Spider beauty
Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 4:46 PM
I found this beautiful spider today (June 15th) walking in my garden, across goldenrod, lily leaves, and onto a dead stump. It moved quickly but gracefully. I have been all through my three field guides and Bug Guide, and I can’t find anything close. I live in Newton, New Jersey, up in the northwest corner of the state. Thank you!
Jeannie
Newton, New Jersey
Male Orbweaver, we believe
Hi Jeannie,
This is a wonderful image. Based on the presence of the well developed pedipalps, the appendages closest to the mouth, we would say that this is a male spider. Male Orbweavers tend to be very reclusive, and they are not often photographed. The considerably larger females often spin large webs in the same location for long periods of time. The females are more sedentary, preferring to stay home in the web and capture insects while the diminutive male travels in search of a mate. We would venture a guess that this may be a male Marbled Orbweaver, Araneus marmoreus, though we have not seen a photograph of one. We are basing that possible identification on the similarity of the markings on the legs and abdomen of your specimen to the images posted on BugGuide of female Marbled Orbweavers. There is much variability in the markings and coloration of many of the Araneus species, and it is possible that your specimen is another member of the genus or even one of the other genera of Orbweavers. We gladly welcome our readership to assist in this identification.
Thank you so much! Your website is wonderful. Isn’t it funny, the ways we can brighten people’s lives!
Jeannie LeBlanc
Update from Eric Eaton:
Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:47:16 -0700 (PDT)
Daniel:
I can’t even tell what family that spider belongs in, and not sure if I know anyone else who can, either. I’d be leaning toward a cobweb weaver (Theridiidae) or sheetweb weaver (Linyphiidae), though….
Eric
Red winged bug
Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 5:25 PM
Dear Bugman,
I saw this red insect while hiking in Bear Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains in June. It looked somewhat moth-like, with bright red wings that were outlined in black. It had a black head and black antennae. Could you please help identify this? Thank you!
Madena
Bear Canyon, San Gabriel Mountains, California
Lichen Moth
Hello Madena,
This is a moth; more specifically it is a Lichen Moth in the Tiger Moth subfamily Lithosiinae. It goes by the polysyllabic name Lycomorpha fulgens, but has no common name. BugGuide reports the species from Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
large striped beetle
Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 11:17 AM
this beetle, probably a bit more than two or three inches was in our garage. He was struggling on his back. When I tried to turn him over, he hissed at me. I finally picked him up and put him out in the front yard. Can you tell me what he is?
Linda Williams
Marble Falls, Texas
Lined June Beetle
Hi Linda,
This is one of the Lined June Beetles in the genus Polyphylla, probably Polyphylla occidentalis, though species identification may be difficult. There are numerous matching images posted to BugGuide. The genus page on BugGuide indicates: “Food Adults feed on tree foliage, thus sometimes called ‘chafers’.
Life Cycle Eggs are laid on soil near host plants. Larvae hatch, burrow down and feed on roots of shrubs, trees, require 2-3 years to reach maturity. Pupation is in underground chambers. Adults come to lights. “ These beetles make squeaking noises when handled.
Large Beetles
Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 6:54 AM
Could you help tell me a bit about this type of bug? I found this one on my patio, and have never seen this type of bug here. I have seen something similar to this farther east in Barstow, only it was about 6″ in length. This one was only about 2″. Have heard them called date bugs, and large cockroaches farther east, but this one was smaller and about 50 miles east of Barstow, CA.
JR
Apple Valley, CA
California Prionus
Hi JR,
This is a California Prionus, Prionus californicus. We just finished posting an image of an eastern relative, the Tile Horned Prionus. The Prionids are a group of Longicorns or Long Horned Borer Beetles. The California Prionus has grublike larvae that bore in the wood of oaks, madrone, cottonwoods, fruit trees and Eucalyptus trees according to Charles Hogue in Insects of the Los Angeles Basin. Your specimen is a male. The larger female has less impressive antennae.
Big black beetle
Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 7:45 AM
Dear Bugman,
I found this guy last night on my front porch during an intense thunderstorm. He was two to three inches long. I’ve never seen anything like this, can you identify it?
C. Conner
Central North Carolina
Tile Horned Prionus
Dear C. Conner,
This magnificent specimen is a male Tile Horned Prionus, Prionus imbricornis. According to BugGuide: “On mid-summer nights, these hit lighted windows so hard at my house in Durham, North Carolina, that I fear the glass will break. Seems that mostly males come to lights. “
What kind of butterfly is this?
Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 7:01 AM
I just found this butterfly in our front yard today. I’ve never seen one like it around here. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Karen
Cincinnati, Ohio
Zebra Swallowtail
Dear Karen,
In our opinion, the Zebra Swallowtail is the most elegant of the North American Swallowtails, a family graced with numerous lovely species.
Cecropia Moths
Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 5:36 PM
I found these two in my side yard this evening. I see others have also posted pictures of them. Can you give me more information? Are they more native to the Midwestern states?
Thank you,
Sandy
Lincoln, NE
Mating Cecropia Moths
Hi Sandy,
Though we have received several photos of mating Cecropia Moths, Hyalophora cecropia, in the past, we doubt that any are as gorgeous as yours. They clearly indicate the egg laden body of the fuller female and the more feathered antennae of the male which allow him to scent out the female’s pheromones. Yes, Cecropia Moths are native to the midwest as well as eastern states. BugGuide’s Data page does not indicate any submissions from Nebraska, but there are reports from Oklahoma and Texas to the south and the Dakotas to the north. Nebraska is certainly part of the range, though probably the furthest western portion of the range. As with most species distribution maps, there tend to be fewer individuals at the edge of a range, so sightings from Nebraska might be rare. BugGuide’s information page has this to say about the range and habitat: “Range East of the Rocky Mountains, from Nova Scotia south to Florida. (3) overlaps range of Columbia Moth in southern Canada and adjacent northern states
Habitat Attracted to lights and increasingly common in urban and suburban areas “ The information page on BugGuide also indicates Robin Moth as an alternate name, though this fascinating bit of information is news to us.
Mating Cecropia Moths
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