High quality grapevine beetle photos, and eastern bloodsucking conenose (I think)
July 2, 2010
Hey bugman,
the other night I was outside taking photos of the Conenose (I believe courtesy of bugguide, thats what it is), which was sitting beside the outside light, when I suddenly heard loud buzzing. I turned around and saw what I thought to be a large june beetle and after a few rather pathetic attempts to grab it as it was flying I finally made a good attempt and caught what turned out to be a grapevine beetle instead. I was so happy as I had never found a grapevine beetle and had always wanted to. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoy your website.
Michael Davis

Seymour (just south of Knoxville), Tennessee zip code 37865

Eastern Blood-Sucking Conenose Bug

Hi Michael,
Thanks for sending us your high quality photos.  We will be uploading your photos in separate postings to simplify our archives.  Our readership will benefit from your excellent image of an Eastern Blood-Sucking Conenose Bug, Triatoma sanguisuga, which is profiled on BugGuide.

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Little bug, big pain!
June 15, 2010
I have lived both in the city and now in the country, so I have had my share of bugs. This guy though is new to me. I have looked all over and I cannot find out what this is. I have only seen two ever, and I have not seen one since the event. My little girl was sitting on the floor and suddenly screamed. This little bug ran from her and she said it bit her. It didn’t actually bite her, but it did sting her. There was a little puncture wound in her had from it. I watched her carefully and no adverse signs ever appeared. The hole was there in her hand for several days. I have been curious ever since as to what exactly this little guy is. I am sorry the pictures aren’t better, but I hope you can tell me what it is. The one thing is the little stinger came out of the back , but it fell off by the time I took the photos.Thank You.
M.Mason
Caroline County, VA

Black May Beetle Eater

Dear M Mason,
Your daughter was bitten by a Bloodsucking Conenose in the genus Triatoma, but the coloration does not match any of the species posted to BugGuide.  The portion of the abdomen that shows at the edge of the wings is striped in the Eastern Bloodsucking Conenose, Triatoma sanguisuga, but in your individual, the abdomen is a solid red.  The Bloodsucking Conenose bites, and it does not have a stinger.  Your bug is missing its head.  You can compare your individual to the members of the genus depicted on BugGuide.

Black May Beetle Eater

Update:  June 23, 2010
Thanks to Karl’s comment, we now know that this is a Black May Beetle Eater, Melanolestes pincipes, one of the Corsair Assassin Bugs.

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Mating Wheel Bugs
June 11, 2010
Hello Bugman,
I know what these are, but I thought you’d like to add these photos to your Bug Love page. The happy couple were outside the door to my apartment, not shy about who was watching!
Sam ~ a big fan, and a friend to bugs
Junction City, KS

Mating Wheel Bugs

Hi Sam,
Thank you so much for sending us your wonderfully detailed images of mating Wheel Bugs, the largest North American Assassin Bugs.

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Red Beetle Bug
June 5, 2010
I found this beetle in my back yard on Maui today and have never seen it before. Can you tell me what kind of beetle bug it is?
Rachael Ray
Waikapu, Maui

Assassin Bug

Hi Rachael,
WE received another image of this Assassin Bug a few months ago, and this is what Entomologist Frank Howarth from the Hawaii Biological Survey had to say:  “The bug is the assassin bug, Haematoloecha rubescens Distant, 1883 (family Reduviidae).  This species arrived in Hawaii in the 1970s from tropical Asia probably as a stowaway.  It is apparently a specialist predator of millipedes, especially the alien flat-back millipedes (family Paradoxosomatidae).“

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