 This funny looking creature, with the big green eyes, is a type of dog day cicada. The hot and muggy days of July and August are referred to as the dog days of summer. This insect gets its name from that peak time of year when it does most of its singing. This is the adult version of the cicada, but it didn't quite look like this before. This scary looking creature crawling up this post is the baby version of the cicada. This is the nip. Each summer, these nips crawl out of the ground and climb onto a tree or other objects so they can emerge and turn into an adult cicada. Adult cicadas emerge from this last nipple stage through a crack along the back, leaving a light brown cast skin behind. They have probably found these before and didn't know what they are. Now you do. Here is the new emerged adult, leaving the casting skin behind. As adults, they can live for about five to six weeks. All adults vary in size and color depending on the species. They all have prominent bulging eyes and semi-transparent wings held roof-like over their very large bodies. There are great flyers, too, where they'll fly from tree to tree. Male cicadas rest on those tree trunks and branches and sing to attract females throughout the summer. Hey, look at this beetle. This is called an eyed click beetle. He's looking at you. No, not really. Those are not real eyes. They're just for show. This insect has two large spots on the back of its two-inch body. Those thoughts eyes are a defensive adaptation in order to try to confuse or maybe scare off potential predators or even small children. People sometimes see click beetles around their homes, maybe crawling across the ports. As they're attracted to light sometimes even at night, they're mostly found in deciduous mixed forest and other woodlands. Their diet consists of nectar and plant juice. Click beetles have the capability of suddenly catapulting themselves out of danger by releasing stored energy by a click mechanism. If they are turned over on their back, they're able to flip themselves in the air and land on their feet. This clicking also helps them escape from potential predators. Click beetles have been called the acrobats of the insect world. This is also another bug that is safe to pick up and hold. This is a dragonfly. It is called a great blue skimmer. This species is found near lakes, ponds, and low streams in the eastern part of the United States. If you didn't know it or not, dragonflies spend much of their time first as at larvae in water before turning into an adult. As you can see, dragonflies actually have two sets of wings. They fly very fast up to speeds of 30 miles per hour. They can even fly backwards. This makes them one of the fastest insects in the world. Notice the large compound eyes on this blue skimmer. Their large round eyes are actually made up of thousands of smaller eyes, giving them great eyesight and allow them to see in all different directions. I'm sure this helps them when they're flying so fast too. Dragonflies may look mean, but they don't sting or nor will they bite. They're basically harmless to us humans. One great thing about dragonflies is much of their diet consists of eating mosquitoes. That makes this great blue skimmer a wonderful insect to have around. Have you ever heard that sound? This is the insect that makes that noise. This is a mud dauber, and she is hard at work building her mud nest. Each summer, these friendly wasps spend a lot of time showing off their construction skills. Mud daubers, also called dirt daubers, will build these long mud tubes under porches, garages, even barns, anyplace out of the weather. And just a few days later, the long mud tube is finished. The female then will go in and lay an egg in each cell. She then will then go find a spider to put in each cell so that the baby wasp will have something to feed on. Here she comes with a spider now, and she's got a big spider. She's struggling to get up the wall to the nest. Listen to her. She may have to take a break and rest, but she'll visually get that spider up the wall into the nest. Mud daubers are also unique compared to other wasps in that the males will stay in the mouth of the nest to protect the offspring. The male guards the young from intruders and parasites, even other wasps. Weeks later, the baby wasp will hatch out, eat their spider snack, and emerge as adult mud daubers. I know you recognize this guy. Yeah, that's the Daddy Long Legs, or Grand Daddy Long Legs. The real name is Harvest Men. Looks like a spider, but it's not a spider. It belongs to the class of Ragnar, which includes spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks. Like other Ragnarids, Harvest Men have four pairs of legs, they have fangs, but you mostly noticed about Harvest Men is those big old legs. They can move pretty quick and they can climb really good. Harvest Men also have two long antennae, which they use to help them fill their way around. Harvest Men pose no threat or danger to humans. They're harmless. They have no venom glands, nor do they bite. Harvest Men are very common around the house, even the yards. You may see them on the porch, you may see them crawling across the ground. You may see them on the side of the wall, just hanging out, waiting for something to eat. Their considered predators and scavengers will eat almost anything, especially small, soft-bodied insects and vegetative matter. I believe their favorite thing to do is just hanging out in the shade where it's nice and cool. We hope you enjoyed seeing another 4-H bug show. Go outside and kit some bugs this summer. For the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, I'm Shane Harris. Be sure to visit us on our website, aces.edu, for more information about our 4-H program.