Brazilian bug
Location: Mato Grosso
November 9, 2011 5:24 am
I found this bug on the veranda of my house in Brazil. I live in a town called Chapada dos Guimarães which is supposedly in a transition zone between the Cerrado biome and the Amazon basin biome. On the property there is a patch of gallery forest along a stream and also a patch of former pasture reverting to forest. There is pronounced dry season from June to September. I saw the bug in October after the rains had begun. I was quite surprised when it opened its wings to reveal the gorgeous colors – reminds me a bit of a planthopper Fulgoridae
Could you also identify these large caterpillars that have been browsing recently on a frangipani shrub?
thank you
Signature: Jon Kempsey
Tetrio Sphinx Caterpillars
Dear Jon,
These are the caterpillars of the Tetrio Sphinx moth, a species found in Florida as well as much of the American tropics. They are feeding on a Plumeria or frangipani, one of the known food plants. Your other photos did not attach so we cannot comment on the other creature. In the future, please only include one species per email submission. If you attempt to resubmit the photos, please use the standard submission form that requests information on location.
Thank you for identifying the caterpillars for me – I have frequently seen the moths in my house. I will re-submit the other photos.
best wishes, Jon
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What about this one, What is it?
Location: 12° 3’ 45.67” North, 86° 18’ 51.88” West (Nicaragua, Managua, El Crucero)
November 7, 2011 10:32 pm
I saa two of these flying insect crawling on a tree in my front yard.
When I got near to take pictures one of them flew towards me and bagan circling me.
Signature: Sergiortc
Bumelia Borer
Hola Sergiortc,
This Longhorned Borer Beetle looks to us like the Bumelia Borer, Plinthocoelium suaveolens, a species found in warmer portions of the United States according to BugGuide. Insects have no respect for international borders, and the range might be greater than in indicated on BugGuide. We suspect this is the same species or a closely related species.
1
Maggots of some sort
Location: Hamlin, NY about 5 miles south of the Lake Ontario shore
November 7, 2011 11:03 pm
Hi. I found these pods of worms or maggots in the gutter on the side of the road in front of our house one early morning on September 15, 2004. We are in Hamlin, NY about 5 miles south of the Lake Ontario shore. These pods of worms moved together like a single unit. Notice there are two kinds of worms in the pods. The majority of the worms are about 1/32” in diameter. The larger maggots, there was one or two in a pod, looked like a typical large green bottle fly maggot. I have not seen anything like this before or since then. I have shown these pictures to a lot of people and no one even has a guess as to what these might be.
Signature: What’s that bug?
Fungus Gnat Larvae
This curious phenomenon is an aggregation of Fungus Gnat Larvae in the family Sciaridae. Here is a photo from BugGuidewith some information. We don’t believe there are two species here, rather we suspect that some of the individuals in the aggregation are larger.
Fungus Gnat Larvae
¶ Posted 08 November 2011 § Gnats ‡ ° Spotted black/blue insect with a red bottom
Location: Florida
November 7, 2011 11:36 pm
Hello, my brother and I found this bug the other day. We took a picture of it because we thought it looked pretty. I’m still wondering what species it is. My friend told me that it was a solitary wasp of some kind, but he isn’t sure.
If it helps, there were some caterpillars hanging around our front yard, and my brother guessed it came from those. The caterpillars looked orange and fuzzy, and they were in a big group. Also, it could barely fly. I don’t know if it was just that one insect that had the problem, though. We haven’t seen any more of them around.
Thanks.
Signature: Lily
Polka-Dot Wasp Moth
Dear Lily,
This is a Polka-Dot Wasp Moth, Syntomeida epilais, and you were astute to draw the connection between it and the orange caterpillars that are most likely feeding on oleander. Your friend is not alone in mistaking this moth for a wasp. It is believe that the harmless moth has evolved to mimic a stinging wasp for protection.
Red Bug Who are you
Location: new paltz , newyork in bedroom of house
November 8, 2011 1:19 am
I found this bug in my house crawling on the wall of the bedroom
Its red.has a fat body. small head.. looked like 4 legs and 2 antenntas and was impossible to smush i had to use a pen to kill it but that didnt even kill it..
here a pic
it wasnt tiny. I could see it well it wasnt big neither
Signature: steve
Bed Bug
Dear Steve,
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we suspect that where there is one Bed Bug, they are most likely more Bed Bugs.
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Pigeon Horntail… I think.
Location: Westminster, Md
November 7, 2011 7:10 pm
From looking at other photos on this website I think that this is a Pigeon Horntail. Either way it was a cool looking bug and I wanted to share.
Signature: Billy
Pigeon Horntail
Hi Billy,
We are happy to hear you were able to identify your Pigeon Horntail by searching through our archives. Pigeon Horntails are Wood Wasps and the larvae are found burrowing in dead and dying trees. There are lighter and darker variations in coloration, and the lighter color of your individual is not as common, but it is documented on BugGuide.
World’s Smallest Butterfly
Location: Hawthorne, CA
November 7, 2011 11:27 pm
I was able to identify this tiny guy (about the size of a bottle fly) out at Bugguide today and thought I’d share it with you. It sat for about fifteen minutes feeding on the Bishops Flowers in the back yard. Such a little beauty. I’ve read it is the world’s smallest butterfly.
Signature: Thanks, Anna Carreon
Western Pygmy Blue
Hi Anna,
Your photos of a Western Pygmy Blue, Brephidium exilis, are quite lovely. Thanks so much for supplying our site with this new species and a statistic as well. According to Charles Hogue in Insects of the Los Angeles Basin: “This is one of the world’s smallest butterflies; the wing expanse of even the largest individuals barely exceeds 1/2 inch (13 mm). … The Pygmy Blue is seen mainly in wild areas, especially where the salt-loving food plants grow – in alkaline valleys and flats, in coastal salt marshes, and along beach bluffs.” Jeffrey Glassberg, in his book Butterflies Through Binoculars The West, writes: “The smallest butterfly in North America.” According to BugGuide, the Western Pygmy Blue is “ The smallest butterfly in our area.” We are not certain where your smallest butterfly in the world statistic came from.
Western Pygmy Blue
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for the compliment. I read about it being the smallest in the world in a few places, none of them specialists in butterflies. I used that subject title because I was sure it would catch your eye!
Anna
Ed. Note: We wonder how it was determined that the Western Pygmy Blue is the smallest butterfly in North America. Was it an average? or perhaps, was it the smallest individual documented?
Look what almost burned up with the dead perennials!
Location: Naperville, IL
November 7, 2011 1:47 pm
Dear Daniel~
I am sad that bug season is coming to an end here in Illinois, but at least I can continue to see all the wonderful specimens from more temperate climes, thanks to your web site. It is the time of year when I cut down my dead perennials and prune back some shrubs, most of which end up on my burn pile. I always come across a handful of mantis egg cases in the process, and this one was inches away from the flames when I noticed it. It’s attached to a yew branch, and I also have them this fall on a lilac stem, a raspberry cane and a wire garden fence. I’ve yet to find any on an actual dead perennial, which makes me wonder if the female mantis knows the difference. Have a lovely week!
Signature: -Dori Eldridge
Mantis Oothica
Hi Dori,
We are happy to hear that this Mantis Oothica or egg case was spared the flames because you found it before it was tossed onto the bonfire.
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