Jerusalem Cricket (Potato Bug)

[Eclipse]

I heard they lived in the Western United States but I have never found them here in the urban area.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WBOt4L2ers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7HhlExv7yY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI-QOM0zLpU

Have anybody every kept one before? I seen one a long time ago when I was in elementary up north of California and I was interested ever since. I never really seen them mentioned on here but I think they're really cool.

I also have a growing interest in Lubber Grasshoppers as well.

 

[gvfarns]

"Child of the earth" is what they called them where I grew up. Pretty much live underground, don't they? Not sure how conveniently they can be kept as pets.

 

[skippy]

i find them everywhere here. they shouldn't be difficult to keep as they eat decaying vegitation and are found in a wide variety of habitats. not sure how entertaining they would be though:}

 

[ZergFront]

I had a large adult one as a kid that created quite a funny escape story.

I made the mistake of keeping it "communally" with spittlebugs I caught. He ate more than half of the bugs. I found out later on that they take to pinhead crickets very easily, but let me tell you - a dead feeder cricket's stink has got NOTHING on these guys! :barf:

 

[Eclipse]

Ayuh. Skippy... You don't think you can throw some of them this way can you? eh? I want to try them out and see if I can breed them. I'll tell everyone how it goes. Might get something new added to the hobby

 

[skippy]

you seriously don't have any down there? i thought they were state wide?

 

[cacoseraph]

scabies is working on these a bit. we haven't really started cracking down on the taxonomy and stuff yet

we have found some very interesting ones: giants, cool butt stripes, interesting ~protonum and leg coloration, etc

i think i have three or five right now

some species are protected so we are working on getting down what specimens we can't collect and then we are hopefully going to be doing some documenting in wild and captivity including trying to figure out breeding and getting the eggs to hatch. hopefully in less than five years we can offer the hobby babies of a few species to check out


nice red coloration. p.s. yes, i should have put the bug on a dif colored rock, but i really liked that rock

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/cacoseraph/insect/cricket/ac_CricketRed_A_01b.jpg

zoom -> http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/cacoseraph/insect/cricket/ac_CricketRed_B_02a.jpg
this pic does a MUCH better job of showing off this fellow's coloration


kinda cool detail shot of head

zoom http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/cacoseraph/insect/cricket/ac_CricketRed_A_04headb.jpg
zoomier http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/cacoseraph/insect/cricket/ac_CricketRed_A_04headc.jpg




i thought ihad more pics online. i left my camera about 300 miles away in the aftermath of this AWESOME bug and herp bbq thrown by http://www.gbuenterprises.com/ or i would take pics of the dudes i have now... the pics i posted are a couple few years old, iirc

 

[Eclipse]

you seriously don't have any down there? i thought they were state wide?

I have never encountered one here ever and I been around. Only once somewhere up north of California. When I was like... 7

@cacoseraph
I found this online, think it might help http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ho/other/fs9935.pdf

If you know where I can get some let me know. I'd want to help out in the research of rearing these

 

[ZergFront]

I guess if your fine with pet holes these are great. I do like that they get nice and big, though. If you try to pick them up, they kick you and they're back legs are a little spiny. Don't get bit either.

I have yet to figure out how to sex them, though. Every one of these crickets look the same on the first look..

 

[cacoseraph]

@ec
sure thing dude. i'll try to figure out how to hopefully send you a group of the same species =P
oh dude! i just caught that bit about the lubbers... i am really interested in trying to raise some of the native hopper species. also, did you see my ant cricket thread? i want to take a picture of a 3mm ant cricket on 3" j cricket




@zerg
i just keep them in cups with enough sub to push around but not enough to bury themselves in, for display. this will keep them alive a good amount of time. they eat other bugs, roots, maybe some vegs, and catfood (though i have only read/heard that catfood thing).

and heck yes! they have some of the most powerful, burly jaws i have seen in native bugs

 

[Eclipse]

In the link I posted earlier it says that males are more massive and have a bigger head and thorax while females have a smaller head and thorax with a bigger abdomen compared to the males. So size reference... they are basically the opposite of each other. Easy peezy. I think....

 

[cacoseraph]

the computer i am on sucks for pdfs.. it's killing me


that sounds like something that would be pretty easy to take pics of a decent sized group of them.


actually... now that i back think... i am sure i have seen different sexes of the same species before. the females can look almost goofy with the little head big belly thing. males look more burly and like, fightery


hopefully i will get my cam back and go collecting next weekend


oooh... or i can try to borrow my dad's boss ass camera

well better than my cheapie PAS

 

[BiologicalJewels]

In the link I posted earlier it says that males are more massive and have a bigger head and thorax while females have a smaller head and thorax with a bigger abdomen compared to the males. So size reference... they are basically the opposite of each other. Easy peezy. I think....

When it comes to the overall size of the JC, it has been studied, and confirmed, that in some species (iirc), the fact that the male is larger actually has a negative effect in the overall reproductive process... something along the lines of bigger male= less chances of a positive outcome in the amount of fertilized eggs, it's something of a declining slope.

You will definitely see some of these in the hobby in the future, given the interest is there.

Gotta be careful about collecting them though, most of their native range (in Cali) has been broken apart into little (and not so little) segments. Some of these are very.. very peculiar.

It was thought there were only some species here in N. Ame. there may be more than previously thought.

Fragmented habitats may also mean even greater genetical diversity in the future (or present) for certain JC communities.

 

[NevularScorpion]

After searching them on you tube and reading few articles about this cool lil insects. I found out that they can be great feeders to some inverts and animals. In addition, they are edible too in some point, they were shown on fear factor. I wonder if they are a delicacy in some other countries. They might be delicious; I want a tempura potato bugs lol

anyways this is some of the video on youtube that i want to share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CXb-cfMhEQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ofWt6hhtU&feature=related

 

[Eclipse]

When it comes to the overall size of the JC, it has been studied, and confirmed, that in some species (iirc), the fact that the male is larger actually has a negative effect in the overall reproductive process... something along the lines of bigger male= less chances of a positive outcome in the amount of fertilized eggs, it's something of a declining slope.

So basically, bigger isn't always better. Hehehehe..... :razz:

 

[Teal]

We have them everywhere here!! Lift a rock, and you're sure to find one. I got annoyed with how many there were when I was younger and bug hunting, because with one of these under a rock there really wasn't anything else.

 

[Eclipse]

Where are you from?

 

[Travis K]

I have found them in Eastern Washington. Very cool, and very big. They are easier to find at night with high power flashlights/headlights when they cross the road, cause they cast a pretty big shadow. The one I caught last summer almost looked like a T crossing the road from the shadow it had cast. I think I still have the carcass in my T room.

 

[BiologicalJewels]

So basically, bigger isn't always better. Hehehehe..... :razz:

at least not in this case... nope.

 

[Teal]

Where are you from?

I am in northern California.