Which insect is often mistaken for a spider?

The camel cricket is often mistaken for a spider due to its unique appearance, which includes long, spindly legs and a hunched back. Unlike typical crickets, camel crickets have a shape that some people find reminiscent of spiders, especially when they are seen scurrying quickly across surfaces. Their coloring and body structure can add to the confusion, as they are typically a light brown and have a distinctive, curved body that can easily lead to misidentification.

In the context of insects, other choices like house crickets, sow bugs, and earwigs have very distinct and recognizable characteristics that do not resemble spiders. House crickets have a more robust and elongated body with shorter legs, sow bugs are more similar to small armadillos and have a flattened, segmented body, and earwigs are readily identifiable by their pincers and elongated bodies. This makes the camel cricket the most likely candidate for being mistaken for a spider.