rss a strange bug
Location: Nord Italy
May 30, 2011 5:43 am
This small bug try to bit my neck.
The bug lenght is about 1.0cm
Signature: Giovanni Pegorer
Lady Beetle Larva
Hello Giovanni,
We don’t receive many identification requests from Italy. This is the larva of a Lady Beetle or Ladybug. Both adults and larvae are considered beneficial insects because of the large quantities of Aphids that they consume.
Small orange and black bug I haven’t seen before
Location: Southwest Virginia
May 10, 2011 12:42 pm
This morning, my Rose of Sharon bush was covered with these little guys. I’ve lived here all my life and never saw them before.
Signature: Rhea
Lady Beetle Larva
Dear Rhea,
Its presence in prodigious numbers is an indication that this Lady Beetle Larva has a plentiful food source which has been feeding on your Rose of Sharon. Both adult and larval Lady Beetles, erroneously called Lady Bugs, feed on Aphids and other plant pests, so it is actually a cure for your plant and not the problem.
April 20, 2011
Gentle Readers,
We will be on holiday through the beginning of next week. We have postdated some interesting letters and photos to go live daily during our absence to keep you entertained, however, we will not be responding to any emails. In honor of our trip to Ohio, we have used an image from our archives of mating Convergent Lady Beetles, the Ohio State Insect, to illustrate this post.
Mating Convergent Lady Beetles
Standoff on the Kitchen Sink
Location:Tennessee
March 2, 2011
Hi Daniel and Lisa,
Hope this finds you both well.
This afternoon there was a little drama in my kitchen…Lady Bird Beetle is still there, the Paper Wasp has left the building (well…the area).
My question is, was it the pungent odor of the “Ladybug,” or just no real interest on the part of the wasp that caused an end to the standoff? They danced around and around for nearly two hours without moving more than an inch in any direction.
Spring is springing up here in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. YES!!! Even the moths have begun their nightly flights.
More later, to be sure,
R.G. Marion
Lady Beetle and Paper Wasp
Hi R.G.,
It is nice to hear from you again. While this meeting may appear confrontational, we suspect it is just a matter of a chance meeting. Paper Wasps are nectar feeders that feed their larvae chewed and regurgitated insects, but the usual prey includes soft bodied insects like Caterpillars.
White Fuzzy Bug
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
December 28, 2010 12:05 am
I found several of these bugs crawling around a Ponga tree (fern-like tree native to New Zealand). They are between 2-4mm long. Any help identifying them would be greatly appreciated.
Signature: Karen
Mealy Bug Destroyer
Dear Karen,
We believe you have photographed the larva of a species of Lady Beetle known as the Mealy Bug Destroyer, a beneficial species native to Australia that has been imported to other locations, including Florida and California where it helps to control Mealy Bugs on citrus trees. This presents an interesting case of mimicry because the larva of the Mealy Bug Destroyer looks very similar to its prey, the Mealy Bug. The Mealy Bug Destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, is profiled on the Insects of Brisbane website and you may view an excellent photo of the larva on BugGuide. The Mealy Bug Destroyer is also found in New Zealand, and according to an internet source: “In New Zealand, the natural distribution of C. montrouzieri is currently restricted to the warmer areas of the country in the north of the North Island, as far south as Gisborne.”
Mealy Bug Destroyer
What kind of bug is this??
Location: Atlanta GA
November 5, 2010 8:00 am
Dear Bugman –
This morning, I found this little scary bug on my neck while making the kids breakfast. Can you tell me what it is?
It is about the size of my pinky nail in length but skinnier.
Signature: Wimpy Dad
Ladybug Larva
Dear Wimpy Dad,
We field so many identification requests for this creature and people are generally amazed to learn that this is the larval form of the familiar Lady Beetle or Ladybug.
Parasitic invasion!!
Location: Missouri
November 7, 2010 8:28 pm
Bugman,
I wanted to share with you an extremely poor picture I took…however the content makes it a keeper. I’m sure you get plenty, but this is my first. I believe this to be a parasite infested Lady Beetle. It was pretty much dead, though still moving a bit (probably from the parasites?). Anyway, I’d love to get your confirmation on my suspicions regarding the parasites and also if you have any guess as to what may have infected the beetle. Thanks
Also, I didn’t even notice the parasites until I started editing….as these were shot at around 3:1 magnification, the parasites were too small to see with the human eye (or at least my eyes). If I had known, I would have shot some better pictures…but I just thought it was a dead beetle.
Signature: Nathanael Siders
Fungus on a Ladybug
Hi Nathanael,
We thought this looked like a Fungus that had gotten the best of this Lady Beetle, and when we searched BugGuide we found a section on Ladybugs with Laboulbeniales fungi. BugGuide has a photo that illustrates an especially virulent example with this information: “This is a fantastic photo. The fungus is a member of Laboulbeniales, under the genus Hesperomyces. Almost 100% positive it is Hesperomyces virescens as I do not know of other species that grow on Harmonia. Hesperomyces occurs on all sorts of coccinellids (and a Scymnus from New Zealand), including Harmonia, Hippodamia, etc. As for the rest of the pictures linked here that are on Harmonia, the infections are almost certainly all H. virescens. Would be happy to help in IDs of Laboulbeniales in the future.
Monica Hughes”
That is very interesting. I have never seen anything like this before and thought this might be something similar to the work of a parasitic wasp of some kind. Thank you for the correction on the true nature of this situation and now I have some new interesting things to read up on with the fungus taking over insects.
new bug at my house
Location: Nashville TN
October 25, 2010 11:32 am
There is this weird bug that has appeared at my house. They are all over the place. They are around a quarter inch in length.
Signature: Katherine
Ladybird Beetle Larva
Hi Katherine,
The Ladybird Beetle, or Ladybug as it is more commonly called, is arguably one of the most recognized and best loved bugs, but few people would connect this alligator-like, aphid eating larva as the same insect. After completing its metamorphosis, this Ladybird Larva will be considerably more recognizable.
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