Jerusalem cricket

Description:

Size: ADULT SIZE (Length, not including legs): 30mm to 50mm (1.18in to 1.97in) Characteristics:This slow-moving humpbacked cricket is often taken for a spider until one counts the number of legs. They are really slow in spring during their mating season. Their hind legs have 2 rows of spines. The tracks they leave behind are unique, created by dragging their large abdomens across fine soil. They are found under rocks or on gravel in valleys or on hillsides. Females often eat their mates. They lay their eggs in soil after making a shallow hole.

Habitat:

Jerusalem crickets are found throughout the western United States, along the Pacific Coast, and south into Mexico. Usually discovered while preparing the ground for spring or winter planting, this insect never appears in large numbers and is not considered a pest that requires control. Their numbers are kept in check by birds and rodent predators, fly and worm parasites, curious cats and gardeners' hoses.

Notes:

This Jerusalem Cricket was smiling to me while I took the picture, after that he just run away to hide from me :)