Monthly Archives October 2010

Unknown Moth from Ecuador

Ecuadorian hawkmoth
Location:  Ecuador
October 17, 2010 6:38 pm
I photographed this stunning hawkmoth at Cabanas San Isidro on the east slope of the Andes on July 4, 2002. Any idea what species it might be?
Signature:  Allen Chartier

moth ecuador allen 300x192 Unknown Moth from Ecuador

Unknown Moth from Ecuador

Dear Allen,
This is a stunning moth, but we are not certain it is a Hawkmoth in the family Sphingidae.  The head appears different from most Hawkmoths.  We have an important writing deadline to meet this evening, so we need to stop trying to identify this moth for the moment.  In our initial attempts, we were unable to identify this species on the Sphingidae of Ecuador web page on Bill Oehlke’s awesome Sphingidae of the Americas website in a quick search.  We will contact Bill Oehlke to see if he can provide any information.  Our readership might have ideas as well.

Thanks! No hurry…I’ve had this photo for three years. I also have a number of other unidentified moths on my website from the same locale and trip to Ecuador. If anyone is interested in identifying them too, at their own convenience, I’d really appreciate it and would be willing to upload any of them to
What’s That Bug?
Go to: http://www.amazilia.net/images/Inverts/Lepidoptera/Moths/moths.htm and scroll down to the South America section…
Allen T. Chartier

What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Human Lice we believe

Parasites (2nd try)
October 17, 2010
I took away some pics but there are deep red ones that were skinny long types too. Dr’s don’t know what the are but larva was on hair & follicles thoughout body burrwing in skin as if it was threaded under now but adults only on scalp (they didn’t believe me that’s why it was allowed to mature) used lice treatment but didn’t work so if you could give me any info I would desperately appreciate it! When i first thought it was a parasite started last year June yet noticed first symptoms of being sick a couple of years back. Had been in northern NJ, Penn at Lake 26 days before first skin eruption but  I live in northern CA-Sonoma County, laundry is on back deck under half roof open to redwood tree & a wild raccoon & squrriel was seen on clothes before, I also held a baby snake not knowing it’s gut was busted open and only used hand sanitizer @ time. Mexico over the Texas border plus Cabo San Lucus, Az desert were I was bit standing by a Yucca plant on foot leaving 3 puncture marks & Taos high desert where I fed Mag Pies & other birds on the same table we would sit at and have coffee plus took off the snow to make homemade icream) & breakfast (I’m careful today about germs & bugs micro world and sanitation), Hawaii caves and Tahiti the Atolls with wild chickens + Moorea  thatched roof bungalow all were I have been before getting sick but the bugs are the only tangible things fir the docs to go on as I have many skin blisters where it felt on fire, things in nostrils & too many symptoms I don’t think you would be interested in but I’m sorry I can’t be of more help in the identity process as I don’t know where I got them plus there are not pics but there were ones with crossed thatched wings    Long and narrow all bug range from pinhead to about 3mm. Thank you for you time-Chante’

human lice chante 300x206 Human Lice we believe

Human Lice we believe

Dear Chante’,
We sympathize with your situation, and many of the things you have included in your email are not related to the problem of the creatures depicted in your photographs.  They appear to our unschooled eyes to be Human Lice, , but in matters that require a medical diagnosis, we always urge the person to seek professional medical attention.  You can show the professionals the images on BugGuide for comparison.

human lice chante 2 300x206 Human Lice we believe

Human Lice we believe

Thank you again, I will show my Dr. your website.
Sincerely, Chante’

Assistance Requested from our Readership: What are the Mysterious Droppings???

Ed Note: It is impossible for our tiny staff to respond to every email, but if a person writes back indicating that a previous email was unanswered, we will attempt to provide a response.  In this particular situation, when a new email was sent two weeks later, there were no images, so rather than to sort through hundreds of emails, we responded accordingly, and then we received additional written information, but no photos.  Now our curiosity was truly piqued, so we tracked down the original letter which contained the images on this posting.

mysterious droppings 300x225 Assistance Requested from our Readership:  What are the Mysterious Droppings???

