I spent 15 minutes carefully wording and rewording a bug description,only to find that you don’t accept questions without a photo. The bug is only 1/8″ inch long, much to small to photograph.
If your policy is not to accept descriptions without a photo you should say so very clearly, more clear than the red dot, otherwise you just get people frustrated about the time they wasted.
John Murdock
Goodness gracious John,
Your fifteen minute long description doesn’t contain enough information for us to assist you since many insects are less than 1/8 inch long.
I appreciate the fact that my description may not have been adequate. The point I was trying to make is in the second paragraph of my message. Please re-read the second paragraph below.
Are these bed bugs?
December 12, 2009
Hi,
I’m living in Sydney Australia in an apartment and in the last month (summer just started) my place has become infested with these bugs. They seem to have pointy and long mouth parts. They climb the walls, fall, and then get stuck in the carpets… I have attached 2 pics using a microscope (4X magnification). One is a dead bug and the other is immersed in oil to get it to stay still. They are both 0.2 cm long. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
EAW
Sydney Australia
Grain Weevil
Hi EAW,
This is a Weevil, and we suspect it may be infesting some food product in the pantry, possibly rice.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I have found the culprit. A 5 kilo bag of wild bird seed in the closet.
Thanks again.
Mantis – Violin type
December 11, 2009
Dear WhatsthatBug, I found a type of Mantis in my house sitting on a barsilian rain stick at the end of November 2009. (Just a few weeks ago). I live in the South of France. The house is about 120 meters above sea level and 15 kilomters from the sea. The temperatures indoors are about 21 C at night. The rain stck which I have had for about 12 years – sits in a south facing window and with the sun the temperature would reach 28 to 30 on a sunny day. We have lots of green mantis here – I initially thought the photo was a green one turing into some hybernation state. But I dont think so.
The scale is the main part of the body is about 3 cms long and the the legs streach across about 5 to 6 cms. The rain stick – could it have hybernated and come out after about 12 years. I spent 10 years around Sao Paulo and other parts of Brasil and never saw the likes before. It looks like an Violin Mantis, but whatever it is it is beautiful. I appreciate any comments and advice on identification. Many thanks.
R. Reed, Le Muy, Var, France
South of France Nov 2009
Conehead Mantis
Hi R. Reed,
This is an immature Conehead Mantis, Empusa pennata, which we identified on the Wild Side Holidays website. According to the website: “This species of mantis, although similar in size to the common European Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa), is easily distinguished by the protrusion from its crown. Both male and females, even from first hatching carry this tall extension giving them a very alien appearance. They live in areas that are warm and dry and use their cryptic colouring of either greens and pinks or various shades of brown to keep them hidden from predators.“ The site also indicates: “The life cycle of a Conehead Mantis (Empusa pennata) is unusual amongst the European mantids as it hatches in the summer time, remains as a nymph through the winter and does not reach adulthood until the following spring. The ootheca (egg case) is attached to a plant stem and contains around 30 eggs. When the temperatures are right the tiny (1cm) nymphs all hatch at the same time and quickly disperse. From this point until mating in the following year they lead a solitary life. … (A similar coloured mantis Empusa fasciata exists further east around the Mediterranean but does not occur in Iberia.)“ Earlier this year, we posted an image of Empusa fasciata from Macedonia.
Conehead Mantis
Orange black flying Insect
December 11, 2009
hi,
this is one insect which really troubles us a lot in winter, it is very attracted to light and is about 5mm in length. it also come in full black body(without the orange), i tried to find the name of this insect so many times still no hope. please help me out. We stay near the Silent Valley in India so we get to lots of insects form the forest..some really scary..and there is one insect which burns the skin; the skit totally burns off and the affected area become red..then turns black like how a wound would heal and then new skin is formed in a week it pours some kinda acid…usually in the night while we sleep…some tell it is this insect can you help us out here…
Sajin
Silent Valley,INDIA
Paederus Rove Beetle
Hi Sajin,
The insect pictured is your guilty culprit. It is a Rove Beetle in the genus Paederus. This genus is found in many places in the world, and they often sport the orange and black warning colors. The genus name comes from the presence of the toxin paederin in the body which will cause contact dermatitis. Now that you have a name, you should be able to find copious amounts of online information including this DocFiles page.
Unsual bug in the garden
December 11, 2009
I was tying back some plants in preparation for rain…soon after that I saw a large bug (quarter sized) that looks like a mutation of a grasshopper, an ant, and a bee. Not sure what this could be…Is it a beneficiary garden bug or a pest? Thanks!
Calie
Southern California
Potato Bug
Hi Calie,
This has to be one of our favorite images of a Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket ever. The Navajo name for this amazing creature translates to Skull Insect and the Spanish name translates to Child of the Earth, both of which refer to the almost human characteristics. Your photo reminds us a bit of a naughty puppy trying to dig its way under the fence. Potato Bugs are subterranean dwellers that feed on roots and they are generally sighted in the winter. Rains often force them to the surface. We don’t consider them to be harmful, but they do have powerful jaws and they will not hesitate to give a painful pinch if carelessly handled.
What’s this moth?
December 10, 2009
Found this month hanging out on our screen door this past summer, it stayed there for a couple days. The moth was about an inch and a half long and certainly an interesting bug!
Katherine from Colorado
Boulder, CO
Small Eyed Sphinx
Hi Katherine,
This beauty is a Small Eyed Sphinx, and you may read more about this species, Paonias myops, on Bill Oehlke’s excellent website.
moth from south india
December 11, 2009
this moth flew into my drawing room one evening and I took some pictures with my mobile camera.my home is in ,Kerala,South India, and the pics were taken on 8 august 2009 about 8:30 pm . the season here was near the end of the monsoon rains
kiran
Cochin, Kerala, South india
Underwing Moth
Hi kiran,
Generally, moths with this appearance are called Underwing Moths, and many are in the genus Catocala. Underwings often have brightly colored underwings and drab upper wings that blend with tree bark. If the moth is startled and flies during the day, it is easy to spot, but when it comes to rest, it disappears in its surroundings, effectively eluding a predator. We cannot be certain if your moth is in the genus Catocala, but it is probably in the family Erebidae.
Correction by Karl
Hi Daniel:
This looks like another fruit-piercing moth (Noctuidae: Calpinae [sometimes included in subfamily Ophiderinae or Catocalinae]) in the genus Eudocima. Of the seven species found in India, only E. hypermnestra has this particular two-spotted pattern on the hindwing. The forewing matches well also but you have to brighten the image a little to see it. A nice photo of the similar E. materna was posted recently on WTB by Ram Kulkarni (from Pune, India). Regards.
Karl
Thanks so much for the correction Karl. We were rushing out of the house for physical therapy and a busy day at work, and the thought did cross our mind that this might be a Fruit Piercing Moth, but we surrendered to our first impression.
Firefly larva?
December 10, 2009
I found these tiny flat bugs glowing near a waterfall one night here in bloomington, indiana. I was very curious as to what it was… unusual, flat, and the back apeard to light up… long pauses nearly 30sec to a min between lighting up.. and the light lasted much longer than a firefly… from what i remember nearing a half a minute lightup time….
Mr. V
Bloomington, Indiana (Cascades Falls)
Firefly Larva
Dear Mr. V,
You are absolutely correct. This is a Firefly Larva.
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