Black Beetle with Yellow Spots
April 30, 2010
Hi! There is an interesting black beetle with yellow smudges scurrying all over the San Felipe Baja desert this Spring. They are super fast, very aggressive, they will chase after you if you get too close! They’re bigger than a quarter.
Baja Beetle girl
San Felipe, Baja California
Desert Spider Beetle
Hi Baja Beetle girl,
The Desert Spider Beetle or Inflated Beetle is a Blister Beetle in the genus Cysteodemus, and you may read up on them on bugGuide. We believe it is Cysteodemus armatus which Bugguide describes as: “Flightless; distinguished from all other meloid beetles by its inflated (air space below elytra may serve as insulation), spheroid, fused elytra. Elytra are coarsely pitted, and often covered with a white to yellowish secretion.“
Desert Spider Beetle
OMG!!!!! you are a genius!
Thank you Thank you Thank you! That’s totally it!!!!
Kym S. Farmen – Master Herbalist, Photographer
Bagworm in Papua New Guinea
April 30, 2010
Dear Bugman,
Last week we found this “thing” on the ground, presumably having fallen out of a tree. We took it home and laid it on a shelf outside our house. The next day, it had attached itself to this jar. We have, thanks to your site, identified it (her?) as a bagworm, but as her “bag” is a good eight inches (8″) long, we thought you might like to see her! As for the season, well, it’s just about always the same here. But it is just now transitioning from rainy season to dry season here. Thanks for helping us identify her! She’s a beauty!
We are curious, too, about the grub in picture three. The coin is about the size of a quarter, so it’s a big one. Any idea what it becomes? Thanks!
Sharon
Papua New Guinea
Bagworm
Hi again Sharon,
What a gorgeous Bagworm. We will try to identify the species. The grub is a Scarab Grub, probably a May Beetle.
Bagworm
¶ Posted 30 April 2010 § Bagworm ‡ ° Some more great bugs from PNG
April 30, 2010
There are so many awesome bugs here in Papua New Guinea, and I know we’ve only seen the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Here are a few we thought you would like to see.
The first is called, at least locally, a “Christmas spider.” Perhaps you can identify it? They’re rather small – the largest being only about an inch across. The second, some kind of leaf bug? It was about 3″ long, not including antennae. The third, a borer, also about 3″ long not including antennae, which had a spread of about 8″. The spider and leaf bug were photographed near Madang and the borer was photographed in Buka, Bougainville. Enjoy!!
Sharon
Papua New Guinea
Batocera kibleri
Hi Sharon,
We are keeping quite busy today just posting your wonderful images. We will try to identify this lovely Longicorn.
Comment with Identification
Believe it may be Batocera kibleri. A few links for you to look at… http://www.cerambycoidea.com/foto.asp?Id=67
and http://www.golofa.fr/aff_catalogue.php?groupe=1&famille=1&continent=4#thumb
I hope this helps, though I couldn’t find very much information on the beetle itself.
lttlechkn
Some more great bugs from PNG
April 30, 2010
There are so many awesome bugs here in Papua New Guinea, and I know we’ve only seen the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Here are a few we thought you would like to see.
The first is called, at least locally, a “Christmas spider.” Perhaps you can identify it? They’re rather small – the largest being only about an inch across. The second, some kind of leaf bug? It was about 3″ long, not including antennae. The third, a borer, also about 3″ long not including antennae, which had a spread of about 8″. The spider and leaf bug were photographed near Madang and the borer was photographed in Buka, Bougainville. Enjoy!!
Sharon
Papua New Guinea
Sylvan Katydid
Hi Sharon,
Your leaf bug is a Katydid and we are going to write to Katydid expert Piotr Naskrecki to see if he can assist in the species identification.
Piotr Naskrecki identifies the Sylvan Katydid
Hi Daniel,
This is a sylvan katydid (Pseudophyllinae: Phyllomimini), most likely the genus Heteraprium. This group of katydids of New Guinea is very poorly known, nearly all species of Pseudophyllinae I collected there were new to science, and it is possible that this one is also undescribed.
Cheers,
Piotr
Some more great bugs from PNG
April 30, 2010
There are so many awesome bugs here in Papua New Guinea, and I know we’ve only seen the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Here are a few we thought you would like to see.
The first is called, at least locally, a “Christmas spider.” Perhaps you can identify it? They’re rather small – the largest being only about an inch across. The second, some kind of leaf bug? It was about 3″ long, not including antennae. The third, a borer, also about 3″ long not including antennae, which had a spread of about 8″. The spider and leaf bug were photographed near Madang and the borer was photographed in Buka, Bougainville. Enjoy!!
Sharon
Papua New Guinea
Christmas Spider is Crablike Spiny Orbweaver
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for your numerous lovely photos. It really mucks up our archives if we include radically different categories of bugs in a single posting, so we are only posting your photo of the Christmas Spider, probably in the genus Gasteracantha, also known as the Crablike Spiny Orbweavers or Jewel Spiders. The Brisbane Insect website has a page devoted to a different but similar species.
So sorry I mucked up your archives!! I just thought you might like to have the pics. J Did you get my first message? It seemed to bounce back, but it was unclear and I thought it was just my “send me a copy of this email” selection. It had some really great pictures of a PNG bagworm – impressive little thing. Its bag is 8” long! I’ll resend if you didn’t get it.
sb
Hi again Sharon,
First we apologize if you thought we were upset. We just wanted you to know that we were going to be posting your images independently and not en masse. Posting them separately keeps the archives from getting mucked up, though they are already an unfathomable jumble.
No no no! I didn’t think you were upset, and I wasn’t upset. I only thought the error I received coupled with not hearing back about the bagworm probably meant that the message didn’t go through (thus the second attempt). I’ll leave you alone now! J Thanks for helping identify!
Blessings,
sharon
1
Please identify this insect pod?
April 29, 2010
Bugman, I turned up this pod in a small garden plot in my backyard in NW Arkansas. I thought it might be a pod of a Cicada, but could not find anything on the internet to identify it. Your help would be appreciated.
Charlie
Charlie McKinnie
North West Arkansas (Holiday Island)
Sphinx Moth Pupa
Hi Charlie,
This is the pupa of a Sphinx Moth, most likely one of the species in the genus Manduca that have caterpillars which feed upon the leaves of tomato plants. After gorging on leaves for a few weeks, the caterpillar buries itself an pupates.
Bug with Striped feelers
April 30, 2010
I found this bug on one of my building structure in Singapore. Occasionally, the brown patch on the back will lift up to reveal wings. The feelers are very long. Do you know what bug this is?
Stanley
Singapore
Unknown Longicorn
Hi Stanley,
This is a Long Horned Borer Beetle or Longicorn in the family Cerambycidae, but we are uncertain of the species. Perhaps one of our readers will attempt an identification while we are at work furthering the education of others.
Karl has an answer
Hi Daniel and Stanley:
I think this longicorn is probably Coptops leucostictica (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Mesosini). I am fairly certain that is the genus, with an outside chance that it may be Mesosa. There is an excellent website called “Longhorned Beetles of Singapore” that you can explore, or go directly to a very nice photo of C. leucostictica. The species is found throughout mainland southeast Asia, Singapore and west to India. Regards.
Karl
Where Are The Insides Of This Bug?
April 29, 2010
Hello! I was at my parent’s home in Lake Panasoffkee, Florida about three weeks ago and while I was out on the dock, I noticed this beetle-looking bug. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the upper-middle section was split open and all of the bug’s insides were gone. First, what exactly am I looking at and second, is this some sort of shedded skin? I am truly intrigued by this and would truly appreciate your assistance in answering these questions. Thank you in advance for your time and efforts!
Victor
Lake Panasoffkee, Florida
Cicada Exuvia
Hi Victor,
This is the Exuvia or molted skin of a Cicada. Immature Cicadas live underground, and when they near maturity, they dig to the surface, shed their exoskeleton for the last time, and emerge as winged adults that buzz in the trees. The Exuvia is left behind.
Daniel,
Thank you so very much for your prompt and informative reply! I find your explanation fascinating and will pass your information along to my three children who, like me, were intrigued at what this bug would actually be.
Thanks again for your time and efforts,
Victor
I like This
