Explaining Insects 🦋 on Instagram: "The potato bug, or the so-called Jerusalem cricket, is a large, flightless insect native to the western United States and Mexico. Despite its nickname, it’s not a true bug and not a cricket—it belongs to its own group (Stenopelmatus). People also call it “child of the earth” or “skull insect” because of its large, human-like head. Key facts: • Nocturnal and burrow-dwelling • Feeds mainly on roots, tubers, and decaying plant matter • Cannot fly and moves slowl

13K views · 28 reactions | Have you heard of the Jerusalem cricket?  While these bugs aren’t venomous, their bites pack a serious punch and can produce a foul odor 濫 | Wide Open Spaces | Facebook

Let’s set up an enclosure for a Jerusalem cricket (Ammopelmatus navajo) 🦗 Jerusalem crickets are also known as potato bugs (because they often eat rooted vegetables underground) or skull insects (because of the shape of their head) However, they are not from Jerusalem and they are not true crickets. They are large, flightless insects in the genera Ammopelmatus and Stenopelmatus, members of the family Stenopelmatini. Which sounds complicated, but basically means: “chunky bug that digs and is rel

The Jerusalem Cricket Is Really Just a Potato Bug