A bug is a bug is a bug is a . . . what the heck is that?
From a distance, it looks like a leaf-hopper on steroids. Up close, it is actually a predator.
At ¼ to ½ inch, it is not that big. Looking closer, it has front legs like a mantis, and a rostrum like a Pirate Bug, but even at 1/4 inch, they are way too big to be Pirate Bugs. What the heck is it?
It’s been way too long since I’ve had a biology course of any kind, and these guys are popping out all over the place in the back yard, catching bees, wasps, moths and anything else that flies or hops close enough to the flowers that they’ve staked out. They grab their prey with their front legs, then stab it with their rostrum to suck out all the tasty juices. Yum! At least, that’s what it looked like when I watched one grab a small wasp this morning.
I will have more pictures up shortly, showing them in what they seem to like to do best: mate. I have seen one eating, a few sitting around with their front legs folded in prayer, and the rest have been going at it like bunny rabbits with their big women. Bug porn!
