it is not a cricket, nor does it hail from Jerusalem. Instead, it is native to the Western United states and parts of Mexico. It also belongs to the family Stenopelmatidae, while crickets are from the family Gryllidae.

Compared to ladybugs, beetles and bees, scientists know comparatively little about the species.

“Little has been recorded regarding the Jerusalem cricket’s seasonal and monthly occurrence,” according to the online Montana Field Guide, run by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Montana Natural Heritage Program. “It spends most of its life cycle underground and is seldom observed.”

The origin of the insect’s name is shrouded in mystery. One theory is that in the 19th century, “Jerusalem!” was used to express startlement. The cricket part of its name may be due to its strong hind legs that resemble those of a cricket.

Along with the Jerusalem cricket’s odd name and freakish looks, the insect has a serious PR problem. Scaremongering headlines such as “Backyard Monsters” and “The Stuff of Nightmares” earn them no respect. The slow-crawling, non-flying critter has even been accused of being the Asian giant hornet (aka murder hornet), “which it is NOT,” according to a fact sheet by the University of California’s Bohart Museum.

Jerusalem crickets don’t sting, aren’t venomous, and aren’t agricultural pests, said Zack, but they will use their big jaws to bite humans in self-defense.

If you ever encounter one, maybe you’ll blurt “Jerusalem!” or a four-letter expletive over its large size and otherworldly appearance.

Then, rather than sprint for a can of RAID, consider the insect’s beneficial role in the ecosystem. By digging with their powerful mandibles and spiny legs, Jerusalem crickets help aerate ground soil, according to research. Furthermore, by feeding on mostly dead and rotting vegetation, they recycle nutrients and enrich the soil.

Knowing the Jerusalem cricket does some good on our planet may shift your feelings from disgust to intrigue. Then, if you see one, perhaps you’ll draw closer and even pick it up. But remember, handle with care. Bugguide.net sums up the insect this way: “Said to be able to deliver a strong bite, but also to make a good terrarium pet.”

The curious case of the Jerusalem cricket: the insects didn’t originate in Jerusalem, nor are they crickets.