Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Darth Vader

mummyFound this under a bed recently. Where, ahem, it had not been cleaned in a while.

mthew

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7 responses to “Darth Vader”

  1. alphonsegaston

    I’ll bite…er…What, or who, is it?

    Reply
    1. mthew

      Probably pretty crispy by now, but not much flavor left in it…. Actually, I don’t know what it is. The bulging eyes and plate-like structure behind the head are curious.

      Reply
  2. Gillian

    Looks like a cicada of some sort. Now I’m afraid to go look at what’s under MY bed!

    Reply
    1. mthew

      I see where you’re coming from with that cicada thought, especially with those bulging eyes. But this was under an inch long and doesn’t seem the right shape either for a cicada, at least all the cicadas I know. After the briefest of research, I’m thinking something in Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, katydids).

      Reply
      1. Gillian

        Yes, I can see the resemblance to the grasshopper/katydid family as well. Unfortunately it seems to be…um…missing some pieces!

      2. mthew

        The legs must have been tender at one point…

  3. Nature on the Edge

    What a fabulous example of a horny exoskeleton … love the Darth Vadery look!

    Reply

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