Male Sawfly – family argidae?
Location: Naperville, IL
June 24, 2011 6:27 pm
Hi Daniel~
I have searched and searched, and the best I can do at ID-ing this inch-long insect on my house siding is to conclude that it is some kind of male sawfly, per its wasp-like appearance and its intensely-feathered antennae. I’ve looked at conifer sawflies and argid sawflies, but the length of its body with respect to its wings is throwing me off – as is its impressive set of mandibles and armor between its wings and head. So perhaps it’s not a sawfly at all? Can you help? Thanks so much! (P.S. You asked a question a few days ago regarding two photos I sent of hatching Monarch caterpillars. The only way I was able to respond was via a comment to those photos, not in the usual way. I hope you saw my reply.)
Signature: Dori Eldridge
Male Glowworm
Dear Daniel~
I found it! It’s not a sawfly at all. It’s an adult male glowworm beetle – probably a Phengodes plumosa. Those elytra and the length of its body sent me to beetles after I exhausted the sawfly and ichneumon wasp categories. There is an image on bugguide.net that is nearly identical to mine: http://bugguide.net/node/view/167293/bgimage. Still, you might like to add these photos to your glowworm collection. Thanks so very much!
Dori Eldridge
Male Glowworm
Hi Dori,
We are happy that you were able to self identify your male Glowworm, and we are thrilled that we can post your photos, though we disagree with your comment that the photo on BugGuide is nearly identical to your photo. The color and clarity of your image are even better. It is interesting that the antennae are plumose and the species name of Phengodes plumosa acknowledges that. Your photos are awesome.
Male Glowworm
Yes! …especially considering that it is only the adult male glowworms that have the plumose antennae. I feel especially lucky to have spotted and photographed this insect now after reading that they’re not so commonly encountered. It posed for me without moving for about 3 or 4 minutes, after which I left it. When I returned a few minutes later, it had gone. I hope to find a female larviform glowworm one day to photograph, too. Thank you for your most kind words, and best regards to you. -Dori
4
Male Stag Beetle – Lucanus Elaphus
Giant Stag Beetle
Male Stag Beetle – Lucanus Elaphus
Location: Newton, North Carolina
June 24, 2011 11:47 pm
This docile little fella came to me a couple of nights ago, so I snapped a few pics of him.
I let him crawl around on me for a while before I tossed him back into the bushes.
Signature: Rick (SCWIDVICIOUS)
Giant Stag Beetle
Hi Rick,
Nice to hear from you again, and we are especially pleased that you are submitting images of a living Giant Stag Beetle since the only two examples we have posted this year have been smashed individuals found in parking lots. It saddens us greatly to think that so many people think it is fine to smash such a magnificent creature.
Giant Stag Beetle
I am glad you like and used the pics 
It is ashamed for sure, I never understood why people want to kill any insect for being an insect, especially ones like this. You can rest well tonight knowing he is out there in the woods happily eating and fighting his buddies like he is meant too..
I will look to see if I can find a female soon.
Have a good evening,
Rick
2
Walmart Watermelon Bug
Location: Found in NJ
June 24, 2011 10:11 pm
Good evening. A friend who works at a local Walmart was unpacking watermelons and came across this bug. To me it looks like a grasshopper of some sort and then again it doesn’t can you tell us what it is and if it is a danger.
Thanks
Signature: Ellen
Eastern Lubber Grasshopper
Dear Ellen,
This is an immature Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Romalea microptera. There are two recognized common color variations and this is the dark morph. There is a very thorough information page on BugGuide. According to BugGuide, the species is found in the south from Texas to South Carolina and all states between. It would be interesting to learn where the watermelons originated. Though this is a native species to the U.S., it does not range to New Jersey, and since its method of entry was unnatural in that it was the result of the transportation of crops, this could not be considered a normal range expansion. We doubt this individual will reproduce since it is too young to have mated, and it is not likely to find a mate in New Jersey unless it is another stowaway. We will nonetheless tag this as an Invasive Exotic.
Daniel,
Thanks so much for the quick response. It reminded me of a grasshopper I had seen in the everglades several years ago although the one in Florida was much brighter in color. As you can imagine this guy gave the young lady quite a jolt as she was unpacking the melons.
Ellen
Large Wasp in AZ
Location: Tuwhicson, AZ
June 24, 2011 8:52 pm
Hello,
I took this picture of this huge wasp-type insect in Tucson, AZ and I’ve been trying to figure out what it is. It was maybe about 1.5” – 2” in length. The closest-resembling thing I’ve been able to find is the tarantula hawk, but I’ve only read about those having black abdomens/bodies with orange wings. Can you please identify my bug?? Thanks!!
Best,
Brooke
Signature: Brooke
Mydas Fly
Hi Brooke,
This is not a Wasp. At first we thought it might be a Robber Fly, and we found a Robber Fly from Arizona on BugGuide, Archilestris magnificus, that is colored similarly, but alas, the antennae are quite different. We then shifted to what our first impression was, that this might be a Mydas Fly, and we found a photo from Colorado on BugGuide of Phyllomydas phyllocerus which matches quite nicely. Additionally, there is a nice closeup of a related individual from Florida on BugGuide that also looks close. We cannot say for certain that either the genus or species is correct, but we are relatively certain that this is in fact a Mydas Fly.
