Scarab beetle?
Location: Near Dallas, Texas
October 24, 2010 7:22 pm
It was dusk and I these bugs on the bark of a Red Oak in Collin County, Texas which is 20 miles north of Dallas, Texas. These bugs were everywhere on the tree. It would appear they were taking sap from the tree. Is this bug a danger to the livelyhood of the tree?
Signature: Shelly S
Green June Beetles feeding
Hi Shelly,
These Green June Beetles in the genus Cotinis are indeed feeding on sap. They did not harm the tree, but they are taking advantage of the oozing sap. There are several species of Green June Beetles, sometimes called Figeaters, with ranges that overlap in Texas.
Thank you Daniel! I sure appreciate the response.
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Caterpillar
Location: Akrotiri, Crete, Greece
October 24, 2010 12:06 pm
I spotted this caterpiller on October 20th near Souda harbor on the Greek island of Crete. Can you help me identify?
Signature: Kritione
Barbary Spurge Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Dear Kritione,
We had to do a bit of creative information extrapolation in order to arrive at our assumption that this is a subspecies of the Barbary Spurge Hawkmoth, Hyles tithymali cretica. We were confident that we had the genus correct, so we did a websearch of possibilities from Crete and we found the Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic page for Hyles tithymali cretica, but alas, there was no image of the caterpillar. We did find images of the caterpillar of another subspecies of the Barbary Spurge Hawkmoth, Hyles tithymali tithymali, a subspecies from the Canary Islands, also on the Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic website, and they look like your individual. We learned on Wikipedia that: “It is thought that Hyles tithymali had a much larger range in Europe, but has been pushed further south after the cooling ca. 3600 years ago. Its place has been taken over by Hyles euphorbiae, which is more resistant to the cold. Because of this, many isolated populations exist today, many of which have developed to distinct subspecies.“ To further complicate matters, the caterpillar of the Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth, Hyles euphorbiae, which may be viewed on the Sphingidae of the Americas website, looks nearly identical. That Eurasian species has been introduced into North America to help control the spread of the invasive exotic plant, Leafy Spurge, and the Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth is now established in North America, but it prefers a cooler climate. The Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth, which is also pictured on the Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic Website, has several subspecies as well.
Daniel,
Thank you for the speedy reply! I appreciate your assistance.
All the best,
Paul
beautiful beetle
Location: Hi-Desert, north of Palm Springs
October 24, 2010 11:37 am
Hello bugman,
I don’t know if this little guy is actually a beetle, but he sure is pretty. Can you please tell me what kind of insect it is?
Thank you!
Signature: Michele Zafico
Charlie Brown Blister Beetle
Hi Michele,
Your lovely beetle is a Blister Beetle in the genus Pyrota, and BugGuide includes several species that look quite similar to your specimen. It really resembles the Charlie Brown Blister Beetle, Pyrota palpalis, but BugGuide does not report any sightings from California, only Arizona and New Mexico. While the exact species may remain questionable, we are confident with the genus identification, and we love the common name Charlie Brown Blister Beetle.
Green Lynx Protects Egg Sac
Location: Orlando
October 24, 2010 9:30 am
Hi Bugman. Everytime I hike Split Oak Preserve in Orlando I see quite a few green lynx spiders. You posted one of my photos of a lynx eating a bumblebee. This is the first ”mother” I’ve seen, though. My husband’s arm got too close and she assumed the defensive position over the egg sac quickly. Thought you might enjoy another pic of your favorite spider.
Signature: Elizabeth
Green Lynx guards Eggs
Hi Elizabeth,
Thank you for providing us with this wonderful image of maternal instincts, the Green Lynx Spider guarding her Egg Sac.
Found in Kansas City
Location: Northern Missouri
October 24, 2010 8:41 am
This fella was found in a conservation area, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Signature: Dee
Ornate Moth
Hi Again Dee,
We discovered on BugGuide that “Utetheisa ornatrix & Utetheisa bella were formerly considered separate species; now they are considered subspecies (Utetheisa ornatrix ornatrix and Utetheisa ornatrix bella, respectively) of a single species” known as the Rattlebox Moth. Your photo is of the subspecies also known as the Ornate Moth, Utetheisa ornatrix ornatrix. According to Bugguide: “The mostly pink or yellow ‘bella’ form is common and widespread, whereas the paler ‘ornatrix’ form is restricted to southern Florida and southern Texas” which means your photo from Kansas City is a good bit north of the typical range of this subspecies. If your photos were taken at times radically different from when they are submitted, please include that information.
