Subject : Who is this gem?
Geographic location of the bug: Florida [Late Spring]
Date: 06/03/2018
Time: 04:49 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hello! My uncle posted this picture on Facebook of a strange bug he found hanging upside down from a plant. While I’m usually good at identifying the odd critter he comes across, this one has completely stumped me. Would you happen to know this mystery bug? Thank you!!
How you want your letter signed: Vexed in Virginia
Dear Vexed in Virginia,
This is an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, and we suspect the reason you are having difficulty identifying it is that it is in the process of molting. The legs that are hanging from the branch are part of the exoskeleton that is sloughed off when the insect molts. The hanging legs are the actual insect that has not yet fully emerged from its exuvia, or shed exoskeleton.