Ovate Shieldback

Posted on March 21, 2025 by tspuckler

I found a couple of these cool creatures while driving at night on little-used Mojave Desert roads. It was the first time I’ve encountered these rather bizarre looking insects.

Ovate Shieldbacks are related to crickets and grasshoppers. They have a prominent plate-like structure called a pronotum that covers part of their body that resembles a shield. They are a mottled brown, blending in with dead grasses and the desert floor.

Shieldback Katydids are the linebackers of the katydid world, with robust bodies and a fierce looking demeanor (they may look mean, but like most katydids, they are harmless when handled). An extremely diverse group, there are 123 species of Shieldback Katydids in North America – nearly all are western in distribution.

These are usually the first katydids to emerge as adults. Males can be heard singing as early as mid-to-late June in weedy fields and brushy woodland understories.

Females have a long curved ovipositor protruding from the abdomen. It is not a stinger, though it looks like one. Ovipositors are used to deposit fertilized eggs deep into the soil.

Unlike their vegetarian relatives, Shieldback Katydids are scavengers on dead insects and are active predators of other insects. They do eat plants too, though.

These were a super cool find on my Las Vegas Area adventure.

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Short-horned Walking Stick

Posted on February 28, 2025 by tspuckler

I’ve only found a few Walking Stacks in my travels, but these bizarre-looking, slow-moving, plant-eating insects are hard not to like. Not only do they have a widespread distribution, fossil records indicate that they have evolutionary roots that reach back more than 200 million years, to the Triassic geologic period.

These intriguing creatures have raised camouflage to a art form. This is the only example of one that I’ve ever found in the desert and it’s easy to see how well it blends in with dead twigs. Its taxonomic family name, “Phasmatidae,” is derived from the Greek word “Phasma,” which means, appropriately, phantom or apparition.

Short-horned Walking Sticks are found in dry, arid regions of the Southwestern United States in the Summer and Autumn. Their habitat is in chaparral and open fields where they can be found feeding on the foliage of Globemallow, Deerweed, and other native plants.

The “short-horned” part of their common name refers to their antenna, which are just little stubs. The species that lives near me has much longer antenna, about one-third of the insect’s body.

The walking stick is the longest of all the modern insects, with a documented specimen from Borneo measuring more than two feet in length. Its other common names: Specter, Devil’s Horse, Devil’s Darning Needle and Witch’s Horse – reflect its hold on the human imagination.

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Lesser Angle-winged Katydid

Posted on December 27, 2024 by tspuckler

This was another neat creature that I came across while visiting the Land of Lincoln. It is found in the tops of broad-leaved trees in the eastern United States, from Long Island to southern Illinois and eastern-most Texas.

The Lesser Angle-winged Katydid belongs to a subfamily called False Katydids. It doesn’t sing “Katy did, Katy didn’t,” like similar looking species. Instead, its song consists of two or three short rattles in sequence, often phrased in such a way that each rattle sounds like a comment in response to the preceding one.

The diet of most Katydids includes leaves, flowers, bark, and seeds – but many species are exclusively predatory, feeding on other insects, snails, or even small vertebrates such as snakes and lizards.

Mainly nocturnal, like its relative the Greater Angle-wings Katydid, it may be attracted to lights. When Katydids go to rest during the day, they enter a roosting posture to maximize their cryptic qualities. This position fools predators into thinking the insect is either dead or just a leaf on the plant.

It was neat to come across this cool and well-camouflaged creature while on my travels.

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Wrinkled Grasshopper

Posted on October 4, 2024 by tspuckler

While exploring a glade in Missouri, I found a couple of these intricately marked insects that I had never seen before. This is a large, heavy bodied grasshopper that feeds primarily on short grasses, especially Bluegrass and Japanese Brome.

This species inhabits prairies, pastures, open woodlands, roadsides, alfalfa fields, and almost any grassy area within its geographic range. Unlike other grasshoppers, it is most commonly found in areas with dense grass. Its pattern helps to conceal it when it hides in tangles of vegetation.

The Wrinkled Grasshopper occurs across the eastern two-thirds of the United States, as far west as southwest Montana, eastern Wyoming, and Colorado, and southward into Mexico. It is absent in Canada, New England, and the Great Lakes states.

This is one of those creatures with a common name that seems a bit “off”. The “wrinkled” name came from the species name that was in use at the time, but not quite interpreted right. That species name actually referred to the roughened, sometimes ridged upper surface of the insect’s back. In reality, this is one of the smoothest and least “wrinkled” of the Band-winged Grasshoppers.

Wrinkled Grasshoppers overwinter as eggs. Adults are mostly seen in July or August into October or November in much of their range, and sometimes through Winter in the southernmost part of their range. When flying, its hind wings display yellow, orange, red, or pink with a dark curved band running around outer edge and with a dark spur from this band near the front margin of the wing.

