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Monthly Archives January 2011

Velvet Ant

Unknown bug
Location: Southern Arizona
January 16, 2011 2:13 pm
Here’s a little guy I found in the lowlands of southern Arizona.
Signature: Richard

velvet ant richare 300x219 Velvet Ant

Velvet Ant

Hi Richard,
This little beauty is a Velvet Ant in the genus Dasymutilla, but we are unable to determine the exact species.  We found at least three species on Bugguide with similar markings.  Our leading candidate is Dasymutilla nogalensis which has been reported from Arizona on BugGuide.  Another strong contender is Dasymutilla magnifica which BugGuide reports from California and Nevada as well as Arizona.  Another look alike is Dasymutilla klugii which BugGuide does not report from Arizona, but which is reported from Colorado and Texas.  Velvet Ants are actually flightless female wasps and they are reported to pack a wallop of a sting, so handle them with care.  Interestingly, there is extreme sexual dimorphism in Velvet Ants and males which do not have a stinger possess wings.  They are also often quite different in their markings from the females.

velvet ant richard 2 300x205 Velvet Ant

Velvet Ant

Thank you for supplying us with multiple camera angles.

velvet ant richard 3 300x223 Velvet Ant

Velvet Ant

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Posted 16 January 2011 § Velvet Ants ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Giant Silkmoth from Philippines: Samia luzonica perhaps

Giant Silk Moth?
Location: Mindanao Philippines
January 16, 2011 2:33 pm
Hi bugman. I took this photo in 2006 in Mindanao Philippines and am curious about what type of moth it is. I woke up one morning to find it on my window sill and it is about 5-6 inches head to tail, with a larger wing span. Please help solve the mystery? Thanks.
Signature: DHector

samia luzonica philippines dhector 300x198 Giant Silkmoth from Philippines: Samia luzonica perhaps

Giant Silkmoth: Samia luzonica perhaps

Dear DHector,
We found a website that lists the Giant Silkmoths that are found in the Philippines, The Saturniidae of the Philippines, but it does not contain any images.  We were able to then do a web search of the species listed.  We wish you had taken this photograph from a better camera angle as the extreme foreshortening is not ideal for identification purposes.  We did notice a resemblance to an Asian species, Samia cynthia, the Cynthia Moth, which was introduced to North America.  The caterpillars of the Cynthia Moth feed upon the Ailanthus or Tree of Heaven, but alas, the feeding of the caterpillars has done nothing to curb the spread of this noxious weed tree.  Two members of the genus are among the list on The Saturniidae of the Philippines, and Samia luzonica, which we located on the Bugmaniac Webshop, is a pretty close match to your specimen.

Posted 16 January 2011 § Giant Silk Moths ‡ Comments (0) °

African Painted Bug makes the LA Times

January 15, 2011
Ronald Burton, a journalism professor at LACC, sent us this clipping from the LA Times via the post office.  The notice ran last week.  What’s That Bug? first broke the story of this Invasive Exotic Stink bug species in 2009 when a healthy population was found eating and mating on the collard greens growing at our Mt Washington location.

bagrada hilaris LA Times 277x300 African Painted Bug makes the LA Times

Heavy Rains Bring a Pest: LA Times

Posted 16 January 2011 § Stink Bugs and Shield Bugs ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Unknown Caterpillar from Botswana, possibly an Inchworm

Very abundant inch worm in Kasane, Botswana
Location: Kasane, Botswana
January 14, 2011 4:58 pm
I have seen this inch worm several times around my home in Kasane, Botswana. Right now it is the rainy season and is the only time I have seen this worm. It is very colorful and has almost feather like spikes. I did handle it and it was not poisonous. Do you know what this bug is or what it will become. It is very beautiful.
Signature: Laura Marchitto Massie

spanworm botswana laura 300x174 Unknown Caterpillar from Botswana, possibly an Inchworm

Unknown Caterpillar

Dear Laura,
We are not entirely convinced that this is an Inchworm, a name along with Spanworm given to the caterpillars of moths in the family Geometridae because of the way that they crawl.  According to Bugguide:  “larvae generally have only two pairs of prolegs (at the hind end) rather than the usual five pairs in most lepidoptera; the lack of prolegs in the middle of the body necessitates the peculiar method of locomtion, drawing the hind end up to the thoracic legs to form a loop, and then extending the body forward.“  The caterpillar in your photo has three pairs of prolegs, which is fewer than the five possessed by most caterpillars, hence its method of locomotion.  BugGuide only indicates that “larvae generally have only two pairs of prolegs” which might mean that some individuals have three pairs.  Your caterpillar also reminds us of that of the North American Funerary Dagger Moth which is depicted on BugGuide.  We will attempt to get you a species identification, and until we determine otherwise, we will archive your letter with the Inchworms.  Perhaps we can enlist assistance from our readership towards a conclusive identification of this interesting caterpillar.

spanworm botswana laura 2 300x200 Unknown Caterpillar from Botswana, possibly an Inchworm

