cricket-like bugs that aren't crickets

[Gwen Morse]

A friend (who's reasonably bug-savvy in the first place) has some bugs in the basement of a house he's caretaking.

They look somewhat like crickets, although the shells aren't as thick and defined. They also don't have any sort of wings. They have very long thin whip-like antennae. They congregate in large groups in cool dark places. They also seem to like to jump. The boddies are mottled brown (different shades of brown). They don't chirp or make any other 'noise'.

They're found in central NJ on a family farm.

Any clues what they might be?

[Lar]

:) A friend (who's reasonably bug-savvy in the first place) has some bugs :) in the basement of a house he's caretaking. :) :) They look somewhat like crickets, although the shells aren't as thick :) and defined. They also don't have any sort of wings. They have very :) long thin whip-like antennae. They congregate in large groups in cool :) dark places. They also seem to like to jump. The boddies are mottled :) brown (different shades of brown). They don't chirp or make any other :) 'noise'.

Probably Camel crickets

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

It is said that the early bird gets the worm, but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

[Penny Morgan]

They are a type of water bug. They definitely like dark, cool, and damp places such as basements or crawl spaces. We have them under our house in the crawl space. Usually I find them on the walls and ceiling when we go under the house. They look very similar to crickets and can get very big - Yuck!

[Jean B.]

What do their legs look like?

[Gwen Morse]

Like cricket legs :). (M-shape from the body, with thicker sections at the part that connects to the body ('thighs') and slimmer 'calves').

Gwen