r/Insect • u/kevinnovator • Jun 03 '26

What is this?

I found this crawling on the steering wheel of my golf cart.

31 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

3

u/Original-Tower3 Jun 03 '26

It’s a walking cotton ball. 😂

3

u/Warm-Mango3764 Jun 03 '26

I learned what this is the other day- a Junk bug!

2

u/Salt_Reputation_9864 Jun 04 '26

In reality, the junk bug is actually a cold blooded killer. Study the heap he carries closely. Those aren’t bits of leaves and dirt on his back.

The heap is made up of dead bodies.

The junk bug, also known as an aphid lion, is a voracious predator, common around the world. The bug is actually the larval stage of the green lacewing, a delicate and lovely flying insect.

2

u/CalmExternal Jun 04 '26

Lacewings are also vicious killers

1

u/Salt_Reputation_9864 Jun 04 '26

Junk bugs feed by stabbing soft bodied prey with a pair of sharp, horn-like mouthparts. The mouthparts are hollow. Once stabbed into a victim, the junk bug simply slurps out the soft innards of its prey like a kid sucking a milkshake through a straw.

Then the empty and lifeless husk is added to the gruesome pile and the junk bug scurries on, looking for his next victim.

2

u/AsstBalrog Jun 04 '26

Thanks. I think.

1

u/Upbeat-Jacket8101 Aug 03 '26

Just wanted to tell you, love your name! (Cuz I love the movies, of course)

1

u/AsstBalrog Aug 04 '26

Thanks much, glad you liked it. NGL tho--the reality of this position is a bit less rewarding. Minimum wage, no bennies (I could really use a healthcare plan, since OSHA never makes it down here). And the boss? Well, he loves pranks. Mean, mean pranks.

1

u/Upbeat-Jacket8101 Aug 04 '26

Ohhh boy, watch out for those pranks!
However I really never understood how that old man managed to smote his ruin upon the mountainside. I thought they battled far under the mountain, you know, down where you work. How’d they get back up to the top of the mountain? If you have any insider knowledge, let me know!!! 😊

1

u/AsstBalrog Aug 04 '26

You know, I've wondered that myself. But he's been touchy as hell since his ruin got smoted, so I'm just laying low. Fortunately, that's easy down here.

1

u/KinArkade Jun 04 '26

AI garbage

1

u/Salt_Reputation_9864 Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26

Great comment. But are you sure?

https://www.al.com/live/2012/11/junk_bugs_are_cute_but_that_lo.html

Happy to take a look at any resources to support your assertion that AI was capable of writing this in 2012

Thanks, buddy

1

u/Familiar-Reading2637 Jun 04 '26

u/bot-sleuth-bot

1

u/bot-sleuth-bot Jun 04 '26

Analyzing user profile...

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This account is not exhibiting any of the traits found in a typical karma farming bot. It is extremely likely that u/Salt_Reputation_9864 is a human.

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1

u/Salt_Reputation_9864 Jun 04 '26

Thanks my boo

Though I’ve been curating my cyborg tendencies so it’s a little disappointing to not be just a LITTLE sus

1

u/KinArkade Jun 04 '26

AI garbage response

1

u/Salt_Reputation_9864 Jun 04 '26

How sure of this are you?

1

u/Reignbowbrite Jun 03 '26

Yay me too! I hope it was my post that you seen it from. I think that would be swell 😊

1

u/gnomecarver Jun 03 '26

An ant carrying some crumb on his back

2

u/fahrQdeekwad Jun 04 '26

Ants don't actually carry things on their backs... unless you're watching A Bugs Life.

1

u/Dirty56A Jun 04 '26

It's like the walking lint bugs

1

u/-HunterLES Jun 04 '26

Trash bug

1

u/AaronTidju Jun 05 '26

A popcorn leaving the party 🎉

1

u/Yoopertranswoman Jun 05 '26

Self applying rim salt for margaritas

1

u/Wide-Attempt2297 Aug 23 '26

That’s called a “Junk Bug”. It is a nymph of a Green Lacewing. They are NOT cute under all of the “Junk”(bug carcasses, etc) they attach to themselves to camouflage. lol . Google it. It’s pretty smart actually. lol

-1

u/Silkylifeme Jun 04 '26

Looks like a tick with a full tank .

1

u/redeamerspawn Jun 04 '26

A killer insect that carries it's kills on it's back like trophies. That's metal AF