Family Hetrodinae
There aren’t very many creatures in Africa that gives me nightmares, but this is undeniably one of the exceptions! Built like tanks complete with an armoured exoskeleton, formidable mandibles with which they can inflict a painful bite, and intimidating spikes on their legs and 5cm-long bodies (without including their legs in the measurement), just the thought of one of them finding its way onto my neck is almost enough to make me faint…
South Africa has about 30 species of Armoured Ground Crickets, also known locally as Corn Crickets, occurring throughout the country. They are omnivores, often regarded as an agricultural pest and capable even of killing and eating chicks in their nests, and will even cannibalise dead of their own kind! Not much will try and prey on Armoured Ground Crickets as they have the habit of spraying noxious “blood” from their bodies to ward of attackers, though they are eaten by bat-eared foxes and kori bustards.
DeWetsWild 
Bring on the foxes! Nee tog, laat ek maar nie een van hierdie raakloop nie!
Angswekkende goed hierdie! 😀
hello Mr. bug
Freaky, aren’t they, Gavin!?
Yep
These are creatures I really don’t mind seeing 🙂 🙂 🙂
You are a braver person that I am, Anne, though I must agree that seeing them probably isn’t nearly as bad as feeling them crawling over you! 😀
They’re sci-if creepy! I wouldn’t want to see one either!
Have you been at any of the Boks’ celebratory gatherings? Quite something , isn’t it? 😁
We have to be thankful that they’re not the size of humans…
I have just returned from a 10-day tour and while we could watch the final game I’m afraid the Springbok Victory Tour did not pass by the special spots we were frequenting in the bush this past week! 😀
Ha! I would hope not. Looking forward to seeing and reading about your trip.
Oh, this is one creature I dislike! I have had to kill a few of them over the years in Jhb. Strangely I don’t them them in Mbombela, not that I’m complaining.
I am glad to know I am not alone in my fobia! 😀