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Orange and Black Mystery Beetle in TX
November 18, 2009
Found this colorful beetle tonight; size a little smaller than a dime, mostly orange with black head and markings. He was moving fast so sorry not a better photo.
11/18/09
Evelyn W.
Joshua (South Fort Worth),TX
Earth Boring Dung Beetle
Hi Evelyn,
Despite the rather poor quality of your photo, it is easy to identify your beetle as an Earth Boring Dung Beetle in the genus Bolbocerosoma. Better images are available on BugGuide.
Is this a Rain Beetle?
November 18, 2009
Just found in the pool flailing around on top of the water — it looks like the other Rain Beetle pictures on your site and thought I’d ask if that’s what this is to confirm. One picture is on top of the net I got it out of the pool with. The other is on the ground. We had rain last night and everything is still sort of wet around here today. Thanks!
Elaine
Rural Windsor, California (North of Santa Rosa)
Rain Beetle
Dear Elaine,
You are absolutely correct. We are happy that our website was helpful with your Rain Beetle identification. This is the second submission of Rain Beetles we are posting from yesterday.
Rain Beetle
rain beetle photos
November 18, 2009
I came to your site to find out what these are. and now i know, thanks! Here’s the photos i was going to use, enjoy!
dr
northern ca. foothills
Rain Beetle
Hi dr,
Thanks so much for the Rain Beetle photos. We also believe the LA Time article we read this past May is once again live on the website. It is a wonderful account of an encounter with Rain Beetles. One of the chapters in our book has to do with insects and weather, and we are going to be writing about the Rain Beetles of the California Sierras. Since we only have twelve days to finish the manuscript, we may write that chapter next.
Rain Beetle
Bug carcass
November 15, 2009
This bug carcass was found yesterday as is, head and thorax missing. It was in the mulch of a large planter containing a small tree. I have never seen a bug as big as this in my area, living or dead before. I wish I could have seen a live one. Date found 11.14.09.
Fiona
Fairfax, Virginia (Washington DC suburbs)
Decapitated Eastern Hercules Beetle
Hi Fiona,
This is a decapitated Eastern Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus. Usually, if a predator like a bird happens to capture a beetle like this, it will eat the body where all the fatty nourishment is, and leave the head. This is a mysterious death. We posted a photo of a decapitated head of an Eastern Hercules Beetle several years ago.
Large Beetle
November 14, 2009
This beetle was found by my wife’s student in a cluster with 20 or so others inside an oak tree that fell during Hurricane Ike. It’s very large, roughly the length of an adult thumb, but with much more girth.
Eastern Hercules Beetle Pupa
It was so interesting that the police and rescue workers who were working the area took some of them as well, as no one had ever seen anything like them before.
These are the best pictures of the group my wife snapped.. Any idea?
Thanks alot!
Scott Hildenbrand
South Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Hercules Beelte Pupa
Hi Scott,
Based on the size, we believe you have found a veritable treasure trove of Eastern Hercules Beetle pupae, Dynastes tityus. We hope you will allow them to mature and procreate. This is probably North America’s heaviest beetle. We will consult with Eric Eaton to see if he agrees with our identification.
Eastern Hercules Beetle Pupa
Tribal-Designed Cockroach/Beetle
November 15, 2009
We found this creature on the shower curtain in the bathroom. Screaming rang through the house. This thing however remained very still, even when he was placed in a bottle.
It’s black with orange and green-brown tribal-like design throughout it’s body. At the top of it’s hard-like wings, it’s very bumpy – either holes or bumps. It’s body is three inches long, including its head. EXTREMELY LONG antennae – they bend into the top of the cover. 2 very long front legs, 4 other legs. It’s underside is like a cockroach’s.
We don’t know if it’s a cockroach or beetle, and we’re not sure if it’s poisonous or not (we have a 5 yr old kid).
We’ve looked everywhere, but no one and no website seems to know. Please help.
