Bed bug, sarcoptic mite, mange, ticdk, flea, sand flea, hives
August 21, 2009
About four months ago, my Great Dane (18 months) went to the doctor with bleeding ear tips caused by constant scratching and shaking of her head. The vet said she had an ear infection but did not find a mite. He gave her cream and she got a bit better, however….She soon developed small dark circular spots of darker fur on her neck..Took her back to the vet and he said it was nothing…
Eventually she got much worse…lost all sorts of fur and was extremely itchy…The vet thought mange so he put her on revolution. Finally a few weeks later she was brought back and had a ringworm test…the ringworm test was positive. That same day my landlord called to say there was poison ivy in my yard.
A few weeks later after the dog was being treated…the cat lost all the fur on his ears. He was sooo itchy just like the dog. The cat was tested for ringworm twice and was negative. A day after I broke out in little red marks that were not a bump but were like little line that were so itchy I went to the hospital..They said it looked like scabies. My vet said that the dog, cat and I could not possibly have the same mites, because the mites on them can’t live on me for more then 24-36 hours at a time and my mites could not survive on them..We have all now been treated chemically for mites, and fungally for ringworm. No avail! I am dying here, diabetic and my poor little pets are so itchy too. HELP..What else could this be? The vets are all stumped,.all three and two human doctors too!!!
K Pollock
Keswick ontario canada
Dear K,
While we empathize with your anguish and your pet’s pain and suffering, if three veterinarians and two doctors couldn’t diagnose this upon seeing the patients and taking tests, we have little faith that we lowly photography professors will have much luck. We would also refrain from blaming bugs because of the cross species infestation, though fleas will bite cats, dogs and people as well as a host of other warm blooded creatures. Severe Flea Bites might lead to so much scratching that there is hair loss. Perhaps it is some other environmental factor. Have you considered moving? Though we have no idea what the problem could be, this is a definite candidate for the Worst Bug Story Ever section of our website, though again, we must clarify that we are not even sure that a living organism is at the root of the problem. If you post a comment on this posting, you may eventually get assistance from one of our readers.
A scary looking fly, what is it??
August 20, 2009
I was camping in the uk last week and noticed a few of these strange looking flies, I thought nothing more of it until I have noticed very nasty bites on my ankles and my head, I was wondering if you could identify it for me, and tell me if i need to worry!
Karl Chapman
Derbyshire, UK
Heather Fly
Hi Karl,
We hesitate to tell you not to worry, but you need not worry about this insect. We believe this is a March Fly in the family Bibionidae. We are going to leave actual species identification to a Dipterist, but we found several UK species with similar looking photos. There is a Fever Fly, Dilophus femoratus, that is shown in close-up on the Bio-Images Virtual Field Guide (UK) page that looks close. A closer match would be Biblio johannes, called a St. Mark’s Fly, on the same Bio-Images website. Though the color doesn’t match, the spine at the joint of the foreleg matches another St. Mark’s Fly, Biblio marci, also pictured on the Bio-Images website. The Nature Observer’s Scrapbook page has this to say about St. Mark’s Flies: “St Mark’s fly owes it’s common name to its annual habit of appearing around St Mark’s day, 25th April.
It seems odd to me that an insect as substantial as this should be deemed to be a ‘midge’. This is the largest of the 18 strong Bibionidae family of black day flying midges. The females are about 13mm in length and the males about 10mm.
It is slow and cumbersome in flight with its legs dangling clumsily – and that is while it is on it’s own. When they are mating, it is not unusual to find them in even more unwieldly flight, still coupled together with the larger female dragging the hapless male to the next resting place.
The differences between male and female can clearly be seen in the upper image. The female is significantly larger but has a much smaller head with smaller eyes set on either side of the head. The male on the other hand has large eyes touching each other.
The single, strong, forward pointing spine on the outside of the tibia of the front legs (highlighted in the lower image) is an identifying feature of the Bibio family, helping to distinguish it from the similar Dilophus family – to which the fever-fly (see below) belongs.
The conformation of the wings is such that when folded, one wing completely overlays the other.
It breeds underground and the larvae feed largely on decaying vegetation but are also blamed for damage to crop roots.
One ‘oddity’ of Bibio species is that the larval structure appears to be more primitive than the adult fly conformation would lead one to expect, indicating some evolutionary aberration in their development.” Based on the head, this fly is a female since males have much larger eyes.
Heather Fly
Clarification from Karl
Hi Karl:
There are apparently 13 species of ‘March Flies’ in the genus Bibio listed for Great Britain. From what I can tell the closest match to yours is B. pomonae; the Heather Fly. It was the only one I could find with red colouring on the legs that doesn’t extend beyond the femur. The peak of the flying season in GB is July-August so the timing would be right. The species is very widely distributed in Europe, Iceland to Russia and down to the Mediterranean. According to some references it prefers higher elevations, hence the common name; others give hedgerows as the preferred habitat. The larvae feed on roots and the adults eat nectar, so I suppose your bites remain a mystery. For reference you could check out http://www.diptera.info/photogallery.php?photo_id=865 or http://www.commanster.eu/commanster/Insects/Flies/SuFlies/Bibio.pomonae.html. Nice photos bye the way. Regards. K
3
What’s this big bug?
