Have You Seen This Bug At The Jersey Shore?

I'm sitting on the back deck Saturday enjoying the nice weather, and this thing landed on the chair next to me.

I won't lie, I freaked out a little. Maybe I'm watching too many of those deadly insect shows or something, but I couldn't help but wonder if this creature belonged in Point Pleasant New Jersey or it came in on some international produce shipment. Yes, I saw that episode.

I did what any real man would do as soon as I saw it. I slowly moved backwards while not losing eye contact, which is exactly what you're supposed to do. I saw that on Nat Geo, but I'm not sure if it was instructions for a bug, a tornado or neither of the above.

I reached a safe distance, took a long distance picture, and then did the next thing a real man does. I screamed for my wife. It turns out this bug is called a Box Elder bug which is pretty harmless and hangs out around box elder or maple trees, according to orkin.com.

It was a basically harmless bug but I acted like it was a python, which is fine as long as your neighbors and family aren't watching. Another harrowing day at the Jersey Shore.