They're ugly...but I don't know that I'd fear a potato bug more than (eewww) a spider or centipede!! One bug I've noticed seeing a lot more of is the earwig; we are constantly finding them in the house during the summer months - in the fall, I've been noticing a lot more ladybugs than I'd ever seen in the past, too!

patrask,

I grew up in Orange Co. That's where I used to see Potato Bugs all the time. Well, not really all the time. Just often enough to get excited about it when seeing one. My friend who still lives there says he's going find one for me, give it a clear coat of paint and package it, along with a Japanese Beetle, and send it to me. He says that he hasn't seen a Potato Bug or Japanese Beetle in a long time either.

I don't know if Japanese Beetle is what they're really called by everyone else. They're the shiny metallic green beetles.

Japanese beetles I see every year. Some kids even tie strings to these and fly them like pets. I guess I am just too old and don't dig in the ground as I did when younger, thus, I never see Potato Bugs, assuming they are really there. Just as well, they probably think I am ugly too!

Interesting entomological tangent!
Have you ever seen these guys? The Tenline June Beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata) is pretty big, and they hiss, writhe, and click if you pick them up.
This shows a couple of pictures: http://homepage.mac.com/senorwences/PhotoAlbum13.html

We have something close here, but the June bugs here don't have stripes and they're a medium brown in color. Nasty critters, as they are EVERYWHERE in the evenings in late May - June.

salamanders supposedly can live in fire...which appears in some of his books like F451.

Talked Thursday with someone who found some kittens in a bonfire--only AFTER the fire had been lit! They put it out and nursed them back to health. The kitties' names are Phoenix and Cinder!

id love to find a praying mantis, probably the most interesting insect ive found is a walking stick

So, we are starting F451 orally today. First several pages... Is the scene of Millie getting her stomach pumped by the gruff, plastic clothed "call-a-medtechers" a hint of health care to come!?

How current the book still remains! The images of the empty streets, drugged-up Mildred with tamped in media receivers, moonstone eyes near lifeless, glassed over, staring at the black ceiling, suddenly illumined by Montag's pocket igniter. Stark!

I can't wait for that hound to arrive in may classroom...

How about this from Minority Report? (Speilberg with F451 script in his hands would be a potential classic.) Here, spiders not dogs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ5oi7tASC8

Now this:
http://www.wired.com/threatlev...sampling-upon-arrest

My daily F451 scene "come true":
Hurry the "White Clown" is one -
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20...chologyentertainment