What bug is this please?
August 12, 2009
From Tobago, West Indies. I have another image without my hand in the picture if you would like it. The hand is for scale.
Mr. Sticks
Tobago, West Indies
Callipogon armillatus from Tobago
Dear Mr. Sticks,
This is a Root Borer Beetle in the subfamily Prioninae. It resembles the North American beetles in the genus Derobrachus, but we have been unable to quickly unearth any possible species matches in Tobago. Perhaps one of our readers will have better luck in the species identification.
Callipogon armillatus from Tobago
Daniel:
This looks like Callopogon (=Enoplocerus) armillatus. The common name appears to be Giant Longhorn Beetle; appropriate for one of the largest Cerambycids (up to 12 cm!). It ranges from Panama to northern Argentina, including Trinidad and Tobago. As you say, it is a root borer (Cerambycidae: Prioninae). Regards.
Karl
T-shaped, 4 legs
August 13, 2009
Hello, I saw this bug sitting on a wall at a train station yesterday. It has a rigid T-shaped body, it’s wings seem to be folded up along it’s body although it didn’t move so I did not see them unfold, and it appears to have only 4 legs. I was wondering what it was.
Jennifer Galler
Caledonian Road & Barnesbury station, London
Plume Moth
Hi Jennifer,
Your Plume Moth makes a trifecta for us this morning. We have posted three images of Plume Moths in the family Pterophoridae today, and like the previous two, we explained it is quite difficult to identify many members of this family to the genus or species level. We can tell you that your Plume Moth does have six legs.
Unidentified – Plume Moth
August 13, 2009
Hello, What’s That Bug!
This morning I found a small and rather beautiful plume moth in my room, resting between two bars on the side of my bunk-bed. I have identified plume moths before using handbooks but this smaller specimen has eluded any easy identification. I tried the internet but as usual, the taxonomy is shockingly unorganised so I didn’t really get anywhere.
I have taken a series of photos but they are all terrible due to awkward conditions, but one sheathed wing is in focus and the body is sharp enough to discern important features.
Here’s some info on the insect:
Colours: mottled grey and brown (a bit lighter in real life than in the photo)
Features: wings have a small, sharp indent missing on the sides and two ‘bumps’ coming out from the undersides, they look very much like ‘outline-breakers’ which along with the bark-like colouring would suggest camouflage for a woodland species.
Also, abdomen curves upwards slightly and has a small ‘chevron’ pattern running up it.
Measurements: 20mm wingtip-to-wingtip
10mm head-to-abdomen
(these measurements are likely less than 1mm out, they are just very convenient)
Thank you for any help you could provide, I spent quite a lot of time and effort writing and researching this letter so I hope it helps you out.
PS. to atone for the dreadful quality of my specimen’s image, I have also included two marvelous cropped images of a Peacock I took on a lovely day at a campsite, in a thistle hedge.
Sincerely, Sam, aged 13
Hadfield, Derbyshire, England
Plume Moth
Dear Sam,
Sadly, we are going to fail you in the species identification department. We have problems with our own North American species and generally never identify Plume Moths beyond the family level. BugGuide states: “A distinctive family of moths, but difficult to identify to genus or species.“ If you post a comment to your own posting on our site, you will be notified if any Pterophoridae experts write in to identify your Plume Moth. We do want to thank you for writing us such a smart letter. Though we refrain from making comments regarding the matter in our responses, we are often horrified by the grammar and spelling errors in many of the letters we receive, some of which are nearly incoherent. We will be posting your Peacock Butterfly in a separate post.
P.S. Anyone of any age who uses the word atone in a sentence deserves recognition.
Daniel,
Many thanks for the hasty response and the site posting(s!), I am overjoyed to contribute a question to the site, even if it doesn’t neccesarily have an easy answer this time, as well as the photos. I will definately register for WTB and watch for comments. Again, thank you hugely for your dedication to amateur and professional entomologists across the globe with your resources.
