Desert Cicada vs Valley Jerusalem Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Desert Cicada Valley Jerusalem Cricket
Scientific Name Diceroprocta semicincta Stenopelmatus pictus
Order Hemiptera Orthoptera
Family Cicadidae Stenopelmatidae
Size 28-35 mm 30-50 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Sap Feeders Root Feeders
Regions North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Desert Cicada

A heat-loving cicada found throughout the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. Its shrill call is one of the most characteristic sounds of the desert summer.

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Did You Know?

It sweats through tiny pores to cool itself, one of the few insects known to use evaporative cooling.

Valley Jerusalem Cricket

A boldly banded Jerusalem cricket found in the arid valleys of California. Its large jaws can deliver a painful but harmless bite.

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Did You Know?

Despite its common name, it is neither from Jerusalem nor a true cricket.