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What’s this bug?
Hello. I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I found this bug in my garden, I really don’t know what it is. I thought it could be some kind of cricket, but I’m totally clueless. I hope you can tell me what it is and if it’s somehow dangerous. Thank you very much,
Julie.

Hi Julie,
You have provided us with an interesting mystery. This insect most resembles a rare group of insects in New Zealand known as Wetas. Wikipedia has a nice image of a Giant Weta, Deinacrida fallai. These Wetas are Orthopterans, the Order of insects that included Crickets. They are in the Family Anostostomatidae. We have found web information that there are species of insects in the family Anostostomatidae in Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina, but cannot find images. Shortly after you sent in your photos and question, a Jonathan Simmons, sent in one of your images calling this creature a “Nasty Critter.” Your specimen is a female and she is not dangerous, though some Orthopterans can bite, but do not have poison. Others have sharp spines on the legs that can do damage to human skin. Your specimen is missing the two hind legs, the jumping legs. We want to get Eric Eaton’s opinion on your creature. Here is what Eric has to add: ” You are quite right about the specimen missing both of its hind legs, and that really makes identification difficult. I suspect is is some kind of Copiphorinae katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. There are several tropical species still awaiting description by science, don’t know if this is one of them. It is a female, as can be told by te blade-like ovipositor at the end of the abdomen. She may be immature, or simply a wingless adult.”

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