Isn't this guy amazing? He reminds me of a robot with this cool
mechanical looking cog-like thing on his back. He's called a wheel bug
for obvious reasons, and even walks in slow jerky motions like a robot.
This one is huge. His body is 2 1/4 inches long.
The bite of a wheel bug is painful and may take months to heal,
sometimes leaving a small scar, so caution is advised when handling
them. Why do I always find these things out, AFTER I've been
playing around with them?
It possesses two scent sacs, red-orange in colour, that can be fired
from its anus, usually in reaction to being disturbed. Oh, great. I was
messing with a vicious insect that, not only could have bitten me, but
fired foul smelling stuff from its butt. Next time, I'll steer clear. He is
really cool, though, don't you think?
Have a listen to the great Hank Mobley playing Hello Young Lovers.
I've been singing this all morning, changing the lyrics to "bug lovers".
It works. Have a wonderful weekend, bloggy friends. ~x