August 20, 2009
Dear Bugman,
This morning I found this bug sitting in my driveway, it was most impressive so I decided to photograph it and it obliged. This is the largest bug I’ve ever seen in my area, and I’m sure I’ve never seen this type of bug before. I did some googling and I’m guessing it’s a type of cicada. I’d be pleased if you could give it a definite identification.
Many thanks! -Kendra
Northeastern Massachusetts
Dogday Harvestfly
Hi Kendra,
We are nearly certain that this is a Dogday Harvestfly, a species of Cicada, Tibicen canicularis, though BugGuide has six pages of Cicadas in the genus and it could easily be one of the others. Here is BugGuide’s explanation of the name: “DOG-DAY: a reference to the hot “dog days” of late summer when this species is heard singing; at this time in the northern hemisphere the Dog Star (Sirius) becomes visible above the horizon in the Big Dog constellation (Canis Major)
CANICULARIS: from the Latin “canicula” (a little dog, the Dog Star, Sirius)
HARVESTFLY: another reference to the late season song of this species, heard during harvest time” We responded to three other readers today who found Cicadas and thought they were flies, so we figured the zeitgeist demanded that we post an image before going to bed.
Dogday Harvestfly
¶ Posted 21 August 2009 § Cicadas ‡ ° red moth?
August 20, 2009
Found this moth in house. Red body and legs, black tail with light blue dots.
Thank you Jeanette
Louisiana
- Scarlet Bodied Wasp Moth
Hi Jeanette,
Most people who write in requesting and identification of a Scarlet Bodied Wasp Moth, Cosmosoma myrodora, don’t realize it is a moth because it is such a convincing wasp mimic. According to BugGuide: “These moths display warning coloration, yet the caterpillars host on non-toxic Climbing Hempweed, Mikania scandens, (family Asteraceae), a weedy vine at field margins and roadsides that can completely obscure bushes and small trees. The adult male moth extracts toxins known as “pyrrolizidine alkaloids” from Dogfennel Eupatorium (Eupatorium capillifolium) and showers these toxins over the female prior to mating. This is the only insect known to transfer a chemical defense in this way.“
Yellow and Black, Scarry looking bug in friend’s backyard
August 20, 2009
My friend sent me the attached picture of a black/Yellow sorta striped bug from her back yard. 2 questions….1. Is it poisonous or does it “bite”. (she has 3 children and watches my 3 when I’m at work.) 2. What is it?
Christina J. Kuckie
lockport, IL
- Golden Orbweaver
Dear Christina,
You aren’t worried about this beautiful Golden Orb Weaver being a thief? It is also called a Black and Yellow Garden Spider, Argiope aurantia, the spider from Charlotte’s Web. All spiders have venom, but very few will bite people and even fewer are dangerous. The Garden Spider minds its own business and stays in it web. It is not aggressive.
What bug is this
August 20, 2009
i have a bunch of these bugs in my yard and i want to know what they are
michael
Duncan Oklahoma
Dear Michael,
This is a Striped Blister Beetle, Epicauta vittata. According to BugGuide it: “Feeds on variety of plants, especially Solanaceae (e.g., potatoes, tomatoes), also soybeans, other crops. Pigweed, Amaranthus species, not a crop plant, is also fed upon extensively.” It is also called an Old Fashioned Potato Bug.
wood wasp?
August 20, 2009
Found at 8700′ elevation on the summit of Robinson Peak in Washington’s Pasayten Wilderness. Ichneumon? Wood Wasp?
\Tvashtar
Summit of Robinson Peak in N central WA
Ichneumon Wasp
Hello again Tvashtar,
Your gorgeous images are monopolizing our postings today. This is not a Wood Wasp. It is a Braconid Wasp. Braconid Wasps and Ichneumons are classified together in the superfamily Ichneumonoidea of parasitic Hymenopterans. We believe your specimen is in the genus Atanycolus, but according to BugGuide: “Next to impossible to identify this genus from images alone, however it is one of the more common genera in the subfamily. Identification of images on this guide page are NOT absolute!” It might also be in the subfamily Agathidinae, also represented on BugGuide.
Correction by Eric Eaton
August 29, 2009
Daniel:
… Thanks for the prompt. I do have a couple other corrections:
The “braconid wasp” of August 20 is actually an ichneumon wasp, though I don’t know even which subfamily it belongs to. Ichneumons are a real tough group even with specimens in hand….
… I’ll keep checking for other “errors,” but you are doing a bang-up job, Daniel. Give my best to Lisa, keep in touch:-)
Eric
bombus flavifrons dimidiatus?
August 20, 2009
Found at 5700′ elevation in Jet Creek, above the W fork of the Methow R, in Washington’s Pasayten Wilderness
Tvashtar
5700′, Pasayten Wilderness, WA
Bumble Bee
Hi again Tvashtar,
BugGuide does not picture the subspecies dimidiatus, but we believe your ID of Bombus flavifrons might be correct. Perhaps a Bumble Bee specialist will write in to confirm or deny. At any rate, it is a gorgeous photo.
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