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Monthly Archives August 2010

Jagged Ambush Bug

What kind of bug is this
Location:  western North Carolina–Jackson County–Appalachian Mountains
August 27, 2010 10:16 pm
Hi! I’m trying to identify this bug. Can you help? Someone suggested that it was a crab spider, but I do not think it is a spider at all b/c it doesn’t have eight legs. I saw it about a week ago–mid August–at a friend’s farm. I only saw one and it was tucked down inside the petals of this pink flower. It is quite small and appeared to have wings.
Thank you for help!
Rosemary Peek

ambush bug rosemary 300x206 Jagged Ambush Bug

Jagged Ambush Bug

Hi Rosemary,
The coloration on this Ambush Bug in the subfamily Phymatinae is much lighter than we generally see, however, there is a photo of a Jagged Ambush Bug in the genus Phymata that is posted to BugGuide that is a near identical match to your specimen.  Typically, the coloration of the Ambush Bugs is very close to that of the flowers upon which they wait so that they can ambush pollinating insects, which causes us to ponder if perhaps this may be a newly molted individual whose color will darken.

Posted 28 August 2010 § Ambush Bugs ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Spotted Oleander Moth Caterpillar

Identifying This Caterpillar
Location:  Orlando Florida
August 27, 2010 10:18 pm
Hey Bugman,
I’m a new butterfly student. I’m becoming familiar with many types of caterpillars and all that, but still am struggling with this one. The identification page I use is not available and I don’t yet have the book, ”Caterpillars of Eastern North America: A Guide to Identification and Natural History (Princeton Field Guides)” that Edith suggested to me.
Can you help?
Sincere thanks and I look forward to learning more from your site in the future!
Shay

spotted oleander moth caterpillar shay 300x212 Spotted Oleander Moth Caterpillar

Spotted Oleander Moth Caterpillar

Hi Shay,
It sounds like you are really serious about being able to identify caterpillars.  Get in the habit of noting and identifying the plants upon which the caterpillars were feeding.  This information can be indispensable in the identification process, especially if the caterpillar feeds on the leaves of a single plant as opposed to being a general feeder.  We believe your caterpillar is a Spotted Oleander Moth Caterpillar, Empyreuma affinis, based on photos posted to BugGuide.  If it was feeding on oleander, then we would be much more certain of the identification.

Thanks so much!!
Actually, the caterpillar was in some privacy shrubs- Viburnum.
I am very serious about it. I have a neuromuscular disease and learning about, raising, and searching for butterflies has been a true therapy. THEN, I just fell in love with it.
Waiting on my book.
Got a new camera.
And my microscope camera should be here in a week. I’ll learn about everything about it that I possibly can.  I want to do this forever. icon smile Spotted Oleander Moth Caterpillar Even if my forever ends up cut a bit shorter than was originally planned. icon smile Spotted Oleander Moth Caterpillar
I thought the same- or a polka dot wasp moth, both of which rely on oleander. Odd, though, to find it where I did. I found a Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar in there as well… but he was actually eating. This didn’t help much because of the variety in their diet.
Anyway, sorry about that babble fest. Thanks so much for your help!
Shay

Hi again Shay,
Thanks for the additional information.  We did a bit more research and we located an online article published by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences that states:  “The spotted oleander caterpillar may be mistaken for the saltmarsh caterpillar, Estigmene acrea (Drury). However, the body of the saltmarsh caterpillar is densely covered with hairs whereas the spotted oleander caterpillar only has tufts of hairs on its body.“  Your caterpillar has the tufts of hair.  The article also indicates:  “Oleander is the only recorded host plant of the spotted oleander caterpillar.“  That would mean that there must have been an oleander bush near the privacy shrubs.  Caterpillars have been known to travel a considerable distance from the plants upon which they have been feeding before finding a spot where they pupate.  We wish you the best of luck with you new passion.

Update
September 2, 2010
Thank you so much. You are correct, and thank you for doing all the research. I myself did some as well, and after looking on the other side of the fence in the neighboring complexes yard, I found LOTS of oleander.
I appreciate your help so much.
PS- was able to witness a polymepheus lay eggs last night on oak. VERY very excited about it.
Thanks again!!!
Shay

Posted 28 August 2010 § Caterpillars and Pupa ‡ Comments (0) °

Giant Ichneumon

Giant Ichneumon land on sternum
Location:  Fairfield, Maine USA
August 27, 2010 11:09 pm
My wife ad I were heading up to our front door when this thing swooped down onto me. It landed on my chest and after a few awkward pictures, it walked up my neck and flew of my ear. It was very long, I would have guessed 5-6 inches, including the ovipositor. Do you think this a Megarhyssa greenei?
Thanks,
James R

megarhyssa james 300x260 Giant Ichneumon

Giant Ichneumon

Hi James,
We have never read a good way to distinguish the members of the genus Megarhyssa from one another, other than that Megarhyssa atrata looks significantly different from the other three relatives.  This might be Megarhyssa greenei, though in our opinion, it seems to most closely resemble Megarhyssa macrurus, which you may view on BugGuide.

megarhyssa james 2 300x264 Giant Ichneumon

Giant Ichnuemon

Posted 28 August 2010 § Ichneumons ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Identifying the Tomato Bug

The publicist at Penguin/Perigee requested that Daniel make a video to stir up interest in radio and television appearances prior to the release of The Curious World of Bugs.  Here is a simple home video of Daniel in the tomato patch:

Though a Tomato Bug, which is Grandma Nanowsky’s name for either a Tomato Hornworm or a Tobacco Hornworm, could not be located at the time the video was shot, there is nonetheless some helpful information contained in the video on these large green caterpillars that feed on the leaves of tomato and related plants.

