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Genus Ammopelmatus - Jerusalem Cricket
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
Suborder Ensifera (Long-horned Orthoptera)
Infraorder Tettigoniidea (Katydids, Camel Crickets, and relatives)
Family Stenopelmatidae (Jerusalem Crickets)
Genus Ammopelmatus (Jerusalem Cricket)
Other Common Names Woh-tzi-Neh (Navajo, variously translated as "old bald-headed man", "skull insect", or "bone-neck beetle"), Nina de la Tierra (Spanish, "child of the earth"), Potato Bug, Devil's Baby. Synonyms and other taxonomic changes First described in 1838 by Hermann Burmeister
All US species are now in Ammopelmatus per WEISSMAN, VANDERGAST
Ammopelmatus Tinkham 1965 Explanation of Names Stenopalmatus is probably from Greek stenos (στενος)- "narrow, straight" + pelma (πελμα)- "sole (of the foot)" Numbers Nearctica.com lists 8 species of Stenopelmatus
Capinera (1) states the genus needs revision, with 14 species currently described in the family, but more than 60 North American species likely. Identification Wingless. Antennae long. Front of pronotum is wide, antennae widely separated at base, head is very large. Tibiae are robust with spines for digging, and tarsi have pads beneath. Hind femora do not extend beyond tip of abdomen in this family (1). Range Western United States, basically west of 100 west longitude--just reaching western Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas. Dark Jerusalem Cricket, S. fuscus is widespread, likely represents a species group (1).
California; two of the species are rare and local ( Endangered insects of CA):
A. kelsoensis (Kelso Jerusalem Cricket): Kelso Dunes in the Mojave Desert
A. muwu (Point Conception Jerusalem Cricket): sw. Santa Barbara Co.
Habitat Varied, often found under rocks and logs, when digging, etc. Will often come to lights at night. Food Predatory on other insects, also feeds on roots, decaying vegetation. Sometimes found eating potatoes. Life Cycle Live in burrows and under rocks, logs, may wander on surface at night. Adults, and sometimes nymphs, strike ground with abdomen to produce species-specific drumming patterns (1). Female makes depression in soil for masses of oval, white eggs. Female often devours mate. One generation per year. Life history based on Milne's (2) description of that for Stenopelmatus fuscus. Remarks Said to be able to deliver a strong bite, but also to make a good terrarium pet. Print References Capinera, pp. 216-217, plate 48 (1)
Milne, pp. 437-438, plate 247--S. fuscus (2)
Arnett and Jacques, #27--S. fuscus (3)
Powell and Hogue, pp. 70, 72, give several common names, plate 2e--S. fuscus (4)
Helfer, pp. 305-306, figs. 483, 484 (5)
Werner and Olson, pp. 43-44 (7)Internet References SINA family page--photo of a Stenopelmatus
Handbuch der Entomologie, v. 2, pt. 2, no. 1, p.720 Burmeister's original description of the genus (in German)
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