9.18.2009

Waterscorpion

 
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My minnow trap held more than minnows today. This is one of the waterscorpions, a predatory true bug that hangs out in the water. This one appears to be of the genus Ranatra, but I can't get it down to species based on the picture. There are records of at least seven species of this genus in NC. I probably could have pickled it and sent it off to NC State for an ID, but I didn't feel like killing it. Sometimes I don't have to know...
By the way, should you come across one of these, please handle carefully. They can bite!

4 comments:

Hugh Griffith said...

I'm pretty sure that's a space alien, one of those that miscalculated how large humans were and believed it could come down and conquer us. That photo is striking fear throughout its home planet. Their aerospace administration has been fired.

swamp4me said...

Aw, man, now I'm feeling guilty about getting all those little aliens fired...

jason said...

Great catch! Glad to see the threat of a few friendly nibbles didn't stop you from getting a photo. Did you happen to find the spaceship as well? Would LOVE to see pictures of that...

swamp4me said...

jason,
The away team did a better job than the aerospace administration -- there was no sign of the landing craft...