The Monsoon weather brings much needed rain to the desert each year, but it also awakens the Palo Verde Beetles that live most of their life deep underground eating the roots of the Palo Verde tree. Lucky me to have had one of these trees in my backyard- although I've since had it taken down, the bugs remain and have caused great uproar in my home this year. My dogs seem to think these bugs are the best treat and play thing around and when I've been gone from home they've brought them INSIDE through the dog door. The bugs leave the ground to mate, and then return to lay their eggs, and my dogs must have interrupted them coming home because I had big black bug eggs ALL over my living room- even a gob of them stuck to the wall! I found bug body parts all over my house- Needless to say I am having nightmares about these darn bugs, and the dog door has been locked until the season is over! All dogs must line up for security checks before being let back in, and no more freedom to come and go as they please. Here is a picture of the underside of one...it isn't dead- check out the next picture to see him swimming away. If you are not faint hearted click on these pictures to enlarge them. The armor on these bugs is something else!
Same bug- only dropped into the dogs swimming pool...he was swimming quite well.
And another very odd insect I ran into the other day- I have no idea what this is, and it almost looks like there are 2 of them - one "eating" the other maybe? I poked him with a stick and he flew away buzzing- he took his friend with him- anyone have any idea what this might be?
Happy 4th of July everyone! We finally got rain last night and oh how wonderful it is. My plants are so happy this morning!
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7 comments:
Boy, those are ugly bugs! I've never seen a palo verde beetle before although I used to have a huge palo verde tree in my back yard in Mesa.
We had a huge wind and rain storm here in Sun Lakes at 8:45 PM yesterday that came from the south. MY plants are really happy too. But many big trees went down here and they aren't so happy!
Hi Nancy! Your tree must have been healthy..they say these bugs feed on the roots of diseased or weak Palo Verde Trees. mine was not healthy and although I hated to take down a full grown tree it had to come down. But that didn't remove the bugs.....
Those are some larde looking bugs. Up here in NY we have mosquitos but not quite that size!
Wow what an interesting post, in a sort of Stephen King meets David Cronenberg way... :-)
I think your bug is a robber fly, eating another type of fly - housefly or something.
Good insect eating the bad!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asilidae
Wow, looks like your house is teaming with wildlife. I just found a Palo Verde Beetle in my bathtub. I managed to get it into a container to take it outside, but it hopped out and ran and hid in my closet :(
I saw your posts. I have never had a palo verde tree, but have many other trees on my small property in far north Phoenix. I had seen some of the beetles last year out near my pool (and even in it), but this year has been horrendous! I don't wish to have an "exterminator" because I always have had a pet parrot, and they are very sensitive. My first real notice of them this year was during a VERY late night session on my computer (to finish an assignment I was working past midnight). I heard a little sound behind me, and suddenly something flew past, brushing my left ear. I keep a flashlight nearby because I have difficulty seeing some connections in this room on PC or TV- so grabbed it and saw a pair of the beetles in the area near my PC monitor!! I tryed to spray them with whatever I had at hand- a window cleaner, I think, hoping that I could dissolve the exoskeleton, but it barely phased them-they escaped:-( I have since been having quite a fight with them- for a while I would kill 2 or 3 a night in the powder room that adjoins my office area which is at ground level. I know they can enter through my garage and have tried diatomatious earth at both the door from garage, then next from laundry- but I even had 2 of those nasty "egg" things on the powder room walls one night- I removed with toilet paper and flushed! UUGH! I have been finding one outside in my pool almost every day for the past week; I hope we both find a way to escape from these pests. I know they are PVB, not "roaches"- but they look the same!
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