Really Creepy Bug
January 17, 2010
Okay i was just walking into my house and find this huge weird fella on the bottom of my door.
I freaked out at first but i grew fascinated into catching it and just have a closer look at it.
So i did.. and i fed it a giant moth at night.. after seeing this thing eat the moth i was just scared lol
the next morning i just let it go in the forest..
please let me know what this is!!!
Josh Ryu
New Zealand
Huhu Beetle
Hi Josh,
This is a Longhorned Borer Beetle in the subfamily Prioninae, known as the Prionid Beetles. While trying to identify it, we found this nice link to information on the Giant Fiji Longhorn Borer, Xixuthrus heros, with awesome vintage images of the indigenous people of Fiji eating the grubs. Continued searching led us to a Wikipedia page on the Huhu Beetle, Prionoplus reticularis, and we verified that identification with other websites. Like many other Prionids, the grubs of the Huhu Beetle are edible, and were considered to be a delicacy among the Maori, according to the TrekNature website. The Huhu Beetle is the largest beetle in New Zealand. To the best of our knowledge, the Longhorned Borer Beetles are not predators, and we are surprised at your claim that it fed upon a moth.
Acanthoderes quadrigibba in Oklahoma?
January 15, 2009
Hi,
Last June I found this longhorn beetle. It was mottled brown with two white patches on its elytra. It was about a cm long, with black-and-white-banded antennae of the same length. I found pictures of Acanthoderes quadrigibba on BugGuide that looked similar, but I’m not sure if that’s what I found.
Acanthoderes quadrigibba
BugGuide has their range listed as the Eastern U.S., but I found mine in central Oklahoma. Was this little guy an A. quadrigibba, or just a similar species? Could he have been an introduced specimen, or is Oklahoma within the range for A. quadrigibba? Thanks for the help.
Josh Kouri
Acanthoderes quadrigibba
Hi Josh,
The photo looks correct, and BugGuide lists sightings from Texas, so we believe you are correct.
Acanthoderes quadrigibba
Appears to be Nemognatha sp
January 13, 2010
Found in the holes bored for Mason Bees
Want to know if this is Nemognatha or another sp. If Nemognatha what species?
Jay Hurlbert
MacMinnville OR
Blister Beetle
Hi Jay,
We are going to contact Eric Eaton, who lived in Oregon, to see if he knows what species of Blister Beetle you have found. The genus Nemognatha is one in which, according to BugGuide, the “Females lay eggs on flowers, larva attach themsleves to bees when they visit flowers and are then carried to bee nests where they eat bee eggs and stored food.“ That would explain finding this specimen in a Mason Bee nest.
Hi Daniel
I think it also may be Tricrania (stansburyi), a closely related genus, as I did a little more research after sending it to you. It sure would be nice to find out for sure,
Jake.
Eric Eaton concurs
Hi, Daniel:
I agree with Jake, this is a specimen of Tricrania stansburii (spelling taken from Hatch in Beetles of the Pacific Northwest). Nice find!
Eric
Grub Pics, Figeater Beetle
January 13, 2010
Thought I would pass on these pics of my grubs. Pulled up a piece of carpet that had grass growing thru it and there they were. They were twice as large as the pic but I’ve had in jar for a week already. I’m gonna let them go now that I know what they are…. and I thiought you might like the additional pics since your post mentioned not many pics found.
New to your site but liking it alot
Bakersfield California
May Beetle Grubs
Dear New,
Welcome to What’s That Bug? and we hope you have many hours of reading pleasure. Though your grubs are related to Crawlybacks, the larvae of Fig Eaters, you have dug up the grubs of May Beetles or June Bugs which are called White Grubs. The Brown adults are often attracted to porch lights in the spring, hence the name May Beetle. Your photo nicely illustrates the typical C-shape and bluish abdomen that is characteristic of these White Grubs that feed on subterranean roots and decaying vegetation in the soil. The typical White Grub is from 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches in length.
