A few weeks ago, my friend, Miz Shoes, shared with you a small swarm of juvenile lubber grasshoppers. I had several swarm-lets, my ownself, and as much as you can knock ‘em off the plants, chase ‘em down, and stomp on ‘em, you just know you’ve missed some. Probably a lot.

And you’d be right. Here are several adult lubbers making a banquet out of a large ornamental philodendron in a large planter box outside my front door. They’re everywhere. In the Birds of Paradise and other shrubbery, too.

Their brilliant color and a stinky secretion they emit when cornered, tells any bird that might think to make a meal of one, that it’s poisonous. It’s not, but Nature has a way of defending even the most destructive pests, doesn’t she?