Huge moth on Lounge chair
Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 8:12 AM
Hello there, I came across this website a couple months ago when I was randomly surfing the internet. I think this is a great asset because I’ve always encountered some downright weird bugs here in the tropics. I encountered this moth early one morning after waking up. I must admit, I’m a sissy when it comes to bugs so I inched my way back inside my house without even taking my eye off the moth to ensure that it wouldn’t fly at me. lol. It was pretty big, about 5 inches across and I was amazed at how pretty it was and sort of silky looking. I would greatly appreciate it if you could tell me what it is or at least offer a suggestion because I have been curious about it for a long long time. Thank you!
Petra
Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
Rhescyntis species from Trinidad
Hi Petra,
This is a Giant Silk Moth in the family Saturniidae, and the best place to identify specimens from this family from around the world is on Bill Oehlke’s private website: The World’s Largest Saturniidae Site. Since there was no way to search the species from Trinidad, we searched Venezuela. You should know that islands around the world are notorious (that is a good thing) for having endemic species and subspecies because the longer they have no contact with their nearest relatives on the mainland, the more evolutionary changes result in distinctly different populations. This is the foundation of Charles Darwin’s studies in the Galapagos Islands. We have identified you moth as being in the genus Rhescyntis and the two species found in Venezuela are Rhescyntis hippodamia and Rhescyntis hermes. Of the two, Rhescyntis hermes is the darker moth. The subspecies Rhescyntis hippodamia norax, which is found in Central America including Panama might be the frontrunner for the proper identification. We finally located an image of Rhescyntis hippodamia on the Moths of Belize website, and this was the only image of the genus we could find that has public access. It should be noted that your photo is not of the highest quality, and this might make exact identification quite difficult. Posting your letter and image has taken us over an hour due to the research and the lethargy of our long outdated computer. We really need to buy a new computer which will facilitate faster postings and enable us to post more letters per day. We have other work to do today and this may be our only posting today.
HELP! Darth Vader bug (what is it?)
Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 6:08 PM
We were on vacation in the mountains of North Carolina, staying at a cabin in the woods. Every night, insects would come out of the forest and land on the outside walls around the porch lights, Mostly moths of various kinds (Including 2 luna months), but these two bugs were bizzarre!
We don’t have any idea what they are. Can you help?
I am sending you pictures of both of them.
FIREHAWK
The Globe, near Blowing Rock, NC
Dobsonfly
Dear FIREHAWK,
We don’t like to post letters with unrelated insects as it compromises our archiving system. This is a female Dobsonfly, and it is the second example we are posting today.
Moth?
Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 7:14 PM
Hi Lisa and Daniel,
I can’t figure out if this is a lacewing or a moth or neither (the antennae are throwing me off). I researched numerous images online but can’t find a picture of it. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Katherine Gividen
Tylertown, Mississippi
Summer Fishfly
Hi Katherine,
This is a Summer Fishfly, Chauliodes pectinicornis, which differs from the related Dobsonfly in that the Summer Fishfly has combed or pectinate antennae while those of Dobsonflies are threadlike or beadlike. Both insects are in the order Megaloptera and the Family Corydalidae. According to BugGuide: “Larvae aquatic, omnivorous: detritivores, or herbivores, also predatory on other invertebrates. Larvae tend to live in calm bodies of water with lots of detritus. Larvae leave the water to pupate under bark, inside rotting logs. Pupation takes approximately 10 days. Adults emerge to mate, live perhaps a week. There appears to be just one flight per year, and the life cycle may be just one year, though older references quote a 2-3 year life cycle. Eggs are laid in masses on vegetation near still bodies of water. Larvae hatch and crawl to water. “ We will be posting your letter and photo between tow letters and photos of Dobsonflies for comparison.
lantern fly?
Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 7:56 PM
I found this weird bug outside by the light on the side of my house in the appalachian foothills of NC. We live out in the country and see some strange bugs/moths, but this is super weird!! Any thoughts?
