The BBC a few months ago had an article on discovery of a small (24 individuals) population of the Lord Howe Island "Tree Lobster" -- a species of giant stick insect for many decades believed extinct.
I know. I know. A photo of the top of the Menaltarma of the sunken isle of Numenor.
Looks like it a fantasy painting. I was similarly fascinated (and perhaps influenced now that I think of it for my current WIP) when I read this article when it first made news a couple months ago.
Bob
Posted by MartinV (Member # 5512) on :
Hell, I might use that photo on a cover...
Posted by Meredith (Member # 8368) on :
Okay. The mountain peak rising out of the ocean is beautiful.
Those bugs are enough to give me nightmares. *shudders*
Posted by JohnColgrove (Member # 9236) on :
That's the coolest looking thing I've seen in a while! They look like giant ants to me!
Posted by Shaygirl (Member # 9761) on :
Meredith said it all.
Those bugs are almost as bad as spiders.
~Shay
Posted by LDWriter2 (Member # 9148) on :
Personally I think they look more like alien crickets.
But Meredith has a point especially with those pictures of them crawling over the guy's hand. Yicks.
But great story fodder, Two fodders actually. The picture of the peak is amazing. Even would kinda fit with something I came up with for a novel that takes place on another planet except mine is over a hundred miles long.
And reminds me that I've been saving up a bunch of articles that could be story fodder. I may get around the placing the links on my blog.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
Love the picture of the island-slash-mountain...I'd go on a lengthy rant about the difference between different species of this and that and whether they're worth differentiating, but I'd have to marshal all my facts first..
Posted by LDWriter2 (Member # 9148) on :
quote:.I'd go on a lengthy rant about the difference between different species of this and that and whether they're worth differentiating, but I'd have to marshal all my facts first.
We have a tiny fish her is California that is causing all types of problems because of environmentalists that would fit this statement. There is no difference between it and the same fish in other states.
But that is all I will say about that here.
But I will say that if I was into mountain climbing as I once wanted to be, I would go visit that island. Even to just boat around it would be worth going.
Posted by Utahute72 (Member # 9057) on :
There are several islands like that in the Hawaiian Island chain. I would also love to visit cocos island just to dive with the sharks.
Posted by Crystal Stevens (Member # 8006) on :
quote:Originally posted by LDWriter2: Personally I think they look more like alien crickets.
But Meredith has a point especially with those pictures of them crawling over the guy's hand. Yicks.
Aw, come on you two. Insects are cool... to an extent. There are somethings about them I don't like. I like to watch spiders in their webs. They've always fascinated me. Actually, this stick insect they've found reminds me of a gigantic all black lightning bug (fire fly), except they can't light up like one or fly evidently. LOL They do resemble a lobster. And if they're passive, I wouldn't mind holding one at all. Isn't nature fascinating?
Posted by Meredith (Member # 8368) on :
Sorry, Crystal.
I can handle snakes (non-poisonous ones) and lizards.
But big bugs? *shudders*
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
quote:A photo of the top of the Menaltarma of the sunken isle of Numenor.
More like Tol Brandir at Rauros on Anduin...
*****
Oh, one other thing about posting that rant...it would likely degenerate into a political rant, too, and quickly...
Posted by EVOC (Member # 9381) on :
quote:Originally posted by Meredith: Okay. The mountain peak rising out of the ocean is beautiful.
Those bugs are enough to give me nightmares. *shudders*
Meredith, I had a dream about these creepy things last night. I wouldn't call it nightmares, but I dreamed that these things had grow large. I told my wife it the dream "You can blame this on those damn scientists bringing those bugs off the island. Now with unlimited food they've grown."
I wanted to shoot them because they were in my backyard. My wife told me the bullets would just bounce off their exoskeleton.
When I woke up, I thought about your comment here about having nightmares. Mine wasn't really a nightmare, it was just weird.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)