red bettle of some sort
Location: portland, tx
April 10, 2011 9:04 pm
Trimming oleanders today and came across these and I don’t know what they are. I live in Portland Texas, its spring time and found them all around. Not to bad though. Thanks for any info.
Signature: chris
Large Milkweed Bug Nymphs on Oleander
Hi Chris,
We are very interested in your letter. These are Large Milkweed Bug nymphs, Oncopeltus fasciatus, and as the name implies, they typically feed on Milkweed. They are Seed Bugs and they feed by sucking the juices from the seeds which also contain the toxic sap. Many insects that feed upon milkweed, including the Monarch Butterfly, store toxins that are found in the sap of the plant. The toxins help to protect the insects from predators, and many such insects sport red and black warning colors like these Large Milkweed Bugs. Oleander has similar qualities and insects that feed on the leaves of Oleander are similarly protected. This is the first time we have heard of Large Milkweed Bugs being associated with Oleander, but a web search has uncovered an article published in Ecological Entomology entitled Nerium oleander as an alternative host plant for south Florida milkweed bugs, Oncopeltus fasciatus by EDWARD KLAUSNER, ELIZABETH RUTH MILLER, HUGH DINGLE. Since we do not subscribe to the online Library, we cannot read the entire article, but this abbreviated abstract provides some fascinating information: “1 Life history data were gathered for south Florida Oncopeltus fasciatus reared from eggs on Nerium oleander seeds and milkweed seeds in the laboratory. 2 Milkweed seeds were found to be a superior food source since O.fasciatus grew faster, laid more clutches, and has a higher total fecundity on milkweed seeds. 3 Fruiting N.oleander was found to be a better food source than nonfruiting milkweeds in a summer field study in south Florida since no nymphs survived to the adult stage on nonfruiting milkweeds but some did on N.oleander. 4 O.fasciatus adults and nymphs are abundant on N.oleander in the summer in south Florida when N.oleander is fruiting; no O.fasciatus nymphs are found in the summer on the milkweeds which are not fruiting. 5 O.fasciatus leave N.oleander in the autumn when milkweeds start to fruit and can then be found on fruiting milkweeds.”
thanks for the response. My response is “Neat!”. is there anything else I can provide for you about the plant or insect?
Thanks for the offer Chris, but since both plant and insect are identified, and we found a precedent for the unusual relationship, we cannot think of anything else we would require. You may always add additional observations as comments to the posting.
Strange bug with claws
Location: Manipal, Karnataka, India
April 10, 2011 3:17 pm
This bug randomly flew into my hostel room. So I caught it with hopes of identifying it.
It flies and crawls really fast.
Signature: buginner
Mole Cricket
Dear buginner,
You have had a visit from a Mole Cricket. Mole Crickets are subterranean insects that use their claws to dig. As you indicated, they can also fly. They are attracted to lights which is probably the reason it flew into your room. Mole Crickets do not pose a threat to humans.
Fat Spider
Location: Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
April 7, 2011 8:11 pm
Hi Bugman,
While removing a mailbox post we unearthed this chunky spider. It scared Robby, who had the hammer. I managed to grab my camera and snap a few pics before relocating it to a dense shrubby forest.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Signature: Simply Bananas
Regal Jumper
Dear Simply Bananas,
This is a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, and it appears to be a Regal Jumper, Phidippus regius. The Regal Jumper has several common and some uncommon variations, and your specimen is a very close match to this image posted to BugGuide from Florida. Jumping Spiders are considered harmless to humans. They have excellent eyesight and they stalk their prey as opposed to snaring prey with a web.
Regal Jumper
Spider found in a pool in Atlanta
Location: Atlanta, GA
April 10, 2011 12:04 pm
Hi Bug Man,
Via facebook, my friend, Marla found this big ”boy.” What kid of spider is it? Seems big and scary. Is it?
Signature: Robin Payne, Snellville, GA
Trapdoor Spider
Hi Robin,
This appears to be a male Trapdoor Spider. Trapdoor Spiders live in burrows with camouflaged, hinged doors. They ambush unwary prey that happens to walk by. Trapdoor Spiders are closely related to Tarantulas, though they are much smaller. Trapdoor Spiders might bite if provoked, but the bite is relatively harmless. Female Trapdoor Spiders rarely leave their burrows, but male Trapdoor Spiders will wander in search of a mate. The California Trapdoor Spider frequently falls into swimming pools and the same may be true for other members of the group. We believe this may be a spider in the genus Myrmekiaphila based on photos posted to BugGuide. This posting on BugGuide indicates that the species may have a relationship to bodies of water.
Thanks so much. I sent your note to my friend and we are both glad to know what that big guy is.
unusual bug
Location: eastern suburbs Sydney
April 9, 2011 2:27 am
I came across this bug in my backyard 9/4/11. It’s about 8mm in body length.
Second image the next day after being kept under a glass. What looks like thousend of eggs!
Signature: Heinz57
Unknown Moth
Dear Heinz57,
This is a Moth, though we haven’t been able to come up with a conclusive identification. We also don’t know if her wings failed to expand after metamorphosis, or if this is a flightless species with vestigial wings. Many female Tussock Moths are flightless, and the markings on your specimen match those of Oligeria hemicalla pictured on the ButterflyHouse website, but we are unable to locate an image of a female moth. The Painted Apple Moth is an example of a Tussock Moth in the family Lymantriidae that has a wingless female. The photos on Wikipedia indicate that it is not your species, though the eggs look quite similar. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to supply an identification.
Unknown Moth lays eggs
Karl provides an identification
Unknown flightless moth lays eggs in Australia
Hi Daniel and Heinz57:
The looks like a female Australian Bagmoth, Cebysa leucotelus (Psychidae). It is native to southern Australia and has recently shown up in New Zealand. Apparently the larvae feed on lichens growing on tree trunks, rocks, etc. and the lichen fragments get incorporated into the larval cases, or ‘bags’. Only the females are flightless. Regards. Karl
unknown beetle in garden
Location: Conroe, Texas, USA
April 9, 2011 5:57 pm
my mom found these ladybug-like beetles in the garden, but they act nothing like them. they seam to like sticks and stay in a large group. we need to know if thy are harmful or helpful to our garden.
Signature: KatThat
Florida Predatory Stink Bug Nymphs
Dear KatThat,
These are immature Florida Predatory Stink Bugs, and despite the name, their range is not limited to Florida. They stay together when young, and as they mature, they begin to hunt individually. They are considered to be a beneficial species because they prey upon plant feeding insects in the garden.
What is this
Location: Valley Center CA
April 9, 2011 11:14 pm
I found this under a rock and am wondering what it is. It is a good digger. It tried to bury itself when I went to catch it and it digs pretty fast.
Signature: Randy
Potato Bug
Hi Randy,
The Potato Bug or Jerusalem Cricket is a Southern California icon.
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