Unknown Caterpillar

Posted 16 January 2011 § Inchworms ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Blue Mountain Swallowtail Caterpillar, Papilio ulysses, from Australia

what type of caterpillar is this
Location: Queensland (cairns)
January 14, 2011 11:46 pm
HI bugman
I need your help to identify this caterpillar,I found it in my garden
and if you can,can you please find out what the caterpillar eats.
Thanks
Signature: delaney potoi

papilio ulysses cat australia delaney 300x195 Blue Mountain Swallowtail Caterpillar, Papilio ulysses, from Australia

Mountain Blue Caterpillar: Papilio ulysses

Dear Delaney,
We are a bit confused by your request, though we are thrilled to post your photograph.  When we first read your email, we thought you had labeled this image “Ulysses Caterpillar” because someone named Ulysses found it.  Upon doing our research, we found that it is the caterpillar of the Blue Mountain Swallowtail, Papilio ulysses, which we have always called the Ulysses Swallowtail.  It would appear that you already had an identification prior to submitting your request.  We identified your caterpillar on the Caterpillars of Australia website which indicates:  “In the wild they feed on the new growth foliage of the jungle trees : Fuzzy Lemon Aspen ( Acronychia vestita ), Silver Ash (Flindersia bourjotiana ), Glasswood ( Geijera salicifolia ), Kerosine Wood ( Halfordia kendack ), Yellow Evodia ( Melicope bonwickii ), Pink Princess ( Melicope elleryana ), Little Evodia ( Melicope rubra ), Northern Euodia ( Melicope vitiflora ), and they will also accept the foliage of: Oranges, Lemons, etc. ( Citrus species ), all of RUTACEAE.“  The adult butterfly is a beautiful metallic blue butterfly with tails on the hind wings.  When a caterpillar is found on a plant, it is a very good indication that the plant is being eaten.

papilio ulysses stamp 300x214 Blue Mountain Swallowtail Caterpillar, Papilio ulysses, from Australia

Ulysses Swallowtail postage stamp 2003

The Butterfly Corner website has nice photos of mounted specimens, and this species is quite popular in decorative collections, but we much prefer the photographs of the living specimens on the Wildlife Australia website. The adult Blue Mountain Swallowtail or Ulysses Swallowtail has been depicted on at least four Australian postage stamps including the two we are including in this posting.

papilio ulysses stamp 2 300x207 Blue Mountain Swallowtail Caterpillar, Papilio ulysses, from Australia

Ulysses Swallowtail postage stamp 1998

Posted 16 January 2011 § swallowtail caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Wasp Moth from Australia: Euchromia creusa

Unknown flying Australian Bug
Location: Australia
January 15, 2011 6:18 pm
Dead bug on car. Any idea what it is??
Signature: Ruth

wasp moth australia ruth 300x229 Wasp Moth from Australia: Euchromia creusa

Wasp Moth from Australia

Hi Ruth,
This is a Wasp Moth in the subtribe Euchromiina and it does not have a common name.  We identified it as Euchromia creusa on the Australian Moths website.

Posted 16 January 2011 § Tiger Moths and Arctiids ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Giant Brown Cricket: really Grasshopper, Tropidacris dux

huge grasshopper found in Costa Rica
Location: Sirena biological station, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
January 15, 2011 9:13 am
Hi,
I found this grasshopper during a nighthike near the Sirena biological station, Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. It was huge, almost 20 cm in length, i guess.
Maybe you can identify the species?
Signature: Kind regards, Michael Schoy

grasshopper costa rica michael 300x163 Giant Brown Cricket: really Grasshopper, Tropidacris dux

Giant Brown Cricket

Dear Michael,
Your large Grasshopper, Tropidacris dux, is called a Giant Brown Cricket.  It is frequently mistaken for a bird in flight.

Posted 15 January 2011 § Grasshoppers ‡ Comments (0) °

New Invasive Species in Georgia: Bean Plataspid or Lablab Bug

Weird bug in Atlanta
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
January 15, 2011 2:09 pm
This picture shows a bug that is inside my home. This bug congregates with dozens of others like him on two windows. These two windows get a good amount of sunlight, so it’s a warm sunny spot. I also have spider plants hanging in these windows, and they are all over the plants, too. The bug has a squarish shape, is hard, dark and flies. I keep vacuuming them up, but more appear! They seem to be endless.
Signature: Lauren

lablab bug lauren 300x220 New Invasive Species in Georgia: Bean Plataspid or Lablab Bug

Bean Plataspid or Lablab Bug

Hi Lauren,
We were not at all familiar with this True Bug, but we thought it resembled a Stink Bug so we began to search BugGuide.  We quickly identified your Bean Plataspid, Megacopta cribraria, which is also commonly called a Globular Stink Bug as well as the very unusual name Lablab Bug according to BugGuide.  BugGuide also indicates it was:  “Recently found in ne. GA; native to India and China, known also from many parts of e. & se. Asia to Australia and New Caledonia” and that “Found in the US on kudzu; known hosts include legume crops, especially soybean.“  Furthermore, BugGuide remarks:  “in Oct. 2009 was invading homes in large numbers in GA.“  Thank you for submitting your question so that we are able to inform our readership of this new Invasive Exotic species.

lablab bugs lauren 300x224 New Invasive Species in Georgia: Bean Plataspid or Lablab Bug

Lablab Bugs

Wow, that was fast.  And… ew!  Thanks!

Posted 15 January 2011 § Stink Bugs and Shield Bugs ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

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