I took the photo of the Ornate Moth in July, 2010, in Northwestern Missouri. It was at a conservation area called Monkey Mountain, in Grain Valley, Missouri, a suburban area on the Eastern side of Kansas City
¶ Posted 24 October 2010 § Moths ‡ ° I have several photos
Location: Northern Idaho Panhandle
October 24, 2010 8:36 am
I am a hobby photographer, and I have several photos of creatures I am unable to identify.
I took this photo when I was living in Sandpoint, Idaho. It was sitting on a stack of firewood, but climbed onto my hand with no prompting.
Signature: Dee
Ranchman's Tiger Moth
Hi Dee,
We are so happy you have a lovely creature you would like identified as we have been fielding so many recent identification requests from folks who believe the Stink Bugs, Carpet Beetles and other creatures they have found in their homes might be Bed Bugs. We identified your Ranchman’s Tiger Moth, Platyprepia virginalis, by first going through the Arctiid Plates on the Moth PHotographers Group website. Then we searched BugGuide where we found a nice posting that includes the eggs, the caterpillars and the adults of this lovely allegedly diurnal Tiger Moth. Your letter did not indicate the month of the year for the sighting.
I shot the photo in mid-June of 2009, I was on Gold Cap Mountain, in Priest River, Idaho.
Copper colored flat bugs
Location: Los Angeles
October 22, 2010 6:38 pm
Hi. I am desperate to find out what these bugs are that I am finding dead in my house in one particular room. They are flat, but not like bed bugs. They are flat instead from the side. They resemble shrimp. The color is metallic copper with pink accents. Two events coincided with the bugs’ appearance. 1. I opened my sealed wedding dress box which (& this is disgusting) had been invaded by termites). 2. I just bought a bromeliad tropical plant.
I have never seen the bugs alive. they seem to be dropping from the ceiling, but maybe they care just coming from the plant & then being distributed to different parts of the room with foot traffic.
I would be forever grateful if you could help, O kind sage.
Signature: Sarah
October 22, 2010 11:15 PM
Hi! I looked at your site again & identified my bugs as “lawn shrimp.” Thank you for your site. It is wonderful!!!!
Lawn Shrimp
Hi Sarah,
We are happy to hear you were able to utilize our extensive archive to identify your Lawn Shrimp without our assistance. We are posting your photo because we believe the recent rains will probably cause other area residents to notice the terrestrial amphipods, also called House Hoppers, when they seek shelter and die indoors.
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Possible Bedbugs?
Location: San Diego, Ca
October 24, 2010 2:53 am
My fiancee and I found these bugs in our bedroom and are afraid that they are bedbugs or at the very least harmful to us and our family. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Signature: Thank you in advance!
Carpet Beetle Larvae, NOT Bed Bugs
These are Carpet Beetle Larvae, NOT Bed Bugs. While it is true that there is cause for concern regarding Bed Bugs, we believe the number of requests we are receiving recently from people who believe they have Bed Bugs is being fueled by media coverage. Infestations of Bed Bugs are on the rise, especially in crowded urban areas, and an infestation of Bed Bugs can be extremely difficult to eradicate. Unscrupulous exterminators will separate you from your money should you place paranoid calls for every unknown creature you find in your home. While these Carpet Beetle Larvae are unwelcome visitors in the home, and while the exterminator may be able to kill the individuals currently present, that will not prevent future generations of Carpet Beetle Larvae from appearing in your home. Carpet Beetles will feed on many types of organic material, including pet hair. They are cosmopolitan and they may appear anywhere organic fibers may be found. Carpet Beetles and Pantry Beetles are among the most frequent identification requests we receive, and our archives are filled with information on how to control their numbers. Unlike Bed Bugs, Carpet Beetles and Pantry Beetles will not harm humans, and exterminators may claim to be able to eradicate them, but they will return unless the underlying problems are located. Bed Bugs are a totally different matter, but we would strongly urge that the presence of Bed Bugs be established conclusively before any fumigation program is initiated. BugGuide has many excellent images of Bed Bugs for comparison.
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