Two New Minnesota Bugs

I’m wondering if maybe I should start a website called Bugs of Minnesota as I am enthralled (term used very loosely) with them. At night, they cling to our windows attracted by the light from inside our house. They are numerous in both numbers and species. (hmmm … can you be numerous in numbers?)

The problem with this grand idea is that I would have to capture the bugs and identify them. (Face scrunches up) Then do I release them afterwards?  Ugghh … the thought of this idea …

The first of the two new bugs in my life likes to cling to my window at night. I have yet to see him during the day while working in the yard although I’m not really looking for him/her.

Unidentified Minnesota Bug

All the bugs in my neck of the woods seem to have, well, buggy eyes. They jut out and look quite spooky to me. Do you know what the above bug is? I’m thinking it’s a type of beetle.

The second bug has an interesting story that goes along with it. On a recent rain drenching Minnesota day, I drove to Menards (hardware-like store) to pick up a part for my contractor who was installing my new toilet but had a defective part. I got lucky and managed to find the part right away.

Upon returning to my car, I noticed a green bug on the hood. He/she was walking back and forth. In the past, I’ve, unsuccessfully, tried to talk the bugs away from me but really, who am I kidding? I think people must think I’m nuts as I mutter things to small insects around me. I quickly entered the car and rolled up all the windows. Staring at this green bug I loudly exclaimed: This bug is not coming home with me. I have plenty of my own.

Driving on the highway, I sped up to the 55 mph speed limit wishing the bug would fly off but it clung tenaciously to the hood. About 1 mile from the house, I pulled into a park thinking that I would shove it off with a piece of paper but the tenacious bug decided to make it’s way in between the hood and the windshield — unreachable.

Not wanting to make the contractor wait much longer, I drove the last mile and pulled into an outside parking space next to the house. There it was — the green bug on the hood withstood the drive home. Great, I thought. Now I have to kill it so it doesn’t breed.

Running inside the garage, I grabbed a large piece of newspaper and rolled it up. Back outside I did something I normally don’t do. I killed it. Smack! It continued to move. Smack! It still continued to move. I raised my arm and with all my might I hit the green bug a third time. Smack! The green bug was now squished on my windshield.

Poor thing. The pity came a little too late. Later I did some research and found out the green bug was … a mere grasshopper. I didn’t feel too bad when my husband told me that he had never seen one like this before.

Minnesota Grasshopper

Remember the TV show called Kung Fu back in the 1970’s? One of the characters was nicknamed “Grasshopper” by his teacher as a term of endearment.

This poor bug received no endearment from me. I’m not sure if grasshoppers are a good thing to have on a property or a bad thing although I’ve read that they like to eat leaves and we certainly have plenty of those.

Perhaps I should have caught it and let it loose in the wild. Hey, wait a minute. I live in the wild. Perhaps not.

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