HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowse

Info

ImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Rock Crawlers (Notoptera) » Rock Crawlers (Grylloblattodea)

Suborder Grylloblattodea - Rock Crawlers

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

grylloblattid - Grylloblatta bifratrilecta - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Notoptera (Rock Crawlers)

Suborder Grylloblattodea (Rock Crawlers)

Other Common Names

Ice Bug, Ice Crawler

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Notoptera, Grylloblattida

Numbers

close to 30 spp./sspp. (mostly undescribed) in our area (all Grylloblatta)(1); the second smallest insect order, with 32 described spp. in 5 genera total(2)

Size

15-30 mm

Identification

Slender, elongate; yellowish brown to gray in color. Wingless. Antennae long and filiform with 28 to 50 segments. Cerci long with 8 segments. Ovipositor sword shaped.

Larvae and adults may be confused with some crickets or with the phasmid genus Timema

Range

Japan, Siberia, nw. US & w. Canada

Habitat

High elevations, under rocks, at the edge of snow fields or on ice caves and in moss.

Food

Probably predaceous or feed on debris of other insects

Life Cycle

Poorly known. They take several years to mature.

Has 8 larval stages.(3)

Remarks

Active at rather low temperatures. Mostly nocturnal. They hide during the day, particularly when the temperature is above freezing.

Internet References

Overview (Meyer 2009)

Works Cited

1.	Updated checklist of the ice-crawlers (Insecta: Grylloblattodea: Grylloblattidae) of North America... Schoville S.D., Graening G.O. 2013. Zootaxa 3737: 351-378.

2.	Ice crawlers (Grylloblattodea) – the history of the investigation of a highly unusual group of insects Wipfler B., Bai M., Schoville S., Dallai R., Uchifune T., Machida R., Cui Y., Beutel R.G. 2014. Journal of Insect Diversity 2: 1-25.

3.	The Insects : Structure and Function R. F. Chapman. 1998. Cambridge University Press.

Contributed by George Waldren on 15 December, 2008 - 9:57am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, ceiseman, v belov, gwcourt, Marci Hess, edanko
Last updated 25 September, 2023 - 9:38am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version