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5872 Camel Cricket

A kind of cricket with outsized antennae. Probably in Regina. No notes on that day. Saskatchewan, Canada. 8 August 2022

 

Genus Ceuthophilus

Other Common Names

Camel Cricket (usually applied to this genus), Cave Cricket (this and related genera)

 

Numbers

Nearctica.com lists 89 species; most diverse rhaphidophorid genus in North America.

 

Range: Canada through to Mexico

Habitat: Caves, basements, crawl spaces, outdoor closets.

Food: Reported to be scavengers. bugguide.net/node/view/24633

 

This individual lacks any prominent projections in between the antennal bases, which excludes Pristoceuthophilus (found mainly in BC) and Tachycines (which have quite long legs and cerci relative to body size compared to Ceuthophilus). The only other genus of camel crickets possible is Udeopsylla and those are quite distinctly robust, stocky and rust coloured with a very long pronotum. Identification to species often required clear and close views of the posterior abdomen, so many observations may have to rest at the genus level. For a great resource on identifying Orthoptera, including dichotomous keys, see Vickery and Kevan 1985 Insects and Arachnids of Canada, Part 14:

esc-sec.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/AAFC_insects_and...

(be aware that the higher-level classifications have changed) and:

bugguide.net/node/view/24633 (more up-to-date higher-level classification)

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Uploaded on September 20, 2022
Taken on August 8, 2022