Valley Jerusalem Cricket vs Cloudy Christmas Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Valley Jerusalem Cricket Cloudy Christmas Beetle
Scientific Name Stenopelmatus pictus Anoplognathus nebulosus
Order Orthoptera Coleoptera
Family Stenopelmatidae Scarabaeidae
Size 30-50 mm 18-24 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Forests
Diet Root Feeders Root Feeders
Regions North America Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

💡

Did You Know?

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

Cloudy Christmas Beetle

A dark brown Christmas beetle with a cloudy or mottled pattern on its elytra. It is found in forests of eastern New South Wales.

💡

Did You Know?

Its species name nebulosus means cloudy in Latin, referring to the mottled pattern on its wing covers.