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Monthly Archives September 2011

European Hornets strip lilac of bark

Large Flying Wasp like
Location: Central NJ
September 12, 2011 11:24 am
These things are swarming all over my lilac tree and seem to be killing it. Are they a stinging insect or something else? They are over an inch long and 1/4 inch in diameter.
Signature: Kathy – NJ

european hornets gather lilac bark kathy 300x208 European Hornets strip lilac of bark

European Hornets Gather Lilac Bark to make paper.

introduced european hornets
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2011/08/25/european-hornets-gather-bark/

Thank you so much.  I know the picture wasn’t great but I was scared to death to get too close since I am allergic to bees and wasps.  I see they do sting.  Don’t suppose you could let me know how I can save my lilac and send them away?
Many Thanks for your speedy reply
Kathy

They are gathering bark to make their paper nest.  The hive should die out with the onset of winter.  We don’t really offer extermination advice.

Posted 13 September 2011 § Hornets and Yellow Jackets ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Periodical Cicada: Brood XIII

Seventeen Year Cicada
Location: Glenview, Illinois
September 12, 2011 8:14 pm
Magicicada, image taken in June, 2007 in Cook County, IL. They will be back in 2024.
Signature: Venom

periodical cicada venom 300x206 Periodical Cicada: Brood XIII

Periodical Cicada: Brood XIII

Hi Venom,
We are happy you included the date of the sighting.  We were actually a bit shocked to be receiving a submission of a Periodical Cicada in September.  This is a member of Brood XIII, called the Northern Illinois Brood according to the Periodical Cicada Brood website.

Thanks for the email. I had submitted some images of the Spinyback Orbweaver spiders, and in looking thru some of my jpegs, I thought it would be interesting to submit the Cicada. I actually put up a site, www.seventeenyearcicada.com  in which I posted many images back in 2007.
I’m kind of obsessed with close-up images of insects so I hope to post more as time goes by.
Thanks again,
John Spina

Hi John,
Now that you have opened the door on photography, and since our editorial staff teaches photography, and since we are very interested in staged photographs as much as we are interested in perfectly representational photographs of bugs, we feel compelled to ask if you found the Cicada on the geranium inflorescence or if you placed it there.

Good question. I placed it there, simply for the contrasting colors. Those bugs want nothing to do with flowers, their native positions are usually on tree leaves. Odd, they simply mate and die, don’t devour vegetation, and have no natural predators…against the rules of nature.
Anyway, I found it to be a nice color combination. Once I shot the image, she flew away. So, the subtitle should read “placed on the backdrop for color effect only”.
John

Hi again John,
We would like to qualify your latest response.  While it is true that adult Cicadas do not feed on leaves, they do feed on sap.  Also, they have numerous natural predators.  The emergence of swarms of Periodical Cicadas provides a bounty of food for birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects and spiders as well as a host of other predators that you might not expect.  Cicadas falling onto the surface of water will feed fish, and with the current fad of entomophagy gaining popularity, even people are getting in in the Cicada eating action.  

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Posted 12 September 2011 § Cicadas ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged:

Western Hercules Beetle

what’s that bug?
Location: Sedona, Az
September 10, 2011 12:42 pm
I wish to find out what species made so much noise during my camping at Sedona, Az.
Signature: Lidka

western hercules beetle lidka 300x212 Western Hercules Beetle

Western Hercules Beetle

Hi Lidka,
Even though your request arrived several days ago, and we manage to do more postings on the weekend than during our hectic work week, we were unable to respond to the lion’s share of requests we have received recently.  We are happy we decided to attempt one more posting before heading to work.  This is a male Western Hercules Beetle or Grant’s Hercules Beetle, Dynastes grantii, and though it is not considered a rare species, we do not get many images of this species found in the Southwest.  We get significantly more images of its eastern relative, the Eastern Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus.  The horn of the Western Hercules Beetle is more pronounced, and both species are included in the subfamily Dynastinae, the Rhinoceros Beetles.

