Subject: What is this bug from Southern Chile
Geographic location of the bug: Chile, Region XI: Chile Chico: 46°43’31″S 71°43’31″W
Date: 03/23/2020
Time: 09:02 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I found this big bug in harsh, semi-desert south of Chile Chico in Region XI in the far south of Chile.
The bug was in the margins of the Rio Jeinimeni but I am sure it is a terrestrial that has fallen in and is not an aquatic insect.
The antennae on this sample were obviously broken but they must have been long, perhaps as long as the body, before they were damaged.
The obvious features are the 3.5 inch (10cm) length and the orange band across the thorax.
How you want your letter signed: Jon
Dear Jon,
This is a Stick Insect or Phasmid in the insect order Phasmida. There is an image on Wikipedia of a mating pair that is identified as Agathemera crassa. It also resembles Agathemera claraziana, called Chinchemolles in Spanish, which is pictured on CalPhotos where it states: ” ‘Chinchemolles’ hide under rocks during the day, and forage on plants at night. Many individuals have a very unpleasant odor, and sometimes one can find the hiding spots simply from the location of the odor.” We believe we have the genus correct, but we will leave species identification to the experts. Though it is very belated, we are tagging your submission as our Bug of the Month for March 2020.
Dear Daniel,
Thank you very much for identifying this bug, which is probably the largest insect I have ever come across.
I can testify to the smell…
Thank you and best regards,
Jon