Giraffe Necked Weevil

This is a cool looking insect. Have a closer look at it and you will see it's an insect you don't see very often if at all. This particular species lives in Madagascar, Africa and I've seen one there when I was in Africa last year. They are very small, just under an inch in length, the males having a longer neck than the females, most 2 to 3 times larger. When breeding, the females lays one egg, much like a chicken does, just not multiple ones. For only being an inch long, it gives the appearance of being a bad-ass bug of the beetle family of insects.

Happy Trails!!

*** Photo taken and courtesy of British photographer Dale Morris with Barcroft Media.***

Bug Stompers

I can see it now, someone is walking on a sidewalk or some other place and they stomp on a bug for no reason what so ever. Why do they do that? Did the bug hurt them? Insult them? Scream at them? Kick them? Call them a name? No they didn't, so why do some people do it at all? It's plain being mean is how I see it. I have asked people in the past why they stomped on the bug and they shrug there shoulders at me and move on.

I can see killing a roach or even a house fly, as they carry germs, but butterflies and caterpillars, grasshoppers and lizards, they can do no harm nor do they carry germs, so the ones reading this that have squashed, mashed, and killed bugs for no reason at all, think to yourself, what are you going to say to God when he asks you why you killed one of his creations for no reason? If you don't believe in God, that's your own decision, but that doesn't give you the right to kill for the simple reason of killing. It's wrong!

Most house spiders are not harmful. The little spiders living in the corners of your room are your friends as they kill the little insects that get in and help keep your room clean. When you kill them, it's like killing the maid in a round about way. The larger spiders around your house, most are not harmful but they can be if they feel threatened, and so I can see ridding them from your house, but not killing them.

Ants are good and bad depending on the color of them. Larger Red and Black ants you don't want around as most will attack you first, so yes, getting rid of them is best. Bee's and other such stingers, they are pests and that's all, as most won't harm you if you leave them alone. Yellow Jackets, they are moody and some attack while others don't, but don't kill them for no reason. Don't piss them off when trying to kill them, as they have many friends who stand by them. Some will travel for miles to get revenge.

All the other insects, most are harmless. Please don't kill them as they are my friends just as all the animals in nature are. There are many mean and nasty animals in the wild, but that doesn't give anyone a reason to just kill them for the heck of it. Treat bugs and insects the same. They have a job here on the planet just as we do.

Happy Trails!      

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly

I was out in the yard doing some yard work today and I noticed a butterfly I had not seen in a long time. I couldn't put my finger on what the name of it was so I looked it up in my butterfly book and going by the colors of it, I found it rather quickly. I double checked online to make sure and sure enough, I had the right one.

It's called a Spicebush Swallowtail and it's one of four Florida butterflies that mimic the toxic Pipevine Swallowtail to gain protection from predators. I never knew that before today. Adult Spicebush's are strong agile fliers with a wingspan of 3 to 5 inches, but this butterfly rarely strays far from its preferred woodland habitat. A true lover of flowers, the Spicebush Swallowtail readily ventures out to nearby open areas in search of nectar. These butterflies continually flutter their wings while feeding. Larvae create shelters by curling up the edges of leaves with silk. They rest motionless inside when not actively feeding. At maturity, the larvae turn yellow and search for a site to pupate.

I was going to take some pictures of it but you know how that goes, if you want something bad enough and you run inside to get the camera, it will be gone by the time you get back and sure enough, it was gone. Once I found what it was, I just grabbed a picture of it from a nature site I often visit. I hope they don't mind. lol

Happy trails!

Giant Walkingstick

The Giant Walkingstick is the largest Walkingstick species in North America measuring in at anywhere between 75mm and 150mm (5.91 inches to 7.09 inches). Their camouflage is so good in fact that one can often miss these dazzling creatures in the wild.

Identifying features are that they are red to brown and in some cases a shade of green in color. Colors will seem to become lighter near the rear legs.

