Help me identify this 'nope' !

[Deleted]

2 years ago I catched this bug inside a bakery in Scheveningen (Netherlands). It was crawling on the ground and earned myself a free set of croissants (nom) with catching it. I never bothered in finding out what it is but recently it's come back to me.

For a bug in the Netherlands it was seriously huge, it was around 6-8 cm. Even our spiders aren't this big. I know it's not a cockroach and it's not a cricket.

Surely there are some bug experts here who can solve my mystery!

[Captain N]

Congratulations - You have cockroaches!

[Deleted]

I can see a resemblance but the one you linked is not the exact type. Also if you look closely it has some sort of fangs. I am still not convinced it's a cockroach. It also lacked having these spikes or hair on its legs.

[Notchris]

That is the roachiest roach I've ever seen in all of roachdom.

[dudurududu]

It's not a cockroach, I had that in garden, as I remember my father told me back then that this bug eats roots of vegetables, potatoes and stuff like that. Can't remember the name tho.

[Mondroc]

I can see a resemblance but the one you linked is not the exact type. Also if you look closely it has some sort of fangs. I am still not convinced it's a cockroach. It also lacked having these spikes or hair on its legs.

They look like its front legs to me.

[Captain N]

I can see a resemblance but the one you linked is not the exact type. Also if you look closely it has some sort of fangs. I am still not convinced it's a cockroach. It also lacked having these spikes or hair on its legs.

Look up Smokey Brown Roaches - Those look closer to what your picture is than the roach I linked.

[Independent voter]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cockroach

I don't know why we call them American cockroaches. Usually you name your cockroaches after your neighbors. I don't think it can live in the cold, probably hitched a ride on some produce.

[Mondroc]

On a second look, I'm pretty certain it's a mole cricket.

[dudurududu]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_cricket Yea, it's a mole cricked, I asked my father for the name

[Deleted]

Yes that's a mole cricket, holy moley that's big!

[Captain N]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_cricket Yea, it's a mole cricked, I asked my father for the name

Mole Crickets found in a bakery though? I can see where they would be found in a garden since your wiki article says they spend most of their lives underground in tunnels and are rarely seen.

[Deleted]

Thanks for all the responses guys But I am still not confirmed of it being a cockroach, atleast the types you guys linked. It didn't have very long antenna, it lacks the spikes on its legs. It had multiple 'joints' in its legs compared to these cockroaches. It has legs pointing forwards past its head and I am sure it has fangs.

Also it was slow. Even when I attempted to catch it, and when I released it in a bush.

I've seen videos about cockroaches, and some of these things are really fast.

[Mondroc]

Mole Crickets found in a bakery though? I can see where they would be found in a garden since your wiki article says they spend most of their lives underground in tunnels and are rarely seen.

Why would any insect be in a bakery? Chances are in flew in there in the early hours and got lost.

[Notchris]

Yup. If I saw one in my home, I'd automatically jump to "ROACH!" and bomb the bejeezus out of the house.
It really does resemble a roach, especially being that dark in the photo.

I don't fuck around with anything even resembling roaches. It's good that your local bakery had a mole cricket and not a roach though.

[Deleted]

Why would any insect be in a bakery? Chances are in flew in there in the early hours and got lost.

I didn't get the impression it could fly, even when carrying it in the bag it just walked.

The bakery was relatively big, like an open walk-in bakery, no doors, so very easy to get inside. But it crawled all the way to behind the counter, lol. I was trying to pay for my food when I told that the woman behind the counter what the hell is that on the ground crawling there?

Like I said in my OP, we normally don't get such huge bugs. Didn't want to pick it up with my hands since I had no clue if it could bite.

Are there any professional bug identifying websites? Does anyone know?

[Shynra]

Seems like Bakker Bart is going places, eh?

[winterfox72]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_cricket

[Deleted]

Seems like Bakker Bart is going places, eh?

Haha, I guess you're from Scheveningen?

[MerinPally]

I need a banana for scale.