BugFilter: What is this giant bug?

July 11, 2005 5:13 PM

BugFilter: What is this bug? It was crawling around outside my apartment here in Austin and actually walked toward me whenever I would move, which creeped me the eff out. It's about two inches long and... just check out the photo. It was a slow and deliberate mover. I have to know what it is, and if I should keep a weapon nearby in case it comes back.
posted by letterneversent to Science & Nature (6 answers total)

Best answer: It looks like, and the description is compatible with, a borer beetle, family Cerambycidae (long-horned beetles) of which there are thousands of species so no idea which one. They (or their larvae) bore into trees or dead wood. The introduced Asian long-horned beetle is currently the source of panic here in the Northeast (but yours isn't one of them, although somewhat similar appearance). They're all completely harmless if you aren't made of wood.
posted by TimeFactor at 5:30 PM on July 11, 2005

Best answer: I think it's a Cottonwood Borer, so TimeFactor is correct. And yes, it's harmless - it's not all that serious a pest even for trees.

http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/bimg177.html
posted by nanojath at 6:08 PM on July 11, 2005

I think TimeFactor has it. Closest thing in my handy-dandy field guide is a cottonwood borer.
posted by jrossi4r at 6:16 PM on July 11, 2005

Or what nanojath said...
posted by jrossi4r at 6:17 PM on July 11, 2005

Response by poster: Ah, the article says they emerge in June or July, so maybe he was just disoriented. He was moving a little awkwardly. Thanks for the help.
posted by letterneversent at 6:38 PM on July 11, 2005

Tie a thread to it's leg and watch it fly around just like a june bug.
posted by snsranch at 8:24 PM on July 11, 2005