Spider from namibia
Location: Windhoek Namibia
April 20, 2011 7:22 am
This spider has been building its web and weve been watching it and we would like to know more what spider it is and if it is poisenous ??? ETC…..
Signature: The spider watchers
Orbweaver
Dear Spider Watchers,
This is some species of Orbweaver. Orbweavers like all spiders are venomous, however they are not considered to be a threat. The effects of the bite of an Orbweaver are mild and generally last less than a few hours.
April 20, 2011
Gentle Readers,
We will be on holiday through the beginning of next week. We have postdated some interesting letters and photos to go live daily during our absence to keep you entertained, however, we will not be responding to any emails. In honor of our trip to Ohio, we have used an image from our archives of mating Convergent Lady Beetles, the Ohio State Insect, to illustrate this post.
Mating Convergent Lady Beetles
7
What is it?
Location: 10 mi West of Augusta GA
April 16, 2011 4:46 pm
What is it?
Signature: JRL
13 Year Locust
Dear JRL,
Seems we snoozed on this one. As we are such a small staff, we are unable to respond to all of our mail. When we realized that this Periodical Cicada was sighted this year, we were a bit stunned as they don’t usually appear so early. When we turned to BugGuide, we realized you already had this image posted there as well. At the end of March, GPB News website predicted them to begin appearing in a few weeks. About.Com has this information: “Of the three extant 13-year broods, Brood XIX covers the most territory geographically. Missouri probably leads in populations of Brood XIX, but notable emergences occur throughout the south and Midwest. In addition to Missouri, Brood XIX cicadas emerge in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, and Oklahoma. This brood appeared in 1998.” The Growing Georgia website has this information on Brood XIX or Brood 19: “Brood 19 is one of several distinct broods that regularly emerge throughout the Southeast. They will arrive in large numbers later this month and into May. Thousands of them per acre are expected in some areas. They die about six weeks after their first flight. Many can come out in a single night. Nymphs emerge when the soil temperature inside their exit tunnels exceeds 64 degrees F. According to UGA’s Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network, soil temperatures at the Watkinsville weather station reached 64 degrees F last year on April 4. These cicadas typically emerge earlier in southern parts of the state. To approximate their arrival anywhere in the state, use the soil temperature calculator at www.georgiaweather.net. Estimating how many cicadas will emerge and where is tough. Habitat destruction is the biggest factor affecting cicada populations. Periodical cicadas survive underground feeding on root systems. Forested areas produce more cicadas. If trees are cut down or concrete poured over forest floors, their food source is diminished, and they don’t survive.”
¶ Posted 20 April 2011 § Cicadas ‡ ° Thought it was Laphria macquarti
Location: San Antonio, TX
April 19, 2011 3:36 pm
I saw the 4/15 post of Laphria macquarti and thought I had a shot of it, too, but this appears to be something different. Photos were taken last August in San Antonio. No yellow third leg, and it doesn’t appear as robust. Couldn’t find anything similar on BugGuide, but it does look like Laphria. He sat still for these portraits, so he wasn’t terribly active. Any ideas?
Signature: Melvis & Laugh
Belzebul Bee Eater
Dear Melvis & Laugh,
This is a magnificent predator. You are correct that this is not Laphria macquarti. The Robber Flies in the genus Laphria are known as the Bee-Like Robber Flies and they can be distinguished from the very similar Bee Killer Robber Flies in the genus Mallophora because the latter have a hairlike terminal segment on the antennae (very evident in your photo) while the former have thick antennae. We believe you have photographed the Belzebul Bee Eater, Mallophora leschenaulti, which is also known by the less devilish common name Black Bee Killer according to Bugguide. BugGuide also notes that the Belzebul Bee Eater: “Remarkably, has been reported to attack and kill hummingbirds.” There is much interesting information on this Mallophora webpage.
Belzebul Bee Eater
We decided we really needed to post all three of your images.
Belzebul Bee Eater
What’s this bug?
Location: Kruger Park, South Africa
April 19, 2011 12:12 am
Saw this on a recent trip to Kruger Park in South Africa resting on the screen door to our cabin and had a hard time believing it was real.
Signature: pete
Koringkriek
Dear Pete,
Several years ago we received a similar image which we identified as a ShieldBack Katydid, commonly called a Koringkriek in South Africa. Koringkriek is an Afrikaans word, and it is also known as an Armored Ground Cricket. In addition to the links we found on the earlier posting, there is some information on the Wilkinson’s World website. The BugBitten website also lists the common name Gogga. You may also want to visit the World’s Best Photos of koringkriek web page.
Weird texas bug
Location: Houston, Texas
April 18, 2011 6:26 pm
I live in NE Houston, Texas, and I have an organic garden. I found this insect on a cucumber plant after having the sprinkler on for an hour or so, so I’m not sure if he was there seeking cover, or he is a pest on the cucumbers. I would like to know if it is a pest, or potentially beneficial, or neutral, I hate picking bugs off plants when I don’t know what they are!
Signature: Jen
Wheel Bug Nymph
Hi Jen,
This is an immature Wheel Bug nymph. We have posted numerous images of immature Wheel Bugs in the past few days, and they have all been submitted from Florida. Wheel Bugs are found in many parts of North America. They are beneficial predators and you should return this individual back to your organic garden.
Wheel Bug Nymph
Beetle on Citrus
Location: West Los Angeles, CA
April 19, 2011 2:54 am
I saw this beetle on a citrus shrub in my yard last month in West Los Angeles in the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s about the size of a Ladybird Beetle.
Signature: Robert
Australian Tortoise Beetle
Hi Robert,
According to BugGuide, the Australian Tortoise Beetle or Eucalyptus Tortoise Beetle, Trachymela sloanei, was: “Introduced from Australia. First recorded in 1998 in California.“ BugGuide also indicates that it feeds on Eucalyptus, and there is no indication it feeds on citrus. The County of Los Angeles Agricultural Commissioner has an excellent pdf on this “new agricultural pest for Southern California.
Thank you so much for the ID on this beetle. It just so happens that we have two huge Eucalyptus trees in our yard. Somehow he found his way to the citrus.
Thanks again.
Robert
Feather-horned beetle
Feather Horned Beetle
Feather-horned beetle
Location: Perth, Western Australia
April 18, 2011 7:18 pm
These are some of my photos, they look even better if you have a program that allows you to zoom in. Beautiful sunny autumn day in Perth, April 2011.
Signature: Kelly
Feather Horned Beetle
Dear Kelly,
We are positively thrilled to post all of your photos of the magnificent Feather Horned Beetle, Rhipicera femoralis. The only other images we have of Feather Horned Beetles were posted a few months ago.
Feather Horned Beetle
10
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