It's time for our fourth annual May Monster Madness, hosted by the infamous author Annie Walls .
This year we are going with an insect type theme so I figured I would post some of the creepier things that have crawled on me in my great home state of Virginia!
To start things off, I want to show you one of my most feared and hated creepy crawly. I am talking about none other than the dreaded HELLGRAMMITE!
This is actually the larval stage of the Dobson Fly, It is the bane of fresh water waders, usually fishing for trout. I have been bitten on the ankles more times than I ever want to remember.
These guys have a terrible bite and they tend flail about when they do sink in.
They are strong enough to pick up rock the same size of themselves. I hope you never encounter one in the wild.
The rest is just a quick rogues gallery of some of the things I see on a daily basis in my back yard....enjoy!
American Pelecinid Wasp
Arrow Shaped Micrathena Spider
Banded Woolly Bear Caterpillar
Black and Yellow Garden Spider
The Black Widow (not an Avenger)
Bold Jumping Spider (it earns it's name!0
Bollweevil
Earwig (yes...EAR wig)
Common Ground Spider
Hag Moth Caterpillar (one of the worst stings in the animal kingdom)
Halloween Pennant (Favorite Dragonfly)
House Centipede (Yes, it gets it's name from wanting to dwell in your HOUSE!)
Orange Millipede
Pseudoscorpion (No stinger in tail, but it has venom in it's pincers)
Saddleback Caterpillar (another bad stinger)
Spined Micrathena Spider
Banded Garden Spider (These are all over the back yard)
The Tick!
Wolf Spider (Large and Aggressive, just like a wolf)
Yellow and Black Centipede (the forest floor is littered with these in summer/fall)
