Camel Cricket

Camel Cricket

5858  Hello.   Can you help me identify this bug found in my bedroom of my fourth floor apartment on Nov 1, 2016 in Calgary, AB. See attached. Thank you.  Charles 

This is a relative of grasshoppers and crickets known as a cave or camel cricket (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae). Some people also call them ‘sprickets’ because of a fancied resemblance to a cross between a spider and a cricket. These insects prefer relatively dark, damp, and undisturbed habitats, such as caves and basements; finding one on the fourth floor of a building would seem a bit unusual for them. They basically are nuisance pests that seldom cause any real harm. See http://tinyurl.com/guowjr7 for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.