I discovered today that the nasty bug I wrote about yesterday is an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper. Its scientific name is Romalea microptera. Apparently all of its habits are bad ones. According to the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences "Sometimes it secretes a foamy spray from the thoracic region. (I think I saw someone do that at the library once.) Small mammals such as opossums have been known to vomit violently after ingesting a lubber. 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.'" Oh, this just gets better and better....if this thing finds its way into the house, I'm selling the place.
Read more, if you dare http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in132
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