Posted 28 August 2010 § Curious World of Bugs ‡ Comments (2) °

Thread Waisted Wasp

Very large wasp with orange band
Location:  Fairfield, Maine USA
August 27, 2010 11:02 pm
Dear Bugman,
I was in the Goldenrod today and was passed by an enormous wasp. It looked a lot like the Blue Mud Wasp but it had a bright orange band around it near it’s end. It was probably over 3 inches long, but I could not get very close to it before it flew away. What is this thing? Can they sting?
Thanks,
James R

ammophila nigricans james 300x239 Thread Waisted Wasp

Thread Waisted Wasp

Hi again James,
You really are amassing up quite a collection of images of your local insects on our site.  This Thread Waisted Wasp, Ammophila nigrans, is feeding on goldenrod, as are several of the insects you submitted last week.  We really are interested in certain habitats, like the Milkweed Meadow tag we just created, and the Goldenrod Field is another excellent place to observe a variety of invertebrates that are either attracted to the nectar or the creatures feeding on the nectar.  According to a comment Eric Eaton posted to BugGuide on Ammophila nigrans:  “As adults, they feed on nectar. The larva feeds on caterpillars, paralyzed and stocked in the cell by its mother. These are solitary wasps, so each female excavates her own burrow.” The genus information page on BugGuide has more comprehensive information.

Hello Daniel,
Hopefully you don’t mind the numerous submissions, but I work where I can go out to the goldenrod field
every hour or so, so I always bring camera(s) with me.  My next home has large milkweed fields, so maybe
next year I’ll have some different varieties.  Thanks for the identification; I never had seen one before.
It’s neat that the name roughly translates as a sand-loving wasp… (from B.G. info)
One thing I noticed is that B.G. lists them from 11-25mm (0.4”-0.98”) but I am certain this one was closer to 2.75”-3” long.
Thanks again,
James

Posted 28 August 2010 § Wasps and Hornets ‡ Comments (0) °

Giant Wood Wasp

wood wasp?
Location:  South Central Montana
August 27, 2010 6:55 pm
OK, Riddle me this Batman, what looks just like a Horntail Wood Wasp but has no antennae? Instead it has a long probiscus like a moth. My friend found it walking on a pine log in a wooded area.
Tanya in Montana

wood wasp tanya 300x211 Giant Wood Wasp

Wood Wasp

a bug just sent you for id
August 27, 2010 7:08 pm
Dear WTB I just not 10 minutes ago sent you 3 pictures of a wood wasp that wasn’t a wood wasp, as it has no antennae. Guess what? It’s a wood wasp! My friend caught it for me in a powerade bottle, and the antennae were glued together. I put it under a microscope to look more closely, and my husband said “Hey, they are just stuck together!”  Silly me, I’m sorry for wasting you time when there are REAL bugs that need identification! icon smile Giant Wood Wasp Carry on with the amazing job you do. You are my favorite website.
Tanya in Montana

Hi Tanya,
Your series of emails amused us.  We believe you may have an image of the introduced Wood Wasp, Urocerus gigas.  According to BugGuide and other websites, the introduced Giant Woodwasp:  “tunnels in wood. One of the most dangerous pests of conifers.”

You guys are amazing! Just finding other people that love bugs like I do is so great. I hated to write in because I can only imagine how busy you all are. Thank you so much for taking time to answer my emails. sniff sniff I love you guys! icon biggrin Giant Wood Wasp

Eric Eaton responds
Daniel:
Well, the scientific name, Urocerus gigas, is correct for the image, but I’ve never heard of it called the “Introduced Wood Wasp.”  My belief was that it is simply a “holarctic” species (meaning it is native to the entire northern hemisphere).
Eric

Posted 28 August 2010 § Horntails, Wood Wasps and Sawflies ‡ Comments (0) °

Mating Wheel Bugs bite the Mrs.

this stung my wife
Location:  SE PA woods
August 27, 2010 5:08 pm
AND NOW LIVES UNDER A CUP IN THE BACKYARD
THANKS, JMR

wheel bugs mating jmr1 300x235 Mating Wheel Bugs bite the Mrs.

Mating Wheel Bugs

Hi JMR,
This is a they and they are mating Wheel Bugs.  Wheel Bugs do not sting, but rather, they bite, and the bite is reported to be quite painful, but not dangerous.  You should release them from their cup as they are important predators that will help keep the population of plant eating insects in check.

Posted 27 August 2010 § Assassin Bugs ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Mating Prometheus Moths

Canoodling Saturniids
Location:  Western Pennsylvania (Slippery Rock)
August 27, 2010 9:26 pm
Hi, Daniel,
I am attaching two pictures of mating Saturniid moths, but I could not tell if they were Promethea Moths or Tulip Tree Silk Moths. You’ll notice from the file names that I first misidentified them as Io moths. About six weeks ago, these two were found on the screen over our mud room window, and there they stayed for many hours – literally most of the day. When night fell, they were gone. These are such elegant creatures.
Glenn Marsch

mating prometheus moths glenn 300x195 Mating Prometheus Moths

Mating Prometheus Moths

Hi Glenn,
These mating Prometheus Moths are truly lovely.  The moth closer to the camera is the dark male, and we suspect he looks larger because of the use of a wide angle lens which is distorting the perspective since the female is generally the larger of the sexes.

Wow, that was quick, and I am impressed.  Thanks for the ID.  Now I can go to my Flickr site & update the caption.
Best Regards,
Glenn

Posted 27 August 2010 § Moths ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

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