Bugs...

There is a lot of speculation that the jungle has a lot of bugs. This is very true. I have seen some very weird and awesome bugs here. But, you don't just walk outside and start swatting at bugs and flys and things. Despite the huge number of insects here, they rarely bother you. Really, in order to see them you need to pay attention. I told my dad that I bet there are more mosquitos in Colorado during the summer than there are here in Shell, Ecuador. We have had our share of bug bites here, but it has never been a bother, nor have we ever felt like our skin was crawling because of all the bugs around.

Becca took this picture on our front porch. I don't know what kind of beetle it is, but it does have some big "chompers." It's actuall size is about the size of a big thumb.


This is called a Rhino Beetle. If you look closely you can see the "horn" on it's nose. This is a small one, and presumably a female because of its small horn. We have seen pictures of large males that are about the size of a complete hand and their horn is about 1.5-2 in. long. They look increadible. If I ever get a picture of one I will be sure to post it!