Robber Fly or something else?
Location: Adamstown, Maryland
August 28, 2011 8:57 pm
This 1 1/2” long hobo hitched a ride on my wife from the C&O Canal (Potomac River, near Point of Rocks, MD) to our house this morning. We’ve never seen anything like it, and would like to know what it is. Thanks in advance!
Signature: B. Saunders – curious photographer
Red Footed Cannibalfly
Dear B. Saunders,
You are correct that this is a Robber Fly, and we believe we have properly identified it as a Red Footed Cannibalfly, Promachus rufipes.
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Metallic beetle (?)
Location: Gold Run, CA
August 28, 2011 7:32 pm
My husband thinks this is a bottlefly, but I told him I think only beetles have a carapace over the wings. Help!!! Bright metallic green abdomen, striped blue/green, yellow and red metallic carapace. Head missing, found in Sierra Nevada mountains north of Auburn, CA. THANKS AGAIN BUGMAN!
Signature: WBarker
Jewel Beetle: Buprestis gibbsii
Dear WBarker,
This is one of the Metallic Borer Beetles in the family Buprestidae. Some members of the family have bright metallic coloration leading to the common name Jewel Beetles. We believe we have identified your species as Buprestis gibbsii based on a few photos posted to BugGuide.
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Location: Roanoke Virginia
August 29, 2011
Daniel,
My Cicada pic made it onto the local CBS news! Thanks for publishing it as that is how the reporter found it!
I now have some pics of a beautiful Garden spider. So huge and intimidating. He has a cicada all wrapped up for later. 
And could “crop 1 Garden Spider 011″ be her mate? He was WAY smaller but I know males often are. He was in the same web.
Best wishes!
Paul Mays
aka neanderpaul
- Golden Orbweaver eats Cicada
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the update and the great news about your previous photo. We will be creating a new posting for your Golden Orbweaver images.
Golden Orbweaver
While both of your spiders are Orbweavers, the large female Golden Orbweaver, Argiope aurantia, is a different species than the smaller spider which we believe is an Orchard Spider,Leucauge venusta.
Orchard Spider
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Unknown insect
Location: Perth, Western Australia, Australia
August 29, 2011 2:25 am
Dear bugman
I have recently discovered the world of macro photography, particularly insects.
I found this little guy clinging to the leaf of a cordyline in my garden.
I would guess it is approx 20mm in length from head to tail (not including antennae)
If you can also recommend a great resource for me to start learning to identify bugs myself, it would be greatly appreciated.
Signature: Regards, Jon – Carassius Productions
Predatory Mosquito
Dear Jon,
The manner in which this insect holds its legs is very characteristic of a Mosquito. We believe we might have identified your Mosquito as a Predatory Mosquito, Toxorhynchites speciosus, by comparing it to images on the Insects of Brisbane website. Since female Mosquitoes feed on the blood of other creatures, including humans, we are not entirely certain why this species is called a Predatory Mosquito to distinguish it from other Mosquitoes. We then learned on the Department of Medical Entomology USYD website, that the larvae are predatory on the larvae of other Mosquitoes. We also learned: “Habits & Habitats Adults are seldom collected as they are not blood-feeders and not attracted to humans; they feed on plant juices and nectar; they are sometimes seen in gardens and occasionally enter houses during warmer months. The larval stages are predacious on other mosquito larvae. Vector & Pest Status There is no concern for a pest nuisance as the species does not bite, and thus there is no relation to disease.” We generally start our online research of Australian insects with the Insects of Brisbane website.
Pretty black insect
Location: Port Coquitlam, BC, CA
August 29, 2011 12:49 am
Hello,
These frisky black beauties were scampering around on raspberry bushes in Port Coquitlam, BC, Ca.
They weren’t very numerous, and have been hard to find since these photos were taken.
They move like lady bugs (less cute factor), and were active in full August sun in early afternoon.
You guys run a terrific site. Thanks in advance for any help help. Or, just enjoy the photos:-)
cheers, Storm Vos-Browning
Signature: Storm
Stink Bug Nymph
Dear Storm,
This is an immature Stink Bug in the family Pentatomidae. Immature insects can often be difficult to properly identify to the species level. We found a matching image on BugGuide that indicates it is most likely a member of the genus Chlorochroa.
Stink Bug Nymphs
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Studying phasmids
Location: Florida, USA
August 28, 2011 12:57 am
Hello,
I study the chemical defenses of stick insects. I see some species on your site that I am interested in analyzing the defense spray of. Could you please help put me in contact with the people who have posted some of the inquiries, since they seem to have access to the respective species live?
Here is one example that seems to be a recent post – I would love to contact this person about their insect, as they may still have them!
“big eaters
Location: Benguet, Philippines
April 1, 2011 7:29 am
Please help me identify these insects and let me know how best to control them. I believe they are responsible for the leaves (or the lack of). I just moved in to a house in Benguet, Philippines, which is about 1400m/5000ft above sea level. Current temp range is 55-74F (13-23C). I brought a lot of plants with me and noticed these insects in a tree on the other side of the fence. I’m afraid my plants are next.
Signature: G Lee”
Signature: Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D
Dear Dr. Aaron T. Dossey,
With the quantity of emails that we receive, it is often difficult to track a letter from the previous week because we often delete them after responding. We do not maintain a database of all of our contributors and considering we have well over 13,000 postings, finding contact information on an older posting can be nearly impossible. We will try to search our sent mail for early April to see if we have the information you request. We would also suggest that you post a comment to the letter you have cited since our readership occasionally returns to view letters they have posted in the past.
Ant…Cricket…Beetle… Ant…Cricket…Beetle..Brickant?
Location: Missouri, St. Louis
August 28, 2011 10:55 am
Saw these guys all over a felled mimosa branch. They moved like fast ants, have legs like crickets and bodies appearing to be something like beetle. I looked and the only things I could find resembling them at all were clown beetles – but none really had the same markings or body. Please help this poor creature out of its identity crises!
PS: sorry the photos are a little blurry. I don’t have the best camera for close ups of a critter this size – approx. 1/2”L.
Signature: Confused Critter
Longhorned Borer Beetle: Neoclytus mucronatus
Dear Confused Critter,
This beetle is one of the Longhorned Borer Beetles in the family Cerambycidae. The larvae are wood borers and most are relatively species specific with regard to the host plant. We believe your beetle is in the somewhat populous genus Neoclytus, and based on photos posted to BugGuide, Neoclytus mucronatus seems like a very good match. BugGuide also notes that it is: “Fairly common and quite variable in size”
What is this bug?
Location: Northern Maine
August 27, 2011 8:27 pm
We are up in Maine and saw this insect today beside the house and was wondering what kind it is, I had thought katydid but failed to find any pictures matching this one. The curved brown thing on its hind end intrigues me as well. Thanks!
Signature: Randy
Immature Female Treetop Bush Katydid
Hi Randy,
Your photo of what be believe to be an immature female Treetop Bush Katydid, Scudderia fasciata, has been on our desktop all day while we took Sunday off. It took us a bit of time researching on BugGuide, but we believe that we may have the identification correct. The problem is that we are basing the identification of your nymphet on a photo of an adult female Treetop Bush Katydid, and sometimes nymphs differ from adults considerably.
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