They say that baby-faces have the face of the devil painted on their belly. That they are dangerous, that they bite and their venom can be lethal. But this is not true. This bug, barely the size of a phalanx, is the architect of horror in Mexican homes and one more victim -like the black moth-of unfounded myths. Its name, cute as well as peculiar, comes from its resemblance to the face of a baby: its body is black with orange bands and legs and its head is red, perfectly round, large and disproportionate, with two tiny oval eyes.
Baby-faces are native to the Pacific coast and central Mexico. They are common inhabitants of the gardens or parks of Mexico City, so if you scratch around in the dirt you may find one, especially from September to December. They hang around in the damp soil, under the ground, and come out when it rains because their small habitat is flooded.
Stenopelmatus fuscus is a cousin of crickets and grasshoppers; together they belong to the order Orthoptera. Like them, the baby-faced also sings at night in search of a mate, but its sound is barely audible. This slight noise is caused by the rubbing of the hind legs with the belly.
A sting (bite) from this bug can hurt a little and, in extreme cases, cause a small infection. But that's as far as it goes. Perhaps the myths surrounding the babyface come from the mere fact that its appearance is strange and reminiscent of something human (because there are few things more ominous than seeing something of us in another species). That's why they get killed. But they don't deserve it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0BRVilCLr8
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