Is this a Kissing Bug?
Location: Carbondale, IL
December 14, 2010 4:09 pm
I’ve lived in Brasil for awhile and there I saw this bug once before, but it looked a little different.
I found this bug in a clothing hamper in Southern IL.
Also – if once suspects having the Chagas disease, how can you be tested to find out?
Signature: – Alais de Hoogh
Eastern Bloodsucking Conenose Bug
Hi Alais,
This is an Eastern Bloodsucking Conenose Bug, Triatoma sanguisuga, and members of the genus are frequently called Kissing Bugs because they bite sleeping individuals on the lips. According to BugGuide: “Natural habitat is nests of small mammals. Sometimes invades houses” and “Sometimes bites humans, and the bite may be severe, causing an allergic reaction.“ Of the entire genus, BugGuide indicates: “Bite can cause severe allergic reaction in many humans. Bite and defecation into bite can transmit Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan. The most notorious vector is T. infestans, found in South America. The North American species are not normally thought to transmit the disease, though they can carry the parasite. (The North American species do not normally defecate at the site of the bite, which is what actually transmits the parasite.“ We do not give medical advice and if you suspect Chagas Disease, you should seed professional medical attention. Your physician should be able to provide information on testing for Chagas Disease.
I think I figured it out?
Location: Sonoma Mountan Range, California
December 15, 2010 2:09 am
Hi there, this is a photo I’ve sent before but didn’t hear back about…(no worries). I’ve continued to research and now I’m pretty sure it is the ceanothus silk moth larvae. I see you don’t already have a picture posted of the larvae, so I thought maybe you’d like to have it.
Signature: Mollyanne
Ceanothus Silkmoth Caterpillar
Dear Mollyanne,
First we apologize for not responding to your earlier email, but it may have arrived on a busy day and gotten overlooked. This is not a Ceanothus Silkmoth Caterpillar. This is a Royal Moth Caterpillar in the subfamily Ceratocampinae, and though there are some inconsistencies in the colors and markings, we believe it is the caterpillar of Hubbard’s Small Silkmoth as that is the only member in the subfamily known to be found in California. You can compare your image to the images on BugGuide an you will see the resemblance, but also the inconsistencies. Since Hubbard’s Small Silkmoth is supposedly limited to the Eastern portion of the state and not near Sonoma, we have our doubts. We are going to check with Bill Oehlke to get his opinion on this puzzling mystery. Dare we entertain the possibility that this is an unrecognized species? Do you have any additional photos of this caterpillar?
Bill Oehlke responds with a correction
Hi Daniel,
It is Hyalophora euryalus. The shrivelled body makes the scoli seems exceptionally long.
I think it is probably fourth instar.
Ed. Note: Bill Oehlke’s response supports Mollyanne’s original identification. This is indeed a Ceanothus Silkmoth Caterpillar, Hyalophora euryalus.
gold fly
Location: la12 8ht, UK
December 14, 2010 5:05 pm
i found this fly several months ago, i have searched thorugh several books and the internet but cannon find the name of the species and wondered if you could help, if it is an unidentified species how to i go about registering it? i found this fly in the summer
Signature: James Gill
Noon Fly
Dear James,
This is not the ideal vantage for identification purposes, but we decided to give it a try. Upon browsing through the images of living specimens on the Dipterists Forum we found an image of Mesembrina meridiana that closely resembles your fly. Searching that name led us to the Natural England website that identified it as the Noon Fly in the family Muscidae and provided this information: “This is a large, shiny black fly with conspicuous yellow bases to its wings. Noonflies can be found sunning themselves on logs, fences, tree trunks, walls or sunny paths where their colourful wing-bases may make them conspicuous. The larvae develop in cattle dung. Although widespread and common, these flies are normally only to be found in fairly rural gardens or others which are near places where cattle are reared.“ The Ecology of Commanster website has some marvelous images of this species. The family Muscidae contains the House Fly and kin.
We’ve so many bugs, so little knowldge
Location: Northeast Texas
December 13, 2010 8:26 pm
We’ve moved to the country, 60 miles east of Dallas Texas. We are finding soooo many bugs. Reckon we should buy a book?
Two pics of same ”spider” different angles.
The ”bug” didnt appear to have a ”light” on. ?? 
Signature: Marlin
Painted Lichen Moth
Dear Marlin,
The insect you believed to be a Firefly is actually a Painted Lichen Moth, Hypoprepia fucosa, which we identified on BugGuide. The spider is a Spiny Orbweaver. Anyone interested in insects should purchase a good identification guide and we strongly endorse Eric Eaton’s book, The Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America.
Painted Lichen Moth
Thanks for taking the time to ID our moth.
I forgot to mention we had found the orb spiders on “Whatsthatbug”. I was just sending ya the pics cause I thunk this guy wuz way cool. Thanks too for the “BugGuide” link.
Outside of the bug realm, the neatest “animal” we’ve spotted here is a pileated woodpecker. I had no eyedeer they got so big.
Have a very Merry Christmas
Marlin
We just learned that the Well-Read Naturalist has selected The Curious World of Bugs as the first book in the Twelve Natural History Books of Christmas List.
The Curious World of Bugs
What kind of bug is this
Location: Eastern North Carolina
December 13, 2010 7:21 pm
See these around my house and I want to know what it is so I can exterminate once and for all
Signature: Bugingly Yours
Smoky Brown Cockroach, probably
This is most certainly a Cockroach, and we believe it may be the Smoky Brown Cockroach, Periplaneta fuliginosa, based on images posted to BugGuide. Of the thousands of species of Cockroaches, only a few are considered to be household pests, and we have never seen the Smoky Brown Cockroach on any of those lists, however, it is closely related to the American Cockroach which is considered to be a pest species.
2
possible plume moth?
Location: Tacoma, WA
December 12, 2010 3:36 pm
Based on the photo’s I’ve seen on your site, I’m guessing this is a plume moth? I was very happy to get such a close shot without it flying away!
I love your site and do visit frequently
Signature: T Drivas
Artichoke Plume Moth
Dear T Drivas,
After writing back and confirming that this is a Plume Moth, we decided to see if we were able to identify the species. We are relatively confident that it is an Artichoke Plume Moth, Platyptilia carduidactyla, or a closely related species based on images posted to BugGuide which states: “larvae feed on thistles and all parts of artichokes“.
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