Desert Clicker Grasshopper vs Valley Jerusalem Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Desert Clicker Grasshopper Valley Jerusalem Cricket
Scientific Name Ligurotettix coquilletti Stenopelmatus pictus
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Acrididae Stenopelmatidae
Size 18-25 mm 30-50 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Herbivores Root Feeders
Regions North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Desert Clicker Grasshopper

A small, slender grasshopper found exclusively on creosote bushes in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. Males produce rapid clicking songs to attract mates.

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Did You Know?

It feeds on toxic creosote resin that deters most other herbivores, gaining chemical protection from predators.

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.