Males are usually active, alert, and difficult to approach or catch. Females are powerful fliers as well, but may rely on camouflage instead of trying to escape, taking to the air only as a last resort. Wrinkled Grasshoppers were indeed a fun find with on my trip to the Midwest.

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Two-striped Grasshopper

Posted on September 6, 2024 by tspuckler

While hiking in Brecksville Reservation, I sometimes come across these cool insects. They are commonly found in North America, with high quantities inhabiting Canadian prairies and farmland.

A pair of pale yellow stripes running along the top of it body from above its eyes to the hind tip of its wings identify this species. This characteristic also gives this species its other common name, the Yellow-striped Grasshopper.

The Two-striped Grasshopper is polyphagous, which means it is capable of eating a wide variety of foods. Its diet includes diversity of grasses, forbs, trees, shrubs, and many cultivated plants.

It is a large insect. Females, like this one, can seem enormous compared with the males. The smallest females are larger than the largest males.

A grasshopper about 1 inch long can leap 20 inches. If a person 5 feet tall could jump that well, he or she could leap from one end of a basketball court to the other.

In addition to leaping, grasshoppers are also known for their musical talents. Many communicate by sound and have unusual ways of making their songs.

The Two-striped Grasshopper is highly adaptable and occupies many habitat types. It prefers habitats with lush vegetation, but is also associated with disturbed sites along roadsides, field borders, gardens, and agricultural sites.

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Earwig

Posted on May 24, 2024 by tspuckler

I came across one of these interesting insects while hiking in Santa Cruz, California. I occasionally find them in my home state of Ohio as well. In fact, lately they seem to be hanging out in the storage section built into the seats of our plastic deck chairs.

Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forcep-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded underneath short, rarely used forewings, hence the scientific order name, Dermaptrea, which translates to “skin wings.”

Adults can use the cerci in defense, twisting the abdomen forward over the head or sideways to engage an enemy, often another Earwig. The pronounced cerci are the most distinctive feature of Earwigs; in the male the cerci are strongly curved whereas in the female they curve only slightly.

These insects are small (about 1/2 an inch long) and mostly nocturnal. They often hide in small, moist crevices during the day, and are active at night, feeding on a wide variety of insects and plants. They tend to be more common in the southern and southwestern parts of the United States.

Earwigs can also be found throughout the Americas and Eurasia. The Common Earwig was introduced into North America in 1907 from Europe; it was first observed in North America at Seattle, Washington in 1907. It spread quickly, and was reported in Oregon in 1909, British Columbia in 1919, and California in 1923. It reached Rhode Island in 1911, New York in 1912, and most other provinces and northern states in the 1930s and 1940s.

Earwigs are among the few non-social insect species that show maternal care. The mother pays close attention to the needs of her eggs, giving them warmth and protection. She dutifully defends the eggs from predators, not leaving them even to eat, unless the clutch goes bad. She also continuously cleans the eggs to protect them from fungi.

Earwigs are mistakenly thought to enter the ears of sleeping persons and burrow into their brains. This is an urban myth that has no basis in fact. In reality, these menacing-looking insects are totally harmless.

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Robber Fly

Posted on March 29, 2024 by tspuckler

I have seen this cool insect from as close as just outside my back door, to both the East Coast and West Coast – and a number of places in between.

Also known as “Assassin Flies,” their common name reflects their aggressive predatory behavior; they feed mainly on other insects that they catch in flight.

Robber Flies are powerfully built. They attack their prey by stabbing it with their short, strong, pointed tubular mouthpart. They have long, strong legs that are bristled to aid in capturing prey.

The mouthpart, known as a proboscis, injects the victim with saliva containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes which very rapidly paralyze the prey and soon digest the insides. The Robber Fly then sucks the liquefied material through its proboscis.

These creatures hunt a very wide range of prey, including other flies, beetles, butterflies and moths, bees, ants, dragonflies and damselflies, wasps, grasshoppers and some spiders.

Robber Flies often establish a “perching zone” in which to locate potential prey. The height of the perch may vary, but they are generally in open, sunny locations.

Though they vary widely in appearance, Robber Flies have a characteristic divot on top of the head, which is located between their especially prominent compound eyes.

Different species vary in appearance and some types mimic wasps and bees. Most species are gray-to-black and have a long, narrow, tapering abdomen containing segments that may be banded or contrasting in color.

It is fun to come across the many different types of this very interesting invertebrate wherever I go.

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Camel Cricket

Posted on January 12, 2024 by tspuckler

Although it’s cold outside, the inner temperatures of caves is remarkablely stable. So some cool creatures can be found if a person is willing to do a little bit of exploring.

