- Joined
- Jan 15, 2024
- Messages
- 163
Hello everyone,
I was wondering if anyone here kept Jerusalem Crickets (genera Ammopelmatus/Stenopelmatus). I know that there are some people here who have kept them in the past, but I don't know anyone who still keeps them. These insects seem to have become much more popular in the hobby lately; I now see them regularly sold online and at expos/shows.
Where I live, pretty much everyone has seen one of these monsters at some point-- Jerusalem Crickets are the biggest insects in my area. They have a pretty bad reputation here; many consider them pure nightmare fuel. I used to have a horrific phobia of them too!
I have been keeping Jerusalem Crickets since 2017 or so; that year, I found a small juvenile in my yard and decided to try my hand at husbandry. Over the years, I have kept 10 or so individuals at various stages of life, with many of the adults being sick "rescues" who wandered into my garage during rainstorms. They all seem to be of the same species and live pretty much anywhere with dirt that they can burrow in.
Here are some notes from my own personal experience:
I'm interested to see if anyone else has kept these amazing orthopterans and to hear what their experiences were like!
Thanks.
Old specimen from 2018 or so.
I believe this was the first adult specimen I obtained; the dent in her head was like that when I rescued her in my garage. She was dying, but I baked her under a growlight and she survived to live another 8 months or so.
Another one.
This photo was a while ago; I didn't have coco fiber back then and used garden soil with fertilizer in it... ugh. I guess it didn't matter though because these buggers would live in our garden beds which were full of that chemical stuff.
Jerry, my most recent Jerusalem Cricket.
Jerry's first or second molt in captivity.
Jerry after what I believe was his final molt into a mature male.
I was wondering if anyone here kept Jerusalem Crickets (genera Ammopelmatus/Stenopelmatus). I know that there are some people here who have kept them in the past, but I don't know anyone who still keeps them. These insects seem to have become much more popular in the hobby lately; I now see them regularly sold online and at expos/shows.
Where I live, pretty much everyone has seen one of these monsters at some point-- Jerusalem Crickets are the biggest insects in my area. They have a pretty bad reputation here; many consider them pure nightmare fuel. I used to have a horrific phobia of them too!
I have been keeping Jerusalem Crickets since 2017 or so; that year, I found a small juvenile in my yard and decided to try my hand at husbandry. Over the years, I have kept 10 or so individuals at various stages of life, with many of the adults being sick "rescues" who wandered into my garage during rainstorms. They all seem to be of the same species and live pretty much anywhere with dirt that they can burrow in.
Here are some notes from my own personal experience:
- I keep these insects in 0.5 to 5 gallon enclosures depending on size. I would say 2.5 gallons is the minimum for a full grown adult.
- Jerusalem Crickets need at least 4" of stable substrate to burrow in as they are obligate fossorials. I use a mix of coco fiber and sand, but excavator clay would work too.
- Temperatures are kept between 68F and 75F, but lower is fine. Back in 2018, I was overseas for a few weeks and my house dropped to around 55F; my adult female was in a state of hibernation when I returned but woke up fine when the temperature warmed up.
- I don't check humidity, but I try to keep the substrate slightly moist at all times.
- These crickets seem to be scavengers with a preference for meat; I raised one individual from 0.5" to 2.5" on a diet of 80% prekilled dubias and supplementation (fish food, carrots, etc.) with no issues. However, I never feed my Jerusalem Crickets any orthopterans (crickets, grasshoppers, etc.) as they can spread diseases.
- For hydration, shallow water dishes have worked best; I had some specimens in 2018 who loved to bathe in them on hot days. Water gel seems to be a good option too.
- These insects go through several molts and eat their discarded exoskeletons. Prior to a molt, they will dig a molting chamber underground and flip over before beginning the process. After a molt, their body is larger but their abdomen is noticeably thinner-- they will have a voracious appetite and should be fed after they emerge.
- Total lifespan seems to be around 1 to 2 years but might be a bit longer; I will need to take more careful notes though to confirm this though.
- Despite their reputation as vicious animals, I have found that these guys aren't inclined to bite unless you do something extremely stupid. They prefer to run and kick instead of biting, but will do the latter if treated roughly. They also occasionally release a nasty fluid from their mouths, but this seems to be something ill individuals do rather than a defensive norm.
- Handling is definitely not recommended, but with one exception: I have noticed that specimens raised from immatures are extremely docile and tame compared to older WC ones. I do handle these "raised" ones occasionally and have never had any problems.
I'm interested to see if anyone else has kept these amazing orthopterans and to hear what their experiences were like!
Thanks.
Old specimen from 2018 or so.
I believe this was the first adult specimen I obtained; the dent in her head was like that when I rescued her in my garage. She was dying, but I baked her under a growlight and she survived to live another 8 months or so.
Another one.
This photo was a while ago; I didn't have coco fiber back then and used garden soil with fertilizer in it... ugh. I guess it didn't matter though because these buggers would live in our garden beds which were full of that chemical stuff.
Jerry, my most recent Jerusalem Cricket.
Jerry's first or second molt in captivity.
Jerry after what I believe was his final molt into a mature male.
at some point in the year.
