What is this Bug!
Location: Spain, Murcia Region
March 9, 2011 1:37 pm
Hi, Our friend is seeing a lot of these lately on his patio and we are wondering what they are? He lives in Spain, Murcia Region in the countryside, spotted them at end of February.
Can anyone help?
Thanks
Signature: Scrumpy
Blister Beetle, we believe
Dear Scrumpy,
We haven’t the time right now to research this fully, but we are posting your photo regardless. We believe this is a Blister Beetle in the family Meloidae, though we would not rule out that it might be another soft winged beetle like a Soldier Beetle or a False Blister Beetle.
What is this bug?
ILocation: celing of pantry and just outside the pantry
March 10, 2011 12:21 am
I am hoping you can ID this bug.
Signature: Bill
Indian Meal Moth
Hi Bill,
You have Indian Meal Moths, Plodia interpunctella, a cosmopolitan species that has adapted to feeding on stored foods in domiciles. Often the first indication that there is an infestation is the adult moths feebly fluttering in the kitchen or in front of the television set. The adult moths do not feed on grain products, but the larvae do. The presence of the adult Indian Meal Moths should be a signal to check the pantry for infested grains, cookies and other similar products. They have also been known to infest bird seed and pet food.
Strange fly
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
March 9, 2011 10:41 pm
I was at work and noticed this very odd looking insect. It appears to be some sort of fly though I haven’t the faintest idea what type. Forgive the low resolution photo, it was all my phone could muster.
Signature: Brian B
Robber Fly
Hi Brian,
Your photo does not have enough detail for us to be able to determine a species, however, the silhouette alone allows us to identify this as a Robber Fly in the family Asilidae. Robber Flies are very adept hunters.
Dragonfly hunter
Location: Sydney Australia
March 9, 2011 11:57 pm
Dear bugman,can you please identify this
fearsome looking dragenfly hunter ,I found in my garden this morning?
King Regards
Signature: Katja
Robber Fly eats Dragonfly
Hi Katja,
The Robber Fly in your photo looks like an especially large specimen, and large Robber Flies are capable of snatching large flying prey on the wing. They are formidable hunters. We believe we have properly identified your Robber Fly as the Common Yellow Robber Fly, Ommatius sp., by comparing your photos to those posted on the Insects of Brisbane website.
Why the ”ick” factor??
Location: NYC
March 9, 2011 8:39 pm
I am both fascinated and terrified of bugs. Your site has really increased my tolerance and awe of the insect world. I love reading about them, finding them but not touching them! I never fail to find myself ”itchy” whenever I am on your site- but I always come back to look and learn some more. All bugs are escorted out of my house now with the glass on magazine method. There is one exception to that rule and I must confess it to you- the nyc waterbug. My 6 foot, chiseled chinned husband is reduced to a squealing little girl at the sight of them and even the cat runs the other way. Why do these bugs send us into such hysteria? We don’t see them often in our home but they are regulars in the NYC underworld of the subway system. I have seen one of them part a crowd of hundreds of hardened, rush hour commuters. Will you speak to this atavistic, gut reaction to a creepy crawly water bug please?
Again, I hope to grow ever more tolerant of the beloved bug world.
Signature: The Lovely Mrs. Phillips
Cockroach
Dear The Lovely Mrs. Phillips,
We are happy to hear that your tolerance level for the lower beasts has increased because of your exposure to our website. With regards to the “Ick” factor and entomophobia, we can only deduce that our collective unconsciousness has been affected by negative media coverage of Cockroaches. The NYC Waterbug is a Cockroach. The few species of Cockroaches that infest human homes can be very prolific and they are rarely found singly. Pop culture shows like Fear Factor have also contributed to the entomophobia zeitgeist, and as a culture we have become conditioned to associate Cockroaches with filth.
2
Luna Moth
Location: Texas
March 9, 2011
Hi Daniel!
We found another Luna Moth just now. I am curious how many of these moths are in the SE TX area. Enjoy the pic!
Amanda
Luna Moth
Hi Amanda,
We do not believe there are any Luna Moth census studies that can provide you with population numbers. Thusfar this year, our only reports of Luna Moths have been from Texas. Perhaps conditions were right this year for a surge in numbers.
caterpillar
Location: Black Canyon City, AZ
March 9, 2011 7:24 pm
My sons & I have found this caterpillar (we have named him Cowboy) but we are having a hard time identifying it. we offered him celery stalks w/ the leaves, red cabbage & a cholla cactus (spines removed) but he wants none of it. I noticed he sleeps all day & comes to life @ night. we have had him since yesterday afternoon & we don’t want him to starve to death & if we can not figure out what he likes to eat we will need to release him. we have him in a bug box on a self in the living-room (not in direct sun light). we enjoy watching the life cycle of caterpillars & have enjoyed inchworms that turned in to geometrid moths in the past.
Thank you
Signature: Jenni
Unknown Caterpillar
Hi Jenni,
We have been trying to provide an identification for you in vain. The closest we can come is that your caterpillar shares many similar characteristics with the Asp or Puss Caterpillar, the larva of the Southern Flannel Moth, Megalopyge opercularis, which you can see on BugGuide. The Asp is a stinging caterpillar and it should be handled with care. Though there are similarities, we do not believe that is the correct identification. Perhaps one of our readers will write in with a correct identification. When caterpillars are collected, they are generally found feeding upon plants and those are the plants that should be offered for food.
Hi Daniel
Thank you so much! You guys are great! I found him curled up under a Cholla cactus it was still daylight but he looked dead. I have tried a few leaves from almost every thing in my yard, he does not like any of it. I am going to let him go where I found him. I can say he had the nicest hairdo I have ever seen on a caterpillar! I will keep an eye out & see if some1 on your forum knows what cowboy is . I will also keep an eye out to see if I see cowboy in our yard on a plant eating it (so if we ever find another cowboy we will know what he eats).
Thanks for every thing!!
Jenni
Delightful insect!
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
March 6, 2011 1:53 pm
Hello!
I found this little guy in our central Virginia windowsill one morning. I’ve seen a lot of bugs, but I’ve never seen one like this one before. I’m not sure if it’s a wasp or some type of fly. It was only about 1/4 of an inch when all curled up. The wings were iridescent purple on the back, which unfortunately didn’t show through on the pictures. I left him unattended, and unfortunately during that time, my mom found him and, not realizing how cool I thought he was, she threw him in the garbage. I did get a few fairly good pictures before then, thankfully. Anyway, I’d love some help in identifying it. I’ve browsed whatsthatbug many times in the past, and can’t remember seeing a match. Thanks for your help!
Signature: Jessica
Cuckoo Wasp
Hi Jessica,
This jewel like beauty is a Cuckoo Wasp in the family Chrysididae which you may verify on Bugguide. According to BugGuide: “Scientific name is from Greek, chryso, meaning ‘gold’, referring to the metallic golden coloration of some species. The name ‘cuckoo wasp’ is attributed to the fact that this insect, like the cuckoo bird, lays her eggs in the nest of an unsuspecting host.”
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