I found these waterlogged insects in my backyard yesterday. I prefer to call them "children of the earth," but they are also known as "potato bugs" and "jerusalem crickets." Click image for a closer look.
From Wikipedia:
Common myths: As is true for other large arthropods (e.g. solfugids), there are a number of folk tales regarding Jerusalem crickets which are untrue; first and foremost, they are not venomous. However, they can emit a foul smell and are capable of inflicting a painful bite – but neither is lethal, as some of the tales would suggest. They also do not cry like children, nor do they rub their legs together to make sounds.