The Petersen Herd

The Petersen Herd

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Texas Bugs!

In celebration of finishing "Charlotte's Web" and in anticipation of this coming week's bug-stravaganza, we started a little collection.This is the tobacco hornworm. This lovely critter was found on our tomato plants after we noticed they were being eaten alive. They're incredibly hard to spot and huge. The biggest one we caught was about 6 inches when it sprawled out and as big around as my middle finger.
This is what the plants looked like when we realized what was happening. We found about 12 of them and I think we got them because our plants are recovering. Sadly, the ones we caught didn't live to see the new camera so we stole this picture. They eventually become hawk moths, but Mom couldn't wait that long to get them out of the kitchen window sill.
This not so little guy is a Cicada exoskeleton. We can't catch a live one because they like to live up in our trees where they can safely keep the neighborhood awake. These guys are about as loud as a fire alarm if you go outside and you can hear them inside even when the air conditioner is on. They are loud and the carcasses are a little creepy but at least they stay outside.
This is a cottonwood borer beetle. He is quite large, about 1 1/2 inches long and his antennae are longer than his body. He was found on the back porch and eats dead cotton wood which means our yard is heaven for him. He's not even disgusting, just really interesting. Kabe named him peanut and he's proving pretty resiliant.
This jumbo dragonfly was caught on the tomato net. He had ADD and beat himself to death in the jar he was caught in. His wings are prettier in the sun and you might see more pictures of him later since we'll be pinning him into our bug collection. We didn't photography the other, smaller, less impressive bugs but there are quite a few living in the windowsill including june bugs, black caterpillars and what we think are some sort of termite?

For those of you in Lewisville, if you see any exotic insects lying around please save them for us (no cochroaches). We'd love to study them!

3 comments:

Niki said...

Note to self...never go to Texas! Scary!

Heath 'n Jeri said...

The bugs of it all! I'm glad that you are having a bug unit, but glad that I won't be there to share. Love ya!

SISSY said...

I think that is just YUCKY, I am not a bug fan.. you are a true boy mom, maybe you should come to my house and show my boys about bugs.. I don't like bugs at all! :)