More Creatures. . .

I'm not sure that I would take so many pictures of bugs in Utah.  Maybe because they seem so common to us there.  Or maybe, there are just a lot of bugs and creepy crawly things in Florida.  Or maybe because they are so large!  They kids are amazed and love to find and watch new creatures.  They aren't so fond though of spiders or ants.  Me neither!  This stick thing often comes on the screen after a good rain.  I found out that this is called a Two-lined Walkingstick or Muskmare.  I also learned that it shoots a substance out that smells and can cause temporary vision problems.  Glad we didn't touch or bother it!!!!!

 Ashleigh found this caterpillar on our front bushes.  We watched it for about 5 days.  We didn't ever see it move, but we could see its path of destruction.  Whole stems would be cleared of leaves.  We wondered what it was.  We did a little research and found that it is a "hornworm" or a tomato worm.  Then it wasn't so glamorous.  This particular caterpillar buries itself to become a moth.  So we didn't ever get to see the cocoon or what it became.  But here is an internet picture of the waved sphinx moth.

 This huge grasshopper was spotted on a walk along a nature trail.  Its body was probably three inches long.

 The three little girls found this orange spider in a parking lot.  Yuck.