wow, neat mutant grasshopper! I have never seen one that color before!

I was calling it the "Sith Grasshopper"!

I think defjoe would agree...LOL

LOL - perfect!

pretty cool! yup never seen those colours before either...sith grasshopper totally fits!

That's a pretty scary looking bug. He kind of looks like he just got done with a light saber duel, he's missing a few limbs

i just noticed that myself Kool! LOL!

he lost his hand..err...linb...LOL!! so maybe he is Anniken and later joined the dark side! Yep!

Darth Hopper

LMAO at Defjoe

We found it it's a Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Romalea guttata. It's a real nasty little bugger.

sounds like he'd fit right in at Talk Like a Pirate Day...

Avast, ye lubbers!

Whoo! he's got armour and everything! Like the old Batmobile!

looks pretty evil - nice photo!

hey kool, why do you say that they're nasty? do they bite or eat plants or commit credit card fraud and identity theft?

a few years ago, we got those lady bugs that BITE......now you can't play with lady bugs any more...

Unc, in the bug forum, (yup there's a bug forum) where I found the ID they were talking about how these guys will swarm in and pretty much eat your entire yard.

Biting lady bugs, eek!

biting ladybugs! Yikes!

He has been deemed "Darth Hopper"!

yeah Kool found out about the hopper - his name and how evil he can be! lol

:thumbsup Kool:

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/orn/lubber.htm

Defensive Characteristics

Eastern lubber grasshoppers possess a variety of abilities to defend themselves. Their bright color pattern is a warning to predators that the lubber contains toxic substances. Indeed, there are several records attributing the demise of individual birds to failure to exercise caution when selecting prey items. Also small mammals such as opossums have been known to vomit violently after ingesting a lubber, and to remain ill for several hours.

If the red, yellow, and black coloration fails to keep a predator at bay, then the lubber may secrete a foamy spray from the thoracic region (the portion of the body where the legs and wings are attached.) This spray consists of a number of compounds, some of which, are irritants. This bubbly froth is accompanied by a relatively loud, frightful hissing sound. The insect contracts the abdomen to force air out of the spiracles along with the defensive secretion. The sound is produced as the spray is being forced out of these tiny holes in the thorax called spiracles. Eastern lubbers, like most all grasshoppers, can also regurgitate recently consumed plant material. This regurgitant is mostly liquid and has a dark brown color. This is commonly referred to as 'tobacco spit.' The tobacco spit is partially digested food material along with some semi-toxic compounds from the insect's crop region. This substance can easily stain clothing.