We were going through the drive-thru at McDonald's and I saw this huge thing on the door. I wasn't sure if it was alive but iI thought, no that wasn't that far to the left last time I looked. I told my mom, I think there's a huge bug on the door there, I want to check. She said okay get out and I'll come around and get you after ordering. So I jumped out and headed for the door and saw this! I'd never seen one before. My heart jumped, I was amazed and excited. I went to pick her up, pinching her sides, and she leaned back and spread her mandibles! They have necks that can reach quite far back so I released her instantly. So instead i pinched her head, just under the mandibles. Then my mom got me, I took the food out of the McDonald's bag, and put her in there.
When I got home she was still quite vicious. But then I let her crawl on me. She didn't try biting then because she didn't feel threatened. I put her in a container and she tried to escape for a while. She clung onto the top of the lid. I flipped it over and she was still a bit reactive. Still was parting her mandibles and raising her head, trying to look frightening. I waited a while and just looked at her, then started putting my hand closer. She wasn't being aggressive anymore. I put a piece of cloth between her mandibles and she didn't pinch it. So then I slowly started to pet her. First her back on her wings, then her neck, then head. She didn't react defensively. I sprayed her and she consumed all the water, she was extremely thirsty! I then picked her up and she tasted me too. They have very interesting mouth parts!
Females can draw blood! Males cant though because their mandibles are so long, they can't get a good grip. They're just for impressing the female. Adults only live about a week and they don't eat. They are nocturnal but are attracted to bright lights.
She lived about 7 days, a week exactly. I'm not sure how long she'd been alive before I caught her but apparently not too long.
While I had her, I got some footage and photos.
When I got home she was still quite vicious. But then I let her crawl on me. She didn't try biting then because she didn't feel threatened. I put her in a container and she tried to escape for a while. She clung onto the top of the lid. I flipped it over and she was still a bit reactive. Still was parting her mandibles and raising her head, trying to look frightening. I waited a while and just looked at her, then started putting my hand closer. She wasn't being aggressive anymore. I put a piece of cloth between her mandibles and she didn't pinch it. So then I slowly started to pet her. First her back on her wings, then her neck, then head. She didn't react defensively. I sprayed her and she consumed all the water, she was extremely thirsty! I then picked her up and she tasted me too. They have very interesting mouth parts!
Females can draw blood! Males cant though because their mandibles are so long, they can't get a good grip. They're just for impressing the female. Adults only live about a week and they don't eat. They are nocturnal but are attracted to bright lights.
She lived about 7 days, a week exactly. I'm not sure how long she'd been alive before I caught her but apparently not too long.
While I had her, I got some footage and photos.
Last edited by a moderator:
