What might this be
October 18, 2009
Hi guys,
Been a while, hope all is well your end. Any ideas on this one? The front legs look mantid like. Is it a nymph stage of a mantis of some sort?
Aussietrev
Queensland. Australia
Unknown Australian Hopper
Hi Trevor,
Welcome back. This appears to be some species of immature hopper, possibly a Fulgoroid. The front legs remind us of Cicadas, but the head is different. We searched through many possibilities on the Geocities website of Australian Insects without luck. We haven’t the time to research the species as we are running late this morning, but perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide an answer.
Christmas Beetle
October 19, 2009
I found a group of christmas beetles in my garden and i want to feed them but i don’t know what! I tried feeding them leaves but they didn’t like them, what should i feed them?
Karmen xo
South Coast, Corrimal
Christmas Beetle
Dear Karmen xo,
Christmas Beetles are Scarab Beetles in the genus Anoplognathus as well as some other closely related genera. They are considered to be leaf or flower chafers. A Christmas Beetle website we located indicates “Christmas beetles are voracious eaters and are capable of attacking a wide range of eucalypts and other tree species” and “Christmas beetles often show a preference for particular species, even individual trees within a species.“ If you found the beetles on a particular plant, you should try feeding them from the leaves of that plant.
caterpillar
October 19, 2009
Funky worm… you know what it is?
Doug
My backyard on the island of Maui, HI.
Oleander Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Hi Doug,
It doesn’t appear to be feeding on oleander, but it looks like an Oleander Hawkmoth Caterpillar. According to Bill Oehlke’s website, in addition to oleander, the caterpillar is also known to feed on “Minor hostplants are Vinca, Vitis, Gardenia, Asclepias, Jasminum, Trachelospermum, Amsonia, Carissa, Tabernaemontana, Mangifera, Rhazya, Adenium, Catharanthus, Ipomoea and Thevetia. Larvae will also feed on Ligustrum ovalifolium in captivity.“
Swallowtail butterfly?
October 19, 2009
I’ve had a difficult time identifying this butterfly. It has markings similar to a Pipvine Swallowtail, but not close enough for a positive ID. Observed 10-18-2009 in Central Texas. Can you help?
Regards
Ed Sparks
McKinney Falls St. Park, Austin TX
Great Purple Hairstreak
Hi Ed,
Your lovely little butterfly is much too small to be a swallowtail. It is a Great Purple Hairstreak. Your photo is exquisite.
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for the kind words. What a magnificent butterfly! It never opened its wings on the flower, so I never saw the beautiful colors on its back.
Thank you for the identification!
Regards,
Ed Sparks
Austin, TX
Fake Bumblebee?
October 19, 2009
On Saturday (October 17th) our local Audubon club came across a rabbitbrush in full bloom. There were a lot of bugs visiting the bush, including what we first assumed were lots of bumble bees. As we got closer it became obvious they weren’t bumblebees, and we were undecided if they were actually bees or flies.
Pam Wheeler
Saint George, Utah
Spiny Tachina Fly
Hi Pam,
Your fake bumblebee is actually a Tachinid Fly. Tachinid Flies are parasitic on other insects, and according to BugGuide, caterpillars are a common host. We are not certain of the exact species as there are many similar looking possibilities, including Adejeania vexatrix and Hystricia abrupta, though our top choice is the Spiny Tachina Fly, Paradejeania rutilioides. According to BugGuide, Spiny Tachina Fly: “Adults take nectar, especially from late blooming Asteraceae.
Larval host: the arctiid moth Hemihyalea edwardsii (at least in part of its range …)” The other insect in the one photo appears to be a Sand Wasp, probably in the subtribe Bembicina, though exact species identification may be impossible.
Sand Wasp and Spiny Tachina Fly
Daniel,
Thank you! I think our Audubon group will be very interested to learn what they were- even though we are mostly bird nerds 
Thanks!
Pam
Very Pretty Caterpillar
October 19, 2009
Hello, I found alot of these caterpillars all living on the same type of weed on my property. They are in various colors. I even found one with wasp eggs attached.
Frankie B Norris
Central Florida
Banded Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Frankie,
The Banded Sphinx, Eumorpha fasciatus, is one of several Sphinx Moths with highly variable caterpillars. Though the darker colorful caterpillar is a version well represented in our archives, we believe the lighter morph is a new color variation that is not represented in our archives. Bill Oehlke’s excellent website illustrates both of these color variations as well as several others. The Banded Sphinx Caterpillars are known to feed on “primrose-willow, Ludwigia (water primrose) and other plants in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae). Grapes also serve as larval hosts.”
Banded Sphinx Caterpillar
Orange Asturalian scarab
October 17, 2009
I have seen these beetles often when camping in Cobram, Victoria, Australia.
it didn’t move for at least an hour, i never actually saw it moving other than noticing that it had moved when i was gone. this happened a few times before it disappeared. It has a colour changing sheen (mainly blue and green) depending on the angle you look at it. The beetle itself is orange.
Matt Molloy
Victoria Australia
- Christmas Beetle
Hi Matt,
This is one of the Scarab Beetles known as Christmas Beetles in Australia because of their seasonal appearance. It appears as though it is either Anoplognathus parvulus or a closely related species.
Arizona bug
October 17, 2009
I found this bug on my front porch. Any ideas?
Matt
Sun City, Arizona
Acrobat Beetle
Hi Matt,
This is a species of Darkling Beetle in the genus Eleodes which are known as Stink Beetles or sometimes Acrobat Beetles because of their habit of sticking their hind ends in the air and releasing an odor meant to deter predators.
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