Brown/tan lady beetle?
Location: North Carolina
March 28, 2011 11:00 am
Hi! My daughter found a tan/brown beetle curled up ”playing dead” on our kitchen floor this morning and I’ve been searching online for almost an hour trying to identify it. We live in NC and though it is freezing/rainy today, the weather has been warm and pleasant and even into the 80’s in the past week.
Signature: Heather Taylor
Leaf Beetle
Carpet Beetle
Really? I didn’t think it really looked enough like any of the ones I saw online. That’s a bad thing, right? Should I be panicking….
Thanks for your help!
Heather Taylor
Hi Heather,
Thanks for writing back and questioning our quickly returned, but incorrect response that this was a Carpet Beetle. It is not a Carpet Beetle, but rather a Leaf Beetle in the genus Calligrapha (see BugGuide). Sometimes in our attempts to answer as many identification requests as possible, we cut corners. We saw your first blurry image and read your letter and Carpet Beetle seemed correct. Enlarging your second image revealed our error. Please accept our apology. You do not need to panic that this outdoor dweller found its way into your home, however, when these Leaf Beetles are especially numerous, they might defoliate the host plants.
Well, I feel good that I asked, then. Thanks so much for writing back again. My daughter will be excited that she has located yet another different type of bug. It can definitely be very challenging to identify some of them as it takes me pouring over the internet sites to find pix. No worries! I appreciate all your help, especially the link to the Bug Guide.
Heather
¶ Posted 28 March 2011 § ‡ ° Green Metal Beetle
Location: Penang, Malaysia
March 27, 2011 11:24 pm
Hi Bugman!
I’ve developed an interesting hobby which is macrography but most of the time I’ve failed to identify the bugs within the photo because didn’t have much information on them. I’ve hope that I could learn more of this lovely insects and hopefully share my photos for all to enjoy 
Signature: mysticz
Frog Legged Leaf Beetle
Dear mysticz,
This is some species of Flea Beetle in the tribe Alticini. Flea Beetles are in the Leaf Beetle family Chrysomelidae and the feed upon the leaves of plants. Many Leaf Beetles are very host specific and many are considered agricultural pests. We are going to try to research the exact species of Flea Beetle in your photo. We did find a photo of your beetle on TrekNature, and it was photographed in Malaysia, but the species is not identified, and though it is identified as a Leaf Beetle, it is classified in a different subfamily. We believe our Tribe identification to be correct, though we might be wrong. TrekNature indicates: “in reality I think the local call it ‘Kumbang Hijau’ of equivalent to green beetle.” We also found a photo of a similar beetle identified as a Frog Legged Beetle, Sagra buqueti, on the pharmasiana website, but that posting is riddled with incorrect information, beginning with the classification in the order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) rather than Coleoptera (beetles), however we are going to pursue that information to see if we can get verification from a credible website. God of Insects shows a Malaysian Frog Legged Beetle pair, Sagra buqueti, and the taxonomy is family Chrysomelidae. The contrary information is on ZipCode Zoo where Sagra buqueti is identified as a Sphinx Moth. The metallic coloration on the beetle images of Sagra buqueti differs from the green of your specimen, but they do look similar and we believe they may be closely related. Scrolling down the I Love Flower Beetles Blog will show a posting dated October 12, 2010 that profiles the Frog Beetles and a video is included. We believe we hit upon the correct ID, again on TrekNature, where a beetle identified as Sagra femorata looks identical to your beetle, down to the color. There is a photo of a dead specimen on the Southeast Asian Beetles page of Beetle Diversity. God of Insects calls Sagra femorata a Frog Legged Beetle and indicates it comes in variable color forms, including blue, green, red and magenta. We end our search satisfied that this is a Frog Legged Leaf Beetle, Sagra femorata by linking to one final image on TrekNature.
