Dangerous Neighborhood

    This cute little fuzzy guy will grow up to be an Eastern Tent Moth. He is a docile caterpillar who allowed me to pick him up and move him several times in order to get this photograph.

    He is also responsible for an untold number of deaths.

    In the spring of 2001 race horse breeders and their veterinarians began reporting that pregnant mares were losing their unborn foals at an alarming rate. In Kentucky alone approximately 2600 unborn foals were lost. The value of the lost foals was estimated to be from 350 to 500 million dollars.

    After a lot of hard work researchers were able to establish that the pregnant mares had eaten Eastern Tent Moth Caterpillars. Those little fuzzy hairs? Under an electron microscope investigators saw barbs on them. Like a rose stem with thorns. When a mare ate a caterpillar the hairs penetrated the lining of her digestive tract and entered her bloodstream. The hairs had bacteria on them. As they traveled around in the blood some of them entered the unborn foal's body and caused a fatal bacterial infection followed by abortion.

    My apologies to any naturalists that may view my blog. These caterpillars like cherry and apple trees. I took this little fellow from his tree and put him on a flower in order to get a more attractive photo. 

    While fetching him from his tree I noticed a very small movement directly to my right. When I looked more closely I recognized an old acquaintance shown in a previous blog. They were one half inch longWheel Bugs. Mama Wheel Bug knew what she was doing when she laid her eggs nearby because Wheel Bugs eat caterpillars. These young Wheel Bugs were only 1/2 inch long, including their antennae.

    Eastern Tent Moth Caterpillars are interesting to read about. They make nests that are comfortable in a variety of temperatures and when they find food they create scent trails for their housemates to follow. If you would like to read more click on this link.

    If you would like to see an electron micrograph of a barbed hair click here. And just to add a small "ick" factor, there are medical reports of people getting these in their eyes.

Pixar Bug

    In May I took this little guy's picture. I loved his shiny red and black colors. He seemed unsure exactly how to use his long antennae with the yellow tips. And the way he moved around clumsily on his long legs reminded me of a newborn foal.

    My daughter and I agreed that he should be a character in a Pixar film. He would be the innocent young fellow with a heart of gold who always tried to do the right thing. 

    I never identified him, I just filed him away as "Pixar Bug."

    Imagine my shock and disappointment when I found out that he grew up to be this guy!

    While I was waiting to identify this insect I called him "Ugly Bug." His true name is Wheel Bug, for the odd structure on his back. No one knows the purpose of that wheel, unless it is to help other Wheel Bugs recognize him. No other bug in North America has a wheel.

    See the long fang? If you are foolish enough to handle him he will stab you with it. His sting is said to hurt worse than a hornet's and may take weeks to heal. 

    When not stinging innocent humans he uses his fang on soft prey like caterpillars. He lumbers up to them and grabs them with his front legs, then injects a poison into them that paralyzes them and liquifies their insides. He then drinks their innards like a milkshake.

    And that cute little red and black guy? He will eat his brothers and sisters if he gets the chance.  

    Wheel Bugs also produce an unpleasant odor when threatened. 

    Is there any good news? Actually, yes. A Wheel Bug won't hurt you unless you pick him up. And he eats Japanese beetles and moths. So if you see him in your yard don't hurt him.

    If you would like to see a photo of a group of very young baby Pixars please visit my more recent blog by clicking on this link.