Creepy Crawlies

First, I would like to say there have been no bugs in the house. A mosquito.... an itty spider, but no big bugs.  ~knock on wood~

All these creepy crawlies have been found outside, mostly by Miss 6. Mama found the stick bug looking thing..... but the rest were all her. And yes, we have seen a cockroach. I am not a fan of those. I do quite well with lizards and snakes and the bugs photographed here, but throw a cockroach my way and I will scream and jump up on a chair. Embarrassing, I know, but it's the truth. I mean, have any of you ever seen a cockroach. They are big nasty bugs..... and fortunately ~knock on wood again~ the only ones I've seen have been outside. And I've (rather nicely) asked them all to please stay there. I do hope they listen.

So on to some fun creepy crawlies.

I tried to take the pictures to show the size..... but they don't do any justice!

First was what our neighbor called "a cricket". Now I've seen crickets before and they are cute little musical bugs. When we first saw this monster Miss 6 and I both thought it was plastic. But it was real. Dead. But real. It was at least an inch in diameter and 3-4 inches long. Can you imagine the music this things makes?!?! When my neighbor told me it was a cricket I quickly realized that Louisiana crickets could easily eat Wisconsin crickets for lunch. After some research we found that it is actually a very big Black Grasshopper.

Next was this beetle...... who had a hard time getting around on the slippery pavement. Miss 6 decide he had "mad dancing moves" and watched him for quite awhile. It looks like a Rhinoceros Beetle to us. He was about 3 inches long. Very cool! 

And here is some sort of a stick bug. This is a Two Striped Walking Stick. I almost stepped on it getting in the car to head to the Farmer's Market. Luckily I spotted him just in time and had the eldest take him to the backyard. At the Farmer's Market we bought a cocoon full of Praying Mantis eggs that should hatch in the next few weeks. We plan to release them into the yard so they can feast on the biting bugs out there. We'll be sure to share pictures when they arrive!

Lastly is only a partial photo of a dragonfly...... because it is being eaten by a lizard! Miss 6 loved this and thought it was so very cool that a lizard (anole) could catch it. We've seen tons of these and caught several. Miss 6 caught one by it's tail and was soon left with a tail wriggling in her hand with no lizard attached. She then proceeded to burst into tears because she thought she had hurt him. The eldest quickly explained how lizards tails break off when they get caught so they can escape, and assured her it would grow back!

Hope you enjoyed :)

Comments

[Susan]

Ahem... seems like living in the deep south is not for the faint of heart... not sure I could handle it. Bugs, I can handle. Monster, mutant bugs... not so sure. Good luck with those??

[Jimntj]

Oh my those are some big bugs! I'll take a brown bear any day over those. I love the last one though. Sophie is my hero.

[Stacy]

Uhhh im with your mom on this one. I'll stick to the bears and moose!! I dont do bugs!! Specially bugs that big..ACK! Creepy crawlys all over. Thaaaaaanks lady!! :)

[Stephinie]

I know! I just keep telling myself these are the big ones..... I am sure they don't have bigger ones than this! (I hope)

[Stephinie]

She got a little critter cage today so I am sure we will be catching all kinds of stuff and looking at it for awhile in that..... and then of course we'll let them go :)

[Stephinie]

Joe came in the house with a cardboard box and said "Look at the size of this bug" as he flung it towards me. I screamed and then noticed it was just a toad....... love that man :-)

[Melissa]

I LOVE the empathy your kids have for these little (read: gigantic little) guys! That said- WT*?! Those are HUGE!!! yeeesh!

[Alexis]

Ahh reminds me of our days in the Florida Keys...they call roaches "palmetto bugs" there..yeah polite way to say COCK-A-ROACH!!!EEEEKK! Every night the cat would round them up, eat them, and leave the heads in a pile outside our door. Thank GOD Will was always the first one up :) He did the same with the lizards, except for the ones that "hid" and died, and got petrified by the AC...uck..the baby snakes that came from the AC vents...cat got them too :) in FL they have these GIANT grasshopper things that are RED...like cooked lobsters. what the hell. I have no idea what they are. maybe we can put Sammy on that job...what are the big red hoppers??! Good luck with your new buggy surroundings, hey at least it's GREAT learning experience!!! Yay for homeschool bug projects!! :) (PS I LOVE ALASKA...teehee...skeeters and bees are a-okay for me! :)

[Tammy Miner]

Love the photo of shophie and the lizard!!! That is about the size of my first lizzard exp..Living in Florida.. I saw a shaddow on the sliding glass door drapes and to my horror,realized the drapes were moving!!! Out came the broom and a wild chase on the couch to keep it from going under...It made it safley back out the door and I made sure that the screen was securely locked for the rest of the time i lived there..Had a palmetto bug chase me after a surprise attack in my bedroom , came through the air vent and dropped LOUD PLUNK!! Surprise!!!!While I was sleeping!! That one didn't end so pretty...

[Cheryl Arkison]

You've just shown why my sister-in-law was actually happy to move from Louisiana to Alberta, Canada.

Good adventures for a kid, but I'll take the aphids and mosquitoes, thank-you veyr much!

[Stephinie]

eek! I know we'll have a fun few years down here in the south..... but we'll be ready to trade the cold for these bugs when it's time to leave :)