Big black bugs crawling across road

[Durb]

I was recently on highway 50 near Austin Nevada and thousands of large black insects were crawling across the road; none were flying This was during dusk and early evening. There weren't enough to make the road slick. Anyone know what they are? Just curious.

[joshuajim]

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.

[kellem]

Dung beetles pushing their harvest.

[CavemanCharlie]

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.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

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

[Dtank]

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

~

[2012Coleman]

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

[Durb]

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.

[CavemanCharlie]

phillyg wrote:
Armaggedon?

Bugs From OUTER SPACE !!!

Sounds like a 1950's B movie.

[phillyg]

Armaggedon?

[Y-Guy]

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.

[Durb]

wnjj wrote:

JimR 1 wrote:
It is Mormon Crickets

JimR

Yep. https://agri.nv.gov/News/2019/Mormon_cricket_populations_continue_to_rise/

Could be, especially since they singled out Austin as a hot spot. I googled the cricket and someone was holding a big black one in their hand which was about the right size. There weren't near as many on the road as in the link. They were all crawling, the crickets look like hoppers.

[jdc1]

Yep. Migrating tarantulas. We were up in Ojai to attend a wedding when this happened. People pulled over in awe, wondering what they should do. I told my wife to cover her ears and started driving through. As they release their air, it sounds like they are screaming.

[wnjj]

JimR 1 wrote:
It is Mormon Crickets

JimR

Yep. https://agri.nv.gov/News/2019/Mormon_cricket_populations_continue_to_rise/

[Community Alumni]

It is Mormon Crickets

JimR