Hobo Jungle

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Trust me, mate. It sounds crazy, but you will.

It's in the blood forever (like malaria).

Unfortunately for some, it's clear that they had little else in their lives...

[2railjon]

Unfortunately for some, it's clear that they had little else in their lives...

It's my Dad's fault!!!!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Unfortunately for some, it's clear that they had little else in their lives...

It's my Dad's fault!!!!

And that of course explains everything.....

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Unfortunately for some, it's clear that they had little else in their lives...

It's my Dad's fault!!!!

And that of course explains everything.....

Is that a coke in his hand or a rum-n-coke?

[2railjon]

Bourbon, good sir! We are from the South.

[rogruth]

Bourbon, good sir! We are from the South.

This also explains"It's Dads fault".

[webenda]

Watch out Jon, there are spiders out there where you are training.

Agelenopsis aperta (Funnel web spider, aka desert grass spider)



This one was found busy in the bathroom spining his guy wires across the sink (thus the white background). I guess he thought he would hide in the drain and come racing out if anything got snagged by the guy wires. Wouldn't I have been surprised? You can tell this one is a male because he has boxing gloves on, something female spiders never wear.

Reference: http://www.arizonensis.org/sonoran/fiel ... lenid.html

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Watch out Jon, there are spiders out there where you are training.

Agelenopsis aperta (Funnel web spider, aka desert grass spider)

another nice picture, Wayne!

[2railjon]

Stick with plant life pictures!!!!!

[webenda]

[webenda]

Wayne,

If I wasn't laughing so hard I would tell you to stick to identifying plants.

Stick with plant life pictures!!!!!

But I like horrific looking creatures. In fact I love this desert just because everything in it is designed to impale, poison, bite, make you sick or kill you. I'll hold off on this next picture.


FOUR FEROCIOUS FLOWERS with THREE FEROCIOUS BABIES (buds)

[webenda]

Everything in the Sonoran Desert is designed to impale, poison, bite, make you sick or kill you. Case in point...

I call this one a "Red Hot Candy Head Beatle."

Tegrodera laticincta

Red Hot Candy Headed Beatle.jpg (162.48 KiB) Viewed 1249 times

One year the desert was alive with these things. I sent a photo of one to the Desert Museum and asked what it was. The Bug Lady (entomologist) responded with, "You didn't touch it did you?"

"No, I only photographed it, why?"

"If you pick them up they secrete cantharidin toxins that can interfere with vertebrate nervous systems. You will know if you get any on you because cantharidin creates painful blisters on whatever living tissue it touches. That is why they are called, "Blister Beatles. Cantharidin is a highly toxic poison."

Reference: http://www.faidherbe.org/site/cours/dupuis/canthar4.htm

[rogruth]

Tell us about the ferocious flowers and buds,please.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Everything in the Sonoran Desert is designed to impale, poison, bite, make you sick or kill you. Case in point...

I call this one a "Red Hot Candy Head Beatle."
..."If you pick them up they secrete cantharidin toxins that can interfere with vertebrate nervous systems. You will know if you get any on you because cantharidin creates painful blisters on whatever living tissue it touches. That is why they are called, "Blister Beatles. Cantharidin is a highly toxic poison."...

They seem like a dirty trick, then, with such attractive coloration. Not that the Class Insecta world should care a wit about us, but I can envision children wanting to pick one up and play w/ it, or put one in the mouth. I should think birds would find them interesting, too. Many animals seem camouflaged to blend in w/ surroundings to not attract attention; yet, this one seems to shine w/ attention. Maybe, his coloration is sexuallly useful, then, and/or they are denzens of your ferocious flowers?
Murph

[Rufus T. Firefly]

"If you pick them up they secrete cantharidin toxins that can interfere with vertebrate nervous systems. You will know if you get any on you because cantharidin creates painful blisters on whatever living tissue it touches. That is why they are called, "Blister Beatles. Cantharidin is a highly toxic poison."

Cantharidin --> 2,6-Dimethyl-4,10-dioxatricyclo- [5.2.1.02,6]decane-3,5-dione

It's also used for wart removal and has other uses, "Treatment of molluscum contagiosum with cantharidin: a practical approach." : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20302243