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Monthly Archives May 2011

European Elm Scale

Flat oval brown/grey with white margin larva on elm in NH
Location: Concord, NH
May 29, 2011 1:19 am
Just discovered several 6 to 8 millimeter flat oval larva in clusters on young Elm tree in Concord, NH. We believe ants have been farming aphids on this tree in the past and we expect they are at it again. When I scraped the clusters they are soft and become an orange-red ink like (blood colored?) mass. They seem to have collected at regions where the bark is splitting as the tree grows and at sites of pruning last fall. One photo shows how they appear to have a fuzzy white margin.
Signature: Planting Trees for Shade.

scale elm nh 300x231 European Elm Scale

Scale on Elm

Of the European Elm Scale, Gossyparia spuria, BugGuide indicates:  “Sap-sucking can cause stunted, chlorotic foliage, premature leaf drop and branch dieback. Associated black sooty mold growth from honeydew secretions on tops of branches gives trees an overall black appearance. Honeydew secretions are also a common nuisance to cars parked under infested elms.
Introduced from Europe.”  It seems the European Elm Scale is an Invasive Exotic species.

scale elm nh 2 300x191 European Elm Scale

European Elm Scale

Posted 29 May 2011 § Aphids, Scale Insects, Leafhoppers, and Tree Hoppers ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Sun Spider

what the hell is this?!?!?!
Location: so cal
May 28, 2011 1:10 am
what the hell is this?!?!?!
Signature: dave

solifugid dave 300x180 Sun Spider

Wind Scorpion

predatory and harmless Solifugid

Doesn’t look harmless….. Lol

Well, not at all harmless if one is a Cockroach.  A Solifugid will keep your kitchen free of Cockroaches and most other things you might not want there.

good to know, thank you very much for your help!!!

Ed. Note
We are only able to post a small percentage of the identification requests we receive, though we do provide short responses like this example to as many requests as time will allow.  Occasionally the dialog that results from our short response gives cause to post the identification request on our site, like this example.  Closer inspection of the photograph indicates that there is debris covering this Solifugid, which leads us to believe it may have succumbed to Unnecessary Carnage.  We hope our further clarification has ensured the survival of any future Solifugids that Dave encounters.

now i feel bad for smashing the little guy icon sad Sun Spider next time i run into one of them, they’ll be relocated outside to eat all the other bugs around the house.

Posted 29 May 2011 § Solpugids and Camel Spiders ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Predaceous Diving Beetle from UK

What is this
Location: New Romney Kent
May 27, 2011 3:20 pm
Hi,
I found this in the doorway of my car and I would love to know what it is.
Signature: Greg Hall

diving beetle uk greg 300x206 Predaceous Diving Beetle from UK

Diving Beetle

Hi Greg,
We believe this is a Predaceous Diving Beetle in the Family Dytiscidae and furthermore, we are fully confident that mardikavana will be providing us with confirmation and perhaps even a species identification.

Posted 29 May 2011 § Water Beetles ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle

iridescent beetle
May 29, 2011 11:22:19 AM PDT
found in montano de oro state pakr, CA
may, 2010
Clare

skeletonizing leaf beetle clare 300x216 Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle

Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle

Hi Clare,
Interestingly, when we searched BugGuide for the identity of this Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle, we discovered an image posted there that we also have on WTB?, but which has been unidentified.  The larvae of this beetle, Trirhabda flavolimbata, feed on the leaves of Baccharis.  We were uncertain if they were Sawfly Larvae or Leaf Beetle Larvae, and now we know that they are the latter.

Update: May 29, 2011 3:22 PM PST
In a moment of clarity, we realized all we need to do is to copy the previous posting onto the chronological end of this posting.

Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle Larvae on Baccharis
caterpillars in coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) in Carpinteria, CA
Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 9:38 PM
I’m not sure what these green caterpillars are. There were hundreds of them in the Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis) at the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park this past weekend.
John Callender
Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park, Carpinteria, CA

sawfly baccharis 215x300 Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle
Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle Larvae on Baccharis

Hi John,
We will check with Eric Eaton, but we believe these are Sawflies and not Caterpillars. Sawflies are the larval form of a non-stinging member of the order of insects that includes ant, bees and wasps, Hymenoptera.

Update:
Daniel:
Hard to tell from the image, but either sawfly larvae or chrysomelid leaf beetle larvae.
Eric

Update: May 29, 2011
Upon searching for the identity of a Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle on BugGuide, we discovered that these are the larvae of Trirhabda flavolimbata.

 

Posted 29 May 2011 § Leaf Beetles ‡ Comments (2) °

Periodical Cicada and Giant Leopard Moth

What is this bug
Location: Nashville, TN
May 27, 2011 2:34 pm
It’s black and white, but I have never seen it before. All the research I have done has turned up with nothing… Found around the nashville, TN area a couple days ago (May)
Signature: -Andrew

cicada tiger moth andrew 300x229 Periodical Cicada and Giant Leopard Moth

Giant Leopard Moth (right) and Periodical Cicada

Dear Andrew,
We love your photo documenting a Giant Leopard Moth or Eyed Tiger Moth, Hypercompe scribonia. side by side with a Periodical Cicada, a member of the Brood XIX of the 13 Year Cicada.

Posted 29 May 2011 § Cicadas § Tiger Moths and Arctiids ‡ Comments (0) °

Lawn Shrimp

jesus help me idenitfy this
Location: Orlando, Florida, Downtown.
May 29, 2011 12:31 pm
what is this? I live in orlando fl. this is the second wave of insects I find in my sun room. they’re always dead, and they appear overnight all over my floor.
I’ll make a donation if you can identify this.
Signature: guillermo navarro

lawn shrimp guillermo 300x206 Lawn Shrimp

Lawn Shrimp

Hi Guillermo,
Our earthly staff is at your assistance without any divine intervention.  You have Lawn Shrimp or House Hoppers, Arcitalitrus sylvaticus.  These terrestrial Amphipods are native to Australia, but they have been accidentally introduced to Southern California, and apparently Florida as well.  Lawn Shrimp are found in moist soil and organic substrate and they breed in well-watered landscaping.  They cannot tolerate flooded soil though, and when it rains, they often seek shelter indoors where they promptly dessicate in the drier conditions, causing them to die indoors in large numbers.  Reducing the amount of water you provide for you landscaping may help to reduce the population of Land Shrimp.

3

Posted 29 May 2011 § Sow Bugs, Pill Bugs, Isopods, Lawn Shrimp and Amphipods ‡ Comments (0) °

Six Spotted Tiger Beetle

Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle
Location: Toledo, OH
May 29, 2011 12:51 pm
I can’t help but ponder why the Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle has eight spots… Ah well. These guys are out in full force, and I’ve never really seen them so prevalent. I wish I had a better handle on my new macro lens so that they were a bit more sharp and less grainy. Ah well, I’ll get there! Some impressive jaws on this guy.
Signature: Katy

6 spotted tiger beetle katy 300x211 Six Spotted Tiger Beetle

Six Spotted Tiger Beetle

Hi Katy,
To make things even more confusing, some individuals of Six Spotted Tiger Beetles have no spots.  We feel the quality of your images is perfectly fine.

6 spotted tiger beetle katy 2 300x217 Six Spotted Tiger Beetle

Six Spotted Tiger Beetle

Posted 29 May 2011 § Tiger Beetles ‡ Comments (0) °

Jumping Spider

Spider? with long front legs
May 27, 2011
Dear what’s that bug?,
First of all I want to thank you for being such a knowledgable resource. You have helped me several times with some bizarre looking insects. Here is my resent encounter with what seems to look like some type of spider? I was sitting under a tree and all of a sudden this critter showed up on my canvas. I tried to get him off with trying to coax him on to a piece of paper. To my shock he must have springs in those legs. He was just hopping. It was quite humorous, because he would looking right at me while I was trying to catch him. I will admit he was creepy with the legs in the front being longer. I also noticed that he seems to stand tall with threatened and isn’t afraid to lunge at you. Every time he looked up his bottom would seem to turn sideways. He did jump producing a string, I’m not sure if all arachnids do.
Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Jennifer
from coastal North Carolina

jumping spider jennifer 300x235 Jumping Spider

Jumping Spider

Hi Jennifer,
This is certainly a Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae, though we have our doubts that we have properly identified the species.  Your individual greatly resembles images of Bagheera prosper that are posted to BugGuide, however, BugGuide indicates its range as being “Texas and south into Mexico.”

Posted 29 May 2011 § Jumping Spiders ‡ Comments (0) °

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