Dumbest things you've heard about inverts

[Jlaw154]

Probably the "dumbest" rather most misguided thing I hear people say in general is when people say "daddy longlegs" (opiliones) are the the most venomous "spider" (Araneae). Those with more moderate knowledge about arachnids can point out the numerous flaws about said statement.

Has anyone else seen this from where they are? Cause not sure if this is a local thing or not?

 

[VolkswagenBug]

Probably the "dumbest" rather most misguided thing I hear people say in general is when people say "daddy longlegs" (opiliones) are the the most venomous "spider" (Araneae). Those with more moderate knowledge about arachnids can point out the numerous flaws about said statement.

Has anyone else seen this from where they are? Cause not sure if this is a local thing or not?

I heard this growing up in the SW United States (along with the caveat that their "fangs" are too small to pierce human skin); not sure where you're from.

 

[Jlaw154]

I heard this growing up in the SW United States (along with the caveat that their "fangs" are too small to pierce human skin); not sure where you're from.

Yeah I'm from the Eastern Side of the US I think it might be one of those US only sort-of myths as I haven't heard any one from other countries say it. Though I could be wrong.

 

[The Snark]

Local gossip-folklore: Snails are completely harmless.

Thanks to an ongoing effort by just about everyone even remotely associated with the medical profession around these parts, hospitals, clinics, and health care workers in the field are now carrying hard copy info cards translated into all local languages that denotes angiostrongyliasis, clonorchiasis, fascioliasis, fasciolopsiasis, opisthorchiasis, paragonimiasis and schistosomiasis along with a simple, concise explanation of each and the common source of infection; snails.

And yeay team. The blanket info coverage has been so effective farm workers and laborers are donning gloves or using plastic bags just to pick snails up now. Only a few mostly geriatric holdouts remain.

And even better, the open billed Stork, once widely hunted and thought to eat young rice plants are now respected and protected with the human populous realizing their main diet is snails.

 

[Garetyl]

Maybe not the dumbest, but every time my mom sees a bug in the house, she yells that one of my spiders escaped. It doesn't matter what it is or where she found it, it's clearly mine and I have to go capture it.

No, mom. Assassin bugs and house centipedes are not tarantulas.

 

[Garetyl]

Welp, I got a new one.

"Birds aren't animals."

'Birds are animals, same as dogs and cats and fish and insects and-'

"No, birds, fish and bugs aren't animals."

-My mom, who used to be a fishkeeper. She was totally serious and got mad at me.

 

[Jlaw154]

Welp, I got a new one.

"Birds aren't animals."

'Birds are animals, same as dogs and cats and fish and insects and-'

"No, birds, fish and bugs aren't animals."

-My mom, who used to be a fishkeeper. She was totally serious and got mad at me.

I've had the same thing happen to me. Where people would say "birds and bugs" aren't animals.

An old friend even said one time "birds are mammals" even after saying they weren't "animals" they're "birds". funny stuff.

 

[ThorsCarapace22]

I heard this growing up in the SW United States (along with the caveat that their "fangs" are too small to pierce human skin); not sure where you're from.

Yep I'm from Kentucky and that's all iv heard my whole life lol. Around here there's alotta things that don't make much sense lol. You gotta love it.

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

Yeah I'm from the Eastern Side of the US I think it might be one of those US only sort-of myths as I haven't heard any one from other countries say it. Though I could be wrong.

I am in the same region, and it is the one myth I correct people on the most.

Maybe not the dumbest, but every time my mom sees a bug in the house, she yells that one of my spiders escaped. It doesn't matter what it is or where she found it, it's clearly mine and I have to go capture it.

No, mom. Assassin bugs and house centipedes are not tarantulas.

For me, it is cockroaches. My mom is always somewhat suspicious that the winged adult P. americana are actually escaped hissers!

 

[VolkswagenBug]

I am in the same region, and it is the one myth I correct people on the most.

For me, it is cockroaches. My mom is always somewhat suspicious that the winged adult P. americana are actually escaped hissers!

I seriously don't understand how people who have seen a specimen of each species can confuse them. I'd maybe understand confusing a Eurycotis with a hisser, but Periplaneta?

 

[NepenthesFriend]

I hate when folks call any large beetle a "june bug" while there is a group of beetles called june bugs they will call any of our native Ontario beetles this. I find people call grapevine beetles this a lot.

Not the stupiest thing, but a massive pet peeve of mine

 

[Jlaw154]

Yeah I can relate sort of a small pet peeve of mine is when people call ground beetles, cockroaches. Despite the two insects only being distantly related.

 

[NYAN]

I thought this was funny.

 

[Ratmosphere]

I thought this was funny.

View attachment 315743

Oh my God...

 

[squidkid]

Oh my God...

the person at the pet store who sold me my b. albopilosum when asked what the sex was said that it was "to small to sex" .... it is a 4.5 inch spider

 

[richard22]

“[All] roaches are disgusting.” Yeah maybe like 12 species, mainly 4 though. Only because they are opportunistic omnivorous scavengers and a few species live near humans. All the others are clean and don’t often smell and can eat much cleaner food especially in captivity.

Also, people who are interested in entomophagy but don’t actually eat bugs except as a dare, and that remains how they interpret how a bug would taste. Eating bugs raw is stupid, and more people should start breeding their own livestock bugs for their own food. Break down those social norms.

 

[MintyWood826]

Saw not heard, but at a museum they had a tarantula you could pet on its abdomen, the part with the urticating hairs.

 

[VolkswagenBug]

“[All] roaches are disgusting.” Yeah maybe like 12 species, mainly 4 though. Only because they are opportunistic omnivorous scavengers and a few species live near humans. All the others are clean and don’t often smell and can eat much cleaner food especially in captivity.

American roaches are pretty clean when they're kept in captivity (at least, so far with the ones I have). They're just considered dirty because they're more able to proliferate in dirty environments.

 

[richard22]

American roaches are pretty clean when they're kept in captivity (at least, so far with the ones I have). They're just considered dirty because they're more able to proliferate in dirty environments.

I don’t see any near me, only oriental roaches, so is it even possible to buy American Roaches online? Because they’re probably a good feeder roach. Better than oriental roaches probably.

 

[Arthroverts]

@richard22, most large places that sell roaches sell Periplaneta usually. Roach Crossing is a notable one for selling all the common "pest" species.

Hope this helps,

Arthroverts