Hobbies And Interests
Appearance
Jerusalem crickets are known for their disproportionately large, human-like heads and big jaws. The insects can reach up to 2 or 2 1/2 inches long and typically have amber-yellow legs, heads and thoraxes. Their abdomens have alternating black and brown bands, and they use their spiny legs for digging in the soil.
Colorado potato beetles measure about 3/8 inches long. They are oval in shape and have hard, yellowish-orange outer wings with 10 black vertical stripes. In their newly hatched larva form, the beetles have black heads and soft red bodies.
Distribution and Habitat
Jerusalem crickets are found in the western and southwestern parts of the United States and along the Pacific coast. They range from British Columbia down into Mexico. The insects are nocturnal and mostly live in the ground. They can also be found crawling about on the ground, hiding under rocks or residing in manure heaps and damp places.
Colorado potato beetles inhabit most parts of the United States except for California, Alaska, Nevada and Hawaii. They also are found in Europe and parts of Asia. The beetles spend the winter in the soil and then lay eggs on the underside of their host leaves in the spring.
Diet
Jerusalem crickets and Colorado potato beetles are called "potato bugs" in reference to their diets. Jerusalem crickets can sometimes be found in potato fields eating the roots and tubers of potato crops. While the crickets have occasionally damaged commercial potato fields, they are not considered serious pests. They prefer to eat a variety of meats, small insects, fruits, roots and tubers. Colorado potato beetles are serious pests that feed on potato leaves. The beetles prefer to eat potato crops, but they are also known to eat and destroy tomato, pepper and eggplant crops. Female potato beetles lay their eggs on the underside of potato leaves, and larvae feed on the leaves when they hatch.
Management
Jerusalem crickets can cause damage to crops if they appear together in large numbers. You can limit their number through physical removal and disposal, baiting and trapping and the use of insecticides. Remove from your vicinity any outdoor objects under which the insects may hide, including lumber, rocks and woodpiles.
Colorado potato beetles can be managed through crop rotation: planting a crop not in the nightshade family the following year after planting a potato crop. Other methods of control include carefully handpicking the beetles or eggs from plants, using chemical insecticides to kill the insects or using other insects, such as the spined soldier bug, to eat the larvae and eggs of the Colorado potato beetle.