rock crawler

Wingless insects with long antennae and either reduced eyes or none. Rock crawlers are generally found only at higher altitudes (450–2,000 m/1,480–6,550 ft), in the mountains of Japan, western North America and eastern Siberia, and prefer low temperature conditions. They live under logs and stones and are omnivorous and nocturnal.

Rock crawlers were discovered in the Canadian Rockies, as late as 1914. Their order, Grylloblattodea, contains three genera and only 16 species, and appears to exemplify the only modern representatives of the primitive insects from which the cockroaches (Blattodea) and grasshoppers and crickets (Orthoptera) have evolved.

Long lifespan Eggs have an incubation period of approximately one year; the eight nymphal stages occupy a further five years; and the adult female then lives a further year before laying eggs.

Classification Rock crawlers are in order Grylloblattodea in subclass Pterygota, class Insecta, phylum Arthropoda.

The mouthparts are mandibulate (chewing). The female has a well developed ovipositor (egg-laying organ). The thoracic segments are distinct and separate. All stages have long cerci (forked appendages on the rear end).