Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing potato bugs. These arthropods are called potato bugs because they can be pests on potatoes, but there's a lot more to these fascinating insects, including a variety of common names! Even the name “potato bug” can be a little misleading as it's used for other, unrelated species, such as beetles and roly polies. Potato bugs are also known as sand crickets because they’re often found in sandy habitats, stone crickets because they’re often found under overturned stones, children of the earth because they live in soil and have a human-like face, as well as skull insects, again, for their human-like face. Perhaps their most common other name, however, is Jerusalem crickets, and this name is also misleading. Jerusalem crickets are not found in Jerusalem. In fact, they live in North and Central America, typically west of the Rocky Mountains. The name Jerusalem cricket may come from the profane exclamation “Jerusalem!” said by folks in the early 20th century after being startled by one. Of course, another theory suggests they look like a Jerusalem cross from above, so it’s not entirely known exactly where this particular common name originated.

Not only are Jerusalem crickets not from Jerusalem, they’re also not crickets. They’re not even true bugs, but they are insects. These insects can reach up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) long! They have strong legs for digging, and they’re able to bite, but potato bugs are not venomous and their bite is generally described as somewhat painful but mild. They would much rather be using their bite on roots and tubers as well as other insects and dead things in the soil. These arthropods are scavengers! They’re rarely seen as they spend most of their time underground. In fact, on online forums where folks can submit pictures of insects for identification help, potato bugs are some of the most commonly seen because no one knows what they are! But now you do! Potato bugs may come out at night as this is when they most often hunt other arthropods. They may also come out when the ground is wet such as after rain, much like earthworms crawling out of the flooded soil. Sometimes potato bugs are seen in human dwellings, and this can occur at any time of the year, but they’re most frequently observed in spring when they emerge for mating. 

Potato bugs don’t have wings, and they don’t stridulate like a katydid, but do make drumming sounds with their abdomen, and that goes for both the males and the females! They find each other underground by making these abdominal noises. When they locate one another, they’ll mate, but only if the female finds the male worthy. If he’s not, it’s not uncommon for her to eat him. Of course, she’ll eat the male she does end up mating with, as well, as he provides a nourishing meal for their eggs. Supposedly, the males don’t resist this– unsurprisingly there are nowhere near as many male potato bugs in museum collections! The female lays her eggs in the ground, and these hatch into nymphs that grow through many molts before becoming adults. Depending on where they live, this process can take a year to five years. Potato bug predators include bats, skunks, foxes, badgers and others. When threatened, they wave their legs in defense to distract a predator– if the predator grabs a leg, the potato bug can escape without the leg and regrow a new one later! Typically these insects live less than a year as adults, so their lifespan may be as short as two years or more than double that.

For more facts on potato bugs, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!