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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: jeromedawg on June 28, 2016, 08:36:27 PM

Title: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: jeromedawg on June 28, 2016, 08:36:27 PM
My wife squashed it though it was still alive. I thought it was a termite at first but it doesn't look like it after closer inspection:
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gT5z0AxmVLQgdB-nn8a72nDLCWDxciyIAScv3Td2FEYRWjPrdqd9Mo9B_wcswj48puZ62yTgZld2QnjdiM8i8YrXMwcBE4gVTlUIa7ZtORq8ikJcv401YQndhUpwtvc7U7QiclfHBRgf-3_tFYH1A_ntohvtNrlmTm7U6708rNqQPUolOIjHT6S6LZpUWhRUdMYlQLD9-ifJQstzs7MAbW2V-lN-8adXkYVvZAZsuDqZP8lPFI9O053jd0YsFyMpNdfJNrkZ95SNKs6v7tpYELcJL1M86OX1m8w6xazcU-x70FyzeZZhtqP7eI7OPSUguA9S8CQ3n_jTjm4Hb2f4VUD8vSF7vGy6aB-07M0wNsmOIV_gJbi14s14HunPBFEBRVxZSXKj-rx2HjDKCCzDaWG07_a4LrDGOQ81VPvgJjlBwhTpw589U7ReFgAY_8WgxoH8-G25gU7e_PUu9f8NaLTQmoKysCKO7eo96qlpOaOxGZSxkEUK6sTXNfcyszqGv2alEJFcQRrPZ1jznnrWzOGevbP7Vr6-mr44CqqJ7y02nxImcyDpsZhPSOAwW8xZZJ2i_iGOJUtb81oS-XBsicTVgG0F87Yw=w958-h718-no)


Anyone know?
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: Tom Bri on June 28, 2016, 09:02:47 PM
Wicked looking thing. Waiting for an answer too...
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: Choices on June 28, 2016, 09:17:28 PM
No clue, but here's a site http://www.insectidentification.org/ where you can look at pictures or type in number of legs, flying, etc. and try to match it up.
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: Sailor Sam on June 28, 2016, 10:17:47 PM
Nope. But I typed insect looks like a lobster into Teh Google images. Now I'm upset, and I've sent my wife for bug spray.
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: SingleMomDebt on June 28, 2016, 11:18:55 PM
This is one of those posts where you don't really want to click on it but you do....
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: FIRE me on June 28, 2016, 11:19:11 PM
Earwig?
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: LeRainDrop on June 28, 2016, 11:38:51 PM
This is one of those posts where you don't really want to click on it but you do....

Yup, guilty.

Nope. But I typed insect looks like a lobster into Teh Google images. Now I'm upset, and I've sent my wife for bug spray.

Why, oh, why, God, did I repeat Sailor Sam's mistake?
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: bortman on June 29, 2016, 08:04:43 AM
jplee3, I don't know where you are, but many US state universities have extension labs that do outreach for this sort of thing. Wisconsin's extension entomology services are here:

http://labs.russell.wisc.edu/insectlab/

The head of the lab even takes call-in questions on a monthly public radio show.

Look for one at your state U.

Also note that university extension labs and offices offer many other services, like plant and plant disease diagnose, water quality testing, etc
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: wenchsenior on June 29, 2016, 09:35:45 AM
This is driving me nuts! Those enlarged legs should be a good clue...dammitall, why didn't I take entomology when I had the chance !?

Maybe some sort of ambush bug?
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: HPstache on June 29, 2016, 11:02:54 AM
^ That looks like a match.  Weird though, this is what me and my friends called "potato bugs" growing up:

(https://www.combatbugs.com/sites/default/files/shutterstock_2957724-310px.jpg)
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: Sailor Sam on June 29, 2016, 11:07:50 AM
^ That looks like a match.  Weird though, this is what me and my friends called "potato bugs" growing up:

(https://www.combatbugs.com/sites/default/files/shutterstock_2957724-310px.jpg)

Me too, but my Arkansan wife has righteously informed me that those are doodlebugs. Go figure.
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: thd7t on June 29, 2016, 11:12:52 AM
^ That looks like a match.  Weird though, this is what me and my friends called "potato bugs" growing up:

(https://www.combatbugs.com/sites/default/files/shutterstock_2957724-310px.jpg)

Me too, but my Arkansan wife has righteously informed me that those are doodlebugs. Go figure.
We called them"roll pillows", but my wife called them"pull bugs "
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: katesilvergirl on June 29, 2016, 11:17:21 AM
Those are actually either "rolly pollies" or "pill bugs."
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: HPstache on June 29, 2016, 11:19:42 AM
"rolly pollies""

The scientific name, I'm sure!
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: HPstache on June 29, 2016, 11:21:13 AM
I am starting to think what you found might be a "queen" potato bug, and the pic I posted is an common underling potato bug...
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: jeromedawg on June 29, 2016, 03:36:05 PM
LOL! can't believe this thread took off.... sorta. I thought it was just gonna get buried because ppl weren't interested. Little did I know... :)

I posted the question at GardenWeb too but no solid answers. Someone thought it might be a mole cricket. Not so sure about that.

I'm in Southern California BTW. And this bug was pretty small. My wife squished it so I'm not sure what the back would have looked like. But yea the front legs have what appears to be some large pad. Never seen anything like it before.
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: MKinVA on June 29, 2016, 03:47:11 PM
Try Pale Windscorpion....not really a scorpion, but eww...desert kinda bug...very fast...
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: HPstache on June 29, 2016, 04:09:10 PM
Try Pale Windscorpion....not really a scorpion, but eww...desert kinda bug...very fast...

I don't think scorpions have antenna
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: sunnyca on June 29, 2016, 05:20:14 PM
I'm going to go with a baby Jerusalem cricket.
Title: Re: Does anyone know what kind of insect this is?
Post by: Spork on June 29, 2016, 05:48:07 PM
^ That looks like a match.  Weird though, this is what me and my friends called "potato bugs" growing up:

(https://www.combatbugs.com/sites/default/files/shutterstock_2957724-310px.jpg)
we call those Rolly Pollies here and they aren't actually insects but crustaceans (which is a kind of cool info tidbit). The Potato Bugs here (big ugly moist icky suckers that they are but also kind of sad too with their huge heads and lumbering walk) are actually Jerusalem Crickets. Don't know why we call them Potato Bugs except my the huge head.

We called them sow bugs.