Colorado Potato Beetle?
May 28, 2009
I found these beetles in a field where I work, in the Dallas, TX area. They were clearly feasting on the leaves of the plants they were on. Are they Colorado Potato Beetles?
Lars
Dallas, TX
Colorado Potato Beetle
Hi Lars,
We are randomly selecting a few letters that were unanswered and posting them. You are correct. This is a Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, and there is information on the species on Bugguide.
small beautiful bug
May 29, 2009
Subject was located on pigeonberry plant near a garden. About 1/2″ long. Only one specimen found.
Betsy
Central Texas
Swamp Milkweed Beetle
Hi Betsy,
Your letter originally arrived at a very busy mail period for us, and it coincided with the end of the semester and a hasty retreat to visit Mom in Ohio. Needless to say, there was so much mail when we returned to the office, much of it remained unanswered. This is a Swamp Milkweed Beetle, Labidomera clivicollis. You can read more about it on BugGuide which states: “Occur in every state east of the Rocky Mountains, and into northern Mexico.”
unknown dragonfly-type insect
May 28, 2009
Hello
I found this insect in my home entrance.
Four similarly sized wings, folding back.
Large eyes with a small “ball” on each antenna tip.
Abdomen and rear held straight up. Six legs.
Size compared to pen in picture.
Rotem Ziser
Zichron Yaakov, Israel
Owlfly
Dear Rotem,
It was a very slow day here at What’s That Bug? and we posted a few new letters and decided to dig way back into the unanswered mail for a few more. Your letter was selected at random. This is an Owlfly, a relative of Lacewings and Antlions.
Stink Bug
December 20, 2009
This bug shows up at my parents house (the house is in a wooded area) every fall. They are pretty flat bugs and seem to crawl into the house under doors and windows. We find hundreds of them around. No one we’ve ever talked to can seem to identify them. Not even exterminators. We call them a “stink bug” because they give off a relativley fowl spell if you step on them.
I would be happy to give you more details if you need. Thank you!
Rob Peterson
Minnesota – Subberb east of the Twin Cities – Stilwater, MN
Western Conifer Seed Bug
Hi Rob,
The Western Conifer Seed Bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, often enters homes when cold weather arrives so that it can pass the winter in hibernation. It is a benign species that will not harm your home, your furnishings, your pets nor you.
Blue green moth in Seattle
December 20, 2009
One day several summers ago (July 9, 2005) I looked out the window and saw this beautiful moth. I took lots of terrible pictures of it but got a couple that are ok. I’ve looked around and haven’t been able to identify it. We live in Shoreline, WA, just north of Seattle. There are a lot of douglas fir and cedar trees around, as well as a creek about 100 yards away.
Thank you!
Novice bug watcher
Shoreline, WA
Emerald Moth
Dear Novice,
Though we cannot tell you the exact species for certain, we can tell you that this is an Emerald Moth in the subfamily Geometrinae. The caterpillars are called Inchworms or Spanworms. You can scan BugGuide for possible species matches. We would place our money on the Common Emerald, Hemithea aestivaria, which BugGuide reports from Washington and British Columbia. It is a species that was introduced from Europe, and it is expected that it may continue to expand its range in North America.
Can you please tell me what this is?
December 20, 2009
I just moved into a new place with my three year old son. In the last 2 days, we have found three of these critters in the house. We found one in the pantry, one on the wall in the hallway, and one in the shower. I’m worried that it may be a cockroach or something, but I’m not sure. Any information you can offer would be very much appreciated.
Concerned in Florida
Saint Augustine, FL
German Cockroach
Dear Concerned in Florida,
The two parallel dark streaks on the pronotum identify this as a German Cockroach, Blattella germanica, one of the most reviled insects that infest dwellings. Eliminating them from an infested home might be a losing battle.
German Cockroach
Thank you very much. That confirms my suspicion, and makes the decision for me….I will be moving. I greatly appreciate your time.
Beetle question
December 21, 2009
Hi Bugman,
I am sending a photo of an insect which I am guessing is a beetle, perhaps a stag beetle. The insect was found at Berenty which is a private reserve west of Fort Dauphine, in the southeast of Madagascar, It was found in the leaf litter and is quite large. I was impressed by those mandibles!
Diana B.
Berenty Private Reserve, South Madagascar
Ground Beetle from Madagascar
Hi Diana,
The large mandibles are characteristic of Stag Beetles, but your specimen lacks clubbed antennae. The threadlike antennae indicates this is some species of Ground Beetle in the family Carabidae, though we are uncertain of the species.
What is this a spider or a mite
December 21, 2009
Dear Sir … for the last compile of days we have been finding these running all over our skin. What are they, and are they harmful, and where do they come from?
The are smaller than a pin head, and move very quickly so taking good photos was a challenge. I hope you can help.
Thank you
Bernard
South Africa
Mite
Dear Bernard,
We can confirm that this is a Mite, but we are unable to provide any additional information. Many Mites are found in the home. Mites might infest pests and food products depending upon the species, and that identification would take a degree of expertise that we do not possess. Perhaps an acarologist will be able to provide us with information if one happens to read this posting.
Mite
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