Little spider looking guys that float on water
February 8, 2010
I have found these guys floating on some standing water around my house. They seem to be mostly on the water, but also around it a little bit. They are quite small, as the one by my finger is one of the biggest ones. They seem to have a slight reddish or yellowish color to them. And they can scoot along the water QUITE speedily. They look like spiders and don’t appear to have wings. Not sure what they are! Can you help please!
-iLan
seattle, wa
Globular Springtails
Hi iLan,
These are Globular Springtails in the class Collembola and the order Symphypleona. BugGuide has a wonderful series of photos of a species that was identified as Dicyrtomina ornata that is very detailed. Alas, we are unable to identify which species of Globular Springtail you have discovered.
Globular Springtail
Yellow and Black Burrowing Bee Like Insect
February 8, 2010
Hello,
I was doing yard work and picked up a broken branch there was a significant vibration and sound of swarming bees from the branch. I broke it open and there where these beetle like bee insects inside. I have attached a photo but unfortunately only got this one photo. They were quite large, larger then any large bee like insect here that I have ever seen.
Matt
Scottsdale Arizona
Valley Carpenter Bee nest, we suppose
Hi Matt,
It is difficult to distinguish details in your photo that would assist in the proper identification, but based on your description, we believe you discovered the nest of a Valley Carpenter Bee. The female creates a series of chambers in a burrowed tunnel in a branch, and she provisions each chamber with pollen and lays an egg. Female Valley Carpenter Bees are black and the males are a golden yellow. You subject line does not indicate if the insects are each yellow and black, or if there are different colored insects, and your photo has what appears to be a golden male Valley Carpenter Bee about to emerge.
Insect with dragon heckles
February 9, 2010
Found dead on top of a box in my garage in Missouri in October (begin of fall). Has small head with what looks like a slender thorn coming from its mouth. Body looks like a piece of a stick cut on a diagonal. Has what looks like a stinger on it’s butt and the scariest part is the dragon heckle on it’s back.
suppies
Missouri in the fall (October)
Wheel Bug
Dear suppies,
This is a Wheel Bug and it is the largest North American Assassin Bug. The Wheel Bug is a predator that uses its mouth to pierce its prey and then suck the fluids from its body. It is capable of biting a person if it is carelessly handled, but it has no stinger.
For your “Bug Love” page…(blue damselflies from Illinois)
February 7, 2010
Hello. I took this picture early this past July on Lake Shabbona in Illinois, near Chicago while on a fishing trip. There were mating pairs of these blue damselflies everywhere, and these two landed right in front of me. They didn’t flinch when I put the camera right up to them. I thought I’d submit it to see if you guys would like to post it on your Bug Love page. Thanks for your time.
Justin M. Fabre
Illinois
Mating Bluets
Hi Justin,
Thanks for sending us your wonderful photo of mating Bluets in the genus Enallagma. BugGuide has numerous possible species, and we would defer an exact species identification to an expert. This mating position is called a Wheel or Heart formation. Are you by chance related to Jean Henri Fabre, the French entomologist who lived from 1823 to 1915 and who wrote one of the first popular culture books on insects?
Hi Daniel.
I was happy to submit my photo to WTB. Reading the submissions, responses and seeing the great photos is a lot of fun. I didn’t realize how many different species of Bluets there were until I googled “blue damselfly” just before I submitted it. I’m glad you guys will try to find out. As for a relation to Jean Henri, I’ve wondered myself as it’s possible, but I honestly don’t know. I was away longer than expected this week and finally dug out the external hard drive with the rest of the set that I’ll attach to the email. The top one is the “I (heart) U” shot I submitted. Feel free to use any or all that you wish on the site. Thanks again.
Justin
Mating Bluets
Thanks for sending additional photos Justin.