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Posted 12 September 2011 § Scarab Beetles ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Unnecessary Carnage: Tailless Whipscorpion from Greece

Bug dentification Please! Weird!!
Location: Greece – Athens
September 10, 2011 11:30 am
I found thi Bug in my bathtub!I have never seen anything like it. It has One huge antenna ( maybe it had two once i couldnt tell, but when i found it it had one)and was slighlty bigger than a penny.
Hope i get a reply!
Thanks in Advance
Alexia
Signature: Alexia

tailless whipscorpion greece alexia 300x224 Unnecessary Carnage: Tailless Whipscorpion from Greece

Tailless Whipscorpion

Hi Alexia,
Even though it is related to venomous Arachnids like spiders and scorpions, the Tailless Whipscorpion does not have venom, so it is harmless.  They are shy nocturnal predators that will feed on Cockroaches and spiders and other creatures you might not want in the home.  Though Tailless Whipscorpions are frightening in their appearance, we hope you will learn to tolerate them should you ever encounter another.

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Posted 12 September 2011 § Scorpions, Whipscorpions and Vinegaroons ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Locust Borer

Hello!
Location: Richland, WA USA
September 10, 2011 9:35 pm
I was at a picnic and I saw this guy on my shoe. Do you know what it is?
Signature: Becki

locust borer becki 300x232 Locust Borer

Locust Borer

Hi Becki,
This strikingly marked beetle is a Locust Borer, Megacyllene robiniae, and it is an excellent mimic of stinging wasps like Yellow Jackets.  Now that autumn is approaching and the goldenrod is beginning to bloom, we expect to be receiving numerous identification requests since the adults feed on pollen, especially goldenrod pollen.  The larvae bore in the wood of Black Locust trees.  According to BugGuide:  “Eggs are laid in locust trees in the fall. Newly emerged larvae spend several months in tree trunks, first hibernating through the winter under the bark, then tunneling into trees in spring, eventually making tunnels about 4″ long and .25″ inch wide. They pupate late July/early August. Adult beetles emerge late August to September.”  BugGuide also confirms our suspicions that this is not a native insect in the Pacific Northwest with this information:  “Considered a serious pest of Black Locust trees; previously weakened or damaged trees are often killed by an infestation of the larvae. Previously confined to the native range of Black Locust in the northeast, it has spread with the trees throughout the US. Unfortunately Black Locust is used for reclamation and similar projects where trees are likely to be stressed out and thus more vulnerable to insect damage.”  The Locust Borer was our Bug of the Month in October 2007.

Posted 12 September 2011 § Longhorn Beetles ‡ Comments (0) °

Banded Cucumber Beetle from Mexico

What bug is this?
Location: Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico.
September 11, 2011 11:52 pm
September 7th 2011
Can you tell me what bug is this?
It just flew right at me.
It was around 10 pm kind of chill outside. Luckly I had my camera next to me.
Regards,
Frank J Morales Pizana
Signature: Frank

banded cucumber beetle mexico frank 300x236 Banded Cucumber Beetle from Mexico

Banded Cucumber Beetle

Hi Frank,
This Banded Cucumber Beetle is one of the Leaf Beetles, and according to BugGuide:  “Larva eat roots, and adults eat the rest of the plant parts” presumable of cucumbers and related plants.

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Posted 12 September 2011 § Leaf Beetles ‡ Comments (0) °

Earwig

What is this?
Location: Eagle Pass, TX
September 12, 2011 1:35 am
I saw it crawling around my living room, at first I thought it was a cricket that escaped from my Gecko’s tank. That was until I turned the lights on.
Signature: Mike C.

earwig mike 300x199 Earwig

Earwig

Dear Mike,
This is an Earwig, an insect that is common in gardens.  We have identified it as a Striped Earwig, Labidura riparia, based on this photo posted to BugGuide.  According to BugGuide, it:  “Preys on various invertebrates, but may occasionally switch to plant material.”

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Posted 12 September 2011 § Earwigs ‡ Comments (0) °

Cecropia Caterpillar

Caterpillar
Location: Western PA
September 12, 2011 6:57 am
We found this beautiful bug. Can you tell us what it is?
Signature: Amy Guthridge

cecropia cat amy 300x234 Cecropia Caterpillar

Cecropia Moth Caterpillar

Hi Amy,
This is the caterpillar of a Cecropia Moth, and judging by its size, the season and the silk it is spinning, it may be getting ready to form a cocoon.  Cecropia Moths are the largest North American Silkmoths.

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Posted 12 September 2011 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) °

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