Frog Legged Leaf Beetle
Mr Bugman,
Thank you so much for the identification, love and will continue to support your site.
b.rgds
mysticz
weird totally strange insect w over the top HAIR DO
Location: KUCHING MALAYSIA NEAR SARAWAK RIVER
February 7, 2011 1:59 pm
HI, FOUND ABOUT 6 OF THESE MARVELOUS CREATURES ON A LEAF IN KUCHING MALAYSIA. DIDNT HOP AROUND THE WAY A LEAFHOOPER WOULD BUT HELD THEIR GROUND MORE LIKE STOUT CATERPILLARS AND WAVED THIS RASTA HAIR LIKE BRAIDS AROUND ABIT. SO WHAT THESE THINGS TURN INTO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES IN THE WORLD OR THEY JUST PLAIN SCARY.
Signature: HEIDEN999
Tortoise Beetle Larvae
Dear HEIDEN999,
These are Tortoise Beetle Larvae in the tribe Cassidini. Knowing the plant they were feeding upon might help to more easily identify the species. We have not had any luck finding an exact match to your species, but there are many similar looking examples in our archives and on the web.
hi daniel, thanks for the fast ID on my weird larvae. so they are tortoise beetles hey ..well these beautiful tortoise beetles happen to be close by perhaps this is an adult??? I have sent an attached image. it looks like they are feeding on the same type leaf. could this be a match??? thanks, gary heiden
Tortoise Beetle
Hi Gary,
Based on the information you have provided, we believe it is an excellent possibility that the adult Tortoise Beetle feeding on the same plant is the same species as the larvae. We could not locate a match on the World’s Best Photos of Cassidinae Flickr Hive Mind website.
Shiny bug
Location: Cambé – PR, Brazil
January 8, 2011 7:27 pm
This bug has a really shiny golden color.
The shot was taken with an iPhone4 and a magnifying glass, inside my car.
The insulfilm of the windows and my inexperience with photos takes the beauty of the bug away.I think it measures around 6mm.
Thank you for your time
Signature: Aloysio Paschoal
Tortoise Beetle
Hi again Aloysio,
This is some species of Tortoise Beetle in the tribe Cassidini.
Youre right,
searching for Tortoise Beetle on Google images I saw one identical on Panama.
Thank you
Aloysio
Thanks Aloysio,
We decided to complete our research. We found the Target Beetle, Ischnocodia annulus, on a FlickR profile website.
Seems like the especies could be Ischnocodia annulus.
Some links:
http://www.treknature.com/gallery/South_America/Brazil/photo118809.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/artour_a/240713658/
http://www.google.com.br/images?q=Ischnocodia%20annulus&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=pt-br&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=873
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Ischnocodia+annulus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brutamonte/3936814854/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/artour_a/240713658/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/artour_a/269789338/
Also found like Charidotis cincticulus:
http://www.biol.uni.wroc.pl/cassidae/katalog%20internetowy/charidotiscincticulus.htm
http://www.biol.uni.wroc.pl/cassidae/katalog%20internetowy/charidotiscincticulusfig.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/artour_a/4442649245/
2011/1/12 Aloysio Turrisi
Small Australian Beetle?
Location: Melbourne, Australia.
December 31, 2010 10:32 pm
I found this rather cute looking beetle on my loungeroom window and was wondering if someone could help me identify him. He is only small, about 2-3cms (approx an inch), can fly, and has very well gripping feet.
Signature: Sam.
Leaf Beetle
Hi Sam,
This is a Leaf Beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. This is a large family and many species look similar. We tried to find a match on the Brisbane Insect Website, and the closest we could come was that this might be a member of the genus Paropsis, sometimes called the Eucalypt Tortoise Beetles.
Jumping Beetle
Location: Hurricane, Utah
December 22, 2010 12:01 pm
I noticed this beetle on my kitchen table, and leaned closer to get a better look. It surprised me by hopping away, just like a flea-so I hunted it down hoping that wasn’t what it was. I found it, and it was not a flea, but a pretty coppery pink beetle. It is 2 mm long. I suspect it was brought in from the river near my house in Southern Utah. (I put it in a jar to get better looks in daylight but by morning it had died.)
