The Strangest Bug

[SamClemensMT]

I came across a bazaar looking insect in my garden this summer. It looked like a praying mantis, but it was gray and had rather large eyes. Besides the fact that it was only about five inches tall, I could swear it looked kind of like those aliens we hear about. Weird?

 

[R.R.]

Like this?

 

[ACSAPA]

Like this?

View attachment 3986

What is that? It's kind of a cool looking bug. Is that what they call a walking stick?

 

[claudine]

What is this creature, R.R.? It's terrifying, just looking at this picture scares me
ACSAPA - I don't think it's a walking stick. My sister and I, we had a few walking stick bugs when we were children and they were very small and thin.

 

[Cereus]

I think that's a Giant Walking Stick, the largest species in North America and more common throughout the Midwest/South. They're actually really harmless despite their huge size. Only the ones in Florida supposedly fly.

 

[peachdejour]

I like walking sticks, but I don't think that's a walking stick. It looks to fat, but I could be wrong. My daughter and the girl across the street were fighting over a bug this summer. The girl was like OMG IT'S A STICK BUG AHHHH. My daughter was all calm and told her that it was simply a locust casing. Then, there was another bug that she swore was a stink bug, but I had no idea what it was, so I vacuumed it because it was creepy looking. Let me go find a picture.

 

[peachdejour]

Oh. Creepy. It was a stink bug. I'm not a person to be creeped out by bugs, but this thing is so creepy.

 

[R.R.]

I've been told the creature on my picture is a walking stick. Y'all should see them mating. Gross

 

[peachdejour]

Oh, I'll pass on the mating sticks. *shivers* Wait, does the female eat the male like the praying mantis does? It's like thank you for the procreation, I need a snack now.

 

[R.R.]

I don't know, I never saw the end of the coitus. It lasted long enough I got bored with it

 

[Chuck]

That is a walking stick. In Texas they come in 2 colors and 2 sizes. The grey one of R.R.'s which is the smaller variety and the green one's. The green variety grows to about a foot long and the grey to maybe 8". They live in trees mostly. The green ones in cedar or juniper and the grey ones in oak. They are harmless. They also are rather strange in that if you cut one of them in half each half will go its on separate way. Sometimes for hours or until the fire ants catches it. They eat foliage. About 10 years ago a bunch of the green ones ate most of the leaves off of one of my peach trees. But all in all they are just an oddity and don't do too much harm. When I was a kid we would race them

 

[claudine]

Oh. Creepy. It was a stink bug. I'm not a person to be creeped out by bugs, but this thing is so creepy.

Actually, I think that this bug is kind of cute If it's small, I wouldn't be scared of it. I like it much more than the giant walking stick from the first picture

 

[Chuck]

Actually, I think that this bug is kind of cute If it's small, I wouldn't be scared of it. I like it much more than the giant walking stick from the first picture

Let's see how much you like it after it destroys you rose buds

 

[claudine]

Let's see how much you like it after it destroys you rose buds

It can destroy rose buds?
Some time ago, I found a bug like this on one of my miniatures. It was just sitting on it. I didn't want to harm the little creature, so I tossed it outside

 

[Chuck]

It can destroy rose buds?
Some time ago, I found a bug like this on one of my miniatures. It was just sitting on it. I didn't want to harm the little creature, so I tossed it outside

Yes, they can do rose bushes great harm. Look up Brown Marmorated Stink Bug roses. And they are all over Poland