Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

[GB_Amateur]

While working in East-Central New Mexico desert we came across some small (maybe 1/2 inch long) scorpions.   When we brought them up to our Texas colleagues they said:  "their venom is nothing compared to our centipede's."

I was staying in one of those gereric roadside motels ("no tell motel") and that very night awoke needing to use the restroom.  I debated whether or not to turn on the light, not wanting to blast my dark-adjusted eyes to that, but decided I would.  Barefoot, I entered the bathroom and right in front of the toilet was one of these.

[midalake]

On 9/25/2021 at 11:05 PM, Skookum said:

(Lesser Stripetail Scorpion)

Please tell us your stories!

I did not see crazy people who do not want you detecting, on the list???  

[GotAU?]

2 hours ago, midalake said:

I did not see crazy people who do not want you detecting, on the list???  

The worse - present in every place detectorists go as well!

[Luis]

not long ago I was detecting in an olive grove with a partner.  In the environment there were like mosquito plagues that bother more than what they bite, but this time it was different, my neck itched a lot and towards the crown.  but I didn't notice the bites until I got home and took a bath.  His whole head and neck were eaten with bites.  There were so many that the lymph nodes in my neck became swollen and it didn't go away until 3 weeks after that day.  I kept blaming those mosquitoes until a week later I called my partner and asked him what if he didn't have bites.  Well, it turns out that he did have bites but not on the face or arms, if not on the legs and they were flea bites.  I have a habit of putting the hoe on my shoulder after drilling a hole.  This is how fleas came to my head.  Since then I don't do it anymore.

[Skookum]

5 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

Barefoot, I entered the bathroom and right in front of the toilet was one of these.

That looks a lot like this guy who surprised me, too.  True they are poisonous, so I’m adding giant centipede to the list so you can edit your response if you want. 

[Joe D.]

Well than, 

  Us Florida beach dwellers have all sorts of stinging and biting creatures! But inland, many of the same types above! When I'm in Georgia, yellowjackets seem particularly fond of me!!😬🐝

[GB_Amateur]

2 hours ago, Skookum said:

That looks a lot like this guy who surprised me, too.  True they are poisonous, so I’m adding giant centipede to the list so you can edit your response if you want.

(I don't know how to change my survey response, only my post....  No biggie.)

The centipede in your photo appears to be oppositely patterned, but otherwise very similar to the one whose photo I found on the internet.  I can't remember the exact coloring/pattern of the one I saw that night but it seemed to have brighter red highlights than what I've found online.  Also it was only about 4" long.    I think the ones on the internet (and the one in your photo) are considerably bigger.

FWIW, here in Indiana our most dangerous wildlife might be the Brown Recluse Spider.  I've heard of a couple stories locally of people suffering permanent damage from them (although not death, AFAIK).  (Regardless of the above website's claim of frequent misdiagnoses, the two I refer to were actual Brown Recluse bites!)  Yes, we have timber rattlers and (poisonous) water moccasins but reports of their bites are rare.  And ticks have become a problem here, just like almost everywhere in the USA.  My wife has two acquaitances who nearly died this summer from tick borne bacteria.  Disappointingly(?), in both cases it was a friend/relative of the sick people who suggested to the attending hospital physicians what the cause might be.  In one case the Dr. said "your suggestion saved your friend's life"!

[geof_junk]

I am not too slow at learning😁 but I have been bitten by the yellow face jumping jack ants too many times. To me they are the worst sting I have had. We have Bull ants over an inch long and they need to be avoided but I would prefer  a bit from them than the Jumping Jacks that are less than half an inch but jump a good six inches to get me.

[Sheppo]

30 minutes ago, geof_junk said:

I am not too slow at learning😁 but I have been bitten by the yellow face jumping jack ants too many times. To me they are the worst sting I have had. We have Bull ants over an inch long and they need to be avoided but I would prefer  a bit from them than the Jumping Jacks that are less than half an inch but jump a good six inches to get me.

Have you spent much time in Far North Queensland? The jumping ants here are easily an inch to an inch and a half long and have been known to put people in hospital. I avoid those things at all costs. They look weird compared to a normal ant and almost like they have an extra joint in their body

 

I did a quick google search to find this but this is what they look like.

[Skookum]

10 hours ago, midalake said:

I did not see crazy people who do not want you detecting, on the list???  

Excellent point.  I added it now.