5 of the Creepiest Wyoming Bugs
There are two types of people. Those who can't wait to read this post and those who have already clicked.
And now we begin.
1). Blue Death Feigning Beetle. How's that for a scary name. it is also called Asbolus Verrucosus. The name common name comes from their tendency to play dead when bothered, combined with a powder blue colored coating they excrete on themselves to protect them from the sun.
2). European Earwig. The science geek name would be Forficula auricularia. According to Penn State research, "The name earwig, which literally means 'ear creature,' originated from the widespread superstition that these insects crawl into the ears of sleeping people. Moreover, many individuals believed that once the earwig gained access into the human ear, it could bore into the brain." No need to worry though, these insects will not actually go into your ear and bore into your brain.
3). Masked Hunter is not a villain from an old radio show. It is a Wyoming bug that also goes by the name of Reduvius personatus. Also called the masked bed bug hunter, is thought to have originated in Europe, and was accidentally introduced into the United States. Yes, it's a bed bug. That's a bad thing.
4). The Pseudoscorpion is simply just the baddest of the bad. It also goes by the name of -- um -- Pseudoscorpion. So, that's it on the name thing. They are not that dangerous to humans but they tend to freak people out when people discover pseudoscorpions in bathroom sinks and tubs, and many believe they are either ticks or small spiders.
5). The Cottonwood Borer are creepy looking, and they bite. What else do you need to know? Probably that they mostly do damage to trees, that's what. Adults will do can do some damage but the larvae are the worst. Young trees may be hollowed, partially severed, or girdled at or slightly below the root collar, causing breakage.