Is this an imperial moth?
Location: Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
July 23, 2011 1:42 am
Hello, this moth has been hanging around my back door this evening. Normally I can easily identify the strange giant moths on my door from pictures you have posted, but I’m not sure about this one. It is a greenish-brown sort of camouflage color. I tried to get as good of pictures as possible, but it was hard to get shots of its underbelly. Thanks!
Signature: Jess
Imperial Moth
Hi Jess,
Your identification of this Imperial Moth is absolutely correct. She is a female. Males have more purple markings on the wings.
1
Leaf-colored Moth?
Location: Nashport, Ohio
July 23, 2011 6:37 am
Was hoping you could identify this one for me and my two young girls. Just moved to Central Ohio and found this guy in our front yard at about 8 AM. We live near a wooded area and water. Was around 75 degrees that morning.
Signature: Tonya B.
Pandora Sphinx
Hi Tonya,
The markings and coloration of the Pandora Sphinx, the species you photographed, are frequently likened to the print on camouflage fatigues.
Royal Walnut Moth
Location: Tennessee
July 22, 2011 3:47 pm
Just wanted to add this picture i took.
Signature: ?
Royal Walnut Moth
Thanks for adding to our archive of Royal Walnut Moth sightings this year.
What is this thing?
Location: Lancaster, PA
July 22, 2011 2:18 pm
Seen this sort of little guy three times in the last few years, so he can’t be that prolific, from what I can tell. One got into my apartment forever ago and it flew around like a wasp, and flexed its abdomen as if it were trying to sting after I’d smacked him down. (No stinger though from what I can see.)
Then yesterday, there was one zooming around my workplace and dive bombing people. I tried to take him out, but he escaped me.
Is this little guy a sort of fly? His mouth parts and eyes remind me of a fly and the rest of him seems wasp like. He’s not really that small either. He’s about the size of a wasp. He flies sort of clunky too, unlike a fly.
Signature: The Creeped out One
Hanging Thief
Dear Creeped out One,
You are astute in your observations that the face of this Hanging Thief in the genus Diogmites has the mouth parts and eyes of a fly because it is a Robber Fly in the family Asilidae.
Flying teeth
Location: North East, Maryland
July 22, 2011 11:45 am
Summer time, about 95 degrees out on a clear day and this beast was waiting for me outside my door in the morning. It’s nearly 3” long from teeth to end of wings and it looked to have 6 legs. Unknown what under the wings looks like. With a jaw like that I didn’t bother to press my luck!
Signature: plez
Female Dobsonfly
Dear plez,
This is a female Dobsonfly, and while she has no venom or poison, you are probably correct that a bite might hurt and possibly even draw blood. The male of the species has even more impressive mandibles, however, they are not designed for biting as those of the female are designed.
2
Ground Dwelling Black and Orange Flying Insect
Location: Central New York
July 22, 2011 10:46 am
Dear Bugman,
We have hundreds of these flying in our backyard. We started seeing them (in very small numbers a couple of years ago). The live in solitary holes, mounds of dirt around the holes, hover close to the ground, chase anyone who ventures near… Some have clear wings and some have orange wings. They’re between 1 1/2 inches and 2 inches long. The ’come out’ around mid July and last until sometime in August. At first we thought they cicada killers – because they carry bugs back to their lair; but they definitely don’t look like the pictures of c.killers I’ve seen. Can you tell me what these are?
Signature: Kitty
Swarming Cicada Killers
Hi Kitty,
These are most certainly Cicada Killers and we are very intrigued by the swarming behavior you are describing. Since Cicada Killers are solitary wasps, they do not swarm in the same sense that honey bees or hornets swarm, but we imaging that they present a frightening picture because of their large size. First, we understand that the aggressors are generally male Cicada Killers that are defending their territory while trying to lure prospective mates to nest in areas they are protecting. Male Cicada Killers do not possess a stinger, so while they may dive bomb you, your pets, and even birds that enter the vicinity, they are perfectly harmless. Female Cicada Killers do possess a stinger, but they are more interested in using it on Cicadas so that they can feed their brood. We have not received a verified report of anyone being stung by a Cicada Killer though we imagine a female is quite capable of stinging. You indicate that you have hundreds of them and that is most likely due to an increase in recent years of the number of Cicadas. Insect populations tend to by cyclical. We are very curious to know how this drama will play out. Please keep us posted as to any developments. We are positively thrilled with your photos that clearly show numerous Cicada Killers in close proximity to one another.
Swarming Cicada Killers
What the hell is this thing?
Location: Denver, Colorado
July 22, 2011 9:38 am
I live in Colorado and saw this thing on my driveway, when my dog was considering it for breakfast. Haven’t seen a bug this huge in 10 years. What the devil is it?
Signature: Grossed Out in Colorado
Ponderous Borer
Dear Grossed Out in Colorado,
Your large beetle is one of the Prionids, more specifically, the Ponderous Borer, Trichocnemis spiculatus.
What caterpillar is this
Location: northern greece
July 22, 2011 7:47 am
Location: mountains of northern Greece. Hot 95 degree day. Found in our backyard. Under the olive trees and well watered grasses
Date: July 2011
thank you !!!
Signature: mom and kid
Great Peacock Moth Caterpillar
Dear mom and kid,
This is the caterpillar of the Great Peacock Moth, Saturnia pyri, and you may verify our identification by viewing it on Kirby Wolfe’s website. Vincent Van Gogh did a painting of the adult moth which you can view on this Van Gogh Gallery website. The adult moth and caterpillar are both depicted on this Czechoslovakian postage stamp.
Great Peacock Moth and Caterpillar on Postage Stamp
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