Mysterious Droppings

On Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 7:02 AM
I haven’t heard anything from you,did you get my e-mail?

There are no photos attached.

I sent three but its hard to them they look like coffee grinds they are ale=ways in the same to places in the house. they accumulate on a white wooden box that covers our water heater, the other is on a glass and wood coffee table.  My boyfriend and i will clean theses ares and in a day or two the tiny brown specs will come back. they are smaller then coffee grinds. I video monitored it one night and nothing happened for two days i stopped and they appeared again.  I soaked wood over water heater with a very strong bug killer and in a day they cam back.  There are no holes in the ceiling so its not dropping, it not falling from ceiling fan because it would be spread out more.  We are losing our minds because we don’t know what it is so we don’t get rid of it. the house was built in the 1940′s we do see termite fras brown or black on the wood floors here and there.  Could something be picking up the fras and dropping it in the same two places.   I sold pest control in the 90′s so I know a little about it.  But this is mind boggling , we joke and say a ghost is doing it,lol  but we are really getting upset with it.  the economy does not allow me to hire someone right now.  I just heard my company is going to lay people off, so i have to watch every dime.  Please if you could just tell me what to do or a website that could help me i would so appreciate it.  Thank you for the time in reading this short novel.

Ed. Note:  Original Letter located
mysterious bug droppings
Location:  St .Augustine fl
October 3, 2010 11:46 am
We are losing our minds over this and so is all our friends. we have a wooden box covering a short hot water heater. On the top we wake up to find tiny brown spots in the same circle we look up no holes in the ceiling we inspect box no holes we clean it off and it always comes back. And get this on our glass coffee table in one corner always the same. So I said I know i will put down glue sticky traps and you won’t beleive this but brown dots smaller then coffee grinds on the glue traps an no sign of whats putting them there. Please help us we rent here and we are finally happy where we live but this is so annoying. we live in st.augustine ,fl
Signature:  jersigypci

mysterious droppings 2 300x225 Assistance Requested from our Readership:  What are the Mysterious Droppings???

Mysterious Droppings

Dear jersigypci,
We can see from the time stamp of February 1, 2006 that this unimaginably disturbing phenomenon has been plaguing you for more than four years and we cannot fathom how you have managed to endure it, but tragedies are all relative.  We cannot identify anything in your photographs and we are unable to provide you with any explanation for this horrific occurrence.  We would recommend professional help or perhaps just rent Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and be thankful that your situation isn’t worse.  We actually can suggest one additional alternative that may provide closure.  Since we are posting your emails along with all of your photos, which we were able to locate, our readership may be able to help solve your mystery before your minds are totally lost.  Gentle Readers, please post a comment if you have any suggestions.

mysterious droppings 3 300x225 Assistance Requested from our Readership:  What are the Mysterious Droppings???

Mysterious Droppings

oh well thanks any way i thought if anyone could help us it would be you, since i heard how awesome you all were. i guess we’ll just have to live with iy.

Had you checked back, you would have seen that our readers have been posting comments.

What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Scudder’s Bush Katydid Nymph

What’s the cute little bug that ate my daylilies?
Location:  Blacksburg, VA
October 17, 2010 1:18 pm
This summer, a cute little bug ate my daylilies. (Ok, it did some damage to the flowers, but they only last one day anyway, so I didn’t mind, much.) I only saw it on my flowers in July. I think it was about an inch long at the most. It was bright green with long antenna that were dark with light stripes. It’s legs were green with dark bands and reminded me of a grasshopper, but I don’t think that’s what it is. It had one dark stripe down the middle of it’s back and two thin light green stripes on either side. It had protuding light brown eyes. It was polite enough to pose for it’s picture, so maybe you can tell me what it is. Thanks!
Signature:  Karen Ellingson

scudders katydid nymph karen 300x215 Scudders Bush Katydid Nymph

Scudder's Bush Katydid Nymph

Hi Karen,
Your Katydid nymph is that of the Scudder’s Bush Katydid in the genus
Scudderia.  We located a matching image on BugGuide to support that identification.

Thank you!
BTW, I’m half way through your book and really like it.
Karen Ellingson

Hi again Karen,
Thanks for letting us know you are finding Daniel’s book enjoyable.

Pupa of an Oleander Hawkmoth from Crete

Huge pupae
Location:  Crete, Greece
October 17, 2010 2:28 am
Dear Bugman,
This large (over 7cm) pupae dropped from a large flower pot I moved this morning. I think it may be from the hawk-moth family as it is so big!!
Can you identify it for me please and satisfy my curiosity.
Think your site is great for info – thanks.
Signature:  Cathy P

oleander hawkmoth pupa crete cathy 300x202 Pupa of an Oleander Hawkmoth from Crete

Oleander Hawkmoth Pupa

Hi Cathy,
This is the pupa of an Oleander Hawkmoth,
Deilephila nerii or Daphnis nerii, which we just identified on the Sphingidae of the Americas website.  Coincidentally, we just posted two photos of an adult Oleander Hawkmoth that were sent to us from Hawaii.  The Oleander Hawkmoth is native to the Mediterranean region, but the cultivation of oleander as a garden plant has resulted in the range expansion, including Hawaii sometime before 1974.

oleander hawkmoth pupa crete cathy 2 300x159 Pupa of an Oleander Hawkmoth from Crete

Oleander Hawkmoth Pupa

Oleander Hawkmoth from Hawaii

unusual bug in Hawaii
Location:  Maui, Hawaii
October 17, 2010 7:58 am
Aloha. I live on Maui and purchased a plant at Home Depot a few days ago. The time of year is currently mid-October. Today I noticed what I thought was a discolored leaf, and when I went to pick it off, I was startled that it felt like a moth. It was a very beautiful insect with its wings spread and I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few shots. It was green and white with a wing span of about three inches or more. I have never seen anything quite like this and can’t seem to identify it. Do you know what this green and white flying insect that I found in Hawaii is? Mahalo.
Signature:  Diana in Hawaii

oleander hawkmoth puss hawaii diana 300x223 Oleander Hawkmoth from Hawaii

Puss inspects Oleander Hawkmoth

Hi Diana,
It seems your puss is quite enthralled with this lovely Oleander Hawkmoth,
Deilephila nerii or Daphnis nerii.  According to Bill Oehlke’s website, Sphingidae of the Americas, the Oleander Hawkmoth is an old world species found in “the southern Mediterranean region, North Africa and the Middle East to Afghanistan” and “In 1974, this species was recorded as having established itself in Hawaii.”

oleander hawkmoth hawaii diana 300x258 Oleander Hawkmoth from Hawaii

Oleander Hawkmoth

Plume Moth

T-shaped creature
Location:  Austin, TX
October 16, 2010 11:12 pm
I found this on the window of a restaurant. Never seen anything quite like it. It was moving only slightly, and a while later I looked again and it was gone, I’d like to know where it keeps its wings…
Got top and bottom pictures by virtue of the glass. I’d say it was about an inch square.
Signature:  hcs

t insect hcs 300x250 Plume Moth

Plume Moth

Hi hcs,
This is a Plume Moth in the family Pterophoridae.

t insect underside 300x235 Plume Moth

Plume Moth

Plume Moth from the UK

What is it?
Location:  Leeds, UK
October 17, 2010 6:39 am
This was on a sunflower in my garden in Leeds, UK in September this year. What is it? I’ve looked in books but not come across itand when I try o escribe it online I jus get stick insect/s.
Many thanks
Signature:  Annie D

plume moth uk annie 300x218 Plume Moth from the UK

Plume Moth

Hi Annie,
This is a Plume Moth in the family Pterophoridae.  We often field questions requesting the identity of the “T-bug” and there is an email in our inbox today with the  subject line “T-shaped creature” and if we gambled, we would put our money on that image being of a Plume Moth.


Page 12 of 27« First...1011121314...20...Last »