unknown bug in lake tahoe
December 17, 2009
this is the third bug of this species we have found this winter. not sure what it is.
brent
lake tahoe, sierra nevada mountains
Tree Stink Bug
Hi Brent,
This is a Stink Bug in the genus Brochymena, commonly called a Rough Stink Bug or Tree Stink Bug We have gotten several letters per week for the past month requesting their identification. Like the Western Conifer Seed Bug, Brochymena Stink Bugs frequently enter homes as cool weather approaches. They will hibernate through the winter and they will not damage the home nor its contents, and they pose no threat to the human inhabitants.
1
lime green butterflies in Missouri
December 17, 2009
Can you tell me anything about these beautiful butterflies? I’ve lived in Missouri all of my life and have not seen them before, or since, I took these photos.
Catherine Dukleth
Clarence Cannon Nat’l Wildlife Refuge – Missouri
Puddling Cloudless Sulphurs and Kin
Hi Catherine,
We were going to write that Missouri is sure warm this time of year until we realized your photos are dated from September. The larger butterflies in your awesome photo are Cloudless Sulphurs, Pheobis sennae, a tropical species that flies year round in the southern United States where it has naturalized. It has also naturalized in Southern California, no doubt due to the cultivation of cassia, the larval food plant. According to BugGuide, the range is the “Southern United States; often migrates north in late summer/fall, sometimes reaching northern states and southern Ontario (see US distribution map). Permanent resident in the tropics, occurring south to the tip of South America.“ The smaller butterflies in your photos are probably members of the genus Colias, but we cannot identify the exact species without a closer view. Several species, including the Clouded Sulphur and the Orange Sulphur, fly in your area from spring through fall, and the caterpillars feed on clover and other legumes. Your photos depict mud puddling or a puddling party where large aggregations of butterflies gather at mud or wet soil to drink. They obtain nutrients including salts and amino acids from the activity. Wikipedia has a page on mud puddling.
Puddling Cloudless Sulphurs and kin
THANKS!!!!!!!!!! THAT’S AWESOME!!! HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON!!!
CATH
Hornworm…but what is it’s name?
December 17, 2009
Hey, just came back from a trip to Hluhluwe Game Reserve in Northern Natal, South Africa. I found this hornworm hanging around in the low foliage. Your site directed me to hornworms, but I can’t find a name for this specific one. Any help? Thanks, great site!
Etienne Fourie
Northern Natal, South Africa
Unidentified Hornworm
Dear Etienne,
Sadly, we don’t know the species of your Hornworm. We are copying Bill Oehlke on our reply. He may be able to assist in the identification of this Hornworm in the family Sphingidae. Hopefully, he will know the answer and he will inform us both as to the identify of this lovely Hornworm.
Bees in Art
December 13, 2009
Dear Sir or Madam,
May I draw your attention to Bees in Art ( http://beesinart.com ), a brand new gallery devoted to art inspired by bees. Please find enclosed a press release below.
If you would like to exchange website links then please let me know, I would be very happy to do so.
I would be delighted to hear from you,
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Tyzack
The World’s First Art Gallery Devoted to Bees
Bees In Art: The world’s first art gallery devoted to Beekeeping, Honeybees and Bumblebees depicted in art.
East Yorkshire, UK – Internet based ‘Bees in Art’ Gallery exhibits artwork by leading artists whose fascination with beekeeping, bees and other Hymenoptera has inspired them.
Bees in Art is curated by Royal College of Art graduates Andrew Tyzack and Debbie Grice.
We exhibit and sell important artworks by contemporary artists: Robert Gillmor and David Koster as well as works by past masters: Graham Sutherland. They deal with all art forms. The gallery is based online and has generated much interest globally. Beekeeping and Bees are an immensely important part of our ecosystem. For the first time, their fantastic life cycle is celebrated through art.
Andrew, ‘Bees in Art’ founder, is a graduate of the Royal College of Art and a third generation beekeeper. He keeps several beehives in the East Riding of Yorkshire, UK. His earliest memory of beekeeping was helping his grandfather capture a wild colony of bees, established in the wall of a wooden hut: “in the smoky gloom Grandad gently took away the inner wall and there were the bees populating beeswax combs. Because the hut was gloomy and Grandad was gentle, the bees just carried on with their lives. We weren’t wearing any protective clothing at all, but I felt safe. Their doorway was where a knot had fallen out of a plank, but once we had captured the queen the colony was ours.”. Early inspiration came from a boyhood curiosity for all things natural, and from the artists, writers, poets and dancers, such as the sculptor Andy Goldsworthy and the poet Liz Lochead, who were visitors to his home. Now bees and beekeeping are the central themes of his work. Andrew’s beekeeping c an be followed using Twitter as well as through his facebook page.