Signature: Pam
Flea Beetle
Hi Pam,
This is a Flea Beetle, a member of a subfamily of Leaf Beetles, Chrysomelidae. The fact that you have both a dorsal and quasilateral view aids in that identification because of the enlarged rear femurs are plainly evident. We are currently in the kitchen trying to perfect a recipe for Farfala con Fungi Porcini after consulting with renowned chef and photographer Luca Loffredo, otherwise we would take the time to try to identify your Flea Beetle to the species level based on its physical appearance and range information available online on BugGuide. We did take the time to create a Flea Beetles subsubcategory because of your query.
P.S. We will post the recipe for Farfala con Fungi Porcini if it turns out well.
Flea Beetle
Update: We wonder if perhaps it might be a member of the genus Chaetocnema, based on images posted to BugGuide.
Recipe: Farfalla con Funghi Porcini
Update: Promised recipe for Farfalla con Funghi Porcini.
Thank you for your quick reply, I’d never heard of flea beetles and had fun looking through the other posts. I am experimenting with fudge recipes myself, the Farfala looks tasty, we might give it a try!
Thanks again, and have a good holiday!
Pam
Metallic Green Beetle?
Location: About 200’ elevation, 1 mile north of Oregon boarder and 40 miles from Pacific Ocean
November 23, 2010 1:59 pm
Hello,
This is a lady bug sized beetle that I found on a plant that I think is St. John’s Wort.
The grass seed was grabbed when capturing the insect. They seem to drop quickly from the plant they are on when they are being pursued.
I have not found any identification for this insect. There does not seem to be any damage to the plant from this insect. I have seen a dozen or so on a plant at one time. They seem to mostly be around the flower clusters before blooming.
You have my permission to use these images.
I would also appreciate a reply if you know what this is and if it is a beneficial or an insect that should be watched.
Thank you for your time,
Jim Koepke
Longview, WA
Signature: Jim Koepke
St. Johnswort Beetle
Dear Jim,
Your beetle is Chrysolina hyperici, commonly called the St. Johnswort Beetle. It is an introduced species, that according to BugGuide, can be found from “Nova Scotia to Ontario, plus British Columbia and adjacent parts of United States native to Europe and Asia.“ BugGuide also indicates: “Introduced to North America to control growth and spread of St. Johnswort, and to reduce the spread of native St. Johnswort disease (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) Adults are more tolerant of cooler and wetter summers than the related Chrysolina quadrigemina, whose larvae and adults are killed by May frosts, and whose adult dormancy is disrupted by summer rains.“ BugGuide describes its food and feeding habits as: “larvae feed during the night on shoot tips and basal and developing leaves of St. Johnswort (Hypericum spp.) adults feed in clusters during the day on flower buds and terminal leaves of St. Johnswort.“ The British Columbia Government Forest Practices Branch website has this information on this biological control agent : “Early spring larvae feedings on fleshy new growth cause the most damage. This timing is the controlling key. Although adult feeding can be impressive, it has less impact than larvae feeding. Heavy fall feeding may cause some impact on the plants ability to overwinter.“
St. Johnswort Beetle
¶ Posted 24 November 2010 § ‡ ° beetle to i.d/
Location: North Dallas, outdoors, dry weedy area
November 12, 2010 3:47 pm
I found this pretty beetle, smaller than a ladybird beetle, on
November 12, outdoors in dry weedy area — actually discovered crawling up my pants leg.
He/she is new to me, and I’d like to know the name.
Signature: r thomas
Sumac Flea Beetle
Dear r,
It took us a bit of searching before we were able to identify your Leaf Beetle as a Sumac Flea Beetle, Blepharida rhois, a species that BugGuide indicates is a variable species.
¶ Posted 13 November 2010 § ‡ ° 
rss
I like This
