# What the hell kind of bug is this **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 22, 2008, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028 "2008-10-22T07:08:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Capcha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Capcha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capcha)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028/21 "2008-10-23T01:43:38Z")
Nah silly! You need sharp objects to kill it. I hereby suggest: your teeth. Give them pearly whites a challenge! _crunchcrunch_ erk… i just made myself nauseous… ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028/22 "2008-10-23T02:28:56Z")
Awww, those poor little _niños de la tierra_! What they ever do to you? I mean, \*besides \*scare the crap out of you? Even if they **are** ugly as a mofo, they are god’s creatures, too. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028/23 "2008-10-23T02:39:51Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Even if they **are** ugly as a mofo, they are god’s creatures, too. 🆒 And they eat bugs. This guy _ate roaches,_ and you killed it. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028/24 "2008-10-23T02:46:17Z")
So, when are you moving? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028/25 "2008-10-23T02:50:32Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Even if they **are** ugly as a mofo, they are god’s creatures, too. 🆒 If it wanted to continue living, and if God wanted it to continue living, it wouldn’t have crossed **Dfth** ’s path. At least, that’s my take on flies, mosquitoes and other nasty insects. I assume that if they’re bugging me, it’s because they’re suicidal over their continued existence as an insect, and they want me to speed them off to their next life. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028/26 "2008-10-23T03:29:01Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > That’s gotta be the least-accurately named insect ever – it’s neither a bug nor a cricket, doesn’t eat potatoes, and isn’t from Jerusalem. Reminds me of a Jerusalem Artichoke which has nothing to do with Jerusalem or artichokes. It’s a tuber, native to the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028/27 "2008-10-23T04:23:41Z")
I think my little bearded dragon Bindi Sue would enjoy that for dinner. Bon appetit, sweetie. How come I’m obligated to post pics of kittens, but not beardies? Seems oddly unfair to the poor critters… ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028/28 "2008-10-23T07:42:32Z")
> [@Wikipedia](#): > > Because of their large, human-like head, they are commonly called niño de la tierra (Spanish for “child of the earth”) –by people who are so whooped up on mescaline that they can no longer distinguish between the head of a human child and that of a hideous giant insect. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028/29 "2008-10-23T10:47:34Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > –by people who are so whooped up on mescaline that they can no longer distinguish between the head of a human child and that of a hideous giant insect. Actually, I remember the first time I ran across one, digging in a garden to plant roses. I was quite appalled at the resemblance to a baby’s head. Gave me quite a start at first… ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028/30 "2008-10-30T21:27:17Z")
> [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](#): > > OK, I’m calmed down a bit but, day-um, that’s the last thing I need waking me up at night. I normally don’t react to bugs by killing them but I hit this thing 3 times with a hammer fist and then got a paper towel and squished it as hard as I could and as I write this the beast is STILL ALIVE! This thing can give a roach a run for it’s money. OK, one just crawled across my patio the other night. I jumped on it and squished it with my shoe. About 5 minutes later, it got up and started crawling away. I jumped on it again and smashed it to smithereens. It did not survive this time. [This guy](http://homepage.mac.com/bugbob/askdoctorbug/stenopelmatus.html) says that there is a species called the Mahogany Jerusalem Cricket with a body that is 3.5 inches long! AAAAARRRGGGHHH! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-kind-of-bug-is-this/469028.md?page=1)