Debbie Grice, co-founder, is an award winning artist and graduate of the Royal College of Art. Married to Andrew Tyzack she is the ‘beekeepers wife’, jarring honey and creating the beautiful labels for the jars. Winner of the Folio Society Illustration Award 1998, Debbie produces evocative mezzotint engravings of apiaries. She is also a qualified pilot and is featured in a Wellcome Trust Community TV production.
‘The Land Gallery’ is Bees in Art’s sister gallery and specialises in wildlife art with a special dedication to studying wildlife in the field. The Land Gallery has been featured in BBC TV, BBC Radio, Country Living Magazine, Yorkshire Post and numerous local society publications and newspapers.
Update
January 6, 2009
Dear Daniel,
Our statistics show visitors via your link to our gallery arriving every day. Thanks. I have just added a link to What’s that Bug? To be uploaded later today. We will shortly have a dedicated links page, but our current links are easily found in our news page.
Kind regards,
Andrew Tyzack
Andrew and Debbie Tyzack
Directors of The Land Gallery
Tel: 01430 810239
E mail: contactus@thelandgallery.com
Web site: http://www.thelandgallery.com
¶ Posted 17 December 2009 § Bees ‡ ° Bug inspired nail polish
December 16, 2009
Hello,
I’m a huge fan of your site and LOVE bugs. I work in the fashion industry and recently am working on a nail polish line where my first color is inspired by the green metalic beetle (I think there are a couple different ones). Anyways, please check it out here: http://needsupply.com/womens/dick-weed.html or on my site Bleachblack.com.
Best,
Kristin
Nice color Kristin,
We will forward this link to some of our fashionista friends.
Bug jumps sideways and is very aggresive
December 13, 2009
Saw this bug in our garage in Boonville Mo. We have seen three of them in the last month. They look like a crossbrede between a grasshopper and a spider and are very aggressive it tried to attack my wife
John Schaefer
Boonville, Mo.
Camel Cricket
Dear John,
Though it looks frightening, the Camel Cricket is perfectly harmless. Camel Crickets are also called Cave Crickets, and they like damp, dark places like basements where they will feed on a variety of things, including cloth and newspaper.
Borer?
December 15, 2009
Found this bug inamongst Balau decking planks that we sell. Could it be some species of borer, and could it be threatening to a timber store
Buglet
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Eucalyptus Borer
Dear Buglet,
This is a Eucalyptus Borer in the genus Phoracantha. It is native to Australia, but it has become established in Southern California where many eucalyptus trees have been planted. We are guessing that it was also introduced to South Africa where eucalyptus is doubtless grown as well.
What kind of bug?
December 15, 2009
These bugs are hanging around our doorways, usually on the porch ceiling and they drop down on you when you walk outside. They are even out when the temp goes below freezing. They started about the first of November and are still here. What are they and how do I get rid of them? Thanks,
Dan Hoffer
Southwestern Pennsylvania
Small Winter Stonefly or Snowfly
Dear Dan,
We are very excited to receive your letter, and we think it may make an excellent candidate for our Bug of the Month for January. This is a Small Winter Stonefly in the family Capniidae, commonly called a Snowfly. According to BugGuide, the “family is distributed throughout much of North America but many species have restricted geographic ranges, and are endemic to relatively small areas” so we are reluctant to try to identify the species, or even the genus. It may also be a Winter Stonefly in the family Taeniopterygidae, also called a Snowfly and also depicted on BugGuide. We will contact Eric Eaton to see if he can be more specific. BugGuide also indicates: “The defining need of winter stonefly nymphs is for very high levels of oxygen in the water. Warm temperatures, excessive organic matter, and many pollutants all reduce oxygen levels. The result: they’re only active in the coldest part of the year and are very sensitive to pollution. Their main interest to humans is as an indicator species: you can tell that water is unpolluted if stoneflies live there. They also provide food for trout – though not as much as species active when trout are themselves more active in warmer parts of the year.”
Small Winter Stonefly or Snowfly
Confirmation from Eric Eaton
Hi:
You are correct with the family, Capniidae, known as “small winter stoneflies.” The genus is probably Allocapnia, but I am not an expert in aquatic insects and can’t be totally certain. The presence of large numbers of these should be taken as a “good” sign!
Eric
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