Rain Beetle Hunter vs Predatory Bush Cricket

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rain Beetle Hunter Predatory Bush Cricket
Scientific Name Calosoma cancellatum Saga pedo
Order Coleoptera Orthoptera
Family Carabidae Tettigoniidae
Size 18-25 mm 60-120mm
Habitat Grasslands Heathland
Diet Predators Predators
Regions North America, from Canada to Mexico Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

Rain Beetle Hunter

A medium to large caterpillar hunter with dark elytra marked by rows of rectangular pits giving a grid-like appearance. It is one of the most common Calosoma species across North American prairies.

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Did You Know?

It emerges in massive numbers after rain events on the Great Plains, earning the nickname rain beetle, and can be found running across roads in huge aggregations.

Predatory Bush Cricket

The largest European bush-cricket reaching up to 12cm. It is a formidable predator of other insects. The entire known population is female, reproducing by parthenogenesis.

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Did You Know?

No males have ever been found; all individuals are female and reproduce through parthenogenesis (cloning).