Beetle ID
March 12, 2010
Hi
Trying to get an ID on this beetle from Costa Rica.
I’m not very familiar with my bugs and wouldn’t know where to start looking.
So here I am.
Alex
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Longhorned Borer Beetle
Hi Alex,
WE are not certain which of the Longhorned Borer Beetles in the subfamily Prioninae you have submitted. It may be Callipogon barbatus, though a dorsal view photograph of the entire specimen might be necessary to be certain of the identification.
Thanx Daniel
For taking the time to try and help me ID this beetle. You’ve at least put me on the right track.
I found two more photos which may help you be more certain of your ID.
I see many similarities between the Callipogon barbatus that you suggested but also many differences.
Thank you again
-Alex
Root Borer from Costa Rica
Hi again Alex,
Thanks for sending additional photos. This will probably help immensely in identifying this Root Borer, though we need to go to the market to buy dinner before we do any additional research.
Root Borer from Costa Rica
Hi Daniel and Alex:
These are lovely shots of what I believe is a Mallodon spinibarbis (Prioninae: Mallodontini). It could also be M. molarius, but I think that is less likely. It ranges from Mexico to South America as far down as Argentina. You could also check out the Worldwide Cerambycoidea Photo Gallery, which has several images of this species, as well as several other Mallodon species that occur in Costa Rica. I will be visiting the Osa Peninsula next week so this helps to get me pumped (as if I needed it). Thanks.
Karl
Thanks Karl,
You appear to have nailed it again.
Thank you both.
Karl I just got back from Osa it was fantastic but SO HOT!!!!!
Heres a link to a few photos I took while there.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/84131087@N00/sets/72157623321583931/
Have fun. I wish I was headed back!
-Alex
Long, thin, large, dark mottled fly
March 12, 2010
Dear What’s That Bug,
I’m a big fan and I believe I’ve written to you before. Tonight I found a sadly deceased large dark mottled fly of some sort. I’ve never seen anything like it before, not anything as big as that. It’s just turned Autumn here in South Australia and it hasn’t been raining or especially cold or unpleasant. I have in the last week or so cut back a lot of low branches on my pine trees and disturbed the underlying leaf litter but I didn’t see anything like this under there – mostly slaters, stink beetles and roaches. I suspect this poor critter is a victim of my cats – perhaps indirectly as I don’t think he would have easily fitted back out through the mesh of my enclosed veranda. I would have saved him/her if I could have, he/she is a real beauty.
Bronwen
Coastal South Australia, Eastern Eyre Peninsula
Bark Mimicking Grasshopper
Hi Bronwen,
We believe this is some species of Grasshopper, though the body has been traumatized and appears to be missing some legs. We hope someone can assist in this identification.
Bark Mimicking Grasshopper
Piotr Naskrecki identifies Bark Mimicking Grasshopper
Hi Daniel,
This is a bark-mimicking grasshopper (Coryphistes sp.), fam. Catantopidae.
Piotr
I did think it had a face like a grasshopper – but no thick strong jumping legs, and that fooled me; I just checked since I still have it in a jar and yes the back stumps are a bit more robust looking than the remaining legs. A large grasshopper doesn’t surprise me as much as if it was a large fancy winged fly, but still I’ve not seen one anything like that. We have water restrictions here and there isn’t much grass to be had so I’ve seen a lot more yellow and brown grasshoppers.
Thanks for your quick reply!
Cheers, Bronwen,
Very strange bug
March 11, 2010
This bug has an exo-type skeleton, is centipede like, but only has legs towards the front of its body – looks like six. It rolls up when scared. It’s black with beigeish- yellow in between segments. It’s segmented like a critter from the sea.