Mating Bluets
Moth idendification
February 8, 2010
Please can you identify this moth for me! One seems to male and the other (Bigger) female
Luka Geertsema
Pretoria, South Africa
Variable Prince female
Hi Luka,
We identified your moths as Holocerina smilax, the Variable Prince, on the World’s Largest Saturniidae Site. According to the website, females are larger, and the Caterpillars are probably a “valuable human food source.” You may see photos of the adult moth and variable caterpillars on the Bizland Silkmoths website. It is not possible for us to determine from the photograph which of your images if of the larger moth, so we are unable to label the sexes. Normally in Giant Silk Moths, the antennae of the male are more developed and feathery, but due to the position the moth assumes when at rest, the antennae are not visible. We are going to copy Bill Oehlke on this response as he may have additional information to provide for us.
Variable Prince male
Sexing Information from Bill Oehlke
Daniel,
Thanks. Yes they are Holocerina smilax. The male is the one which has the more produced forewing apex and very triangular hindwings with acute anal angle..
Bill Oehlke
Thanx a million, attached are more pics should they be usefull. PS, the one on the bark was the female with antenae without “feathers”, the other one (male) on the green vetivar grass leaf. Is it suppose to occur in SA?
Greetings,
Luka
Variable Prince female
Yes, it is native to South Africa. Thanks for the additional images.
Variable Prince male
More images as Promised 3
Luka Geertsema
Predator beetle
February 7, 2010
Hello, I supose you guys arent very familiar with south american bugs but I gotta show this finding!
It was found at night in a rainforest area (southeast Brazil), reminds me a cicindelid but never seen one with such shapes and proportions
Techuser
Brazil
Tiger Beetle
Dear Techuser,
Your are correct in that this is an unusual Cicindelid or Tiger Beetle. Some members of the subfamily Cicindelinae are ant mimics, and your specimen would seem to be one of those. We hope we are able to provide a species identification for you, but time does not permit that research at the moment. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to supply a species identification.
Tiger Beetle
We love the close-up photo of the face.
Tiger Beetle
Leather Jackets in Silver Lake
February 8, 2010
Hi–I live on a steep hill adjacent to the Silver Lake Reservoir. On Saturday after the heavy overnight rain I encountered lots of Leather Jackets writhing on the pavement. I am attaching three images. Which kind of Leather Jackets/Crane Flies are these? Native? Thanks so much.
Brad
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
Leather Jacket
Hi Brad,
Chen Young, an expert in the Crane Fly family, just wrote to us regarding the other two recent Los Angeles area emergences of Leather Jackets, and they were determined to be native. According to his description, your Leather Jackets are also the larvae of native Crane Flies. Chen has promised to send us an image of the European Crane Fly Larva for comparison.
What is this bug?
February 7, 2010
Hi there, I have seen this bug for the first time in my life and in the two years I have been living in my place. I live in an apartment, first floor with a patio and some plants in pots. No grass or dirt. Even thou I have seen pretty much variety of insects that took my attention several times. I have remembered this site and decided to start sending you pics of what I just find interesting to share. As you see the insect is dead but I have found one alive but took it away because I don´t really know if it can bite. We are in summer now and these ones appeared after 3 days of continuous rainy days. Thanks for you help.
Fred
Buenos Aires Argentina.
Giant Water Bug
Hi Fred,
This is a Giant Water Bug in the family Belostomatidae. Most of the examples we see are from the genus Lethocerus, but your specimen is from one of the other genera, probably Belostoma, or possibly Abedus. Giant Water Bugs are aquatic predators that can also fly quite well, a capability they use when their ponds dry out. They are also attracted to lights, and that may be the reason it was attracted to your apartment. Giant Water Bugs can bite painfully if provoked or carelessly handled, and in the U.S. they are commonly called Toe-Biters as well as Electric Light Bugs.
Giant Water Bug
Daniel, thanks a lot for you quick and great response. I really appreciate what you do and hopefully I will be able to send you new pics to share and find out what kind of bug is it.
Have a great week.
Fred.
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