Feb. 8 – Swarm!
We have to head to town tomorrow to resupply so we moved our camp closer to the paved road. Just in time we think. Two days ago we noticed some big bugs (one to two inches long) flying into our campsite and they were hanging around!
An internet search informed us they are Master Blister Beetles, and Mavrik learned not to mess with them, one sniff and he backed away and didn’t bother them again! They have a toxin that can cause your skin to blister if you handle them! They swarm in spring and devour the flowers and leaves of young plants.
Robert dismantled a trashed firepit at the campsite, but carefully replaced the rock under which he found this guy!
This Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion is relatively harmless, but pretty scary looking! I remember back in the day I would be thrilled to find it because I needed to collect it for The High Desert Museum!
February 9th, 2012 at 7:24 am
And, by following your master blister beetle link, I learned about aposomatic coloration. Which is not the same as make-up….
February 10th, 2012 at 8:30 am
I guess I didn’t read all that, I quit at the Spanish Fly reference!