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Monthly Archives August 2010

Bug of the Month September 2010: Giant Ichneumon

What IS this?
Location:  Southern Vermont
August 26, 2010 8:43 pm
This insect was on my porch in July. It died shortly after I saw and photographed it. Any idea what it is??
KT

megarhyssa atrata kt 300x191 Bug of the Month September 2010: Giant Ichneumon

Giant Ichneumon

Hi KT,
We just posted another image of a different species of Giant Ichneumon in the genus Megarhyssa, but your individual, Megarhyssa atrata, is the species most often reproduced in identification guides and entomology texts.  The black body with the accent markings of yellow face, antennae and legs make this an unforgettable insect, but the truly distinctive feature is the five inch long ovipositor of the female.  The female uses her ovipositor to deposit her eggs in the stumps of diseased trees that are infested with the wood boring larvae of the Pigeon Horntail, Tremex columba (see BugGuide), and we frequently receive images of female Giant Ichneumons drilling into stumps.  You may read more about Megarhyssa atrata in our own archive and on BugGuide.  BugGuide indicates on the genus page that the common name Stump Stabber is sometimes used.  In August 2007, we selected Giant Ichneumons in the genus Megarhyssa as our Bug of the Month, and we have decided that since three years have passes, we are clear to feature it again as the Bug of the Month for September with your letter and photographs.

megarhyssa atrata kt 2 300x131 Bug of the Month September 2010: Giant Ichneumon

Giant Ichneumon

Hi Daniel,
Wow, that’s awesome! Thank you both for the thorough response, and for choosing to feature my photos!
What a fascinating insect that is! It’s strange that I didn’t find any photos when I was surfing, but I probably wan’t entering adequate identifying words in the search. That was the first one I’ve ever seen, and I haven’t seen another since. Are they common in Vermont? They must be somewhat reclusive, as I have ‘hawk eyes’ when it comes to insects and spiders and the like. I am both fascinated by and enamored with them!
Thanks again! I’m heading to your site now!
KT

Hi again KT,
They are not uncommon in Vermont, but like many insects, there may be a robust local population in an area, but seemingly identical conditions a mile away may have no individuals.

Addendum:  Giant Ichneumon Ovipositing
What kind of bug is this?

megarhyssa dawn 267x300 Bug of the Month September 2010: Giant Ichneumon
Giant Ichnuemon

What kind of bug is this?
Location:  Warwick, Rhode Island
August 29, 2010 4:17 pm
These bugs just showed up and crawl all over the dead tree on the side of my house the long antenna looking thing seems to maybe suck something out of the tree! I have never seen these before and they look like they could be 2inches long some shorter some longer! Its the end of August so we are slowly going into fall.
Thanks, Dawn Bergeron

megarhyssa dawn 3 300x242 Bug of the Month September 2010: Giant Ichneumon
Giant Ichnuemon ovipositing

Hi Dawn,
This insect is actually depositing eggs into the tree, not sucking something out as you thought. Several days ago we decided to make the Giant Ichneumon our Bug of the Month for September 2010 so we included information on how the female oviposits her eggs in the wood of dead and dying trees that contain the burrowing larvae of the Pigeon Horntail.  The Giant Ichneumon is a parasitoid whose larvae feed solely on the larvae of the Pigeon Horntail.  Coincidentally, yesterday we posted an image of a female Pigeon Horntail, another impressive non-stinging member of the order that includes wasps, in the act of oviposition.  Though we wrote a lengthy response, we were not able to include images of the actual egg laying or oviposition process.  Your photos clearly illustrate the process of a female Giant Ichneumon laying eggs, though your species is different from the species in the Bug of the Month posting, which is Megarhyssa atrata.  We suspect your Giant Ichneumon is Megarhyssa macrurus. We are going to combine your letter and images with the previously selected letter to be a joint Bug of the Month for September 2010

megarhyssa dawn 2 300x246 Bug of the Month September 2010: Giant Ichneumon

Giant Ichneumon Ovipositing

Posted 27 August 2010 § Ichneumons ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: ,
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Giant Ichneumon

unk wasp
Location:  McHenry County,IL.
August 26, 2010 10:22 pm
I saw this wasp next to a path in a forest preserve
sarge

megarhyssa greenei sarge 222x300 Giant Ichneumon

Giant Ichneumon

Hello sarge,
Though your email indicates you do not know what this creature is, your name on the digital file indicates you identified it as an Ichneumon, a large family of parasitoid wasps.  We believe, because of the noticeable spots on the wings, the coloration of the body, and the location of the sighting, that your individual is Megarhyssa greenei, one of the Giant Ichneumons.  You can compare your image to photographs posted to BugGuide.

Posted 27 August 2010 § Ichneumons ‡ Comments (0) °

Western Horse Fly

Large Fly
Location:  Death Valley, California
August 27, 2010 4:33 am
We encountered some large – about 20cm long – flies in death valley, california whilst on holiday there. We were walking along a trail next to a dry creek. The flies were black and light grey and one landed on my back and penetrated my shirt so that I felt a pinch. Just curious as to what they are.
Andy

western horse fly andy Western Horse Fly

Western Horse Fly

Hi Andy,
You may compare your image of a Western Horse Fly, Tabanus punctifer, to images posted to BugGuide, but there is no information on the specifics of the species.  You may, however, read about Horse Flies in general on the genus page of BugGuide.  Only the female Horse Flies bite and suck blood from warm blooded animals.  Charles Hogue, in his excellent book Insects of the Los Angeles Basis, writes extensively about the Western Horse Fly.  He observes:  “The adults are large robust flies nearly 3/4 inch (20mm) in body length.  The male possesses very large eyes, which meet on the midline of the head, making it appear to be nearly all eye;  the back of the thorax is black except for a fringe of white hairs along the side and rear borders.  The female differs in that the eyes are separated and the back of the thorax is all white or pale cream.”  Your photo is that of a female, hence the bite through your shirt.  The larvae of the Western Horse Fly develop in water, so even though your email indicates this sighting was in Death Valley, we suspect it may have been close to either Salt Creek or Devil’s Hole.  Hogue has additional information:  “Because they possess a voraious appetite for the blood of horses and cattle, the female flies may be extremely bothersome, especially when numerous.  They have been observed biting rhinoceroses, tapirs, and hippopotamuses at the Los Angeles Zoo.  They occasionally bite humans, with painful results.  Natural saccharine fluids, such as fruit juices and nectar from flowers nourish the nonbiting males and also serve as a diet supplement for the females.”

Posted 27 August 2010 § Flies ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Nessus Sphinx

Nessus Sphinx in Oklahoma?
Location:  Seminole, Oklahoma
August 25, 2010 9:12 pm
Ever since finding your site, I have been amazed by the pictures of the sphinx moths. I thought it would be so cool to see one, and being a bug kid and never seeing one around, I figured they weren’t native to Oklahoma. I was waiting on my family to get ready to go out to dinner, and saw all these insects on my oak outside so I grabbed my camera. There were butterflies, roaches, flesh flies and tons of horse flies all feasting on the sap (I’m guessing) on the side of my oak. As I was taking photos, along comes what I believe to be a Nessus Sphinx! The picture is not good… but maybe you can confirm from it for me? It was awesome! Possibly a dream come true… Thanks so much!
Amy Goodman

nessus sphinx amy 300x188 Nessus Sphinx

Nessus Sphinx

Hi Amy
Even with the lack of image clarity, the markings on the Nessus Sphinx make the identification easy.  The Nessus Sphinx is native to Oklahoma, as are numerous other Sphinx Moths.  Bill Oehlke’s excellent website has a list of Oklahoma sightings.

Posted 26 August 2010 § Hummingbird Moths, Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths ‡ Comments (0) °

Painted Bug

Garden bug infestation
Location:  Southern California
August 25, 2010 11:02 pm
Hello,
I recently discovered an infestation in my flower garden by an unknown critter. I was hoping you would be able to identify him and let me know if he is safe to have around pets. The bug has wings and is able to fly for short spurts, he does not appear to like water and retreats up the wall when the sprinklers come on. They do however reproduce quickly as the population exploded unannounced and they are the size of my smallest fingernail.
Nicole

painted bug nicole 270x300 Painted Bug

Painted Bug

Hi Nicole,
When the Painted Bug, Bagrada hilaris, first appeared in our own Southern California garden last year, we quickly identified it as one of the most recent invasive exotic species to become established in California.  The African Painted Bug feeds on plants in the cabbage family, and it proliferated on our kale and collard greens.  In the wild, it will survive on black mustard which is found growing in open spaces throughout Southern California, so it would seem this potentially serious agricultural pest is here to stay.  See BugGuide for more information.

Posted 26 August 2010 § True Bugs ‡ Comments (0) °

Broad-Nosed Weevil

Clover Leaf Weevil
Location:  Kendall County, Illinois
August 25, 2010 6:48 pm
I thought you might like these photos to add to your weevil collection. I believe it is the Clover Leaf Weevil. We live in N. Illinois, on a farm. My daughter found it in her room. It probably came in on her clothes.
Stacy C

broadnosed weevil stacy 300x188 Broad Nosed Weevil

Broad-Nosed Weevil

Hi Stacy,
There is not enough detail in your image for us to be able to say for certain what the species is, but we agree that this Weevil is in the subfamily that contains the Clover Weevil, the Broad-Nosed Weevils, Entiminae.  You can compare your specimen to the individuals posted to BugGuide.

Posted 26 August 2010 § Weevils ‡ Comments (0) °

Acorn Weevil

beetle thing with long beak
Location:  Farmingdale, Long Island, New York
August 26, 2010 12:54 am
Dear Mr. Bugman,
I’ve been browsing your site and haven’t really found anything close to this little guy I found today. I work at an airport in New York, and I found him while I was pumping fuel into my fuel truck. It looks kinda like a beetle, but it has this really strange beak. The beak is thin and about the length of one of its legs. And it looks like it has two antennae (?) protruding from the beak. The insect itself is about a centimeter long, I would say. This is the strangest insect I’ve seen in a while. I really hope you get to this one because I really want to know what it is!
Thanks,
Trevor

acorn weevil trevor 300x239 Acorn Weevil

Acorn Weevil

Hi Trevor,
This interesting beetle is an Acorn Weevil in the genus Curculio.  According to BugGuide:  “Female uses her long snout for boring into nuts/acorns, and deposits eggs there. Larvae feed inside the acorn/nut and emerges to pupate in the soil.“

Posted 26 August 2010 § Weevils ‡ Comments (1) °

Owlfly and unknown luminescence

Luminescent Bug
Location:
Rochester, Minnesota
August 25, 2010 7:27 pm
Hi Bugman!
re Image 1: My brother found this in Minnesota and said that the luminscence was real and not an artifact of the photo. It looks familiar but I am stumped. Any clues?
re Image 2- My Nephew found this little guy and said he only saw 4 legs and that it looked like a moving piece of schmutz. Ideas? (Sorry about low-res).
Thanks!!
DeWaine from Homer

owlfly dewaine Owlfly and unknown luminescence

Owlfly

Hi DeWaine,
We can identify your insect, but we have no comment on the alleged luminescence which is not a typical characteristic of the pictured insect.  The insect found by your brother is an Owlfly in the family Ascalaphidae.  Owlflies are Neuropterans that are related to Lacewings and Antlions.  They are, according to BugGuide:  “Bizarre creatures that look like a cross between a dragonfly and a butterfly. The body resembles that of other neuropterans, more-or-less, but the prominent antennae are clubbed like those of butterflies.“  Owlflies are not capable of emitting light, so the luminescence is a mystery that we are not equipped to solve.  The other insect is a Masked Hunter.

Posted 26 August 2010 § Neuropterans: Lacewings, Antlions, and Owlflies ‡ Comments (1) °

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