The Unusual Yet Common Bugs and Other Creatures

As you can imagine and on occasion, we will get the unusual brought into the office. For example, someone asked if we could take a look at a sample of some dead tree limbs and give him an idea what might be causing the problem. We told him to bring it in not knowing that it was six inches in diameter and about ten feet long.  Most of the time it is a rather common creature or plant that we can identify rather quickly, so see if you find it below.

A description and photos of some of the more common arthropods found in Southern California and elsewhere can be found at the UC Riverside Entomological Museum web site. See the Insect frequently asked questions (Insect FAQ).

There is a good web site that features common arthropods and nematodes at the University of Florida called Featured Creatures. There are common names and photos of many of these arthropods as well.

Lawn Shrimp - Yes they look just like litle shrimp, but they are a terrestrial form that can be found occassionally in the hundreds on the door step.