The World Wrestling Federation is now known as World Wrestling Entertainment because the World Wildlife Fund was already known as the WWF. The dude in the picture above could go either way. Apparently, he, or she, is some sort of aggressively invasive exotic bullfrog. Nonetheless, he or she still qualifies as wildlife, and now inhabits the drainage pond that is within a cultivated landscape that is adjacent to natural forest ecosystems. I mentioned his or her presence to a biologist who then informed me of how much damage this particular species can do to any natural ecosystem that it infests. I then realized that the tree frogs that had been so loud through spring had been silent all summer. Although they naturally get quiet by summer, they are not normally so completely silent. I am now concerned that the bullfrog might eat small fish who might inhabit the pond. Duckweed obscures activity below most of the surface of the pond. I would not mind if the bullfrog ate the duckweed. He or she probably does, but there is just too much of it. This species of bullfrog is omnivorous, so will eat anything that it can get its big mouth around, including mollusks and insects. That could be beneficial, but might also include beneficial insects. Actually though, I am more concerned about any baby fish than insects. Besides, when I met the insect in the picture below, I was actually somewhat concerned about the unwelcome bullfrog. I do not want his or her demise to be as violent as the appearance of this insect suggests it could be. I have no idea what this insect is, but it looks like it should have a Volkswagen hood ornament. Getting it together with the bullfrog could be an event for the WWF!

4 thoughts on “WWF

  1. If I’m right, your frog has nothing to fear. I’m pretty sure this is a ponderous borer beetle: Trichocnemis spiculatus. It’s a vegetarian, so to speak.

    Annie Dillard did write in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek about a giant water bug that managed to paralyze a frog and then slurp down its liquified innards. It’s a fantastic passage, although a little unnerving.

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      1. Gads! That thing is scary! There are legendarily HUGE water bugs in Beverly Hills that I believe are actually some sort of cockroach. They come out of the holes in manhole covers at night. Brent’s mother’s kitties waited in the middle of the street for them to emerge. We sometimes heard the kitties crunching on them.

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    1. EW!
      I am not concerned about the beetle eating the frog. I am just concerned that it will not go well for the frog if it tries to eat the beetle. Ponderous border beetle would make sense, since ponderosa pines and Douglas fir both live here. The beetle happened to be rather ponderous, perhaps because not much messes with it.

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