These insects are generally found throughout the midwest and southeast areas of the US and feed within forests and grasslands on various greenery.

Like its counterpart, the Northern Walkingstick, the Giant Walkingstick female will lay individual eggs over the winter in hidden areas on the ground such as dead or dying leaves and foliage. Hatchlings will push through their egg casings in about late spring, which then make their way upwards to edible greens. With only about one generation produced a year, Giant Walkingsticks stay active in the later hours of the day where their movement may not be so noticeable to predator and prey alike.

The scientific name for the Giant Walking Stick is:
(Megaphasma dentricus)

They can be found in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa.

I have always found insects to be some of the most interesting forms of life on our planet. Most are scared of us and run away, but some standfast and hold their ground, like the walking sticks. They don't call it a walking stick for nothing, as it looks just like a stick laying on the ground and sticks don't move.

Happy trails!

Spiders: Brown Recluse

The most common spider around here is the Brown Recluse, also known as a Violin Spider. These spiders love to hide in loose piles of debris, like wood piles, corners of a garage, under your lawn mower or if indoors - in furniture, closet corners and folded clothing. I found one last night just outside of the Bunny Barn in our pile of sticks we give to the bunnies to chew on. I'm not usually that jumpy around insects, but this spider in an exception as they are poisonous to humans and these pesky insects tend to strike when disturbed or threatened by humans. I wasn't bitten, it just put me on the defensive to find it and kill it, which I did.

If you are bitten by one of these spiders, seek medical attention immediately. This is not to be taken lightly, as the wound can take months to heal and it leaves a deep crater like shape on you, if not treated properly. This picture of a bite on this man is horrible looking, but you will look the same if not treated. You have been warned.

Use common sense when moving anything outdoors, as they are usually close by even when you might think they are not.

This image is not a fake to scare you any!

Curious Looking Insect

I didn't think school would ever end today. Slow day!

I was over at my friends house last night and they were moving a hot tub from the rear of the house to the side of the house. I was just watching. hehe Anyway, Megan - my best friend - called me over to where she was standing and asked me what this bug is that was under the hot tub. I got down closer to it and I had no idea. I had never seen one like it before. My friends are always asking me what things are as I like nature - including bugs - but this one puzzled me. I went out to my truck and got my magnifying glass so I could look at it better. By the time I got back, there were now about 20 of these little bugs.

I decided to take one with me when I left and take it over to a man I know who knows all about bugs. He knew what it was right away. I knew he would. lol He said it was a "Boisea trivittata", or in normal talk a "Boxelder Bug". He said they were very common around houses that had pressure treated wood nearby and were always found in direct sunlight. I have been around pressure treated wood before and I had never seen this bug before and it was dark out when I first saw it. I think the lights that were being used to move the tub may have attracted the bugs, as he said they don't usually come out in darkness.

Also, Boxelder bugs will secrete a staining dye when crushed, so don't crush them indoors or you might stain something that can't be replaced.

This is the best picture I could find online of them. The are not very big at all. 1/4" to 3/4" long is about as big as they get. Cool looking aren't they? BTW, I returned the one I took. lol

The Wasp

I had to edit this a little bit as the F bomb was used in it way too many times. I don't like the F word and it didn't need to be used in this to get your attention either. You will see where I put in my own words and it's still gets the point across without the F word. Do take the warning of this wasp message seriously though, as they are not something you want to mess with, no matter your experience with them. Being a bee-keeper doesn't qualify you as an expert in wasps or hornets. Hornets are worse btw. I learned that the hard way about eight years ago when I feel into a hornets nest by a pond. I hurt for weeks after that. Wasps can inflict the same kind of pain if you are not careful. They are not afraid of anyone or anything, except for maybe a can of Raid or some other wasp killer. If you do come in contact with one or more, stop moving. Let them fly around you and they will carry on with what they were doing, usually with no stinging or attacking you. Swatting at them is a no no and only makes them mad. They call in reinforcements if you start swatting at them. Not good then.