This morning I went out to get pictures for an update on the large paper wasp nest we featured about a month ago. (https://johnandmarylivingitupinecuador.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/wasps-paper-or-mud/). I did get those pictures and plan to put together a post showing what the interior of that nest looks like soon.
But, as I was walking back to the house I saw this on the concrete wall!
Now, I can just hear the psychiatrist I used to have to interview with occasionally in my old profession saying, “I knew it! I told you he was going to crack up one day!”
What, you may ask, is so strange about a piece of lichen or fleck of dried leaf on a wall? This bit of off-white material is only about an eighth of an inch in diameter and is almost paper thin. It looks remarkably like a bit of lichen, but… it was moving along the edge of the wall.
I thought perhaps it was a bit of dried leaf or a piece of lichen that some ant was carrying back to the colony, so I looked closer.
It moved out onto the top of the wall and stopped moving. So, I gently rolled the leafy back over to see the ant below and found this:
The “lichen” or whatever it is – is actually an insect of some kind with eight legs, antennae, and a sectioned body. Being top heavy it was having a hard time trying to turn back over and seemed to be pulling its’ leafy back around to roll back upright.
He curled himself into a neat little ball and started to roll over.
Here is one more photo of the little guy after he righted himself. He is looking directly into the lens of the camera set on the macro setting.
For greater detail, I took some video of the bug, first trying to right himself (I felt sorry for him and helped him a bit because he had just gone through this exercise for the still shots and was probably getting tired!) and then calmly walking away taking a moment to eat a bit of actual plant life from the top of the wall.
So, maybe one of you readers can help us identify this little critter, but for now we are calling it some kind of lichen beetle.
Whatever it is it sure was unusual here where…
Life is good in Ecuador!
John, could this be what you found? http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/2010/11/lacewing-uses-lichen-camouflage.html
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Lyndell – You might be right. It sure looks similar, but seems to have a few more joints in its’ body and longer antennae. Thanks for the information!
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Great closeups…..look forward to the wasp post too
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Thanks, Eileen. I am glad I spotted it. I will probably do the update on the wasp’s nest tomorrow.
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Cool! Bryce loves it. He says it must be an arachnid or something other than an insect because all insects have six legs…we will try to find out what it is..!
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I’ll bet he is right, but the jointed body is what made me think that it was more of a beetle. It might be some kind of larva getting ready to make its’ cocoon? Let us know what you find out. Love from Grandpa and Grandma!
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It looks like a dust bunny. Do you think it bites???
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It looked more like a leaf or lichen before I started turning it over. Balling itself up to flip over kind of made the covering more rounded. I did not get bitten when I rolled it over, but I often find out that things bite after I have handled the little guys. I hope it doesn’t – I have already tempted fate often enough!
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What an interesting looking bug! I love Nancy’s comment about the dust bunny. Maybe that is what they turn into if left long enough! If so, I am sure I have many of them around here. I will have to start noticing if the dust is moving. Lol! Thanks for sharing!
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Glad you liked the post. It really was interesting to me to see something that did not appear to be a bug at all moving along the wall!
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Oh, my what an interesting critter. Camouflaged to keep predators at bay, I’m sure. So cool! I would be just like you running around discovering the different wildlife big and small 🙂
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Yes, one of the great advantages of having the time available with retirement is the chance to get down on one’s hands and knees to discover the wonders of the world around us! It is so fun.
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Lacewig Larvae- I saw a similar bug living on my elephant ear plant he was there 3 days in a row. Today I believe his mom was checking on him because she was hovering above him fully developed. Very cool!
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Thank you for your information. The more one looks, the more amazing nature and all of its’ wonders appear. Life is good!
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