As for the matter of writing etiquette, I believe that in a formal or public situation, even on the internet, that only the best care to writing should be given in nearly any circumstance; no excuses (short of ‘motor skill dysfunction’ and ‘two severed hands’). I’m glad you enjoyed a pleasant change from your usual quality of correspondence. 
PS. I find the plume moths an almost exclusively beautiful and interesting family and believe such a large and varied sect of the lepiodptera should be taxoned and indeed studied much more thoroughly.
Thanks again.
Could this be a water midge?
August 12, 2009
I found this on the inside of my screen door this morning (outside Chicago) and was wondering what it was. It was not very active and took me about 20 minutes to coax it to fly out the door. It measured about 1/2 of an inch long and about 3/4 of an inch side-to-side (I don’t know if those are antennae or not). It appeared brownish in color, though the picture looks a little green. It was the only one I saw so there was no swarm. Do you know what it might be? Thanks.
Like It Bugless Inside
Wheaton, IL
- Plume Moth
Dear Like It Bugless Inside,
We get numerous requests to identify the T-Bug, and it is actually a moth and not a midge. This is some species of Plume Moth in the family Pterophoridae. We only rarely attempt a species identification since so many members of the family look so similar to one another. You may read more about the family and its members on BugGuide which states: “A distinctive family of moths, but difficult to identify to genus or species.”
Beetle black & orange-yellow
August 12, 2009
Beetle same size and shape as a firefly. Black and orange-yellow carapice; black and yellow bars on body. Similar to a Cantharid beetle, but different color and pattern. Mating in August. Couldn’t find on internet or stock photo sites.
Mike Church
Detroit area, Michigan
Mating Pennsylvania Leatherwings
Hi Mike,
These are mating Pennsylvania Leatherwings, Chauliognathus pensylvanicus, also called Goldenrod Soldier Beetles. They are a species of Soldier Beetle. Soldier Beetles, Fireflies and Click Beetles are all in the same superfamily Elateroidea which is why they resemble one another.
cancle
August 12, 2009
i would love to have more information from the cancles. my name is eternity and i’m 12 years old. this is my cancle…
mexico,nay.
Tailless Whipscorpion
Hi Eternity,
In Mexico, the name Cancle is used for the Tailless Whipscorpions in the order Amblypygi. According to BugGuide: “Life Cycle Males deposites a spermatophore which the female picks up with her genitalia. The mother broods the eggs in a special sac under her abdomen. After hatching, the young climb on to the mother’s back and are carried around until able to fend for themselves. Remarks No venom glands, and do not sting or bite. If disturbed, they scuttle sideways.” Since they don’t have venom, Tailless Whipscorpions are harmless. They are shy nocturnal hunters that will feed on the cockroaches they encounter in the home. We are very happy to have received your letter full of wonder about this magnificent creature since earlier today we posted a very disturbing letter from a person who smashed, poisoned and fed to ants a Giant Vinegaroon, another order of Whipscorpions. We are thankful to hear about your curiosity concerning the wonders of nature.
Huge scary Mosquito like creature
August 12, 2009
Hi there,
We found this critter resting on the floor of our outside terrace. It looks positively dangerous…i had my husband put it in a tupperware for the meantime as it seems a bit risky to leave it flying around. I would say it stands approx 1 inch tall and 2 inches long and its spiky proboscis looks to be around 5mm long…It mostly black with a redish abdomen and a white marking between it’s eyes, its legs and thorax are hairy!…I just can’t get over how chunky it looks.
We live on the coast in Southern Mexico…hope you can identify it!! It’s life is in your hands!
Jenny
Zihuatanejo MEX
Robber Fly from Mexico: Archilestris magnificus
Hi Jenny,
We hope we are not too late to save the life of this majestic Robber Fly, Archilestris magnificus. Robber Flies, though fierce predators, do not attack humans. We would not go so far as to say that they will never bite, as they are capable of biting, and if carelessly handled, a Robber Fly might be inclined to bite out of self preservation. We received our first submission of this species last summer, and that image was also posted to BugGuide where it made quite a stir. The species is now reported with some degree of frequency from Arizona.
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