Eastern Lubber Grasshopper Romalea microptera

The "lubber" nickname perfectly captures this grasshopper's personality—it's a slow, clumsy flier with a stocky body built more for crawling than leaping. What it lacks in grace, it makes up for in size and drama: these large, brightly colored grasshoppers are often striped in yellow and black or red and black. Native to the southeastern United States, they're frequently spotted wandering gardens and fields, moving with all the subtlety of a tiny tank. When disturbed, they produce loud hissing or clicking sounds as a defense mechanism, making them impossible to miss once encountered.