 Jerusalem
Cricket
This cricket species is one of the most unattractive insects at KOP, in my opinion. They can be found beneath dead wood or other solid objects laying on the ground. The Jerusalem cricket feeds at night on roots, tubers, and decomposing organic matter. They don't survive in the dry hot temperatures on the surface of the soil here, so are not frequently observed except during cooler weather. Male and female Jerusalem crickets drum their abdomens against the bottom of their burrows or the ground to attract one another. Small clusters of their relatively large eggs are laid by the female in soil pockets. Their complete life cycle may extend three years or more.
 images
- I. Lindsey
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They
can be ferocious and cause a painful bite. So beware and use a long stick
if you are inclined to observe them and their behavior.
