What Is a Camel Cricket?

Identification

• Camel cricket adults lack wings but do have long and quite fragile antennae. The color of the cricket varies between species. Some, like the spotted camel cricket, are dark brown with yellow streaks, while others, like the secret cave cricket, are a yellow-gray mix. The back legs of a camel cricket are large, giving it the ability to jump long distances, but the camel cricket cannot produce chirping sounds like other crickets because of its lack of wings. Camel crickets range from a half inch to an inch in length.

Habitat

• The camel cricket is a nocturnal insect, so you will normally not see one during the day. The crickets will always try to find a humid area in which to live; in addition to living in caves, they inhabit rock piles, tall grasses, tree stumps and holes in the ground. The camel cricket can live beneath the peeled bark of trees and under logs. When dry conditions prevail, the camel cricket might enter a home, typically going to the humid parts such as the basement or laundry room. Bright light will render a camel cricket immobile and allow you to remove it.

Geography

• The geographic range of the camel cricket depends on the species. The secret cave cricket lives only in Texas, while the spotted camel cricket has a much wider distribution, from Maryland west to Arkansas and as far north as Manitoba in Canada and the Dakotas. The Jerusalem cricket lives from the Great Plains south to Mexico and along the Pacific Coast states.

Function

• The antennae of the camel cricket are as long as the insect̵7;s body. Living in a dark environment, the cricket depends on its antennae to detect the presence of predators, such as centipedes and spiders. The camel cricket will feel them as they approach and quickly jump to safety.

Diet

• The diet of the camel cricket varies between species. The Jerusalem cricket, for example, subsists on a diet of other bugs, tubers and decaying plant matter. The spotted camel cricket devours roots, fungi, other insects and fruit. When a camel cricket does come inside, it might get into such things as old clothes and hanging curtains and eat the fabric. Houseplants are also at risk from a hungry camel cricket.