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I have a lot of photos, and every so often I go back and review folders I've previously gone over. One sees things, patterns (for example, it seems I have a tendency to build the narrative structure in my pictures from right to left, esp. with birds).

So I have about eight from Dickens, two years back ([profile] barely_proper there are a some from your window stint at Dark Gardens... let me know if you want a credit)

I say!

There were also some from Iraq, insects from my stint at al Qayyarah (Q-West, at the western tip of the Sunni Triangle).


Camel Spider Cricket


That thing looks horrid, but it's not. It's a "mole cricket" (Neocurtillia hexadactyla) which isn't actually a cricket; despite its superficial resemblance. I was also misinformed that it preyed on other insects, and arthropods. We didn't bother them because it was reported one of them wass the infamous, "Camel Spider" (which have a relative in the US Southwest, I've seen one in Arcadia... the stateside version is much smaller The predatory habits of the camel spider are pretty scary. They run, as fast as 10 mph, which seems a lot faster, and slam into their prey. They have no venom, just kinetic energy and sharp "fangs". They also get to about 4" in size, though I've seen reports of 6:) For whatever reason these beasties seem to never stop moving.

In motion they look like a scale model locomotive, the legs are moving so fast they are a blur, and the body width/length ratio, makes it look as if they have wheels).

To make up for the scary monster, I offer a baby mule.

Elizabeth, Sienna and Cavort

Date: 2009-01-05 02:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pecunium.livejournal.com
I don't recall (it was a while ago, and I was distracted.

Turns out it's Neocurtillia hexadactyla, and not a true cricket, and apparently vegetarian, which means I was misinformed.

Date: 2009-01-05 03:05 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com
Oh dear. I was thinking "that's not so bad, even for a cricket, especially after seeing pictures of wetas, now those are freaking hideous" but then I reread the description and it gets to be 4" long or more? Oh dear ghods.

Oh, wait, it's the camel spiders that get to be 4"-6"?

Never mind. I'm just going to stop thinking about it. That's a very cute mule.

Date: 2009-01-05 03:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pecunium.livejournal.com
Crickets get to be about 4" too.

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