# What was this fucking huge, scary bug that I saw? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 7, 2007, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fucking-huge-scary-bug-that-i-saw/421830 "2007-10-07T06:31:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fucking-huge-scary-bug-that-i-saw/421830/21 "2007-10-08T22:06:44Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker] If I might ask… what, specifically, were you afraid of? I’m trying to think of any flying insects in the North American continental area that can deliver a fatal injury, or indeed anything more than a sting. Of course, you may be allergic to bee stings, which certainly makes your caution understandable, but absent something along those lines, I guess I’m having trouble understanding what, specifically, created this terror. I debated the propriety of asking this in GQ, and decided that it was possible that there would be a pure factual answer, such as allergies, or the new information (for me) that there’s an _americanus big-biteieus_ flying insect that can do serious physical damage. If the answer is more… er… esoteric… then please feel free to ignore or redirect to a more appropriate forum. [/QUOTE] Well, in my case I usually shriek and run at big flying insects until I can rule out them being cockroaches. But even if they’re just some random beetle or moth I still do not appreciate them flying directly at me. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fucking-huge-scary-bug-that-i-saw/421830/22 "2007-10-08T23:24:40Z")
The Preying Mantis can be brown. We have them all aorund the house. (And, no, I am not confused with a Walking Stick bug.) ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fucking-huge-scary-bug-that-i-saw/421830/23 "2007-10-09T00:24:46Z")
[QUOTE=yabob] The larval state is called a hellgrammite, another candidate for “what the hell is that”, and known for being good fish bait: [http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/dobsonfly.htm](http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/dobsonfly.htm) [/QUOTE] Helgies make awesome smallmouth bass bait, but one must be well versed in the handling of such as those pincers aren’t ornamental and a hellgrammite can \*really \* tweak on your finger. They’re also wonderful for scaring the living daylights out of children. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fucking-huge-scary-bug-that-i-saw/421830/24 "2007-10-09T02:33:48Z")
Praying mantis are now in the process of laying their eggs for next year’s brood, so, **Argent Towers** , what you probably saw was a [pregnant female](http://www.earthsbirthday.org/butterflies/mantids/images/mantisthistle.jpg), more substantial in body. I’m seeing more fat females flying now, as they look for a place to lay their eggs. If you see [this](http://www.hiltonpond.org/images/MantisEggCase01.jpg)sorta contraption in the next few months, that’s a mantis egg case. I don’t know how those little gals tote a can of spray foam around. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fucking-huge-scary-bug-that-i-saw/421830.md?page=1)