From the monthly archives: "December 2007"
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Mermaid's Purse

On · Category: Eggs · Add Comment

Ocean City MD
I found several of these washed up on the beach in Ocean City, Maryland at the end of December, 2007. Can you tell me what it is?
Mo Riddle

Hi Mo,
Though it isn’t a bug, we couldn’t resist posting your image of a Mermaid’s Purse, a very lyrical name for a Shark Egg Case. We are not sure of the species, but suspect it is a Dogfish. The Monterey Bay Aquarium website states: “Some sharks package their young in leathery egg cases, then abandon them at sea. Nourished by their yolk-filled egg sacs, the young sharks, called pups, develop on their own. After several months, one edge of the case comes apart and the tiny sharks emerge, alive and swimming. Occasionally egg cases wash up on beaches before the sharks inside can hatch. Beachcombers may know the pillow

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Great Purple Hairstreak

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Just curious about this little critter, any help welcomed. I’m having a hard time identifying him. Thanks for your help. Thanks,
Denise Cox

Hi Denise,
Happy New Year. This little beauty is a Great Purple Hairstreak, Atlides halesus. Its coloration is actually a vibrant iridescent blue when the wings are open. We wish you had provided us with a location, but we are guessing you are writing from Texas or Florida.

Good morning! Thank you for the quick response. You were right, Florida (Jacksonville) it is. He was just there for the viewing, and I just had to get a snap. Have a wonderful New Year! Thanks,
Denise Cox

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Garden Spider

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What is this?
Hi.
My wife came to within 1 inch of getting this spider in the face when heading to our bin last night. I had to snap a pic to try to identify this spidy. We are in Australia on the Central Coast of NSW near Wyong, Gosford is about 30 minutes drive south of us. Any help identifying this spider would be appreciated so we know what we have. Cheers
Jason

Hi Jason,
This is one of the Orb Weaving Spiders known as Garden Spiders. We believe it is in the genus Eriophora. There appears to be a degree of variability in the markings. We found an Australian Spider site with many similar looking spiders, but no exact matches.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Newly Hatched Trapdoor Spiderlings

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trapdoor spiderlings
i thought you might like to see the image of what i believe are trapdoor spiderlings recently emerged. found at skidaway island state park, ga
anthony

Hi Anthony,
Thanks so much for sending us your photo of alleged Trapdoor Spiderlings. We will agree with your identification until an expert writes in to correct us.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Poecila Sphinx Caterpillar

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caterpillat ID help!
Ask that Bug!
I think I have incorrectly identified the attached photo as a Tobacco hornworm. None of my books are much help. It is the color that has me puzzled. The Sphinx Moth caterpillar is a reddish brown, but I do not see the “horn” on it, so if you can help, please do. Thanks a lot!
Ruth Smith

Caterpilar ID help #2
Dear Bug people!
I forgot to mention the locale of the previous photo….the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in August. Also since the 1st e-mail, I have concluded that this may be in the family of Sphinx Moth Caterpillars, but not sure which one. They seem to prefer grape vines. Thisi s a willow branch, but it was eating and wiggling a lot! Thanks again for your help.
Ruth Smith

Hi Ruth,
We wrote back to you after getting your first letter with a request for additional information including location and food plant, without realizing that you had sent a second email. The location in Michigan was a tremendous help. We are relatively certain this is a color sport of the Peocila Sphinx, Sphinx poecila. Wow, a palandrome!!!!! We located an image on Bill Oehlke’s wonderful website that indicates he raised a group of caterpillars of the Poecila Sphinx and he noticed that: “One of the larvae was considerably darker than the others and upon moving into the fifth instar took on a dramatic, deep purple colouration. ” We will try to contact Bill Oehlke to see if he agrees that this is a dark Sphinx poecila. Bill Oehlke quickly wrote back: “Yes, it is poecila” in confirmation of our identification.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Woolly Aphid

On · Category: Aphids, Scale Insects, Leafhoppers, and Tree Hoppers · Add Comment

Hey there.
We found this “blue fly with a fur coat” flying around our yard. Any idea what it might be? We live in Chelsea, Québec ,Canada. Love your site! It’s super useful. Thanks for your help,
Celine & Marc

Hi Celine and Marc,
This is a Woolly Aphid in the genus Eriosoma. The winged ones are males.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Golden Silk Spider from China

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chinese spider
hi, i found this spider at the top of the great wall
in a out of the way section. hope you can tell me
about it. it was 6-7 inches from top to bottom. thank you.

This is Nephila clavata, one of the Golden Silk Spiders, so named because of the color and strength of their silk. In addition to China, this species is also found in Taiwan, Korea and Japan.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Male Grizzled Mantis

On · Category: Preying Mantis · Add Comment

Please help identify
Lisa Anne and Daniel,
We recently took a canoe trip on Silver River in the Ocala National Forest in Florida. We found this in our canoe the next morning at the hotel in Ocala. Some of the photos of gonatista pronotum look like it, some other photos of gonatista grisea resemble it. Can you please help us identify it? Many thanks,
Jeannene and Scott Kennedy

Hi Jeannene and Scott,
The pronotum is part of the thorax on an insect. Your letter seems to imply that there is a species named Gonatista pronotum, and to the best of our knowledge, this is not true. We feel this is a male Grizzled Mantis, Gonatista grisea, as evidenced by an image on BugGuide. BugGuide also states that this species, which is also known as the Lichen Mimic Mantid is: “Mottled gray, green and brown and overall body shape is broad and flattened. Pronotum not narrowed ahead of point where frong [sic] legs attached. Female has short wings, abdomen lobed on side. In male, wings cover abdomen at rest.”

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination