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Two Longicorns from Thailand: Aristobia approximator and Cremnosterna carissima

lamiinae beetle antennae knobs.
March 30, 2010
im wondering what these knobs are for and if they have anything to do with sexing certain lamiinae??? these two beetles appear to be (Aristobia approximator) but one has no knobs.
gary heiden
n.e. thailand

aristobia approximator thailand gary 300x225 Two Longicorns from Thailand: Aristobia approximator and Cremnosterna carissima

Aristobia approximator

Dear gary,
Your beetle with the tufted antennae is definitely Aristobia approximator.  The antennae are sensory organs, and in many insects that release pheromones to attract a mate, the male has highly developed antennae so that he can locate a female for mating purposes.  Aristobia approximator can be found pictured on stamps from Laos, North Vietnam and Central Africa.  Your other beetle appears to be a different species.  WE found Aristobia approximator pictured on the Beetles from Thailand website, but we could not locate your other individual there.  We could not locate the mystery beetle on Inhdonesien Cerambycidae Seite 1 or the other three pages on that site.  Perhaps when Karl returns from Costa Rica, he will have more luck than us at an identification.

unknown bycid thailand gary 300x239 Two Longicorns from Thailand: Aristobia approximator and Cremnosterna carissima

Unknown Longicorn from Thailand is Cremnosterna carissima

Posted 31 March 2010 § Longhorn Beetles ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Flea Beetle: Disonycha leptolineata

Potato beetle?
March 29, 2010
Hello,
I recently found this guy in the woods behind my house. At first he lay on his back on played dead, but then he flipped over and crawled away. He looks kind of like a potato beetle, but I wasn’t sure at all.
Stephen C
Raleigh, NC

flea beetle stephen 300x206 Flea Beetle: Disonycha leptolineata

Flea Beetle

Hi Stephen,
The well developed femora of the rear leg identifies this as a Flea Beetle in the tribe Alticini of the Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle subfamily Galerucinae.  We believe it is Disonycha leptolineata based on images posted to BugGuide.

Wow, thank you very much!  Your site is really amazing, and it’s cool to get a response so quickly, too!  By the way, here is a picture of him playing ‘possum, in case you’re interested.

flea beetle steve 300x253 Flea Beetle: Disonycha leptolineata

Flea Beetle

Posted 29 March 2010 § Leaf Beetles ‡ Comments (0) °

Master Blister Beetle

Is this a Longhorn beetle (Phymatodes amoenus)?
March 29, 2010
I was hiking in the mountains in Ludlow, very rural area and came upon a small migration of these beetles. Some were tail to tail. They just seemed to pose on rocks and were in an area about 3 feet by 6 feet. What are these?
I don’t have a preference
Ludlow, California.

lytta magister ludlow 300x211 Master Blister Beetle

Master Blister Beetle

Dear without a preference,
This is the third photo we have posted in the past week of a Master Blister Beetle, Lytta magister, and we are considering making it the Bug of the Month for April.  It is found in the spring in deserts of Arizona and California as well as Mexico, Nevada and Utah.

thank you so kindly. I hope you have a beautiful day.
Delia

Posted 29 March 2010 § Blister Beetles ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Pleasing Fungus Beetle from Costa Rica

costa rican beetle
March 28, 2010
This beetle was in the InBioParque in San Jose, Costa Rica last summer. It crawled to the sunny ends of branches and twigs. I only saw it by itself. Do you know what kind of beetle this is?
Thanks!
Jenny
costa Rica, San Jose, InBioParque

gibbifer costa rica jenny 300x233 Pleasing Fungus Beetle from Costa Rica

Pleasing Fungus Beetle

Hi again Jenny,
This is our final response for the night.  This is a Pleasing Fungus Beetle.  It bears a striking resemblance to Gibbifer californicus, the only species in the genus found in the U.S. according to BugGuide.  We posted a member of the genus from Costa Rica in 2007.  We searched for internet coverage of the genus from Costa Rica, and found a photo of a specimen on the La Anita Rainforest Ranch website that seems to look very similar to your individual, though we believe it is incorrectly identified as Gibbifer californicus.

2

Posted 29 March 2010 § Pleasing Fungus Beetles ‡ Comments (0) °

Possibly Tortoise Beetle Larva from Mozambique

Bug on beach in Mozambique
March 28, 2010
Hi, we saw this on the beach at Malongane in March one morning quite early. I would be grateful if you can supply a name for it?
Gawie Pretorius
Ponta de Malongane, Mozambique

tortoise beetle larva mozambique gawle 300x253 Possibly Tortoise Beetle Larva from Mozambique

Tortoise Beetle Larva

Dear Gawie,
We believe this resembles the larva of a Tortoise Beetle in the tribe Cassidini, but we have never seen this exact species.  We are more familiar with specimens found in North America.  BugGuide has a photo of the larva of Cassida rubiginosa, which is typical of the larvae of other Tortoise Beetles.  They are often spiny and carry about their shed exoskeletons much like the individual in your photo.

Dear Daniel
I am quite impressed with your quick response!
Thank you so much, it is appreciated.
Kind regards
Gawie

Posted 28 March 2010 § Leaf Beetles ‡ Comments (0) °

Contact Dermatitis in Panama: Might this be from a Bicho de Fuego???

I was urinated on by a type of beetle.
March 27, 2010
Hola Bugman!
I recently returned from a three month stay in Panama, where just a few days before my departure, I was peed on in my sleep by a type of beetle that the locals called “chinea” (sp?). The urine left a large purplish-black blister on my arm, that with the help of hydro-cortisone cream, has been steadily healing. A biologist friend of mine consulted a Panamanian doctor friend and concluded that the beetle is of the stinking variety. Any more specific info? I’d love to be able to really get to know the bug that has left me, if only a little, emotionally and physically scarred! icon smile Contact Dermatitis in Panama: Might this be from a Bicho de Fuego???
Muchos gracias y adios! Katie
Santa Catalina, Veraguas Province, Panama

contact ermatitis paederas panama katie 300x225 Contact Dermatitis in Panama: Might this be from a Bicho de Fuego???

Contact Dermatitis: Bicho de Fuego possibly

Hola KAtie,
First we need to come clean and admit that our response is total speculation based on circumstantial evidence.  Since there is no actual photo of the culprit, nothing is certain.  With that stated, there is a genus of Rove Beetles, Paederus, that has a worldwide distribution.  In Africa, this beetle is called a Creechie or Acid Bug.  We have posted letters with African species several times in the past, including January 2008 and again in May 2008.  We found an online posting on the US National Library of Medicine website that indicates “Epidemic outbreak of dermatitis caused by Paederus signaticornis Sharp (Coleoptera: staphylinidae) observed in José Domingo de Obaldía Hospital, David, Panama” in January 1982, so the genus is found in Panama.  The Medical and Veterinary Entomology website has information, including:  “Rove beetles in the genus Paederus contain pederin (C25H45O9N), a toxin more potent than that of Latrodectus [Black Widow] spider venom, and the most complex nonproteinaceous insect defensive secretion known.  Pederin is synthesized by endosymbiotic gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas species) occurring in female Paederus species.  The beetles, which are mostly 7 to 13 mm long, are found in North, Central, and South America; Europe; Africa; Asia; and Australasia.  Unlike most rove beetles that are dull-colored, many Paederus species have an orange pronotum and orange basal segments of the abdomen, which contrast sharply with the often blue or green metallic elytra and brown or black coloration of the rest of the body.  This color pattern may be a form of warning (aposematic) coloration, but a defensive function for pederin has not been demonstrated. … Species in South American countries are known by various names, such as bicho de fuego, pito, potó, podó, and trepa-moleque.”

Thanks for the info!  If when I return to Panama am able to get a photograph/more info, I will surely send you an update!

Posted 28 March 2010 § Rove Beetles ‡ Comments (2) °

Banded Net Wing Beetle

Orange and blue fly
March 28, 2010
Orange and blue fly
I saw a few of these flying around in the Econlockhatchee River area in Central Florida yesterday. Any idea what it is? Thanks!
Bob
Oviedo, Florida

banded netwing bob 300x231 Banded Net Wing Beetle

Banded Net Wing Beetle

Dear Bob,
Though it looks more like a moth, the Banded Net Wing is actually a beetle.  BugGuide indicates that the species, Calopteron reticulatum, may be seen as early as March in Florida.

Posted 28 March 2010 § Net-Winged Beetles ‡ Comments (0) °

Master Blister Beetle

Blister Beetle in Anza Borrego
March 27, 2010
Hi Bugman! I wanted to share these pictures of a Blister Beetle we saw 3/27/10 in Anza Borrego desert state park. It was really pretty and was running along a patch of sand.
Laura
Anza Borrego State Park, Southern California

master blister laura 300x224 Master Blister Beetle

Master Blister Beetle

Hi Laura,
We need to finish our book by April 1, and we hope to be able to escape to the desert for at least a day trip before Spring Break ends, and perhaps we will encounter some Master BLister Beetles, Lytta magister, while we are there.  We suspect the rain pattern this season might produce a spectacular profusion of desert vegetation, which may also result in more insects than normal.

Posted 28 March 2010 § Blister Beetles ‡ Comments (0) °

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