Mystery Bugs in Houston, TX

These wee things are adorable...and disturbing at once.

What are they trying to tell us? (If anything!)

Texas Woman Finds Strange Blueberry-Like Bugs Outside, But No One Can Agree On What They Are

I’m not a bug person, so I tend not to wonder what kind of insect I’m looking at. Actually, I tend to run away instead of looking at all. But even I have to admit that these bugs are pretty mysterious.

According to Storyful, Mandy spotted these strange little bugs on the side of her house in Houston. She had no idea what they were and had never seen anything like them before.

People (and supposedly even NASA) are still asking - 'What are they?' What are they doing? A dance? A form of communication? Are we finally seeing the 'take us to your leader' bugs? (I doubt, but someone asked)...

People in the comments have suggested they are anything from southern green stink bug nymphs to kudzu bugs, but no one has been able to 100% identify these unusual insects.

I'm still trying to find out myself - but until then they're cute as...bugs.

peace

Oh they ARE cute, aren't they!
Hope they are not the notorious 'Death to all humans beetle'...but they'd still be cute. Sigh.

Wow. Didn't realize they were that small. It looks like they are walking on four legs with the front two for stability. They are very strange in their walking and interaction with one another. All moving at roughly the same time and duration. Never seen a bug move like that before. Good find OP.

a reply to: silo13

Look to be "Kudzu bugs" — an invasive shield beetle species from China & India that is destroying crops.

a reply to: silo13
From the video they look like Ticks. Cute, cute? Get one of those attached to you and they can give you a load of various diseases.

Nano beetles, probably just there to fix the place up a bit.

Certainly are odd looking(in movement) though, obviously some high(ish) level of communication or cooperation going on there.

a reply to: theantediluvian

Free trade with the world strikes again?
Remember the ash borer?

a reply to: theantediluvian

Ding Ding?

NASA (Never A Straight Answer) won't identify them because its probably a plague brought about by too much pesticide spraying producing immunity, and or chemical fertilizer weakening immune systems of crops.

The human experience is still waiting for that first big repercussion from meddling with DNA.

a reply to: silo13

Cool how they follow the leader and all stop at the same time.
They look pretty small when the person zooms out with the camera.
Weird though how nobody can figure out what they are.
Several years ago, I saw a pretty good sized insect sitting on the side of my garage and I had never seen one of them before.
I took a picture of it and looked online and still could not find any picture that matched it.
So I emailed the picture of it to someone at the Michigan State University Entomology Dept and they emailed me back in about 2 hours with exactly what it was and links about it online.
I don't remember what they said it was but it was a common insect around here only I had just never seen one before.

a reply to: MisterSpock
Looks like about 2 dozens patterns. 3 or 4 seems to have been repeated.

I jotted the patterns down on paper.
Maybe they are trying to tell us something.

Message received. End transmission.

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: silo13
From the video they look like Ticks. Cute, cute? Get one of those attached to you and they can give you a load of various diseases.

Those are not ticks.

a reply to: crayzeed

Oh they're not tics - and actually tics look much different thank goodness - they are nasty critters for sure.



Ugh I hate those things!

peace

a reply to: abago71

Great! Let us know what you find please!

Wouldn't that be fab! 'Bug Talk'!

peace

They are cute..I think the mystery has been solved though.
From the youtube posters description

An entomologist at Texas Invasives has confirmed the species to be Homaemus proteus (in the nymph stage), a particular kind of Scutelleridae bug, aka Jewel bug/Shield bug/Shiel-back bug

originally posted by: silo13
a reply to: crayzeed

Oh they're not tics - and actually tics look much different thank goodness - they are nasty critters for sure.

Ugh I hate those things!

peace

There are very few insects (or creepy crawlies of any kind) that I absolutely detest, but ticks are among them. Parasites occupy their own special category of disgust.

Those little blueberry bugs are cool. I sort of adore them. Too bad they're ruining crops.

originally posted by: abago71
a reply to: MisterSpock
Looks like about 2 dozens patterns. 3 or 4 seems to have been repeated.

I jotted the patterns down on paper.
Maybe they are trying to tell us something.

Message received. End transmission.

Can't wait to see what you get. This is interesting.

a reply to: silo13
Maybe I should take it to the Linguistics department

a reply to: silo13

They should submit that video to "what's that bug . com" Those guys are amazing with their identifications.

a reply to: kelbtalfenek

Already identified..Homaemus proteus