What is this bug?

September 27, 2004 6:45 PM

BugFilter: what the heck is it? Photo and description inside -->

No wings, its body looked like a mini toad with four round legs[?] the shiny froglike / toadlike body sat on this transparent glassy looking thin disk, its real legs were underneath it when I got it to move

posted by cedar to science & nature (10 comments total)

Oh my god -- was that thing in your house? I would move immediately.
posted by LittleMissCranky at 6:51 PM on September 27, 2004

It looks like a larvae or something that's trying to get out of its egg or something? Nasty. Right as I'm eating dinner, man.
posted by gramcracker at 6:56 PM on September 27, 2004

LittleMissCranky: No, a friend sent it and asked me if I knew what it was. It was outside, she thinks it may have fallen onto her shirt from a tree.
posted by cedar at 6:56 PM on September 27, 2004

toad bug?
posted by jessamyn at 7:00 PM on September 27, 2004

looks like a bug. (by which i mean a proper bug, and not a beetle. both are insects.)

it also looks to have some sort of fungal infection. could be some camoflage, but it doesn't quite look natural... too... splotchy, i guess.
posted by caution live frogs at 8:03 PM on September 27, 2004

That's one ill-looking bug.

Maybe someone horked a loogie on it. Looks like 'bacco spit.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:42 PM on September 27, 2004

I had a bug that look very similar to this on the outside of my patio door about 2 weeks ago. Not as gross as it seems in the picture, because the one I saw was about 1/8 of an inch long. The 'shell' wasn't quite as bumpy and was a tad more brown than black. Location is central Ontario (latitude: 43.7713130 longitude: -79.2407840). I only ever saw the one bug, so it might not swarm.

I called it a turtlebug because of the shell, but it doesn't look like any picture of a turtlebug I can find on the web.
posted by Mahogne at 5:30 AM on September 28, 2004

That's about the size this bug appeared: 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

A macro setting was used and was shot at about 1 inch away. Pictures are not that clear.





I was wondering if it was some sort of bark bug or immature beetle? The transparent disc looked solid like plastic and less amber (more clear) than the shots show. The head and legs[6] are under that. It moved/crawled slowly, and did not startle easy.

The surface of the lumpy dark colored area are toadlike, the *shell* and how it got up and moved are similar to a turtle. I checked several insect ID sites and it does not seem to fit anything I have found, yet. [Northern Illinois, US]
posted by qui at 6:20 AM on September 28, 2004

I'm no expert, but it looks to me like a clavate tortoise beetle. Another image (scroll down), and another.
posted by ptermit at 7:21 AM on September 28, 2004

ptermit said, I'm no expert, but it looks to me like a clavate tortoise beetle

Yes, that sure looks like it. Thanks. I thought maybe it fell from the trees. I do have several morning glory varieties planted and I see that is one of their favorite plants. I will have to look for others or signs that there are more.
posted by qui at 8:32 AM on September 28, 2004