Seven new giant bug species are extremely aggressive

[WillParkinson]

Seven new species of katydids are among the largest and bulkiest insects in the world, a new study says.

Found only on the island of Madagascar, the bugs have the "biceps" of a bodybuilder and can be very aggressive—both surprising traits for katydids.

A new species of brighty colored giant katydid, Oncodopus brongniarti. The insects can reach lengths of over 2.5 inches.

“If you get anywhere near them, they will try to grab you with their powerful forelegs and pull your finger toward their mandibles to give you a nasty bite,” says study co-author George Beccaloni, former curator of katydids and related insects at London’s Natural History Museum. (Beccaloni avoided such injuries by using long forceps to grasp the katydids.)

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/11/animals-insects-madagascar-new-species/

[longship]

1. "...even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream."

But sometimes they just want to devour you whole.

Homage to Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House

“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against the hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone."

[Igel]

2. Hostile insects that want to hurt you.

They must originally be from Australia.

[delisen]

3. Do katydids consider curators nasty & vicious

hopping about in the bushes with their long forceps-weapons to snatch up and imprison the katydids.

Are over-zealous curators and entomologists going to bring about a world with 5 ft long evil-tempered katydids.

[GeorgeGist]

4. No editors or Trumpists in charge at NatGeo?

the bugs have the "biceps" of a bodybuilder