This thing here is really bugging me

Anne

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WARNING - DO NOT SCROLL DOWN IF CREEPY CRAWLERS PICS DISTURB YOU

We went to a birthday party yesterday and a friend pops out a glass jar and asks us if we have any idea what this critter is. Inside there's the largest insect I ever saw in my life. The thing is huge, in insect proportions. It's over two inches long in body alone, and has these very very long antenea which look more like horns (i.e. they are tougher). It's greyish with some light yellow marking on its tummy and some small red ones on its top.

The guy found it in its backyard and it most certainly isn't local. I am guessing it's somebody's exotic pet that got away? I have no idea really. We are going to rehome it today, give it to somebody who keeps Madagascar hissing beetles and other insects and will probably know how to take care of this critter better than us. Not that I have the slightest inclination to keep it as a pet
I have a cockroach phobia and this thing is way too similar looking. It spooks me just to be in the same room with it. Every now and then, when it climbs its box and drops back down I scream lol.

Here's a picture of our visitor. If anyone knows, or maybe knows anyone who knows, what this insect may be, I would love to know. Sorry I couldn't take a better picture, I was freaking out as it is, opening the hatch of the container to take the picture... Yes, it's over two inches long, so this is pretty much life size, what you see in this picture.

 

sandtigress

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I don't know what it is, but it's pretty weird looking! If no one on here can identify it, my department runs an "Ask an Expert" program that forwards your email to a listserv of people who are experts in various fields of Biology, so they might know! Here's the link for you, or anyone else, who's interested. http://www.bio.tamu.edu/askanexpert/ask.htm
 

miagi's_mommy

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woah! that looks like a king kong sized grasshopper! with antennas!
 
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Anne

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Cool link Sandtigress! I filled in the form - maybe someone there can shed light on this one.

Kluchetta, it's definitely not a Goliath beetle. It's hard to tell from the picture, but this one has an elongated body, not round at all. I probably need to take a picture from above, if I can muster up the courage to open the hatch again lol
 

dawnofsierra

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Cringe! However an interesting specimen this may be, ick, ick, ick!

You know, Anne, you must be the kindest person in the world. Most of us would go to great lengths to rehome a cat with a family who will give her all the love and care she deserves. Anne, on the other hand, is not only strongly supporting the welfare of cats but is now bringing home unidentified gigantic extra terrestrial creatures to keep safe before rehoming it to someone more experienced in its care. I would be concerned it would reproduce and soon be taking over your country.


Hope this doesn't sound heartless especially coming from me since you guys know this isn't my usual take on such a situation and that I would become enraged for someone to say this about a cat, but I honestly must say I'm really not sure that thing may have not ended up on the bottom of my shoe.
 
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Anne

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Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

I would be concerned it would reproduce and soon be taking over your country.
lol, trust me, I am very very much concerned with that, which is why I am not letting it free outside like my DH wanted to do
I told him if this things somehow manages to multiplie, I am leaving the country


I guess I am used to being the joke of the day among friends and family for my weird rescuees lol. Last time it was a chicken, then a Heron and now a bug. My brother-in-law walked over to me yesterday and said, "Hey, Anne, there's a squashed mosquito here, think we should alert the vet on the weekend?"


Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

Hope this doesn't sound heartless especially coming from me since you guys know this isn't my usual take on such a situation and that I would become enraged for someone to say this about a cat, but I honestly must say I'm really not sure that thing may have not ended up on the bottom of my shoe.
I don't think you realize its sheer size lol, if you step on it, I think your shoe might break
 

kluchetta

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Dang! I really thought it was some type of beetle! But I'm a musician, so what do I know, LOL.

I'll bet the zoo might be interested. I certainly wouldn't let it go either, nor would I kill it. (I take spiders outside to free them). But I think I would be a little weirded out having it in my house. You'll have to let us know if you ever find out what it is.
 

vampirecat

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Thats one BIG bug
I would freak if i saw that climbing my wall


Kinda cool tho' seeing something unusual, good luck with identifying it
 

hopehacker

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You know, usually I am totally grossed out by bugs of all kinds, but in your photograph this bug looks like it has a golden body. I actually think it's quite pretty, if you don't look at it's face area and antennae area.
 

beckiboo

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Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

Hope this doesn't sound heartless especially coming from me since you guys know this isn't my usual take on such a situation and that I would become enraged for someone to say this about a cat, but I honestly must say I'm really not sure that thing may have not ended up on the bottom of my shoe.
When I lived in Charleston, South Carolina, I saw plenty of large roaches (aka palmetto bugs). They would easily be 2 inches long. Let me assure you, I was way too creeped out to step on them! After all, there was a good chance they would take off running, and it would look like I was wearing rollerskates! LOL!

I considered getting a gun to shoot them with (I'm telling you...these were BIG!), but settled on calling on a guy to come get rid of them.

Anne, your bug looks beetly to me...let us know when you find out what it is. You ARE very gentle hearted to be rehoming it!
 
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Anne

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Originally Posted by clixpix

Anne,

If nobody finds out what kind of insect that is, this site might be helpful:

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/true_bugs_2.html

You can email them the picture, and they help identify the bug.
Thanks. I found it yesterday too and couldn't find anything that looked like it there. I just emailed them the picture, I wonder what they'll come up with.
 
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Anne

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Oh, btw, it's been rehomed today! The guy was thrilled (the actual guy that took him in, not the bug, whom I don't know if is a guy or a girl lol). The beetle is a carnivore apparently, by its jaws, and the guy said it's a good thing we didn't play with it, or it would have nibbled at us. It was given a worm and a cricket for lunch. I didn't see the actual feeding scene, thankfully.

If I find out what it is, I'll be sure to let ya all know
 

gemlady

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If I had found it back in my college days it would have ended up with a specimen pin through it and it would be residing in the college's insect collection. (There is a moth I collected in the collection
)

The hind legs reminded me of a grasshopper.
 
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Anne

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ok, we got an ID on the fella. It's not some super exotic and expensive pet bug. It's some rare invasive species that came to Israel during the 1960's. It feeds on fig trees and caused a lot of damage to fig tree growers back then. It appears that it is making a comeback, and while that specimen we found is unusually large they are usually up to 2 inches long, and he was a bit longer, it's not unheard of.

http://www.nature-of-oz.com/cerambycidaelamiinae.htm - ours is the one on the third row of pictures. The Latin name is Batocera Rofmaculata.

Thanks for the help everyone!
 

lokismum

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Glad to hear you found an answer, Anne! Hmmm, they came to Israel in the 60s, and it's invasive! Hmmmmm!
 
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