Jerusalem crickets (or potato bugs)[1] are a group of large, flightless insects in the genera Ammopelmatus and Stenopelmatus, together comprising the tribe Stenopelmatini.

[2] Despite their common names, these insects are neither true crickets (which belong to the family Gryllidae), nor are they native to Jerusalem.

[3] Their highly adapted feet are used for burrowing beneath moist soil to feed on decaying root plants and tubers.

Instead, the few Jerusalem crickets that do make sound rub their hind legs against the sides of the abdomen, producing a rasping, hissing noise.

For such purposes, Jerusalem crickets rely on substrate vibrations felt by subgenual organs located in all six of the insect's legs.