Large Stick Insect in-residence

Weird Bug on Porch

An Extremely Weird Slug

Many Moths, Butterflies and Caterpillars Around the House

Net-casting Spider on our Verandah

This spider creates a small web that it uses as a net to toss on a passing insect. Even more remarkably, many species have the ability to create pheromones that simulate the mating scent of a moth. This attracts a male moth into its range so it can net it.

Visit by a Rhinoceros Beetle

Tonight we were visited by a rhinoceros beetle, which all the cats found quite interesting. Rhinoceros beetles are the strongest animals on the planet in relation to their own size. They can lift up to 850 times their own weight - so Denali better watch out!

A Close Encounter, as Told By "Poor Tim"

"My project today was to take about this many weeds:


Out of this section of our front yard:


At one point when I was putting some branches on the brush pile, I felt something on my shoulder, and brushed it off. This is what it was:


You might look at that and say, 'it's just a stick, what's the big deal?', right?

Well, here is the 'stick' as it angrily crawled away...


and then went up the side of the trash can...



and finally settled on the first suitable branch it found:


That's right, it was the BIGGEST stick insect in history!"

POOR TIM!

(the name of this stick insect is the TITAN STICK INSECT, one of the world's longest insects, which can grow to be over 15 inches long... here are some more photos of them - notice the nice lady is HOLDING hers....)



Here is a rare photo of one dialing out for a pizza with everything on it...