# Horrifying Bugs Invading Earth **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 14, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736 "2012-04-14T03:04:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736/41 "2012-04-15T23:43:41Z")
That’s just a giant water bug. The cockroaches here in South Carolina keep them as pets. For pure bug induced horror, how about the [Japanese Hornet](http://www.google.com/search?q=japanese+hornet&hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=DlyLT9jJJdSgtwffgvzyCQ&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=768&bih=928)? Sweet dreams. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736/42 "2012-04-16T00:01:11Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > We occasionally get some huge Praying Mantises (Mantisae? Mantisases?) here in my area. I’ve never seen one act aggressively, though- they’ve always been very docile for me. > > [Here’s one I found on my porch a year back or so- that’s my hand holding it](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bL2Lu0fRw2Q/TKM0TeBYGfI/AAAAAAAADP4/nne_VYd2opQ/s720/1000000129.jpg). I had one of those in my hand once and it bit me deep enough that the wound bled. Death To Them ALL!! I’m coming to the conclusion that we must establish a nuclear Zone of Death along our norther border. The only doubt I have is that these critters would eat radioactive stuff and just grow BIGGER. Plan B is to fatten up Canadians so us Chubby Americans aren’t tempting these critters across the border for easier meals. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736/43 "2012-04-16T04:26:37Z")
I think [these](http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/invertebrates/weta/docs-work/) are the ugliest, meanest looking ones. Close to Antarctica, too! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736/44 "2012-04-16T04:34:21Z")
> [@Kiwi\_Fruit](#): > > I think [these](http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/invertebrates/weta/docs-work/) are the ugliest, meanest looking ones. Close to Antarctica, too! They’re making _more_ of those things?! Deliberately? Please send me the lab coordinates so I can call in a Predator drone strike. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736/45 "2012-04-16T11:17:42Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Note to self: Don’t click any links in this thread. That picture of the bug in that guy’s hand almost made me shit my pants This comes from The Lurker at the Threshold? Worst post/username combo in thread. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736/46 "2012-04-16T17:40:27Z")
> [@Panurge](#): > > This comes from The Lurker at the Threshold? Worst post/username combo in thread. > > 😃 Even the Lurker has stuff he doesn’t like. There’s an entire dimension I built just to store scary bugs ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736/47 "2012-04-16T18:02:38Z")
The giant water bug (_Lethocerus_) ranges throughout most of North America. They _leave the water and fly_ to find a mate. Sometimes they seem attracted to street lights. I’ve seen literal piles of them, totaling multiple bushel baskets of 3+ inch crawlers, in certain places where this occurred. My experiences were in southeastern Florida, but here’s a [link](http://www.sptimes.com/2003/06/21/Tampabay/The_invasion_of_the_g.shtml) to an occurrence on Florida’s other coast. ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736/48 "2012-04-16T18:10:55Z")
I’ve seen the big water bugs, but never knew they could bite. Thanks for the warning. I love praying mantises-- they look cool and they eat pests. I caught them all the time as a kid, some about 6 inches long. Never got bit. Cicada killers are fun to watch, and I’ve always thought garden spiders were beautiful. Never bitten or stung by either of them, either. Or centipedes. Come to think of it, what are y’all doing to get attacked by these critters? ---
**Author:** ![Pops1963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de053/32.png) [@Pops1963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pops1963)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736/49 "2012-04-17T22:51:21Z")
Just one more bug story. When I lived in the Mojave desert I was taking care of some paperwork one Sunday evening when a SunSpider crashed the party. Luckily I was already sitting with my pants down or it would have been even uglier. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736/50 "2012-04-18T00:36:16Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > Ayuh, up here in Maine, we have these water beetles, nasty bugs, they’ve been known to eat small frogs as well as tadpoles, and in a thoroughly nasty way There’s a passage from Annie Dillard’s _Pilgrim at Tinker Creek_ where she describes this happening. It’s horrifying. I’ve been scared of giant water bugs ever since, even though I’ve never actually SEEN one. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736/51 "2012-04-18T18:04:14Z")
I thought this thread would be about those recently re-discovered [tree lobsters](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dryococelus_australis), a species of stick insect exhibiting giantism. Almost 6" long, they are. But this water bug is just as alarming. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-bugs-invading-earth/618736.md?page=2)