Sarah
Nebo, NC
Dobsonfly
Hi Sarah,
This is a Dobsonfly, and it is one of our most common summer insect ID requests. It appears that your specimen is a female, though the angle does not allow us to fully view the mandibles. the mandibles of the male Dobsonfly are much longer and formidable looking, though the female is more inclined to bite. Though the bite may pinch, it is harmless. A few days ago we received another image of a Dobsonfly, but have not managed to post it yet. Perhaps we will hunt for it now.
Large 4-inch spider under deck in MD
Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 5:10 PM
Found her under the deck last night in central MD; body about 1-inch; almost 4-inch leg span. Lovely leg striations. Seemed shy. No web. Not hairy like a wolf spider and legs too long and skinny. What is she? Habitat? Have never seen one before. Would prefer she lives outside!!! Released her in our back woods with creek. Fisherman spider?
goodbug
ellicott city, MD
Fishing Spider carrying Egg Sac
Dear goodbug,
What a spectacular photo you have provided for us of a female Dolomedes Fishing Spider, probably Dolomedes tenebrosus, carrying her Egg Sac.
Green Iridescent Goldsmith Beetle?
Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 10:14 AM
We were at a friend’s home in Sauk Rapids, Mn, and our daughters found this shimmering iridescent green beetle. Her daughters found this link, and thought it might be that. Only in a picture that doesn’t show it’s iridescence, did I think it might be a version of this one, but when we saw it in person, it didn’t look gold at all…just the “bejeweled” green! As if it was imbedded with crystals.
The girls names are Madison and Shaelynn Waseka-(Mom is Marla), and Kristina Anderson.
I happened to be there to take pictures of her home/property, so we got the bug too! 
Photographer: Kathy Anderson
Property owner: Marla Waseka-Contact: Design Firm-Graceful Spaces
Later that day, she went to another friend’s house, who had just found a “Goldsmith Beetle” that day, and saved it since she found it dead. How ironic is that?
So it looks like this one is “family” to the Goldsmith-but is there another name for it, because of the green?
Kathy Anderson/Marla Waseka
Sauk Rapids, Mn
Goldsmith Beetle
Hi Kathy and Marla,
We believe your ID of the Goldsmith Beetle, Cotalpa lanigera, is correct. According to BugGuide, the coloration of the Goldsmith Beetle is . Even more interesting, the greenest example posted to BugGuide was from St. Paul, Dakota County Minnesota. We actually think your individual is one of the loveliest examples of a Goldsmith Beetle we have seen.
Nuttall’s blister beetle and true bugs
Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 6:33 AM
Hi Lisa Anne and Daniel, when I took this photo I was focused on the blister beetle. But I am now intrigued by the true bugs which I am unable to identify. Can you?
Thanks so much.
Dwaine
Pine Mtn, west of Casper, WY
P.S. Nuttall’s
Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 6:58 AM
Sorry, I know better. They are on Golden Banner (Thermopsis rhombifolia).
Dwaine
Pine Mtn
Nuttail's Blister Beetle and unknown Plant Bug
Hi Dwaine,
Thanks so much for sending us your photo of Nuttail’s Blister Beetle. Lytta nuttalli. We believe the Hemipteran in the photo is a Plant Bug in the family Miridae. We looked through many photos on BugGuide, and we believe your bug most closely matches a posting of the genus Hadronema. Interestingly, there is a photo posted to BugGuide of a Plant Bug in the same subfamily, Orthotylinae, Aoplonema nigrum, that is associated with a Blister Beetle. We will contact Eric Eaton to see if he agrees with our identification. Perhaps the plant bugs gather the blistering agent, cantharidin, as a defense mechanism.
Update: from Eric Eaton
Daniel:
The swamp milkweed beetle ID is right on. I don’t have the time at the moment to research the plant bug beyond family level, and that is also correct (Miridae).
Eric
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