WildFire
Trinidad, West Indies
Harlequin Beetle
Dear WildFire,
This is a Harlequin Beetle, Acrocinus longimanus, one of the Long Horned Borer Beetles in the family Cerambycidae. It has no venom, so it is not considered dangerous, though we caution about calling it perfectly harmless. Like other members of its family, its larval stage is spent boring in wood, and the larva also pupates in its wooden chamber. The adult beetle needs to escape this wooden nursery, and its jaws are well adapted to chewing its way out. They could deliver a painful bite, and possibly cause bleeding, especially to a five year olds soft skin. We would encourage you to release this noble insect so that it may find a mate and procreate.
Thank you for your reply. I find it very strange since I’ve been living here for twelve years and I have never seen one of these before. Can you possibly tell me the origin of these beetles? And what they feed on, perhaps?
Thanks again.
WildFire.
Dear Wildfire,
The following information comes from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: “large tropical American beetle with an elaborate variegated pattern of black with muted red and greenish yellow markings on its wing covers.
The common name refers to the beetle’s gaudy pattern; the Latin longimanus of the species name refers to the extremely long forelegs of the males. These legs are usually longer than the beetle’s entire body, which can measure nearly 76 mm (3 inches). In addition to serving as a sexual advertisement to females, the long legs help the males to traverse the branches of trees (the beetles fly as well as crawl). Despite the seemingly conspicuous colours, the harlequin hides itself effectively among the lichen- and fungus-covered trunks of tropical woods such as fig trees.
Ranging from Mexico to South America, this beautiful beetle feeds on sap and lays its eggs on the trunks of dead or dying trees. It is active during the day but can be attracted to lights at night. Females prefer to lay their eggs on trunks and logs with bracket fungus, which provides excellent camouflage. Before laying, the female gnaws an incision about 20 mm (0.8 inch) wide and 7.6 mm (0.3 inch) deep in the bark. She will lay 15 to 20 eggs over the course of two to three days. When the larvae hatch, they bore into the wood. When they mature at seven to eight months, the 13-cm (5-inch) larvae tunnel further, where they dig a cell in which to pupate. The adult beetle emerges four months later, gnawing its way out of the wood. The life cycle is annual.
The harlequin beetle’s body often hosts a species of tiny arachnids known as pseudoscorpions (Cordylochernes scorpioides), which live beneath the harlequin’s colourful wing covers. The minute pseudoscorpions use the beetle for transport to new food sources and as a way to meet potential mates. To keep from falling off when the beetle flies, they attach themselves to the harlequin’s abdomen with silken threads spun from pincherlike glands in their claws. When they arrive at a suitable new site, they anchor to their destination with a new strand of silk and slide off the beetle.
Harlequin beetles belong to the long-horned beetle family, Cerambycidae.“
would like to learn more
November 13, 2009
We have found these things while camping in the rocky mountains (Wyoming) quite often. Some of them are almost three inches long with antenae. They can “sorta” fly but its pretty slow and clumsy. The white mottling seems a little bit unique to each individual.
They are nonviolent, but I cought one in my hand one time and it poked a hole in my hand, or bit me real deep (not poisonous but right into a palm tendon). It hurt for a good week. Is this a pine borer? They are neat.
Interested Campers
Snowy Range and Big Horn Mountains, WY
White Spotted Sawyer
Dear Interested Campers,
This is a Long Horned Borer Beetle in the genus Monochamus, most like Monochamus scutellatus, the White Spotted Sawyer. They range over much of North America. According to BugGuide, common hosts are Balsam fir, spruces and white pine.
Looks and acts like a “Junebug”, but comes in the Fall around here
November 12, 2009
Two people have told me these bugs, which are large, clumsy and hit the window at night, are “pine beetles” or “pine borers”, which I have a hard time believing. We do live amongst a lot of oaks, cedars, yews, spruce, etc., but these guys act and look like June bugs and will not be around long.
Rhoni Lawrence
Sierra Nevada foothills, N. California, 2400 ft.
