Black Bug w/attachment
Please find attached some pictures in a zip file of this black bug I can’t identify. It prefers shady areas and when threatened it either flips on its back and feigns death or it raises its tail up much like a scorpion. I’m not sure if its tail is barbed though. I’m in ireland and haven’t seen this type of bug around here before. Could it posibly be a more exotic species come in on imports of fruit or such? Thanks for your time, much obliged.
Conor
Hi Conor,
I have Devil’s Coach Horses, Staphylinus olens, in my Southern California garden. It is native to Europe, but was introduced to Southern California in 1931. They are great in the garden because they eat snails and slugs. Though they have a frightening defensive posture, they have no sting, but can emit a malodorous fluid leading to its scientific name which means stinking.
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Posted 31 July 2005
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Budding entomogist with a question
Dear Bugman,
My 9 year old daughter, who happens to be a budding entomologist, discovered these dead beetles at her grandfathers house yesterday and she can not identify them. She searched all her bug books and could not find anything that looked like it. She has been collecting bugs for the past 3 years, and this is the first time she has been stumped!! If you could lend a hand, she would be very happy! P.S. She LOVES your website! I can see her being on here for a few hours each night!
Chris Lepley
Hi Chris,
Letters like yours are truly the reason we began this site. Your daughter has assembled quite a herd of Rhinoceros Beetles, Xyloryctes species. Males have the prominent horns. Here is a link to BugGuide, a truly magnificent identification site which just might double the time your daughter spends online. We also love your photo so much we printed it twice the size we normally post. By the way, we are probably going to produce a calendar for 2006 and would love to use your image and letter.
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Posted 30 July 2005
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What type of bug is this?
Photographed in my Garden in Dorset England UK. It spent the night in a wheel borrow full of water. We put it onto a log to dry off. I took the photo on a stone, I was about to take another as it opened its wings and flew away. An idea what it could be?
Regards
Terry O’Donovan
Dorset, England
Hi Terry,
While our species are different from your species, I can assure you that this is a Burying Beetle, from the Family Silphidae, and probably the Genus Nicrophorus. These beetles are very strong and will bury a small mouse or bird after laying eggs on the future food source for the larvae.
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Posted 30 July 2005
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Great web site
;Bugman,
thanks for your help on my recent submissions. Your web site is great. I’ve been photographing crawling critters for a few years and it’s nice to have a place to identify these little marvels. I’m sending you a few more that you can use on your site if you’d like. I photographed the Ladybugs at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda Ca. The Millipede came from Heber Springs, Arkansas. The Female American Dog Tic, hitch-hiked on me while on a trail in Anaheim Ca.
Thanks again
Rus
Hi Rus,
We were slightly amused that you photographed an insect with the same name as a former President’s wife at the library of another President. Planting trees and shrubs will attract insects. Your mating Ladybird Beetles are stunning.
More unidentified critters
I photographed three of these on recent trips to Arkansas. Hoping you could help me identify them.
Thanks
Rus
Hi again Rus,
We checked with Eric Eaton on your scarab beetle and here is what he wrote back: “If the scarab is from North America, it has to be a male Polyphylla sp. (ten-lined june beetles, though some species lack the stripes).” So you have an Unlined Ten-Line June Beetle.
Name of Bug
Thank you for responding so quickly to my question about the caterpillar which turned out to be a white tussock moth caterpillar. Well, I was quite spellbound by the caterpillar. Was careful not to step on it, and watched out for it all day. Then I found out it could become a pest. Now, I have a bug I am wondering about (picture attached). Have not killed it, but am cautious about getting so enamored with it. Am glad to have found your site to ask questions. I began flower gardening this year and have found myself as taken with the animal life as the plant life growing around my yard. Meanwhile, I hope not to become a pest myself.
Thank you
Joyce
Hi Joyce,
It would behoove you to try to erradicate the dreaded Japanese Beetle, an introduction that is very fond of roses, rose of sharon, and many other garden plants.
