SEE-Cada? Cicada Emergence

We'll let the pictures do the talking ... mostly ... I will be back at the end of the sequence.

WARNING!

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. IT TAKES HIGH TECH PHOTOGRAPHIC LAB EQUIPMENT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS SEQUENCE.

The photo below demonstrates the high tech devices required for cicada emergence photography.

That's right, you're gonna have to go out and get a stick and something to hold it up.

I know, I know ... who can afford photographic accessories like this? If you want the photos, you will find a way.

The good news is, the bowl of fruit is completely unnecessary for good cicada emergence photographs.

It's summer and the cicadas are emerging, mostly at dusk it seems, so if you keep your eyes open, you might notice one of these little bumbling nymphs. This one scuttled out from under the lawnmower when I went to roll it into the barn last night.

All I did to get these photos was:

1. Scoop up the cicada nymph.
2. Grab a stick on the way into the house.
3. Prop the stick up in a vase.
4. Put the cicada on the stick.
5. Eat 3 bowls of Emma's white bean chicken chili while the cicada did what it MUST do.
6. Pause in chili eating to take photos every once in a while.

See? I told you it was a difficult high tech photographic project.

Here's Something You CAN Catch From A Toilet Seat

This little critter was staring up at me when I turned on the light in the bathroom a few mornings ago.
Now, I wasn't glad to see him there, but I was sorta glad to have a critter to photograph, because last week's rain had really negated any photographic time in the wilds of Pure Florida.

This is our native brown scorpion ... a pretty minor player in the world of scorpion tough guys. Unless you are delicate or allergic, the sting is just like any ol' wasp sting ... you sure wish it hadn't happened, but it's not going to ruin your day.

One of these crawled into my jeans as I was kneeling to finish putting in a fence post years ago and when I stood up, he nailed me about 3 times.

It was more creepy than painful.


Here is the underside, which I have to admit, is pretty fascinating. I had never bothered to look under a scorpion's kilt until this day and there is some neat architecture there. Those white feathery structures just behind the last set of legs are "pectines" which are apparently sensory organs.
I think the white paired structures beyond the pectines are stoma for breathing.

Feel free to expand on that bugnerds, your input is always welcome here.

I made y'all a little video, 'cause I'm always thinking of you and shoot ... you may not be blessed with scorpions in your water closet, like we are here at PFHQ.

Neat baby pictures tomorrow!