Never Before Seen (By me!)
Location: Garden Grove, Ca
November 12, 2011 6:02 pm
Hi there. I found this guy one night on October 2, 2011 flying around my garage shop. NO idea what he is, but he is very cool looking. Released him safely to do his thang.
Thanks!
Signature: Greg M.
Thread Legged Bug
Hi Greg,
We believe we have correctly identified your Assassin Bug as a member of the genus Stenolemus based on this photo from BugGuide.
Thread Legged Bug
Weird bug moulting
Location: Southeast Brazil
October 21, 2011 6:09 pm
I’ll be happy if anyone can tell me from which order does this bug belongs, I’ve found it during a nocturnal outing in a brazilian rainforest, seems to me like the emerging bug is a katydid nymph but the old skin looks like a lepidoptera!
Signature: João P. Burini
Unknown Insect Metamorphosis
Dear João,
We apologize for the lengthy delay, but we just remembered seeing your submission previously and we didn’t have time to respond. Then your email got buried in our unanswered email pile. We haven’t a clue what this creature might be, but we will post it in the hopes that one of our readers can supply some information.
Unknown Insect undergoes metamorphosis
upload size/offer of pictures
Location: Costa Rica, Alajuela, Atena, barrio Güísaro; hillside, semi-rural, 860m alt.
October 28, 2011 2:09 pm
Hi, quick question. I tried & failed repeatedly to upload 3 pics of about 2.8 – 3 MB each. What’s your size limit for uploads?
Thanks, Claudia Leon
Apparently one can’t just ask a tech question. Ok. I’ll attach one picture and see what happens. Here’s my text from my earlier failed attempts:
Dear Bugman,
unless I’m horribly mistaken (wouldn’t be the first time) these pictures show a specimen of the wasp-mimicking tiger moth, Isanthrene crabroniformis, Arciidae.
If you think they could be useful as reference material, I’d like to donate them to your database. If not, just delete.
It was resting on my patio table, before flying off to parts unknown. We live just outside the town of Atenas in the Central Valley.
Best,
Signature: Photolera Claudinha
Wasp Mimic Tiger Moth
Dear Photolera Claudinha,
We apologize for both the technical problems you had and the delay. We have been busy lately and we are behind in answering our mail, as usual. We were going back through unanswered letters to locate a different email and we noticed the swarm of emails from you that were unopened, and we are pleased to post a few of your images of Isanthrene crabroniformis which is represented in our archive in a previous posting. These moths are very effective wasp mimics.
Wasp Mimic Tiger Moth
Correction courtesy of Karl
Hi Daniel and Photolera Claudinha:
You are very close but I don’t think Isanthrene crabroniformis is quite correct. There are a few closely related and very similar looking species, and I believe this one may be Isanthrene cazador. Here is another site you can check out. Regards. Karl
Thanks for the correction Karl.
Hi Daniel & Karl,
Thanks, this is most interesting. Which characteristics point toward I. cazador, rather than I. crabroniformis? I’m afraid, I don’t have the necessary tools & reference material to detect details.
I appreciate your instructions! P. Claudinha
We will let Karl provide input on your newest question. We detect a difference in the stripes on the body that supports Karl’s identification.
Black Beetle
Location: 15 miles west of Eugene, Oregon
November 11, 2011 2:31 pm
Dear Mr. Bugman,
Could you help me identify this insect that is eating my zinnias (petals only, receptacles need not apply) with what I can only term as orgiastic abandon. Although they seem similar to blister beetles, I can handle them with no ill effects. Thank you for your input.
Yours entomologically
Signature: zekenzoey
Blister Beetle
Dear zekensoey,
While we cannot be certain of the species, we are confident that this is a Blister Beetle in the family Meloidae. There are several black Blister Beetles in the genus Epicauta including Epicauta pennsylvanica, the Black Blister Beetle, however, it is not reported on BugGuidefrom Oregon. The elytra appear to be too smooth to be the Punctate Blister Beetle, Epicauta puncticollis, which ranges in Oregon according to BugGuide.
Blister Beetle
We will do additional research to see if we can determine a species.
Blister Beetle
Eric Eaton responds to our identification request
Daniel:
No, I don’t, but Jacques Rifkind might. I thought I had his e-mail but apparently not handy. Give me another day or so?
