Jerusalem crickets

Jerusalem crickets are a group of large (body length up to 69mm), flightless insects native to the western United States, along the Pacific Coast, and south into Mexico. Despite their name, Jerusalem crickets are neither true crickets nor true bugs and they do not prefer potatoes for food. Active only at night, the insects use their strong mandibles to feed primarily on dead organic material but can also eat other insects. Their highly adapted feet are used for burrowing beneath moist soil to feed on decaying root plants and tubers.Jerusalem crickets which do make audible sound rub their hind legs against the sides of the abdomen, which produces a rasping, "hissing" noise; this rasping noise appears to be designed to frighten predators, rather than being used in communication between the crickets themselves.