Subject: Scorpion tail bug?
Geographic location of the bug: Austin, Tx
Date: 06/17/2019
Time: 11:22 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: This 4 inch long bug has been sticking around our entrance for a few days. I never saw it move but after 3 days it changed its position.
Looks creepy with that weired scorpion-like thing coming out of its tail.
Thanks for helping to identify the species.
How you want your letter signed: Andreas
Dear Andreas,
This is a mating Muskmare, a Two Striped Walkingstick. The tail you mentioned is actually the smaller male insect riding the back of his much larger mate. Featured Creatures has a wealth of information on this species, including: “this species is capable of squirting a strong-smelling defensive spray that is painfully irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes.”