Say hello to the potato bug. Interestingly, this giant flightless insect, also known as the Jerusalem cricket, is neither a potato nor a bug or a cricket.
Bark beetles span two genera, but the name “potato” can refer to bark beetle, roly-poly, or Colorado potato beetle. So these giant arthropods seem to be bewildering in all sorts of ways. Let's break it down.
What is Jerusalem Cricket?
The Jerusalem cricket is not a real cricket, and although it has been nicknamed the potato bug, it is not a real bug either. Potato bug is the nickname given to his two genus of Jerusalem crickets. Ammopelmatus and Stenopermatus.
Jerusalem cricket bites are non-venomous and mostly harmless, but they can cause significant injuries. Because the Jerusalem cricket's bite is so impressive, the Montana Field Guide recommends that Jerusalem crickets not be stored in mesh bags because they bite quickly.
I haven't messed with potato bugs.
However, just because potato beetles are not poisonous does not mean they are not effective. The sting can produce a small amount of blood, which is very impressive for any insect. Plus, there's the fact that their nymphs are ferocious cannibals…
Did I mention cannibals?
According to a 2017 paper, crickets in Jerusalem Stenopermatus When the genus is a nymph, it has an appetite for animals of its own kind. As metamorphosing insects, they start as eggs, grow into larvae, and then become adults. According to them, the mid-game battle royale is quite a thing. “S. tulpa “Nymphs practiced cannibalism, and their cannibalism was violent,” they wrote.
And the cannibalism doesn't end there. A 2008 study found a harsh situation in which Jerusalem crickets did not object to cannibalism when one of the male subjects ate a small female. Females also participate in cannibalism, sometimes eating the male immediately after mating.
What is a potato bug?
Roly-poly, ladybug, wasp – what do all these names have in common? They identify a group of animals, but not a single specific species. The same goes for nicknames like Papa Long Legs (which, by the way, is not poisonous) and Potato, one of three distantly related creatures.
We've already covered the Jerusalem cricket, and now we'll talk about the Colorado potato beetle. The Colorado potato beetle originated in North America and has since spread, becoming a very troublesome and expensive pest affecting potato crops around the world. after that, Armadillidium vulgarealso known as the common pill bug or potato bug.
Then again, given the many names for woodlouse, you might as well call it Ian.