Rain Beetle
Hi Rhoni,
These are most definitely Rain Beetles in the family Pleocomidae, an unusual group of beetles with fascinating life histories. Only the males are able to fly, and female Rain Beetles live many feet underground. Males emerge from the ground after a rain and fly off in search of a mate. There are many species of Rain Beetles, but their individual ranges are quite limited, and an expert is required to distinguish one species from another. There are some nice images on BugGuide. We read an awesome article about Rain Beetles in the LA Times this spring, but alas, the link online indicates that there is scheduled maintenance on the site and we are uncertain when it will be available. In lieu of not being able to link to the LA Times article, we are linking to a Bay Nature website with some information.
Rain Beetles
jumping sand bug
November 12, 2009
I found this bug while walking on the beach in galveston, texas. They were jumping everywhere like fleas! They are over a centimeter long. Their undersides are metallic green, from the top they are brown with a whitish pattern
Michelle D.
Gelveston, TX, USA
Schaupp's Tiger Beetle
Hi Michelle,
This is a beneficial predatory Tiger Beetle. We believe, based on images and information posted to BugGuide, that this is Schaupp’s Tiger Beetle, Cicindela schauppii. It is found in Texas and Oklahoma in sandy and gravelly areas with limestone outcrops. Sightings are primarily in the autumn. We hope the individual in your photo died of natural causes.
black beetle-like insect with very large abdomen
November 10, 2009
We found 5 of these insects on the under side of our recycling bin. The largest was 3 inches long. We live in Portland Oregon, and it is November. The insects were sluggish, and appeared semi dormant. I wondered if they were a larval stage of another insect.
Heather in Portland
Portland, OR
Oil Beetle
Hi Heather,
Though it looks rather like a larva, this is an adult Oil Beetle in the genus Meloe, one of the Blister Beetles.
Chinese beetle
November 10, 2009
Hello,
I saw these on a (low) hill path in Zhongshan in China yesterday and wondered what they are? Is it mother and child or a male/female couple? Thanks
Neil
Zhongshan city, GuangDong, CHina
Chinese Longhorn Beetles
Hi Neil,
The markings on your beetles are different than those on examples of Mango Stem Borers, Batocera rufomaculata, that we have posted previously, but there are enough similarities for us to question if this is perhaps a regional variation. Your beetles might be a closely related species in the genus Batocera, like perhaps Batocera davidis, or perhaps a member of another genus in the Long Horned Borer family Cerambycidae. In our opinion, this is a couple. Perhaps one of our readers can assist in this identification.
Update from Karl
Hi Daniel:
They are definitely a Batocera species (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Batocerini) but not B. rufomaculata. There are several similar looking species in Asia, but as far as I can tell only B. davidis and B. rubus occur in China. The B. davidis photo that you linked to does look very much like the ones in Neil’s photo, but most images of B. davidis do not show the prominent white spots on the elytra. This could be an example of regional variation, or it could be another case of misidentified photos on the web. On the other hand, there are numerous postings of B. rubus and they all appear very similar. For comparison, the ‘Siam Insect-Zoo & Museum’ site has excellent photos and descriptions of all the species mentioned here. I think I have to go with B. rubus. Coincidentally, I also came across a photo of mating B. rubus (subspecies mniszechi) from the Philippines that is remarkably similar to the one posted by Neil. Regards.
Karl
Tropical click beetles
November 9, 2009
This click beetle arrived on my verandah the other day. Even after more than 50 years in the tropics I had not seen it before. It was almost 2″ long. 200feet elevation and 600 feet from the sea.Semi residential area with a lot of trees.
JohnK
St.Lucia West Indies
Click Beetle
Hi JohnK,
Since we have a train to catch to get to work, we haven’t the time to research a species for your lovely Click Beetle. Perhaps one of our readers can supply a species name.
Update from Karl
Hi Daniel:
I am fairly certain that this click beetle belongs to the genus Chalcolepidius (Elateridae: Agrypninae); probably C. validus. The species is endemic to the Lesser Antilles south of Guadeloupe and parts of northeastern South America. I couldn’t find an easy link to a reference photo, but if you go to the ‘Scielo Brazil’ website you will find an excellent document that provides a good synopsis for the genus and this species; as well as a photo (look for Figure 83). Regards.
Karl