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your help and your quick response!!! Your website is excellent. I started thinking after I posted my photo that it might be a fly because of the trumpet-shaped thing coming out of its face/mouth – or whatever flies bite/suck with. I’m not up on my insect terminology. That is one huge fly! I’m relieved to know that it’s not a tarantula hawk.
Thanks again,
Brooke
Hi Brooke,
You are correct that wasps and flies have very different mouth anatomies. Flies have a proboscis designed for sucking up food, and wasps have mandibles for chewing food. Here is how the Utah Education Network website describes the mouth of a fly: “Flies cannot chew. They have to suck up their food. Flies have mouth parts that absorb food like a sponge. Their food has to be in a liquid form in order for them to eat it. They have a tongue shaped like a drinking straw to slurp up their meals. Flies that eat nectar or blood do so by using their tongue which is called a proboscis. Even flies that eat other insects do so by sucking out the insides of their victims.”
Eric Eaton confirms ID
Daniel:
Sure looks like a Mydas sp. to me. Nice detective work!
Eric
Mating Hover Flies
Mating Hover Flies
Mating Hover Flies
Location: Northeast Florida
June 23, 2011 3:36 pm
I have been enjoying your website since finding it a few days ago, and I’ve also been enjoying the Bug Guide which I found through your site. Yesterday I was able to identify a Hover Fly, Toxomerus marginatus, in a photo I’d taken of this tiny bug perched on a flower.
Today I went out to the garden and saw another little Hover Fly hovering in the air over the flowers. When I started taking pictures I realized that it was actually two mating Hover Flies! They appear to be Toxomerus marginatus also. I’m sending a couple of photos. They were mostly flying parallel to me but I did get one fuzzy photo of their backs.
Signature: Karen
Mating Hover Flies
Dear Karen,
We need to start by exclaiming “WOW!!!” These are awesome action photographs. We especially love that he is taking her for a ride. We agree that these Hover Flies look like Toxomerus marginatus based on photos posted to BugGuide.
Hover Flies mating
Hi Daniel,
Wow, thank you–I’m glad you liked the photos! Yes, it was fascinating to watch the male taking the female for a ride–he just carried her around as he hovered over the garden.
Karen
6
Interesting Bug
Location: 41st & Riverside, Tulsa, OK 74105
June 23, 2011 10:46 pm
I saw this bug at the park today on the playground equipment. It would fly when spooked or provoked. Otherwise it preferred to walk. I just wondered if it was posionous since it was at a park and there were several children around. I’ve never seen anything like it before.
Thank you so much!
Carrie Kreber
Signature: Thanks!
Cottonwood Borer
Hi Carrie,
We saw from your subsequent email that you already self identified your Cottonwood Borer, and we are happy to hear that. We also think this is such a beautiful photograph that we want to post it for the benefit of our readers. Cottonwood Borers do not pose any threat to children, though they do have very powerful mandibles and they might produce a painful bite if carelessly handled. The bite may even draw blood.
Daniel,
Post away-I don’t mind…I thought it was the oddest bug until I saw your site last night and started searching for my bug-then I saw some of the oddest bugs! lol
Have a great weekend and feel free to post.
Carrie
Any ideas?
Location: Costa Rica – Manuel Antonio
June 23, 2011 1:18 pm
Hello,
My fiancée and I were on a tour of Manuel Antonio park on the Pacific side of Costa Rica this June. At the start of the tour I felt something with some size on my bare leg and spastically kicked it off. What landed on the ground was first identified as a spider, then quickly a grasshopper, then soon nothing they had quite seen. The guides took some quick cell phone pictures and I took the attached. I’d say it’s boday was about 1.5 inches.
Any ideas?
Signature: Thanks, Seth
Sylvan Katydid
Dear Seth,
This is not a Grasshopper. It is a Katydid, most likely a Shieldbacked Katydid. We will contact Piotr Naskrecki, a Katydid expert from Harvard, to see if he is able to supply a species identification.
Piotr Naskrecki makes correction
Hi Daniel,
Not a shieldback (Costa Rica doesn’t have any), but a sylvan katydid (Pseudophyllinae). This is a female nymph of Balboana tibialis, a large, lowland forest species that is sometimes attracted to lights.
Cheers,
Piotr
Crazy looking flying ant-like creature
Location: Victoria, B.C.
June 23, 2011 11:02 pm
Found this in the mid-spring. It was just sitting on these blossoms for hours. I saw another one of them but way smaller. So I thought perhaps this is a queen or something. But if you can see, it has a very long needle thing out the back end of it. It looks like a flying ant but very unique qualities. I really want to know what this is! Thank you in advance.
Signature: Well Done!
Ichneumon
Dear Well Done!,
This is some species of Icheumon, though we are uncertain of he species. Ichneumons are parasitic relatives of wasps and bees. The long stinger is an ovipositor that is an organ the female uses to lay eggs. Ichneumons are parasitic on a variety of insects.
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