Thank you Bobby, Buck, Louise and Kirk. These are really gross. But I will watch the You Tube video. But not with popcorn – maybe with some wine. 🙂

It is the empty husk of a cicada.

The “creature” in your picture is the shell of a cicada. As it grows, it periodically sheds its too-small skin. The shells can frequently be found on the bark of trees.

This is a stage in the development of the cicada. This form emerges from the ground and crawls (very slowly) onto a tree, twig, etc., and waits. The back will split, and a cicada will emerge. It is really interesting. It thrilled my children, and I can’t wait to show it to my grandson. The dry shell is interesting for children to collect. Buck

Well you are exactly right about the cicada. Search a little farther an you’ll learn about their exoskeleton. There is even a U-tube time lapse video of the metamorphosis. Bring popcorn!