August 2011 - What's That Bug?

From the monthly archives: "August 2011"

Pennsylvania Leatherwing

On August 31, 2011 · Category: Soldier Beetles · Add Comment

Pennsylvania Leatherwing suns itself, then eats a hydrangea
Location: Naperville, IL
August 31, 2011 9:14 pm
Hello Daniel~
I have these Leatherwings, aka Goldenrod Soldier beetles, all over my hydrangea paniculata ’tardiva’. I understand their larvae enjoy cucumber beetles. All the best to you!
Signature: Dori Eldridge

Pennsylvania Leatherwing

Hi Dori,
Now that summer is nearing an end, we expect to be getting numerous identification requests for Pennsylvania Leatherwings that love feeding on goldenrod pollen, though we don’t expect any of the photos to be as nice as your photo.

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Horse Fly, but what species???

On August 31, 2011 · Category: Horse Flies and Deer Flies · Add Comment

Robber Fly?
Location: Belleville, MI
August 31, 2011 11:09 pm
My Mom found this monster, recently-deceased fly today. Didn’t think it was a house fly…
Signature: Len

Horse Fly

Hi Len,
We believe this is a Horse Fly, and its eyes indicate it is a female, but we are not certain of the species. It does bear a strong resemblance to a mounted specimen on BugGuide that is identified as Whitneyomyia beatifica. We are going to see if Eric Eaton can provide any information.

Eric Eaton Responds
No, I’m pretty sure it is a species of Tabanus. I’m not an expert on the group, though….
Eric

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Bug of the Month September 2011: Pigeon Horntail

On August 31, 2011 · Category: Horntails, Wood Wasps and Sawflies Tagged With: bug of the month · Add Comment

Giant wasp with an extra stinger?
Location: Ontario, Canada
August 31, 2011 6:36 pm
Hello bugman! I found this GIANT wasp on my back deck hanging out on the wall. Take a look at the stinger area, there seems to be an extra stinger or something protruding from its bum! very bizarre, and I can’t find a picture like it anywhere! Hope you can help me find out what this is!
Signature: curious

Pigeon Horntail

Dear Curious,
What you have mistaken for a stinger is actually this female Pigeon Horntail‘s ovipositor. She deposits her eggs beneath the bark of diseased and dead trees and the wood boring larvae help break down the wood as part of the complex decomposition process. The larvae of the Pigeon Horntails are preyed upon by another frightening looking but harmless non-stinging relative of wasps, the Stump Stabber, a very colorful name for the Giant Ichneumon.

Pigeon Horntail

Wow, thats really neat! Thanks for helping me identify my bug and making it bug of the month! It looked terrifying, so I kept my distance. Glad to know its harmless as I was a bit of a wimp while looking at it! Thanks again

PIgeon Horntail

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Giant Vinegaroon

On August 31, 2011 · Category: Scorpions, Whipscorpions and Vinegaroons · Add Comment

is this a tailless whip scorpion
Location: Sierra Vista AZ
August 31, 2011 5:25 pm
Found this in my garage. Is it a tailless whip scorpion?
Signature: t8rsage

Giant Vinegaroon

This Giant Vinegaroon, Mastigoproctus giganteus, is classified in the Arachnid order Uropygi while Tailless Whipscorpions are classified in the order Amblypygi. The Giant Vinegaroon is considered a Whipscorpion, but it is not tailless.

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Tersa Sphinx

On August 31, 2011 · Category: Hummingbird Moths, Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths · Add Comment

Is this a moth??
Location: Maumelle, Arkansas
August 31, 2011 5:46 pm
This is hanging out on the wall of our covered porch. My boyfriend and I are wondering if it is a moth and if that is a stinger on its tail. It is in the upper nineties right now and we have been getting around a storm a week for the past month. It has been there all day without moving.
Signature: What In the World!

Tersa Sphinx

Dear WITW,
This aerodynamic moth is a Sphinx Moth in the family Sphingidae. The species is Xylophanes tersa, commonly called the Tersa Sphinx and you may verify our identification on the Sphingidae of the Americas website.

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Prairie Robber Fly

On August 31, 2011 · Category: Robber Flies · Add Comment

hey got a doozy
Location: near derby ks
August 31, 2011 8:08 pm
We have these big guys flying all around our house. At first i thought it was some kind of hornet but I got this up close one just before sundown. I tried looking it up to no avail. Just really wondering. Looked really icky on my 42 inch large screen when i hooked my camera up to it. All the little ”hairs” on the legs were so weird.
Signature: Heebby Jeebies

Prairie Robber Fly

Dear Heebby Jeebies,
We were just going to try to classify this Robber Fly to the genus level and tell you it was a Hanging Thief in the genus Diogmites, however, we believe we might be able to do one better and identify it as a Prairie Robber Fly, Diogmites angustipennis, based on photos posted to BugGuide.

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Carolina Sphinx

On August 31, 2011 · Category: Hummingbird Moths, Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths · Add Comment

Moth ID
Location: London Ohio
August 31, 2011 8:40 am
Any idea what this guy is called? I’ve done some searching but am not getting anywhere. found it on my pepper plants in central ohio.
Signature: MC

Carolina Sphinx

Hi MC,
This is Manduca sexta, the Carolina Sphinx or Six Spotted Hawkmoth, and the caterpillar, called the Tobacco Hornworm, is frequently found feeding on tomato plants.

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Caddisfly Larva

On August 31, 2011 · Category: Caddisflies Tagged With: Aquatic Bugs · Add Comment

What is this
Location: Yosemite, CA
August 30, 2011 2:43 pm
Last week we went camping for a few days in Yosemite and while playing in the river I kept noticing that every once in a while bubbles would come out of the sand. While trying to find the culprit I found this strange bug thing that kind of resembles a hermit crab. At first it looked like it had a shell with a beetle head sticking out of it. But after taking a closer look you see that it’s just a bunch of rocks and stuff stuck to it’s back. It stayed completely submerged under water the entire time we were there. Never seen anything like it. Picked it up. Took a picture of it and then put it back. I’ve searched on-line but never found anything close to it.
Signature: Super Curious in SoCal

Caddisfly Larva

Dear Super Curious,
We were puzzled at first by viewing your photo, but upon reading your email, we are certain that this is the larva of a Caddisfly. They are frequently called Casemakers or Caseworms because of the shelters that are constructed by the larvae for protection. Each species of Caddisfly constructs a unique case. Some use twigs, and others use pebbles or shells for their homes.

Thanks a bunch! I looked around at Caddisfly information after reading your e-mail and I’m sure that’s it. It was really weird….it had a head that looked like a beetle and I never knew one could live underneath the water. Always thought of aquatic bugs as kind of floating around on the surface. Anyway, your site is great! Love all the pictures.
Heidi

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Pennsylvania Leatherwing

Horse Fly, but what species???

Bug of the Month September 2011: Pigeon Horntail

Giant Vinegaroon

Tersa Sphinx

Prairie Robber Fly

Carolina Sphinx

Caddisfly Larva

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