If you’re there, What’s This Bug?! It just bit my son…
Location: Seminole, Oklahoma
August 27, 2010 7:42 pm
He crawled into a hole my boxer had dug to get a toy that dropped into it. Apparently this beetle got into his shorts, and then bit him. It has a probe/proboscis mouth, not pincers. Just want to know if it’s anything I need to worry about. I’m searching Bugguide now. Thanks so much…
Amy Goodman
Black Assassin Bug
Hi Amy,
it is very difficult to see through the bag. Might be a Black Corsair.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/7332
or maybe a Masked Hunter.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/11385
That is what I identified it as myself, though I’m the beginner of beginners in identifying bugs. I found a photo, based on the shape of a wheel bug (minus the wheel) and knowing that the wheel bug was an assasin beetle. I googled “black assasin beetle” and came up with a photo of a female black corsair with the same exact “vestigal wing pads” and body, down to the horizontal segmented look to the concave back. Also, remembering what you said about the wheel bug using it’s mouth to pierce reminded me of this bug. So I thank you very much. I know she’s not dangerous, but all sites say the bite is “quite painful” or “nasty” and my five year old agrees! He’s much better now, and I won’t let him crush the bug… I promise!
Beautiful egg or chrysalis
Location: Cherokee County, NC
August 23, 2010 5:28 pm
I’ve seen these things every now and then, but I’ve never been able to find an image(or identification for that matter) of them online.
The ”capsule” was hanging from a thread about an inch long that was fastened to the underside of a privet leaf. It reminds me of a lacewing’s egg, but I’ve never seen one this color, and image searches proved to be useless as well. I figure that it could possibly be some sort of chrysalis, but it’s rather small and seems to be fairly smooth.
Any ID or some pointers leading to an ID is greatly appreciated. I love checking in on the site every day or two to see what’s new.
Jacob
Ichneumon Cocoon
Hi Jacob,
We opened your photo and letter the other day, and we were pressed for time and we didn’t know where to begin with your identification. Today, we were trying to identify an Ichneumon image that was sent to us and we stumbled across this posting on BugGuide that is identified as the Cocoon of an Ichneumon in the subfamily Campopleginae. Bingo, that was your cocoon. Please excuse the late response. We identified this mystery quite by accident and then we had to go through old mail to locate your letter. Luckily the subject line was memorable. Here is the comment Charley Elseman posted to BugGuide: “One of many subfamilies of ichneumonids. Most other ichneumonids form cocoons within their hosts, or at least within their hosts’ cocoons, and as far as I know none have fancy patterns like this. I think that many different campoplegines make cocoons with a pattern reminiscent of this one, but only a few suspend them from a string like this. Bob Carlson may be able to say something more specific about it.“ Bob Patterson wrote this comment: “See the page on Parasites, Predators and Parasitoids at MPG. There is no doubt equivalent and even better material to be found here at BugGuide.“
Thanks for the identification! That link to BugGuide helped ID some of the little wasps that have been sneaking around the house lately on top of helping to ID the cocoon.
Better SLR pics of the possible Carolina Mantis
Location: SW Ohio
August 27, 2010 2:36 pm
Lucked onto the mantis again when my DSLR was handy. My apologies for the ones I sent before.
Kitsa
Carolina Mantis
Hi Kitsa,
This is indeed a Carolina Mantis, Stagomantis carolina, and the short wings and wide abdomen indicate that this is a flightless female. See BugGuide for more information.
Carolina Mantis
Some kind of fly
Location: Portugal
August 27, 2010 3:12 pm
Hi,
I found this fly on my bean plants the other day. No idea what it is. Can you help me identifying it?
Dania
Feather-Legged Fly
Hi Dania,
We started to try to identify your fly on BugGuide before we realized you were writing from Portugal. Your insect is a close match to the Feather-Legged Fly Trichopoda pennipes, and we suspect it is closely related. Feather-Legged Flies are Tachinid Flies and according to BugGuide: “Adults feed on nectar, larvae are internal parasites of true bugs. Life Cycle: Adult female lays one to several eggs on a hemipteran host. The larvae hatch from the eggs and burrow directly into the bug’s body, though only one larva will survive within each host. The larva feeds on the host internally and eventually a large cream-colored maggot exits from body of the bug (which soon dies). The maggot pupates in a dark reddish-brown puparium in the soil and emerges as an adult about two weeks later. There are up to three generations a year depending on location, and larvae may overwinter in the bodies of overwintering hosts.“ BugGuide also indicates: “Often used as biological control of hemipteran pest species such as squash bugs, stink bugs, and plant bugs. May hover above squash plants in search of prey. According to Paul Beuk it has been ‘introduced into Europe and is now frequently spotted in the south. Its exotic appearance has dumbfounded many a European entomologist.‘“ That final statement implies that Feather-Legged Flies are not native to Europe, so this fly may be a North American species afterall. Your beautiful images are a wonderful addition to our archives.
