Unidentified fly (?) in AZ
Fri, May 22, 2009 at 5:11 PM
Found this evening while pruning hybrid Chilean mesquite; overall length is ~16mm. Compared with images from your website, but could not find any matches. Any idea what it might be?
AJ
Phoenix, AZ
Metallic Wood Boring Beetle
Hi AJ,
This isn’t a fly, which might explain your difficulty with the identification. It is a Metallic Wood Boring Beetle in the family Buprestidae. We believe it is in the genus Chrysobothris. BugGuide pictures a group from this genus known as the femorata species group, and there is a photo from Arizona that looks quite close to your specimen. We are not sure if Eric Eaton will be able to respond to us at the moment, but we will contact him for his opinion. The second insect in your first photo is an immature Assassin Bug, probably in the genus Zelus.
Metallic Wood Boring Beetle
Daniel:
I don’t even know if that buprestid is a Chrysobothris. I’ll try and get folks on Entomo-l listserv to respond to you, but it is the holiday weekend, of course….
Eric
Orange Bug
Sun, May 10, 2009 at 8:34 AMMany immature and adults seen on podocarpus in central Florida. This shrub has had a problem with aphids. The adults flew readily when approached. The immature just crawled around. Adults are about 3/4 inch long.
Eric
Central Florida
Milkweed Assassin Bug
Hi Eric,
This is an immature Milkweed Assassin Bug and it is a beneficial predator. The fact that the podocarpus has Aphids is a good indication that the Milkweed Assassin Bugs are feeding on the Aphids. Adult Milkweed Assassin Bugs have wings. We are very happy to have images of both immature and adult Milkweed Assassin Bugs to post with your letter. Handle Milkweed Assassin Bugs with care as they are capable of biting and will do so if mishandled.
Milkweed Assassin Bug
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Posted 11 May 2009
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sharing a conjugal assassination
Wed, May 6, 2009 at 12:27 AM
Hi WTB?!!
First let me say that I love your site! I use it all the time to find out what kind of critters I come across in my random days. AWESOME! While this is not a request for identification, I thought I’d share a nifty story about my first encounter with an 8-Spotted Forrester Moth. This was the only way to share the photos.
In March of 08 it was really windy as per usual, but I was bound and determined to take pictures of bugs. I was very excited to find a very colorful “butterfly” on one of the trees lining my driveway. Those trees are great as they have LOTS of flowers in the springtime and attract many bees and fluttery things for me to enjoy and photo. Well this little beauty seemed to be stuck somehow and didn’t/couldn’t fly away like they normally do when I get so close. Being one to take advantage of a situation I snipped the tip of the branch and brought it inside so I could get a better, calmer view.
Ambush Bugs eat Eight Spotted Forrester
Imagine my surprise when I followed the tongue of my “butterfly” down through the flowers into the mighty grip of a little female assassin! WOW! It was VERRRY windy that day so she must have been holding on insanely tight! Being as the (later identified) moth was already caught and most of the damage done I decided to let the macabre show play out and see what kinds of pictures I could get. Well they’re not quite the quality I was hoping for, but they’re clear enough to tell a story and get a point across. In the first diptych you can see her hanging on to the tongue (left) while he takes the lion’s share (right). In the second image was the “adults only” portion of the show where she was allowed to get hers while he *ahem* “got his”. The excitement of that capture was apparently great enough that he just couldn’t wait. And because they are so difficult to see amid the flowers the third image shows him strutting his stuff across the edge of a leaf as victor and stud.
Hope you enjoyed as much as I did. Creepy though it was, it was still way neat-o to see! the assassins were put back outside afterward to continue doing what they do. Unfortunately 1 moth was harmed in the process of making these photos, but that’s how nature rolls!
Mary in Magnolia, Texas
South-East Texas
Ambush Bugs eat Eight Spotted Forrester
Dear Mary,
Thanks so much for your graphic photos and riveting first hand, eye witness account of this mating and food chain marvel. We only have one slight correction. The amorous hungry couple are Assassin Bugs, but they are in the Ambush Bug subfamily Phymatinae . It was not until we searched BugGuide that we became aware of the taxonomic change as Phymatidae was once a distinct family. Thanks for providing this wonderful cross-tagged submission.
