This huge thing scared the hell out of me
 

Derobrachus geminatus.

Couldn't get him to stay upright, he was thrashing around too much -- probably due to neurological "issues" as a result of recent exterminator activity in the area.

Sadly I don't have anything in the photo for scale, but take my word for it: over 3" (I know, that's what she said) without the antennae.

Those mandibles looked like they could take off a child's finger!

This morning felt like "Attack Of the 6-Legged Freaks" -- I also crossed paths with a giant green beetle (possibly Cotinis mutabilis) in the driveway. Watching him take off and fly away was somewhat comical.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1375989150.jpg

Don't like large, buzzy flying things at all.

We had one of these at work the other day, too. Freaking enormous; never seen anything like that in Arizona before (been here most of my 36 years). Must have been about 1.5 inches fat, too.

You'd love the roaches. (shudder)

Yikes, and cool.

We get these around Houston.

The "body" including the wings is 3 inches. With the feelers out front, they are almost 6 inches.

http://uniteclothing.com/home/wp-inc...lorida-543.jpg

We had something similar to this in Pakistan. It looked a little more fly like, and might have been slightly larger. I never saw a live one, only found them dead in the control panels. If had seen a live one, I would have run screaming like a little girl!

http://bugguide.net/images/raw/JKBRR...MQS0P0S0E0.jpg

Aren't they supposed to take over, eventually?

I hate bugs !!

Ha, the things you see when you are not carrying a gun.

We get them too.........
 

Down here we call those things South Georgia Eagles.

Actually, I was carrying my .38 at the time but I was afraid if I shot it the bug would just get up and kick my ass.

It's red....I dated it. Yack......

Nuke it from orbit.

That is some good protein right there... two or three could feed a family!

The new lobster. Thems good eaten......

Is that dude related to the one in the first Men in Black flick? And they used some really funky spoons to dismiss that guy.


"It's the only way to sure we get them all."

Japanese kids loved the huge bugs in the 1980s.
Put strings around the neck and flew them around like pets.
Cool.

Or:
"Service guarentees citizenship."-Spaceship Troopers movie

Pretty sure it's a Paloverde beetle. Big problem for the paloverde trees (the trees with the green bark and yellow flowers). Used to see the a lot in Tucson.

Yep. Derobrachus geminatus.

Oddly, we have no palo verde trees in the area.

Y'all need a better border fence.

If you hook about ten of them together, they can pull a kid's wagon.

Exactly... There's a few of those that I would absolutely open fire on. :eek:

angela

My introduction to west Texas (USAF flight school) was a flying cockroach at 3:00 in the morning, flitting around my room. Woke me up, flip on the light, three-inch roach going ape all over the room. I grab one of my flight boots and just as he lands on a stack of papers I hammer him. SPLAT! Snot-like guts shot everywhere. Left the light on and went back to sleep. Then while shaving one would stick his antennae up through the drain or out of the overflow in the sink. They'd crawl out of the tub drain. Quickly learned to close all drains when not in use. Give me the relatively bug-free PNW.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...nana_Slugs.jpg

BTW, we get these too!

http://tksmiddy.com/spider.jpg

We don't have bugs in So cal either ;)

Y'know, I think the lowcountry of the US comes in pretty close to Australia for **** that will kill you or screw you up.....

Black Widows
Brown Recluse
Moccassins
Rattlers
Wolves (yup, I've seen em not far inland)
gators
more snakes
wild cats
more gators
more snakes
sharks (9ft Mako caught less than .25 miles off the beach at my house recently)
Rays of all sorts
Deer that like to morph into guided missiles towards your vehicle
more snakes
Snapping turtles of standard and alligator variety that have been recorded as big enough to take off a hand with ease..

Oh yeah, we had a tagged great white hanging around for a while as well.....who knows how many of his un tagged buddies he brought

My broken broomstick from November 2003 says differently. I was talking to a cute young Republican at my door when a spider similar to my above picture started to drop down on a silk strand. I broke the broom stick killing that thing!

So, how do you get the green slime out of the thing as you prepare it for your feast?

No thanks.

Oh Yeah...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1376095012.jpg

Wait... Its Shark Week

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1376095151.jpg