Recently I've spotted two insects (one might have been an arachnid) that I've never seen before. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera handy either time, but I'll try to describe them as best I can.
The first was maybe a half-inch long. The front part was black and the back part was a big fuzzy bright red ball. It was in central/eastern Utah.
The second was two different lengths. The first time I saw it it had two oval sections, each maybe a quarter inch long, both black with an orange pattern. The second time I saw it the rear oval section had vanished, but it looked the same otherwise. It was in southern California.
I know it's hard without pics, but does either of these sound familiar?
Two mysteries, zero pictures
Could the first one have been a Velvet Ant? http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/3455/
Kennedy
That looks like it. What I saw was more reddish, I think, but identical otherwise. Could well be the same critter.
Check out another image of Dasymutilla klugii at http://tinyurl.com/m8nzhl
Yes, that's definitely the guy. Anybody know what the other one might be?
The second one sounds like you may have stumbled on a mating session.
Oh how embarrassing. ;) Now my prurient mind wants to know what was mating.
Oh, let's hear it for planned parenthood for bugs.....grin. There is actually a product out there that is birth control for fleas....a fenoxycarb....wonder if it would work on scarab beetles?
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