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It’s all Joan’s fault. But that’s OK.
Because she has me looking at the world in a different way.
Now If I could just get more angles.
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I don’t know bugs from bananas, but I’m learning with the help of Kaufman’s Field Guide to Insects of North America, which says, “Jerusalem Crickets, Stenopelmatus, are perhaps our most maligned and misidentified insects. They are not crickets but more closely related to the wetas [whatever that is] of Australia and New Zealand. They are nocturnal [yet it was broad daylight], burrow in loose soil in dry habitats [yup, it crawled under a rock], probably predatory [it was about one inch long and Wiki said it can be up to 2.7 inches], not venomous but can deliver a wicked bite if carelessly handled. [OMG, do you see those mandibles? Sorry Joan, I wasn’t about to handle it.] The life cycle may take four or five years to complete.” Wiki also said they eat dead organic material and other insects.
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I don’t know bugs from bananas, but I’m learning with the help of Kaufman’s Field Guide to Insects of North America, which says, “Jerusalem Crickets, Stenopelmatus, are perhaps our most maligned and misidentified insects. They are not crickets but more closely related to the wetas [whatever that is] of Australia and New Zealand. They are nocturnal [yet it was broad daylight], burrow in loose soil in dry habitats [yup, it crawled under a rock], probably predatory [it was about one inch long and Wiki said it can be up to 2.7 inches], not venomous but can deliver a wicked bite if carelessly handled. [OMG, do you see those mandibles? Sorry Joan, I wasn’t about to handle it.] The life cycle may take four or five years to complete.” Wiki also said they eat dead organic material and other insects.
By getting down on my knees to get this capture I had visitors stopping to look and also photograph. Very cool. Next time I’ll know what it is. Thanks Joan for reminding me to look at the insect world up close.