Acanthocephala declivis, the Giant leaf-footed bug, photographed in Lowndes county, Georgia (13 April 2013).
In our last post, we saw a number of Leaf-footed bugs (Acanthocephala terminalis) goin’ at it in the trees behind our house last month. They were out and about, doing their thing, for about a week. Accompanying them, only a bit higher up, was another (larger and more clustered) group of Giant Leaf-footed bugs, Acanthocephala declivis. And boy, let me tell you… If those Leaf-footed bugs were Cinemax-at-2am, these Giant leaf-footed bugs were On-Demand-Adult-Films. Hell, they may have been illicit-internet-download material. It was epic, full-on, group action. Group sex like you wouldn’t believe. Also: I wonder who will stumble onto this page after googling “Group sex.” Heh. Probably not what they were hoping to find…
Anyhow, I’ve actually seen more Giant leaf-footed bugs than the standard Leaf-footed bug species in Valdosta this year. I don’t know if they’re more common in this area, but in Valdosta it’s the Giants who rule the trees (and walls and bushes and, on occasion, the people).
With all this wonderful arthropodic x-rated action, however, I do believe it’s about time we turn our attention back to some vertebrates. A lot has happened in the past month, and there’s much report!
Next Up on Dust Tracks: We’ll check in with recent happenings on the reptile and amphibian front! And then… let’s go to the beach!
~ janson
Filed under: Georgia, Invertebrates Tagged: Acanthocephala declivis
