FLORIDA is so Prehistoric!!!Bit by a SCORPION!!!OWIES!!!RANT

[Sparrow]

As far as the huge, non-tarantula spiders in Florida are concerned, you are probably seeing one of the Heteropoda species. They are very large Huntsman spiders, but non-aggressive generally. I've raised Heteropoda venatoria, and I can imagine that with the range of bugs that guy ate, they would be useful around the house.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Are those fossilized in rocks? My DH's 2 sons 11 and 13 would get a kick out of those.

Yep that's part of my fossil collection...

Another one that scares me is the Ambush bug family...mean Mofo's too!​

 

[Sparrow]

^^The one bug that seriously scares me is the Wheelbug. They're huge around here, fairly aggressive, and can inflict one h*ll of a bite!

 

[SpottedCrow]

Yep those are in that family...blech...My DH got bit by one one summer...we had them ALL OVER inside the HOUSE!!! I was ready to move, like to Antarctica! My son was brushing his teeth and went to rinse out with the cup and there was one in there...He almost died!
Since we put a dehumidifier in the cellar we haven't had more than one or two rather than 20+.

 

[PurpleChicken]

OK, thanks a lot people. I just Googled Wheelbug and have a serious case of the
heeby jeebies. We have them in New England Spotted Crow?

And here I thought the Lyme diseased Deer Ticks and West Nile Skeeters were all
we needed to worry about. Ewwwww.

 

[d.k]

* What is it?? Beetle? Roach? Spider? Locust? I can't see pics at home!! PC- Did you check out the Sugarcane bug?? Looks kinda like a 9" mole cricket. . .

 

[BowChickaBowMow]

When we lived in FL our next door neighbor's dad was bit by a brown recleuse (sp?) His entire arm got swollen up. Also we had a huge, I mean HUGE spider running loose in our garage.... the neighbor said it was a wood spider. OMGosh... that thing was 10X the size of the wood spiders you find here in MI. (just as ugly though)

Yes, I'm glad we moved away from the icky critters of FL!

 

[Sparrow]

I've found the Wheelbugs inside my house before, too. It seems like they hatch out inside every few years. I went to turn on my ceiling fan one night and an adult female fell right off the blade and onto me. I think that might be the only time I have done the "freak out dance" over a bug in my life thus far. Honestly, I was afraid to turn my fan on again for over a week!! Anytime I see one outside I stay waaay away from it. *shivers* I know that me being a girl it sounds kinda wierd to a lot of people, but give me a monster spider anyday!!!

d.k.-Wheelbugs are what are called "True Bugs". They are similar to Stink bugs, just waaay bigger(males up to nearly 2 inches!), brown in color, and they look like they have a circular saw blade on their "back", the thorax. They also happen to have a mouthpart that is designed to impale their prey, usually other bugs, that they keep tucked up underneath their head. They will not try to prey on us...but if you handle them they will stab you with it, and they have a pretty nasty venom.

PurpleChicken-I thought about posting a pic of the Wheelbug...but I didn't want people to creep out. lol I don't even like to look at pictures of them, they give me the willies.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

I actually got a bit of a start tonight. I am always afraid my son's scorpion is going to get out.....knocked over by one of the cats is what I am expecting. Well, I was sorting laundry and a BIG scorpion comes flying out of the hamper onto me!!! It was PLASTIC!!!! Took forever for my heart rate to return to normal!!!

 

[Sparrow]

^^I've done that before, too, thinking it was one of my spiders! I have a ton of fake, realistic looking spiders around my house, and there have been a few times where it's a shock at first...then I realize it's one of my knick-knacks.

My mother is NOT a spider fan, and she has had even worse scares coming across my more realistic looking T replicas. She thinks it's funny after the fact, but at the time...not so much. hehee