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Posted 28 July 2005
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what kind of beetle is this?
Hi,
found this beetle this morning in the back yard, I think it is a longhorn beetle of somekind. Could you please tell me what this is. Thanks
Steffanie
Hi Stephanie
This is one of the Longhorns, probably the genus Derobrachus.
the glorious beetle
My husband came across your website a few days ago and ever since we’ve been addicted! I never knew there were so many bugs out there….and even more so, so many interesting looking ones! Turns out they’re not all ugly! ha. Anyway, we’ve just moved to Arizona and already are finding the most interesting things! I wanted to send a picture in of our newest find, the glorious beetle (thanks to your website we found what it was). Please enjoy….and thanks so much for the wonderful site!!
Sincerely,
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
You really did spend some time with our site to locate the Glorious Beetle, Plusiotis gloriosa, which is deeply buried in our archive. Not only that, we lifted that photo from the web and will probably now change it, replacing the pilfered photo with your photo. Here is what the Angelfire site has to say: "Numerous authors have called this the most beautiful beetle in the U.S.; metallic gold stripes and hologram green colors support this statement. P. gloriosa is also the most common Plusiotus sp. in the U.S. P. gloriosa eat only juniper leaves in the wild but in captivity accept pear slices and seem to accept not other fruits. Larvae grow well on a diet of well-rotted hardwood. Most races can take less than a year to raise to adults." This beetle is very valued by collectors.
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Posted 24 July 2005
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little bugger
I found this little bugger in my hair this morning after getting out of bed. It moves very slowly and cannot right itself when upside down. It is about 1/4" long. Any ideas? Hopefully it came in from outside and is alone.
Thanks,
Frank
Kennesaw, GA
Hi Frank,
This sure looks like a Powderpost Beetle. Here is an Ohio State site with much information. Here is a quote from the site: “Powderpost beetles can be found in dead as well as dried and cured lumber. Damage occurs to many wood products such as rafters, joists, flooring, molding, paneling, crating, furniture, antiques, tool handles, gun stocks, fishing poles and baskets. Sometimes homeowners hear rasping or ticking in the wood at night, notice a blistering appearance on the wood, see powdery frass piled below holes in the wood, find numerous round or oval exit holes at the wood surface, and even collect powderpost beetles around windows or lights. Mistakes are sometimes made determining if the infestation is active or non-active. “
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Posted 24 July 2005
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Good Afternoon!
I just found your website and it is amazing! I think I will be using it frequently as I have just moved to Arizona and there seems to be quite a variety of bugs out here that I have never seen. My sons found this guy outside our door today. He is about 7.5cm long and has a shiny black body. Do you know what he is? Thanks,
Leslie Howe
Hi Leslie,
This is one of the Long-Horned Beetles in the genus Derobrachus. They are relatively common in Arizona.
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Posted 23 July 2005
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Large black beetle? Can you help Identify?
Hi,
My children and I have found a large black beetle on our deck and don’t know if he fell out of the tree or flew to get there, but found it very interesting. They are very interested in finding out what type of bug he is, so can you help us. I am sending some pictures of him to help you out.
This is a Scarab Beetle, probably the genus Strategus.
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Posted 23 July 2005
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What Is this?
Hi,
My son found this bug on the laundry hanging outside yesterday. We have searched, and been unsuccessful in identifying it. I only came across your site a few minutes ago, and will continue to look through it. It’s awesome! I hope the picture is clear enough. We have had it since Wed afternoon, so we gave it a blueberry, and it was happily eating it when I got it out to photograph it. Thanks,
Christina
Dundee, NY
Ed. Note: Before we could answer, the following email arrived.
FOUND IT! I just emailed you a picture of a bug near a blueberry that we were feeding it. I should have waited a bit before I sent it in, because we found it on Beetles 2004. It’s a Carrion Beetle! Thanks anyway! Christina in Dundee, NY
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Posted 22 July 2005
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