Feather-Legged Fly
Thanks, Daniel.
That’s very interesting. I was quite intrigued by it since I had never seen anything like that before. Now I’m curious as to how common they are around here, I will certainly be paying more attention from now on. Thanks again.
¶ Posted 27 August 2010 § Flies ‡ ° Little pretty green colored bug or beetle?
Location: Fairfield, Maine USA
August 23, 2010 12:16 pm
Dear Bugman,
I found this little green bug? it was very interesting looking so I wanted to know what it could be? Can you identify it, please?
Thank you,
James R
Northern Corn Rootworm
Hi James,
This Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle is a Northern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica barberi and we identified it on BugGuide.
Thanks Daniel,
What an interesting name it has.
James
Hi again James,
WE did a bit more research and found information on the Illinois Integrated Pest Management website where we learned: “Larval feeding on corn roots may reduce yields. Injured root tips feature brown lesions. In some fields, entire nodes of roots may be pruned severely. Pruned roots are less capable of supplying water and nutrients to the growing ears and moderate to severe root pruning may result in lodging and significant losses at harvest. Larval injury also may make roots more susceptiable to root and stalk rot fungi. High adult densities may clip silks resulting in poor pollination and reduced kernel set.“
¶ Posted 27 August 2010 § Beetles ‡ ° not a spider expert by no means lol
Location: Mississippi
August 23, 2010 2:21 pm
I was in the backyard and stumbled across this spider, was just curious as to what it was. When I first saw it, it appeared to have parts of its legs and body glowing a neon green color, when I grabbed my camera it had stopped glowing, apparently having no more need for it as it found it’s lunch.
It’s web was also huge and worthy of note as well.
Ox_King
Golden Orbweaver
Dear Ox_King,
Your spider, Argiope aurantia, has several common names including Golden Orbweaver. We have never heard of a Golden Orbweaver glowing, and we suspect it was an optical illusion caused by light striking the exceptional coloration of this spectacular spider.
Solpugid Feasting
Location: Las Vegas
August 22, 2010 11:18 am
Hi guys. I have noticed that you don’t have many pics of sun spiders eating so I decided to send you a couple of pics. I have one that I captured in my backyard here in North Las Vegas and it has no problem eating in captivity. One pic is it feasting on a cicada and the other one is it eating a very much larger grasshopper.
Will
Solifugid Eats Cicada in Captivity
Hi Will,
Thank you for providing us with these images of a Sun Spider or Windscorpion in the order Solifugae feeding on a Cicada and a Katydid in captivity. Sun Spiders are amazingly adept hunters that will probably eat anything they are able to catch, including small lizards and young mice, though their normal diet would consist of small arthropods. Though Cicadas and Katydids are Arthropods, they do not normally crawl in the ground, sticking to trees and shrubs instead, so they probably do not contribute significantly to a wild Solifugid’s diet.
Solifugid eats Katydid in captivity
Huge great Golden Digger Wasp
Location: Fairfield, Maine USA
August 23, 2010 11:53 am
Dear Bugman, the other day I was going to shoot a few Argiope aurantia we have living in the garden when I hear and saw this enormous orange black and yellow blur zipping around. I pursued it and saw it was a wasp like none I’d ever seen. It was probably approaching at least 3” long and was also quite stout. Although initially, I wanted to stay a safe distance away, it soon became clear it was not concerned with me. It would even stop, cock its head up toward me and then carry on feeding on nectar from the Goldenrod. It was hard to follow it around closely enough to get pictures because it was actually quite shy. I’ve seen it on 3 different days, so far, and hope to see it again.
Are they very solitary wasps? I feel that I keep seeing the same one, in the same area of the gardens…
Thank you,
James R
Great Golden Digger Wasp
Hi James,
The Great Golden Digger Wasp, Sphex ichneumoneus, is a solitary wasp that provisions its nest with paralyzed katydids and crickets to feed its young. Some solitary wasps like Cicada Killers and Sand Wasps nest in colonies, but we have never heard of colonial behavior in the Great Golden Digger Wasp.
Thank you Daniel,
Unfortunately, since the last time, I have not seen it again.
It has been getting cold in the evenings; do they winter over, or just die each tear?
Thanks,
James
Hi again James,
Adults do not overwinter.
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