We've been invaded!

[Kobione]

Over the last two days we have been invaded around the house area by literally hundreds of bugs. They look like a kind of shield bug or stink bug, but we haven't positively identified them as yet. I just had to try to get a few 'record shots. They seem to seek shade and shelter under the eaves, and anywhere in the shade These are not great in quality, because, if you stand still, these things are in your hair, down the front of your jumper, all over your hands etc, etc. so - quick grab, and MOVE!!  The first two are about two square feet of area underneath the shade cloth outside our front door, and then the same area under one of the eaves.

 

 

 

They are everywhere - this one shows a top and side view as they scoot across the top of a wall ornament:

 

 

I was only able to get this a bit closer because I rescued this one from a spider web! Also shows you the size compared to my finger tip.

 

 

We have never seen these before in these numbers. It's probably a result of our 'extra dry' period, which is the worst since we moved here, 9 years ago. Our kangaroos are literally starving, and we are feeding the regulars hay every night, my garden is all but dead, which is quite depressing, our truly Serengeti look is back, and some nice rain would be very welcome!!

[annie]

crikey kobione...i would not like being invaded by them....

 

you must find out what they are for us..

 

hope you get a nice rain shower soon....

[colinb]

oooooarrrrgh viewed  just while I'm eating breakfast too ? - they look like cockroaches?

[Heather]

very pretty colours but yuk to them flying into your hair and clothes etc   poor you lot !

hope they decide to clear off soon ....

isnt the world a funny place, you lot are crying out for rain and us over here are sick of the wet and cold weather

[NannyFerret]

You did well to get the shots. The close-ups are really good. 

[fuzzyedges]

Never thought I would like this cold weather BUT

 

Stink bug ????  what did they do to get this name live on baked beans

[roicead]

we have something pretty similar over here, but it's in much smaller quantities..  nice details, that red color is pretty vibrant.

[Kobione]

Fuzzy, stink bugs secrete vile smelling stuff as a deterrent to predators. If you squash one of these things, believe me, you know about it!! The secretion can also be dangerous if it gets into the eye. Roicead, the red colour is quite startling when they take off. Their abdomen, not seen because it's under the wings when they are landed, is vivid red. We're off mowing today, but I will try to identify them later.

[Kobione]

Still surrounded by these things, in even greater numbers. We are sick of them, and so are the girls! This is what their outside drinking bucket looked like this arvo:

 

 

I have not been able to do a thing outside this afternoon because of these little bilghters!!

 

Here they are under the fold of our bedroom blind:

 

 

Hope they disappear soon. Apparently they are in plague proportions everywhere around us.

[Kobione]

Forgot to add this on my last reply. Spotted this amongst the bugs, up under the eaves of the house:

 

 

Managed to get one just a bit closer:

 

 

Not sure what this is at the moment. Seems to be trying to grab the odd bug or two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[fuzzyedges]

Not sure what this is at the moment

 

 

Cheesus I am not so sure I want to know

 

Tell me they arnt really upside down are they

[Kobione]

Yep, Fuzzy, right up under where the weatherboards and the eaves meet. I had to hop a couple of steps up a stepladder to get the closer one, and thought about rotating it to look morre natural, but then left it as was! I think the big thing may be a Katydid of some type - and, once again, we grow'em big Downunder!