Strange creatures that look like “giant dragonflies” attract thousands of viewers
Nicole Doctor was walking with her dog when she noticed a poor bug “writhing fiercely” on the brick floor. This creature appeared in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The blue creature that appeared in Atlanta (Georgia, USA) looks like “a giant mutant dragonfly” trying desperately to survive.
“I noticed it immediately when it was about 1.5m away because it was writhing so violently. When I got closer, I saw ants all over their back, probably trying to eat it,” Nicole said.
Nicole decided to record what she was seeing. Photos taken by the graphic designer show the creature with a long, flattened body with two wings located near its head and no longer able to move.
“Its eyes are on either side of its head, similar to those of a hammer shark,” Nicole said.
The strange-looking creature is said to be a water bug with defective wings
“Its wings were wet and stuck together, dragging on the ground. Looking at its wings, I thought it was a mutant dragonfly. Its 4 antennae are very long but 2 of them look like 2. Its tail reminds me of a fish tail and its legs are like cockroaches.
If I had to describe it, I would think it was a mix of cockroach and dragonfly but about the size of a centipede. It’s both scary and pitiful,” said Nicole
Nicole shared the pictures she took on social networks and has attracted more than 10,000 views, nearly 1,000 comments.
Some have suggested that the insect she saw was a water aphid, a large winged insect that can grow up to 15cm long. An expert on insects said that the appearance of this animal is very ugly.
“This is a water bug from the eastern United States,” said Lyle Buss, from the Insect Identification Laboratory at the University of Florida. The long antennae indicate that it is an adult male.
They are like butterflies, emerging from the pupa and taking time for the wings to dry completely before they can fly.”
Nicole said she went back the next day but did not see the strange creature again.
Water aphids are species with a completely variable life cycle. After hatching from the eggs, the larvae of the water aphid can live in rivers and streams for up to 7 years before reaching land to pull the cocoons and become a water aphid. Adult water bugs live only a few days, long enough to mate and lay eggs.
