Strange Bugs in the PNW

[salmonriverjohn]

Anyone get any "superpowers" after being bit , by the "Toe Biter?" LOL
Andy

Yes Andy, I found the ability to run across the top of the water while extricating my arse outta that pond after getting nailed by it!

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Thats funny salmonriverjohn.
Once while surfing , I had a otter slap my leg while he was playing tag.
Scared the sh!t out of me , till I saw him.
Andy

 

[Kristina]

Maybe not strange but I've run into these on the east side of the cascades quite a few times.



That is a "small" one I found while mountain biking in Bend. Those antennae are probably 3-4 inches long. The big ones are twice that size or more.

 

[Jamie6.5]

Maybe not strange but I've run into these on the east side of the cascades quite a few times.

View attachment 303927

That is a "small" one I found while mountain biking in Bend. Those antennae are probably 3-4 inches long. The big ones are twice that size or more.

And once impaled on a #12 fish hook, will catch the biggest trout in a desert stream.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Not too strange, beautiful really,
These are showing up at night around the house right now.
The bats love them, kind of a one stop meal for them.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

And then there's this, a 3" long critter called the "horn tailed wood wasp". These, will make a grown man turn and run head long into a tree!
It took me a long time to accept that they don't sting, I still ain't grabbing one like I did one of those "toe biters" to test that out though.

 

[Timbertodd]

That one looks like a giant house spider. I will get them around the basement door once the weather begins to cool. Years ago I was the manager for a ceramic tile dist. in Portland. One day one of my coworkers told me I needed to check out this nasty spider that would run out at him from under a pallet. I thought yeah right. I got down so I could see and this thing runs out and HISSES at me. It was at least 6" from leg to leg. I did a fast guerilla stomp. Figured it came from one of the overseas containers.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Several years ago, My brother and I were hunting cougar up near Swift Res, and we found a field of these very large spiders that had webs from tree to tree, and big enough/strong enough to catch and hold a humming bird! These spiders looked almost exactly like the normal garden spiders but about three to four times the size and were bright neon orange with yellowish spots! Big nasty suckers! The only way to find them was to wave a stalk of long grass out in front to catch the webs! The biggest one I saw was about 4'' long, Body and head, with legs that spanned about 5'' I have been told they are normal in these areas, but in all my years I have only seen them one time!

 

[Brutus57]

Several years ago, My brother and I were hunting cougar up near Swift Res, and we found a field of these very large spiders that had webs from tree to tree, and big enough/strong enough to catch and hold a humming bird! These spiders looked almost exactly like the normal garden spiders but about three to four times the size and were bright neon orange with yellowish spots! Big nasty suckers! The only way to find them was to wave a stalk of long grass out in front to catch the webs! The biggest one I saw was about 4'' long, Body and head, with legs that spanned about 5'' I have been told they are normal in these areas, but in all my years I have only seen them one time!

Hmmmm, what were you smokin round the campfire?

Brutus Out

 

[Bon Sauvage]

This one nearly got me. As you can see I chopped off one of its legs while fighting for my life.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

View attachment 304006


This one nearly got me. As you can see I chopped off one of its legs while fighting for my life.

Youngin isn't it?

 

[etrain16]

I have happened across these guys several times in my yard - I've always found them in the early morning as I was leaving for work (not my photos, I haven't bothered to take any myself). Big, big bugs, and they're beetles, which is one kind of bug that generally creeps me out. These are known as the "Giant Root Borer" and is one of the largest insects in North America. It can be found throughout Oregon, Washington and California, but is really difficult to find in most cases.





I've also found these huge green caterpillars before:



These eventually turn into the moths that @salmonriverjohn posted a photo of above - the Polyphemus Moth - again, one of the largest in North America:



These guys don't bother me nearly as much as the damn beetles do. Kind of pretty actually. I've seen the caterpillars more than I've seen the actual moths.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

etrain,
What do ya mean you don't like the Beatles ... They were a great band ... LOL
Andy

 

[etrain16]

etrain,
What do ya mean you don't like the Beatles ... They were a great band ... LOL
Andy

It's the haircuts man....just really creeps me out...

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I suppose the name Giant Root Borer just doesn't have much marketing appeal for a band? LOL
Andy

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

When born the little spiders spread out and release a strand of thread that carries them away on the wind.
I think it's called ballooning?

It is!

 

[etrain16]

It is!

Just like in Charlotte's Web after she dies and all of her babies start flying away...and Wilbur is sad to see them leaving... Keep it together man, keep it together...

 

[Certaindeaf]

Check out my new knife! pretty sweet

 

[BlackRyder]

Thats funny salmonriverjohn.
Once while surfing , I had a otter slap my leg while he was playing tag.
Scared the sh!t out of me , till I saw him.
Andy

Oh man! I just had a similar experience with a freakin sea lion! Last fall I was surfing LaPush and something bumped me from below, hard enough to knock me off my board. I'm scared sh!tla$$ and scrambling back up onto it, thinking I'm about to get eaten, when I see this big f@@king sea lion charging me, head up and out of the water, snarling and teeth bared! Needless to say I paddled in as fast as I possibly could. The damn thing chased me all the way into shore! I think he was either playing or trying to assert dominance (which he definitely did, haha!) because if he wanted to get me, he obviously could have.
The funny thing is that now that I've shaved off my beard the sea lions leave me alone!
I know this had nothing to do with bugs but andy's otter story reminded me of my close encounter of the pinniped kind.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Yikes! BlackRyder.
I was surfing around Santa Cruz when the otter "tagged" me.
This was about 20 odd years ago.
I was stationed at Ft. Ord at the time and learned to surf , 'cause there were girls at the beach ... Buts thats another story LOL
Any way there I was at the beach paddling out and SLAP! against my leg.
Being from Ohio and not knowing much about the ocean , I figure something is wanting to eat me.
I reach down feel my and everything is there.
Now feeling kinda freaked out ... Up pops Mr.Otter chattering away and then swims off...
Andy