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? bug
I found these bug casings on a painted pillar outside my front door today. They were stuck to it as if they really sank their claws in while exiting their shells. My wife thought they were bees because of the stripes on their abdomen. They also have some pretty mean looking claws. They are about one inch long, maybe a little less. What the heck are they? We live in Redding, (northern) California. Also, we leave the porch light on at night and they were found a few feet below the bulb. Thanks,
Mike Sawyer

Hi Mike,
These are the cast off exoskeletons of Cicadas. Larval Cicadas live underground. When they are ready to mature, they claw their way to the surface, shed their exoskeletons, and become winged adults.

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