Ambush Bug
Orange bug with striped legs
Sat, Apr 11, 2009 at 6:45 AM I have found several orange bugs about 1/4″ in length in my house. They appear to have wings and 6 legs with yellow/black stripes on them. They have 2 antennas well. I found them crawling on the edges of doors. Any info you can provide would be great. Thanks!
Lauren
Ellicott City, Maryland
Assassin Bug: Unnecessary Carnage
Hi Lauren,
This is an Assassin Bug, Pselliopus barberi, and the species has no common name. It appears as though your specimen was squashed in a tissue, and this was an example of Unnecessary Carnage, since this insect is a beneficial predator thay will not harm your home. If mishandled, it may bite.
6 legged orange butt black leggs
Fri, Apr 10, 2009 at 9:05 AM
Hi, My name is Sonya and I noticed these bugs on my October Maple tree about 2-3 weeks ago. I live in the Charleston South Carolina area. There is a grouping of these small 6 black legged bugs with orange butts. They tend to stay grouped together but you can find smaller groups of 2-3 in other areas of the tree. I also noted today that there was 2 larger ones that were different colors, mostly orange and some yellow with little to no black on them, they appeared to be mating with some smaller bugs with no orange on them, just black and smaller butts. When I went out with the camera a couple of hours later, after finding this site, I couldn’t find the different ones. Also since I’ve first noted the bugs their butts have changed slightly and now appear to have small black dots in the center of the rear. They also have a small nest of sorts that is dripping stuff down the tree.
Wheel Bug Eggs and Hatchlings
I hope this is descriptive enough. Thank you very much for your help. I’ve lived in SC my whole life and don’t recall ever seeing these bugs before.
Sonya in SC
South East
Wheel Bug Hatchlings
Hi Sonya,
These are newly hatched Hemipterans, or True Bugs. It is often very difficult to properly identify hatchlings, but we believe these are Wheel Bugs a type of Assassin Bug. Wheel Bugs, Arilus cristatus, are predators. The nest you noticed are the eggs laid in a distinctive cluster by the female Wheel Bug. The hatchlings stay together for a very short time and then they go rogue to hunt alone. You can compare your specimens to this photo on BugGuide. The one thing that would make us suspect these may be some other Hemipteran is that in one of your photos, the hatchlings appear to be feeding off of tree sap. We are uncertain if perhaps immature Wheel Bugs may be attracted to certain plant juices.
Wheel Bug Hatchlings
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Posted 11 April 2009
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mystery bug #1
Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 6:39 PM
Greetings! And thanks in advance for your help with this. I first noticed this sort of bug after Hurricane Ivan blew through the Florida Panhandle a few years back. They are plentiful in the summer, eating my tomatoes, among other things. I noticed this one today. It has a long black proboscis tucked under its head, a bright red narrow body, and has white dots on its back. What a beautiful creature! I hope you can see the long slender black legs and antennae. In the side view, the proboscis is highlighted in the light and looks white, but it is black. the body length is approximately 1 cm, and width about 3 mm. I am curious if this bug changes color throughout its life cycle because I have seen bright orange ones as well. Thanks again- I am looking forward to hearing from you!
Miriam Craft
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Immature Milkweed Assassin Bug
Mystery bug #2
Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 6:49 PM
Mystery bug #2
Here’s another one I saw this morning. This one is new to me. The picture shows iridescent wings in green and black, a bright orange and black body with long slender black legs and antennae. I got him on my glove, but couldn’t see if he had a proboscis before he flew away. I am also curious as to the life stages of this insect, and corresponding colors. Thanks again!
Miriam Craft
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Milkweed Assassin Bug
Hi Miriam,
Both of your photos are the same species. You have a flightless nymph and winged adult Milkweed Assassin Bug, Zelus longipes, a predatory species that is capable of inflicting a painful bit if carelessly handled. Its coloration is quite distinctive and it is found in the Southern states. You may read more about the species on BugGuide.
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Posted 08 March 2009
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Assassin bug?
Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 8:07 AM
Hi bugman,
Think its an assassin bug but wondering if you can get it down to species or family level. Found it near a shore location (near the sea) on an island in Singapore. It was fast moving and I didn’t want to provoke it lest it bite me with that stinger. Singapore is south of Malaysia, located on the equator. Also caught one today, but photo is unavailable yet. Do you have any links on tropical assassin bug websites? Thanks!
Cheers, mins
Singapore
Unknown Assassin Bug from Singapore
Hi mins,
This is an Assassin Bug, but it is past midnight and we have an early call tomorrow. We cannot take the time to identify the species tonight, but perhaps one of our readers will provide a comment or write back to us with an identification.
Little fat dirty bug
Sat, Feb 28, 2009 at 1:30 PM
I found this on my front porch. It was skittish, sluggish runner, but not exactly slow. I have seen one other of these, and they cover themselves with dirt, sand, and look moldy & or dirty!
It’s new to me, I don’t even know what category to look under, it’s not a beetle, has no wings, etc. I am very interested in knowing what it is!
Lisa Gerard
Billings, MT
Immature Masked Hunter
Hi Lisa,
This is an immature Masked Hunter, Reduvius personatus. It is interesting that you mention the insect being fat because if does look fatter than most specimens we receive, however it is a very close match to one image posted to BugGuide. We are not used to seeing them covered in sand as most specimens sent to us for identification are found indoors and they are covered in lint. According to BugGuide: “Nymphs cover themselves with dust, lint, sand, and other debris – which usually matches the color of their immediate surroundings and makes the nymphs difficult to detect” and “the sticky body surface of the nymph accumulates a coating of dust, lint, sand, etcetera, which masks the presence of the predatory nymph .” Masked Hunters feed on a variety of insects. They are Assassin Bugs and will inflict a painful bite if mishandled, but they are not aggressive. We are happy to inform you that your letter and photo will be featured all month as our Bug of the Month for March 2009.
Immature Masked Hunter
Unknown Bug
Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 2:25 PM
I saw this bug on top of an aircraft wing and took this picture. I scooped it up on some paper and was looking at it. It had a very long neck with eyes on the end. After some fun, I took it to an open doorway to set it free – only to discover that it had wings hidden along its back. The bug took off and scared the breath out of me! I have some additional pics that I will locate and send… The bug is about 3 inches long
Just Wondering
Saint Louis
Wheel Bug
Dear Just Wondering,
We are guessing that this Wheel Bug is not a recent sighting. Wheel Bugs are large Assassin Bugs and they are predators. All of our information indicates that while they are not aggressive, the bite of a Wheel Bug is quite painful, so they should be handled with care.
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Posted 24 February 2009
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Assassin bug
Sat, Feb 14, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Sear sirs,
I was trying to identify a bug that I took a photo of this morning. He was eating a small ant. Based on my search for a red bug with white spots I found your web and Id’ it as an Assassin bug.
Thanks!
Chris
Baton Rouge La
Milkweed Assassin Bug Nymph
Hi Chris,
This is an immature Milkweed Assassin Bug, Zelus longipes. Though there is another small winged insect in your photo, the Assassin Bug does not appear to be feeding.
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Posted 20 February 2009
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Some kind of Leaf Footed Bug?
Sun, Feb 8, 2009 at 11:55 PM
I’ve found the attached bug on one of my rose bushes and on a pine tree. I can’t seem to figure out what kind of bug it is. Any help would be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Greg R.
Bristow, VA
Wheel Bug Nymph
Hi Greg,
Often the identification of immature insects can be very difficult and your specimen is a nymph. It is not a Leaf Footed Bug, but rather an Assassin Bug. We are relatively certain this is a Wheel Bug, one of the larger Assassin Bugs that is quite distinctive as an adult because of the coglike “wheel” on the thorax that is not evident in the nymph. Assassin Bugs are beneficial predators, but they will also bite humans if mishandled, and the bite is quite painful.
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Posted 09 February 2009
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Unknown Assassin with unknown wasp while mites hitch a ride (aussietrev)
Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 9:40 PM
Hi guys,
Found this tableau on a grass stem. The only thing I know ID for are the red mites on the assassin bug. Both the bug and the wasp are quite tiny. Any ideas anyone?
aussietrev
Queensland, Australia
Assassin Bug with prey and Mites
Hi Trevor,
Sorry for the delay, but we have had a crazy busy week. While we agree with the Assassin Bug and Mites, we are unable to identify the species. We are not convinced the prey is a Wasp. It almost looks like another Hemipteran. We will see if Eric Eaton thinks Hemipteran or Hymenopteran.
Confirmation:
I agree with you, Daniel, the victim here is another hemipteran, something in the family Rhyparochromidae most likely.
Eric
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