Lovely Bug
October 26, 2009
These guys show up every year when the figs are ripe (July-Aug). About an inch long and maybe 5/8 thick. They usually mass on one fig and leave it in tatters.
Kenneth Magnone
90066 (West Los Angeles)
Figeaters eating Figs
Hi Kenneth,
We are so excited that you have sent us a photo of Figeaters eating Figs. Figeaters are also known as Green Fruit Beetles.
Camel Cricket–alive and kicking!
October 26, 2009
Hi WTB–
My cat was harassing this cool bug as it tried to hide out under our baseboard radiator. (We had a Western Conifer Seed Bug in the same area the other day–I think they come in through the track of the sliding door nearby.) At first I thought it was a regular cricket. When I went to rescue it, I found that it something else entirely. I caught it under a glass, snapped a few pictures, and then tossed it back outside into the cool and rainy evening.
The more I looked at this bug, the cooler it seemed to be. I guess it’s a female based on those three huge prongs on her back end. Such a great and complex face! So many little barbs and stickers! Amazing three-toed feet! She was pretty cooperative with the photo session–she mostly held still, except she groomed her long antennae using her paddle-like facial appendages (are those called palps?).
JJR
Setauket, NY (North Shore of Long Island)
Camel Cricket
Dear JJR,
Since we recently posted an image of dead Camel Crickets caught in a sticky trap, your photo is much more welcomed. We believe the mouthpart to which you refer is the maxillary palpus or feeler. Seems she is covered in hair and dust and needs to do a bit of grooming.
Camel Cricket
Large, brown bug infestation terrifying college students!
October 25, 2009
Hello! We’ve been finding these large, dark brown bugs (roughing a few inches in length) all over our apartment, especially on windows and in lamps. They can crawl rather quickly, but do not fly. We’d love to get rid of them, but have no idea what they are or how to go about eliminating them! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
College Students from Massachusetts
Windows, walls and lamps
Western Conifer Seed Bug
Dear Terrified College Students,
The Western Conifer Seed Bugs that have been invading are perfectly harmless. They are merely seeking shelter from the upcoming cold weather. The Western Conifer Seed Bug is native to the Pacific Northwest, not Massachusetts. Beginning the in 1970s, it greatly expanded its range across North America in the northern latitudes.
Butterfly ID
October 25, 2009
This butterfly feeding on a Zennia bloom looks like a Gulf Frittilary,but for the black
coloring on the upper & lower wings. Is this a sub-species of sort or a one-time mutation. It is the only one I have seen in my garden since I moved in 18 yrs ago.
Thanks for your patience; .. Lynn T Gill
LT
Trenton, FL
dark form of Gulf Fritillary
Hi Lynn,
We decided to begin our quest for a response by searching through all the Gulf Fritillary images on BugGuide, and we located an individual with even more black on the wings than your specimen. That specimen created quite a blogging flurry, including this comment by Herschel Raney: “I was not being quite confident enough in my other note. This is indeed a Gulf Fritillary. There will be no other species with the exact spot placement and this coloration. It may be the first of its kind photographed. Or it could be a known variant that is just extremely rare. It is not a wandered species. There are no other species in the genus in our area. And it is very impressive.” Klaus, who posted the photos has more on his own website at http://virtua-gallery.com/wp/2007/09/the-butterfly-adventure/ It would be interesting to see if there are more dark specimens out there and if they eventually are recognized as a subspecies.
Gulf Fritillary dark form
Slug or Snail Eggs, Maybe Not?
October 25, 2009
Dear Bug Man,
I’m pretty sure these are not bug eggs, but I am confident you can help ID these things.
I discovered this cluch of eggs under a pile of wet and decaying wood.
Thanks for the help,
W. Matthews
San Antonio, TX
Amphibian Eggs perhaps???
Hi W. Matthews,
We agree they are not insect eggs, and we would also discount snail or slug eggs. We believe they may be Amphibian Eggs, though it is also possible they are some type of fungus or mushroom. Hopefully one of our readers may supply an answer.
Found in kids stroller
October 25, 2009
Hi! Today I observed several insects in the stroller where my 7 months son was sleeping. After excamining the stroller I found lots of them in different folds of the fabric aswell. I find this quite shocking and like to know what kind of insect this is. We have been experiencing lous earlier, but they’re longer and thinner than these buggers.
Trond
Norway
Bed Bug
Dear Trond,
Throw the stroller away immediately and have your home or apartment checked out professionally. This is an immature Bed Bug. It is probably sucking your child’s blood. There was just an article in the Los Angeles Times about using dogs to sniff out Bed Bug infestations in homes. It is very difficult to eradicate Bed Bugs once they are established, and professional are required.
Thanks for your quick reply, although I cannot say I’m pleased. Have been running around the house whole night looking for signs of other infestations, but so far I’ve found nothing. My wife said that she’s been seeing the typical black dots in his strollers madras before, and they went off in the wash. She said she wondered why they came back, but we sure know nowL I don’t know why we’re not finding any other places they are hiding, since it has to have been there for some time. Dismounted our bed this morning, not a single sign there, nor in cracks, below or beneath it. But I sure left my wife in a state of terror knowing the bugs must be somewhere.
Regards
Trond
Comment from Eric Eaton
Daniel:
The bed bugs in the baby stroller may actually be confined to the stroller. Maybe the stroller was parked overnight at someone else’s house? In a motel? Hostel? If baby is in the stroller with any regularity, then the bed bugs would have no reason to leave the stroller to look for another “host.” The parents need to consider where else the stroller has been, and notify the other family or lodging establishment. Bed bugs have been found on planes, trains (and automobiles?), so it is not out of the question to consider a stroller as another kind of vehicle.
Eric
Large Cricket Like Bug
October 24, 2009
Here I’ve found a large cricket like bug with really long antennae. The actual body of the bug looks to be about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in length (not counting the legs or antennae. They seem to gravitate towards mice glue traps. Any help regarding these guys would be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Suffern, NY (NorthEast U.S.)
Camel Crickets caught in glue traps for mice
These are Camel Crickets or Cave Crickets. They need dark, damp locations to live and reproduce. Indoors, they are found in basements where they may eat paper and fabric. Though we don’t normally provide extermination advice, many of our readers ask how to rid their homes of Camel Crickets. Your photo says it all.
Camel Cricket in Glue Trap
What is this thing?
October 25, 2009
I found this bug on the edge of my fishtank. It is now October 25th.
Tree C.
Central Florida
Nut or Acorn Weevil, we believe
Hi Tree C.,
This is a Weevil, a member of the largest family of Beetles. Often exact identification from a photo is impossible. That said, we believe this is a Nut Weevil or Acorn Weevil in the Tribe Curculionini. There are several images that look similar on BugGuide, but they are not identified to the species level.
Nut Weevil or Acorn Weevil, probably
I like This