Big black bugs crawling across road

Saw a similar thing on CA 95 south of Needles CA in the Mojave. About 40 miles of millions of caterpillars crossing the road all headed west. Made a mess on the front of the trailer.

Dung beetles pushing their harvest.

Dtank wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:

phillyg wrote:
Armaggedon?

Bugs From OUTER SPACE !!!

Sounds like a 1950's B movie.

"THEM" (1954) = Giant ants - eventually migrating from the CA desert & hiding in the Los Angeles flood control underground tunnels.

Impressive cast - including James Arness, Fess Parker, etc.

Good quote from a man in hospital with DTs, with a window looking down on the open part of one of the channels - in reply to an Army officer asking, "What do you see down there?"

Ans: "Ants! BIG ones!" (also) repeated a few times...
"Make me a Sergeant and charge the booze!"

Would be xlnt for a Black Flag commercial !!..:B

~

Thanks, I'll have to check it out.

IAMICHABOD wrote:
Tarantula walkabout,males looking for mates? I have seen the same thing in Mew Mexico this time of year.

Friend lives in Murietta, CA - acre lot.
Also has a "regular" Tarantula rally.
Lots of Tar an Tillas trooping across his driveway in "the season".

(Probably should catch & sell 'em to pet stores??)

:h

CavemanCharlie wrote:

phillyg wrote:
Armaggedon?

Bugs From OUTER SPACE !!!

Sounds like a 1950's B movie.

"THEM" (1954) = Giant ants - eventually migrating from the CA desert & hiding in the Los Angeles flood control underground tunnels.

Impressive cast - including James Arness, Fess Parker, etc.

Good quote from a man in hospital with DTs, with a window looking down on the open part of one of the channels - in reply to an Army officer asking, "What do you see down there?"

Ans: "Ants! BIG ones!" (also) repeated a few times...
"Make me a Sergeant and charge the booze!"

Would be xlnt for a Black Flag commercial !!..:B

~

If they were Mormon crickets, they would most likely have been in caterpillar drawn carriages - these were most likely gypsy crickets.

Kind of came to the conclusion they were Mormon Crickets. We were in an ecotone of trees to fields which they apparently like. Plus, we never saw a bunch of churning legs that tarantulas would have shown. I've seen big potato bugs (Jerusalem Crickets) but never knew crickets to get that large or that black. Nature never ceases to impress.

phillyg wrote:
Armaggedon?

Bugs From OUTER SPACE !!!

Sounds like a 1950's B movie.

Armaggedon?

Mormon Crickets... now I have a name for the things I saw on the road while we waited for an accident to be cleared in Idaho. Reminded me of Cicadas when we lived in Missouri... just a big ugly bug.