Camel Crickets get their common name from their humpbacked appearance, which is similar to that of a Camel. Also commonly known as Cave Crickets or Spider Crickets, this species can be found in caves, as well as damp, cool areas underneath damp leaves, stones and rotting logs.

These insects are widespread in the United States and in the world and have a lifespan of about one to two years. They do not possess sound producing organs, and therefore they do not chirp. Additionally, unlike other cricket species, the adults do not have wings.

Camel Cricket have very long antennae as well as long back legs, which enable them to jump several feet. They tend to be light tan to dark brown in color. These crickets are almost entirely nocturnal, so long antennae and other appendages allow them to feel their way around in the dark.

At the tip of the abdomen is a pair of long cerci (paired appendages on rearmost segment), and in females, an ovipositor (a tube-like organ used for laying of eggs) which is cylindrical, pointed, long and narrow, smooth and shiny.

Camel Crickets need to shed their exoskeleton periodically, a process known as molting. This is done as the insect grows, because the exoskeleton cannot expand.

These creatures are omnivores and eat what is readily available, from plants to carrion to fungi.

I enjoyed finding these unusual creatures as a kid and still like coming across them in the present day. I most often find them under rocks and fallen limbs in slightly damp locations. I usually come across them in the Autumn months while flipping logs, looking for salamanders.

Growing to about an inch long, there are about 150 species of Camel Crickets in the United States.

In 2023 this fine insect was named The 2023 USA Cave Animal of the Year: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/cave-cricket.htm

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Autumn Yellow-Winged Grasshopper

Posted on September 29, 2023 by tspuckler

While hiking through open fields in Missouri, I noticed several examples of this cool insect. This large, brown grasshopper is about 1-1/2 inches long and most often seen from late Summer into Autumn. This rather drab-looking creature belongs to the family known as the Short-horned Grasshoppers. It occurs throughout the eastern and central United States in open woodlands, grasslands, dry fields and prairies.

When approached, it is quick to retreat and fly away. When it flies away, it shows its bright yellow or orange hind wings and makes a rattling noise. The sound produced in flight is a behavior known as crepitation.

Species that produce sound also have hearing organs. In crickets and katydids, these “ears” are on the front legs. In grasshoppers, they are on the sides of the first abdominal segment. Many grasshoppers produce ultrasonic mating calls (above the range of human hearing). In some species, the sounds may be as high as 100 kHz. (Human hearing extends to about 20 kHz.)

When resting, this species often blends exceptionally well with soil. Its wing pattern puts it in a group known as Bandwinged Grasshoppers, which are usually heavy-bodied and bear enlarged hind legs. The head of this grasshopper often appears enlarged and broadly rounded.

Autumn Yellow-Winged Grasshoppers feed on various grasses. They do not seem to occur in abundance anywhere and therefore they are not considered a pest species.

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Twelve-spotted Skimmer

Posted on August 4, 2023 by tspuckler

This is a big, handsome, black dragonfly with spotted wings. In addition to its size, the male Twelve-spotted Skimmer is easily recognized by its wing spots. Females have a brown body with yellow lateral stripes with similar wings to the male, but lack the white patches.

These insects have two sets of wings. They have twelve dark brown or black wing spots (three spots per wing) – hence, the name “Twelve-spotted.” The Twelve-spotted Skimmer averages just over two inches in length and their wingspan is just under two inches.

Dragonflies are very efficient hunters and catch their insect prey by grabbing it with their legs. Adult Twelve-spotted Skimmers will eat almost any soft-bodied flying insect, including mosquitoes, flies, butterflies, moths, mayflies and flying ants and termites.

Skimmers are the most common and colorful members of the dragonfly family. Their wings are held flat and extend outward from the body when at rest.

Males typically are very territorial at breeding sites, displaying aggression by chasing competing males in what can be likened to an aviation performance of vertical loops and side-by-side flight displays.

The Twelve-spotted Skimmer is found in southern Canada and in all 48 of the contiguous United States. Its habitat is ponds and nearby fields. As visual hunters, nearly all of a dragonfly’s head is eye, so they have incredible vision that encompasses almost every angle except right behind them.

It is always cool to see one of these fine creatures when out and about. Dragonflies were among of the first winged insects to evolve, some 300 million years ago and had wingspans of up to two feet.

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Category Archives: Insects – Other

Ovate Shieldback

Short-horned Walking Stick

Lesser Angle-winged Katydid

Wrinkled Grasshopper

Two-striped Grasshopper

Earwig

Robber Fly

Camel Cricket

Autumn Yellow-Winged Grasshopper

Twelve-spotted Skimmer