Wednesday - August 06, 2014

No Thanks, I Ain’t Going

Giant Bugs in China

Two massive Asian insects in the news today; a giant dragonfly to creep you out, and vicious giant hornets the size of sparrows that can kill you. Gee, I can’t wait to go to China. Yes I can. Schedule my trip on the 12th of Never.  Yuck!!!

The world’s largest flying aquatic insect, with huge, nightmarish pincers, has been discovered in China’s Sichuan province, experts say.

According to the Insect Museum of West China, local villagers in the outskirts of Chengdu handed over “weird insects that resemble giant dragonflies with long teeth” earlier this month.

Several of these odd critters were examined by the museum and found to be unusually large specimens of the giant dobsonfly, which is native to China and Vietnam.

The largest one measured 21 centimeters (8.27 inches) when its wings were open, according to the museum, busting the original record for largest aquatic insect held by a South American helicopter damselfly, which had a wingspan of 19.1 centimeters (7.5 inches).

Large enough to cover the face of a human adult, this scary-looking insect is also known among entomologists as an indicator of water quality, says the museum.

Recently discovered? I hardly think so. I’m sure the Chinese already have 10 different recipes for the thing.

Giant killer hornets have killed at least 42 people in China since July and left more than 1,600 injured and dozens more suffering from multiple organ failure and severe allergic reactions.

But the Asian giant hornets aren’t just a problem in China—they’re also found in other countries, including nearby South Korea and Japan.

Travelers would do well to know how to behave if they’re faced with these deadly creatures (tip: walk away, don’t run).

In person, the Asian giant hornet, which is the largest hornet species in the world, looks like “the wasp analog of a pit bull” with “a face that looks like you just can’t reason with it,” said Christopher K. Starr, professor of entomology at University of West Indes in Trinidad & Tobago.

These hornets are found throughout East and Southeast Asia, in countries such as in China, Korea, Japan, India and Nepal.

And they’re big. The giant hornet extends about 3.5 to 3.9 centimeters in length (1.4 to 1.5 inches), roughly the size of a human thumb, and it has black tooth used for burrowing, according to an animal database at the University of Michigan. The queens are even bigger, with bodies that can grow longer than 5 centimeters (2 inches).

The species feed their young the larvae of other insects and use their mandibles to sever the limbs and heads of their prey. The giant hornets are attracted to human sweat, alcohol and sweet flavors and smells. They are especially sensitive to when animals or people run, according to Xinhua.

Every breeding season, the giant hornets produce an average of 1,000 to 2,000 offspring, Schmidt said. They feast on other insects such as wasps and bees, launching coordinated attacks on the hives of their prey.

Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!!!

PS - the hornets managed to stow away in a pottery shipment to Europe, and are now in France. How soon until they get to the UK?

Posted by Drew458     on 08/06/2014 at 04:45 PM   
Filed Under: • Animals •  
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