Gualala Ridge Farms
Gualala, Northern California Coast
Western Banded Glowworm
Dear Gualala Ridge Farms,
We believe this is the first letter we have ever received from a piece of real estate. This is a larviform female Western Banded Glowworm, or perhaps it is an immature larva. The species is sexually dimorphic, which means that the winged males look nothing like the females which resemble larvae. When we posted a photo of a female Western Banded Glowworm in 2004, Eric Eaton wrote in the following comment:
“Dear Daniel:
Whoah! Tell him to turn out the lights and he’ll get a real surprise:-) That sure looks like a larviform female of the glowworm, Zarhipis integripennis. In fact, I think we still need a shot of this for our field guide…. They feed exclusively on millipedes, so he could conceivably keep her in a terrarium with some soil and leaf litter and add a millipede or two….He could also take her outside some evening and see if she attracts any males (which ARE beetle-like, fly, and have these amazing feathery antennae). She will glow bright greenish-yellow from the pale membranes between her segments. Thanks for sharing! Makes my day:-)
Happy holidays to you.
Sincerely,
Eric”
Dear Daniel,
Thank you for the response. My son, Dylan, who is 7, is thrilled to know we have glow worms on our property. The next one we find, we will try the millipede experiment. It is pouring rain today so we let her go where we found her. I know Dylan will be gathering millipedes in soil until we find the next glow worm. As soon as he read your email he turned off all of the lights in the house, but we did not see a glow, so we decided to let her go.
Thanks again for your website and your response. Young bugologists such as my 2 kids love looking up bugs on your site when we find them.
Cindy
Thanks for the followup Cindy. The Featured Creatures website also has some great information.
Is It as dangerus as it looks?
March 11, 2010
My 8 year old Neice came running to get me because she found a “big and scary bug”
this is what was sitting just out side the door. We live in central Missouri, in a small farming town lots of rural farm animals like chickens and goats around. Nither myself nor my naighbors have seen a bug like this before. this was about mid august. i have shown the pic around and one of my friends mentiond this web site to me.
the pincers were functional but they looked rather soft and like it couldn’t realy pince with them. needles to say we didn’t get close enough to find out. It was about 3 to 4 inches long and i only got one shot becuase my flash spooked it and it flew away. not far but into the near bye tree and out of camara range. Is it native and is it dangours? and what is it?
K.Ekstam
Eugene Misssouri
Male Dobsonfly
Dear K,
This is very early in the year for a Dobsonfly appearance in Missouri, and even the data on BugGuide indicates that the earliest sightings for the year have occurred in April in South Carolina. This has us a bit puzzled. The Dobsonfly is native and harmless. Your specimen is a male, and the mandibles of the female are considerably smaller, but also much more capable of inflicting a significant pinch, though again, it is perfectly harmless. We are also confused that your letter requests an identification, yet the photo file is titled “Dobsinfly male”.
Im sorry about that. the picture is not recent it was from last summer.i thought i had mentiond that. i had stumbled on your web page a few days ago and asked my husband were the picture of the big creepy bug was. he said he had a copy put up on our deviant art web page cause it was a good photo, it wasn’t untill after i sent it to you that i realized he already knew what it was. i feel a little silly about that. but i hope you enjoyed the picture at least. and that you for the bit more information on them.
Pretty Moth
March 11, 2010
I’ve seen this moth twice before, where I go to school. It’s about the size of a cupped palm, slightly smaller, and is very pretty to look at. I’ve been trying to find out what they’re called for ages. I let one crawl onto my hand and it was really docile, plus the fluff is very puffy and soft. ^_^ I only managed to get one decent picture. Help to identify it would be very much appreciated!
Nikolaus
Idyllwild, California
Pandora Pine Moth
Hi Nikolaus,
This beauty is a Pandora Pine Moth, Coloradia pandora, a species endemic to the west coast. According to BugGuide: “Two years are required to complete development. Second- or third-stage caterpillars overwinter the first year in tight clusters, resume feeding in the spring, pupate in June or July, and spend the second winter in underground pupation chambers lined with silk and plant litter. Some can remain in the pupal stage for up to 5 years before emerging as adults.“ The caterpillars are eaten by the Paiute Indians.