Eric
about a caterpilar
Location: Puerto Rico
November 12, 2011 8:58 am
hey! I’m trying to find whats the name of the bugs I’m sending please replay as soon as possible
Signature: Jenny
Androgeus Swallowtail Caterpillar
Hi Jenny,
Both your caterpillar and adult have a strong resemblance to the Giant Swallowtail, however, there are subtle differences that caused us to doubt that as the correct identification. Here is a photo of a Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar from our archives and a photo of an adult Giant Swallowtail from our archives. Our continued research brought us to the Adven Tours of Puerto Rico website and their butterfly list that included five swallowtails from Puerto Rico including the Androgeus Swallowtail that seemed to be a good match. The Butterflies of Americawebsite pictures this sexually dimorphic species that indicates your adult is a male. The Butterflies and Moths of North America website only pictures the female, but this information is included to support the larval food plant since your photos appear to be citrus leaves: “Caterpillar Hosts: Leaves of trees in citrus (Rutaceae) family orange (Citrus sinensis) and Zanthoxylum elephantiasis.”
Male Papilio androgeus emerges from Chrysalis
Finally, we located this nice image of a stamp from Cuba picturing this lovely butterfly.
Androgeus Swallowtail on a Cuban Stamp
Question from Keith Wolfe
November 13, 2011
Daniel, would it be possible to ask Jenny if she’s 100% sure that the splendid emerged butterfly resulted from the pictured brown and white caterpillar? Thank you very much!
Best wishes,
Keith
Keith Wolfe writes back
November 17, 2011
Hi Daniel,
Despite your follow-up email to Jenny going unanswered, I’m nevertheless convinced that your identification of her caterpillar as an Androgeus Swallowtail (Papilio androgeus) is correct. Good work, Bugman! Although I recognize the larva, to include being familiar with several other look-alikes in its species group, I wanted to double-check with a scholarly list of Puerto Rican butterflies, such as this somewhat dated report — http://academic.uprm.edu/publications/cjs/VOL17/P059-068.PDF (tourism websites are not necessarily a reliable source of scientific information). FYI on another young Androgeus Swallowtail from Ecuador — http://c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000Lx7jqbezL_M/s/1000.
Cheers,
Keith
Thanks for the vote of confidence Keith. Your insightful contributions are always most welcomed.
hey! I’m sorry it took me so long to replay, but no the caterpillar is a totally different from the butterfly!
Jenny
Beautiful Spider
Location: Muscatine, IA
November 11, 2011 6:52 pm
Dear bugman,
While hiking today at Wild Cat Den, me and my girlfriend came across this spider, at first it was just dangling from it’s web, chillin’ in mid air then descended to the ground. I’ve never seen a spider with such bright colors and intricate designs like this in my area and was wondering if you could help identify what kind of spider this is. Getting close to winter right now, it was probably around 50 degrees at the time. Hope that’s enough information to get an id!
Sincerely,
Signature: bugbro
Pumpkin Spider
Dear bugbro,
Your spider is a highly variable orbweaver known as Araneus marmoreus, and not all individuals have the bright orange coloration that your specimen exhibits. The orange variation is common enough to warrant the common name of Pumpkin Spider, which we believe refers to the color as well as the Halloween seasonal appearances of the adult spiders that will die with the oncoming winter conditions. The species is also known as the Marbled Orbweaver.
November 12, 2011
What’s That Bug? is profiled on High Country News.
Bugman Daniel Marlos photographed by Francisco Sevillano
Rock star status
November 14, 2011 11:22 am
Dear Daniel, Thanks for sharing your rock star treatment with your readers. I thought the High Country News was a great article. You do a great job educating those of us who are always wondering, “whats that”! Jim
Signature: JimmyDean
You are really funny JimmyDean. I thought it was funny getting compared to a rock star. Thanks for the compliment. I had a really nice time talking to the writer, Marina. She has enough material for five articles.
Comment from Brenda
November 23, 2011
Nice article Daniel in this pub! More fame coming your way…now, how about that fortune??
Best,
Brenda Rees
http://www.socalwild.com/
Thanks for the support Brenda. The article on the March of the Tarantulas is quite nice.
interesting insect
Location: St Hedwig, TX
November 11, 2011 12:38 pm
During a shed building project this appeared. It was mid-August and the middle of a drought with temps hitting 100+ every day. It alighted on a telephone pole we had just set as a corner post. The creosote apparently didn’t bother it. It was about 2.5 in or so long. What is it?
We’re outside San Antonio, TX in a farming community.
Signature: Joy
Antlion
Dear Joy,
This magnificent creature is an adult Antlion in the genus Vella which we identified on BugGuide. We aren’t certain of the species and both similar looking species represented on BugGuide are found in Texas. Many folks are familiar with the larvae of Antlions which are commonly called Doodlebugs.
Antlion
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