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Saturday, April 3, 2010

Updated: Unidentified Creature -- Camel Cricket (Rhaphidophoridae)


Does anyone know what this creature is?

This insect can be found all over my house. It appears to be some-sort of a cricket, and if I am not delusional might actually chirp periodically. It doesn't seem to do any harm (at least that I am aware of). However, this particular guy was crawling on my wall, so I thought I'd take a picture of him.

If you know what it is, let me know.
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UPDATED

Someone wrote in and informed me that that insect is a camel cricket. More can be read below or at Wikipedia.


Camel cricket


Most species of camel crickets belong to the genus Ceuthophilus. This name describes their hump-backed appearance when viewed from the side. They have jumping hind legs and long antennae like other crickets but they are wingless and so are unable to chirp. Color varies by species, ranging from light tan to brown, often having dark brown bands on some segments. Adults range from 0.5 to 1.5 inches in length.
Camel crickets are usually associated with cool, damp, dark habitats. Since they are often found in caves, they are also commonly called cave crickets. Outdoors, they may be found under stones and logs and in other cool, damp habitats with suitable amounts of organic matter, which they use for food.
Like other crickets, camel crickets will invade buildings in the fall seeking suitable places to pass the winter. In these cases, they often remain in basements or crawl spaces and seldom damage items in the home. They are usually considered a nuisance only by virtue of their presence.

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