Alien Grub Thingy
March 10, 2010
I was out at about 2am this morning and couldn’t sleep.As I was walking along the sidewalk I heard a pop and looked down to see that there were about 5-7 of these things squirming on the concrete, and I unknowingly stepped on one. I decided to get a closer look so I shined my flashlight on it and it was a very pale caterpillar looking life form, I did not see any visible eyes or mouth on it, but what I did see once I attempted to pick it up was what struck me as being very alien. No sooner than i grabbed one up from the sidewalk a long almost lizard like tail popped out of what I guess is the back of the grub, the tail would move around and it wrapped itself around my finger, sparking my curiosity even further.So I brought it inside and took pictures and a small video of it.What I want to know is, could this possibly be a cicada larvae, or a small scale alien invasion?
Josh Hamblin
Springfield, MO
Rat Tailed Maggot
Hi Josh,
This is the larva of a Drone Fly and it is commonly called a Rat Tailed Maggot.
Afghanistan, fast moving blue/gray beetle with large hind legs
March 10, 2010
Greetings!
First, I just want to say I’ve been a huge fan of your site for neigh on 4 years now. I suppose my wife and I are odd for laying in bed at 03:00 in the morning, drinking wine and reading the backlog of “What’s That Bug” for entertainment, but then I never claimed to be normal.
So, on to my request! I am in southern Zabul Province, Afghanistan… I found the little guy pictured below scurrying around VERY rapidly in broad daylight and quite unafraid. The terrain is mostly sparse, high desert scrubland. What struck me were his enlarged hind legs and the gorgeous blue/gray mottled exoskeleton. To be honest, he appeared to be hunting. These photos were taken today, March 10, 2010.
In any event, thanks again for everything you’re doing, you’ve at least helped me to appreciate the insect world far more than I would have without you. I look forward to your book.
Devon in Afghanistan
Southern Zabul Province, Afghanistan
Darkling Beetle
Hi Devon,
Thanks so much for your very kind letter. We believe your beetle is a Darkling Beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, though we will contact Eric Eaton to verify that. We suspect it might not be a quick or easy matter to identify the species. Meanwhile, you may read a bit about the North American members of the Darkling Beetle family on BugGuide. Though the coloration of your specimen is quite different, there are basic anatomical similarities to the members of the tribe Amphidorini which includes the Acrobat Beetles in the genus Eleodes. Perhaps one of our readers will have better success with finding some online information and a species identification.
Darkling Beetle
Hi Daniel and Devon:
I agree that it is a Darkling Beetle and I believe the genus is probably Adesmia. As far as I can tell there are three species in Afghanistan (A. karelini, A. jugalis and A. servillei). I was only able to find online photos of A. karelini, but it looks very close. On a personal note, I want to thank you Daniel and WTB? for getting me through yet another long winter. Next week I am off to Costa Rica (!!!) for a ‘bug’ vacation with my new macro lens, and with a bit of luck it may be spring when I get back! Regards.
Karl
small cricket of n.e. thailand sometimes seen in numbers
March 10, 2010
this attractive cricket is often found on leaves , i dont ever recall finding one on the ground.
gary heiden, chiang khan, thailand
loei prov. thailand. about 5km from mekong river.
Unknown Katydid Nymph
Hi Gary,
This is not a cricket, but rather an immature Katydid. Crickets and Katydids are both in the same insect order, Orthoptera, which also includes grasshoppers. Immature Orthopterans are known as nymphs, and they often differ physically from adults in terms of markings and coloration, which can make them difficult to identify. We will contact Piotr Naskrecki, an expert in Katydids, to see if he recognizes the species or genus.
Piotr Naskrecki Responds
Hi Daniel,
The katydid from Thailand is a nymph of Phaneropterinae, but impossible to
tell the genus. Nymphs in this group of katydids are often dramatically
different from the adults.
Piotr
I like This
