You have been warned! This post contains pictures of bugs and spiders. I’ve never seen such a big variety of insects as there are here in Panama, so I’ve had a great time with my camera and especially my macro lens. As I sorted through the folders of saved photos, I pulled out a few of my favorites to share.
One advantage to having my “office” outdoors – I get a lot of interesting visitors. There are tons of bugs here but they tend to be very mellow and not aggressive. I think I have only been stung/bitten twice in the 3+ years I’ve been here, once when picking a lemon and didn’t see the little wasp sitting on it, and I must have pinched him, and another time when I was reaching into a shrub that had a bee nest in it. That sting was so mild I wasn’t even positive I’d been stung.
This is what I have to share today, and I think that’s all the bug pictures for the moment. The winds are howling again today and I’m trying to decide if I’m getting out my bike. I won’t go far though, since coming home through the headwinds will be challenging.
Oh look! a little bug just walked under my phone … 😀
The Panama Adventure 
cute … we’ll be back in July for a couple of weeks … this time though we are flying in to David which will make the trip much nicer .. 🙂
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July should be nice, rains will be back but not the big downpours of later in the year. Flying is so fast compared to the bus! I think you’ll like that
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The one with the “nose” looks like a weevil of some kind.
I bet you were a VERY STRANGE little girl.
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Wow, I googled weevils and there are a lot of really interesting ones! They all do seem to have a nose like my bug.
I had a very strange childhood – think Mommy Dearest / Joan Crawford. My escape was books and my job of maintaining the yard where the bugs were my playmates.
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I’d say people who have issues with bugs Panama is not the place to go..
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That’s for sure! I’d rather embrace and enjoy the bugs than fight against them anyway.
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The 4th pic from the last is a Stink Bug and if you have a veggie garden then be prepared to fight them before they eat everything in your garden!
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That pretty little green one in the yellow candle? Well darn, guess he’s not as lovely as he looks. I have enough trouble with squirrels, iguanas, and who knows what else that likes to eat veggies so I have given up on growing them here. Thanks for the ID, and for taking the time to comment 🙂
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I had nightmares last night after reading about a dog who died after being bitten by a coral snake in Chiriqui province. We are coming to PA in 2 weeks for a relocation tour and I am wondering about safety issues for my dogs and should we bring them with us, if/when we make the move. How many bugs/snakes/spiders are dangerous, and how common are they? Where are the icky ones found most? What areas should we avoid due to “infestations”, for lack of a better word?
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There are coral snakes and the Fer de Lance pit vipers here, so it is possible that you or your dogs could come across one. If you are referring to the dog I think you are, she was running loose in the yard and probably encountered the snake in the shrubbery. They are now only taking the dogs out on leashes so they can’t poke their nose into any brush that might hide a snake.
There are dangers spiders like the brown recluse but I haven’t seen one myself. I have seen scorpions but word is they feel like a bee sting, annoying but not really dangerous. There are bullet ants here but I think you’d have to go out in the jungle to find them. At least that’s the only place I’ve seen them.
This is the tropics so there are no areas free of “infestations” (are there any such areas in any country?). Many people live here with dogs and no problems, so I think if you keep your dogs out of leaf piles, shrubs, brush, etc that might hide a snake you should be OK.
Do the relocation tours put you in touch with expats living here? This might be a question to bring up with someone who has brought pets in, and also ask about the process, and the pros and cons of bringing pets.
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Thanks for the reply. We have occasionally rattlesnakes in our area, so you are right that every area has its own bug-a-boos. We will be meeting with ex-pats in each area we explore, so I’ll be sure to ask them. I am enjoying your blog — a true wealth of information!
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Thanks so much, and have a great time on your tour!
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Great pics Kris. What is that small green thing sitting on a finger?
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The one with the gold eyes? I don’t know what it is. It’s the same one in the photo before though, if that’s any help.
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Did you ever read/see this?
http://www.npr.org/2012/12/14/167163274/counting-bugs-in-panama-get-out-your-tree-raft
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Thanks! Great article, and loved the pictures.
How is the baby? I hope all is well with all of you 🙂
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Todo bien, gracias
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Excelente! Saludos a su esposa, y abrazos a los niños
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These are cool. I found one in the yuca a few weeks back that lived in a shell. It was a black shell with symmetrical yellow marks on it. The wind was blowing too hard to get a pic to focus, but there are a ton of weird bugs. And big bugs too
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Isn’t it fun to find a new bug! Yes, we have seen some really big ones too, but I especially love the little ones that only reveal their details when you get a macro photo.
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This post kinda of bugs me! 🙂
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Ha! 😀
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What cool bugs! I loved the blue butterfly. Thanks for sharing!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
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Bugs love all the humidity. That’s why you have so many. I’m glad you enjoy them.
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Yes, I expect so and its good also that it’s warm here and never freezes
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