What type of Moth is this?
Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 12:53 PM
I found this giant moth on a fence in Cedar City, Utah. He was just hanging out so I took his picture. I was afraid to take my quarter back, he kinda creeped me out. I kept thinking he’s gonna fly into my hair and I’m going to freak out. He didn’t. Next day he was gone. I got my quarter back. Well, yesterday he was back and he brought a friend! We get some big creepy bugs and scorpions around here. Best are the Jerusalem crickets. Like little alien creatures! I’ve never seen these before and wondered what they are.
Bug watchin’ in Southern Utah.
Cedar City, (southern) Utah 5700 ft elev.
Mating Western Poplar Sphinxes
Dear Bug watchin’,
You have had the good fortune to observe mating Western Poplar Sphinxes, Pachysphinx occidentalis a species of Hawk Moth. They are harmless and the adult moths of this species do not feed, though many Hawk Moths do feed as adults. According to BugGuide there are: “Adult: 2 color forms – forewing of light form pale yellowish-brown, darker in median area; forewing of dark form similar to Modest Sphinx ( Pachysphinx modesta ) but with darker lines that contrast more against ground color .” It seems your photo is of the light form of the moth.
Is this a fishing spider?
Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 7:24 PM
We had a pond in our front yard and have swamp land surrounding us. But this guy lives on and under our deck. About 1 foot from our back door. He can see me coming and ducks under the deck planks when i get to close. I’d estimate him to be 3 or 4 inches from toe to toe. He is very scary! At first a wolf spider was all that came to mind.
Sam
Central New Jersey
Fishing Spider
Hi Sam,
This is a magnificent specimen of the Northern Dolomedes, Dolomedes tenebrosus, one of the Fishing Spiders. They are generally found near water and the species is capable of submerging itself both to escape predators and to capture prey which may include small fish.
butterfly or moth?
Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 8:24 AM
Found these two interesting specimens on our porch June12 2009. Don”t know anything about them just curious.
Ken Gagnon
Vancouver B.C. Canada
Polyphemus Moth
Hi Ken,
This is a Polyphemus Moth, one of the Giant Silk Moths.
Red and Green Insect
Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 3:08 PM
This picture was taken at Gamble Rodgers Memorial State Recreation Area, Florida on June 1. The site was on the intercoastal Waterway, brackish water and near a nature trail that winds through a shady coastal forest of scrub oaks and saw palmetto.
Jon
Flagler Beach, Florida
Immature Bush Katydid
Hi Jon,
This is an immature Katydid. It is most probably a Bush Katydid in the genus Scudderia. There are similar photos posted to BugGuide. The most likely candidate is the Southeastern Bush Katydid, Scudderia cuneata, whose nymphs are often red and green and they are also pictured on BugGuide. Many adult Katydid are marvelously camouflaged green insects that are frequently mistaken for grasshoppers.
Giant black ant with wings? Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 7:13 PM
Ok, what is this thing? My son found it in our Southern CA backyard on a cool June day. We live in a desert area. I have never seen anything like this. It looked like a giant plastic ant, about 2 – 2 1/2 inches long, but with wings. It flew all around the yard and and climbed up the house wall for a while. Any idea what it is?
Michael and Amanda in Santa Clarita
Canyon Country, CA
Tarantula Hawk
Dear Michael and Amanda,
There is no way we can possibly answer the hundreds of emails that arrived in our week long absence, so we are only selecting subject lines that catch our attention. Your great subject line and spectacular photo of a Tarantula Hawk prompted us to choose your letter this morning. Tarantula Hawks are Spider Wasps in the genus Pepsis. The adult female stalks, does battle with, and stings and paralyzes Tarantulas to feed her brood, eventually burying the paralyzed Tarantula in a burrow and laying an egg. The hatchling wasp larva then has fresh meat upon which to feed. The sting of a female Tarantula Hawk is reported to be extremely painful. Male Tarantula Hawks do not sting. The antennae of the female are curled and those of the male more straight. Both adult male and female Tarantula Hawks feed on pollen and they are especially attracted to milkweed. We have seen large Tarantula Hawks in the Los Angeles River Bed, but they are more commonly found in desert areas like Joshua Tree. The largest examples we have ever seen, the size of a small bird, were on the beach in San Felipe Baja California Mexico.
scorpion caterpillar!
Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Hello! Outside in our garden I found a caterpillar that looked like it was pretending to be a scorpion.
I have no idea what it is, I am from the UK so dont know much about american bugs.
Any ideas?
Rich
central Illinois
Tussock Moth Caterpillar
Hi Rich,
This is a Tussock Moth Caterpillar in the genus Orgyia, probably the White Marked Tussock Moth, Orgyia leucostigma, which BugGuide describes as: “Caterpillars are recognized by the bright red head and broad black stripe along the back flanked by a yellow stripe each side. Two red glands on sixth and seventh abdominal segments, and four tufts of hairs (which may be white, gray or yellowish) on the first four abdominal segments are common to several members of the genus.
CAUTION: Contact with hairs may cause an allergic reaction.
Adult females, which are pale grey, are wingless and therefore flightless. “ We are amused that you described this caterpillar as looking like a scorpion, because you have a species in the UK, Stauropus fagi, the Lobster Moth Caterpillar, which really, really looks like a scorpion. We posted a photo of the Lobster Moth Caterpillar in September 2005 from England and more in August 2007 from Japan.
Beetle my friend photographed
Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 7:18 PM
Hello,
My friend posted a picture of this beetle she came across and was curious as to what kind it is. Found in their house in Orlando, FL.
James
Orlando, FL
Diaprepes Root Weevil
Dear James,
Your friend has photographed the invasive exotic Diaprepes Root Weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus. Though it is beautiful, this Caribbean native has naturalized in Florida “where it has become a serious pest especially of citrus and woody ornamentals” according to BugGuide. BugGuide goes on to report: “The California Dept. of Food & Agriculture has issued a flyer containing the following information: ‘The weevil was accidentally introduced into Florida in the 1960s and caused extensive damage. It has been intercepted in shipments of plants to California.’ Said to feed on some 270 different plants, it’s described as ‘a significant threat to both urban and agricultural trees and plants.’”
“
Andrena mining bee
Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 10:41 PM
Hi bugman – long time reader, first time writer. I’ve recently become quite enamored with the (what I believe to be) andrena mining bees that live in my garden. I’ve accidently dug up their burrows a few times doing spring gardening, and I’m sad to say that not all of them survived. They were always very groggy, but some of them were able to dig back down into the loose dirt when they were disturbed. This year I’ve spotted at least two burrows and have put reminders around them so I know not to dig there. Anyway, I was digging around your site, and didn’t find any close-ups of these utterly charming bees, and thought I would send along a nice one that I shot last week. Bugguide advises that identification to species level is best left to professionals – I’m happy just calling them my cute mining bees.
Celeste R.
Portland, Oregon
Mining Bee
Hi Celeste,
Thank you for your very kind letter. We are happy that you have finally written after being a longtime fan. Because of the extreme furriness and because of an image posted to BugGuide, we are more inclined to think your bee is a Leaf Cutting Bee in the genus Megachile, possibly the subgenus Xanthosarus, and quite possibly Megachile perihirta which if found on the west coast. BugGuide has this to say about the family Megachilidae: “Most are leaf-cutters, nesting in ground, in cavities, wood. Tunnels are bored in wood or in the ground. Cell is provisioned with pollen (and nectar?), an egg laid, and cell is sealed over with circular pieces of leaves that fit tightly into cavity.” Eric Eaton has indicated that he has settled in and is ready to assist us again. We will contact him to see if our ID is correct.
Correction from Eric Eaton: Mining Bee
Daniel:
In this case the submitter is right. Remember that leafcutter bees collect pollen in a brush on the underside of the abdomen. This female bee, likely an Andrena species, clearly has pollen collected on her hind legs.
Eric
Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Thanks Daniel – and Eric by way of Daniel. I’ve had Eric Eaton’s help a few times on IDs on BugGuide. Being from Portland originally, he has a lot of familiarity with my backyard bugs. It’s an honor and a privilege to have one of my letters on your site!
Cheers, Celeste
¶ Posted 14 June 2009 § Bees ‡ ° 
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