White Grub
Bugs in Melbourne, Australia
January 12, 2010
Dear Bugman,
I was wondering if you could please help me identify these bugs. We have had many, many of them flying around our home in the past few weeks, and many are dead on the window sills. I cannot work out where they are coming from and am worried they might be borers, however could they be some type of food weevil? (Some of the legs and antennas have fallen off these dead ones, when I moved them to photograph)
Sam
Melbourne, Australia
Drugstore Beetles
Hi Sam,
Your letter is the third we have posted in as many days from readers with infestations of tiny beetles found in the kitchen, and all three were different species. We believe your beetles are Drugstore Beetles, Stegobium paniceum, which according to BugGuide: “larvae feed on prescription drugs, flours, dry mixes, breads, cookies, spices, chocolates and other sweets, plus a variety of “non-food” items (see Remarks section below) adults do not feed. … Remarks … Larval non-food material includes wool, hair, leather, horn, and museum specimens. Larvae have been known to bore into books, wooden objects, and, in some cases, tin or aluminum foil and lead sheets.“
Drugstore Beetle
We hope one of our readers can confirm this identification.
Drugstore Beetles
I would love to know what this is !
January 13, 2010
I am sending a photo of a bug to be identified- and also a photo of my tattoo work.. I am a true bug lover– since birth. They rock my whole world everyday ! I hope you enjoy the ink !
Thanks, Cecelia Horstman
Southern Oregon- Medford to be exact…
Synaphaeta guexi
Hi Cecelia,
This is a Longhorned Borer Beetle in the family Cerambycidae. We believe it is Synaphaeta geuxi, an uncommon species found in Western North America. We posted an image in December 2009 and we received a few photos in 2005/2006 as well. Your tattoos are awesome and we are sure that our readership will agree. We will be posting your lovely photo, though we need to clarify that What’s That Bug? is not a dating service, but rather a network of bug enthusiasts who appreciate the beauty in all living creatures.
Cecelia's Tattoos
colorful metallic beetle
January 12, 2010
Could you please help us identify this beetle? We found it in a shallow, sandy-bottomed stream which runs through Angelina National Forest. Thank you for any light you can shed on its identity!
The Guy family
Jasper, Texas
Tiger Beetle
Dear Guy family,
This is a Tiger Beetle in the genus Cicindela, though we are uncertain of the species. We looked through all the possibilities on BugGuide, but couldn’t make a conclusive identification. It is possible that it is the Six Spotted Tiger Beetle, Cicindela sexguttata, which is described on BugGuide as being: “Brilliant green coloration with six white spots. No other Nearctic Tiger Beetle looks much like this one. Occasional variation seen—overall color may be bluish on some individuals, and spots may be missing on some individuals.“ There is one example on BugGuide with a color pattern similar to your specimen.
What is this and how do I get rid of it?
January 12, 2010
Hello!
For the past two months we have had these small bugs infesting our kitchen. We thought maybe they were just coming in from the cold, but now we cannot get rid of them.
They are small (less than 5mm), blackish-brown, I think they have 6 legs and 2 antena but it’s hard to tell. They are only on our countertops and occassionally we find them on the floor in our kitchen. They do not get into our cupboards. They do not jump, just crawl.
We have tried several sprays for ants, roaches, sowbugs, beatles, gnats, spiders, flies…pretty much everything that we could think of. Obviously we’re not getting the right kind of stuff.
Any help you can give in determining what kind of bug this is and how we can get rid of it would be great. Sorry the picture is not very helpful. I can’t get a closer shot that’s clear.
Let me know if you need any more information.
Thank you!
Holly Grant
Tonawanda, NY (north Buffalo near Lake Erie)
Grain Beetles
Hi Holly,
Earlier this morning, we posted another image of a tiny beetle that is infesting a home, but in that case, we are uncertain of the species. Your beetles are either Merchant Grain Beetles, Oryzaephilus mercator, or Sawtooth Grain Beetles, Oryzaephilus surinamensis,two species in the genus Oryzaephilus. These beetles will infest grains and according to BugGuide: “larvae and adults feed on damaged kernels of stored grains: barley, oats, rice, sunflower seeds, and wheat, plus flour, pasta, breakfast cereals, cake mixes, and various other processed foods used for human consumption
Life Cycle female O. surinamensis lays 45-285 white, shiny eggs singly or in small clusters in crevices in the food material during a 2-5 month period; eggs hatch in 3-17 days depending on temperature; larva passes through 3-5 instars and usually constructs a pupal cell or cocoon from food particles held together with sticky oral secretions; larva attaches anal end to some solid object to pupate; life cycle typically 30-50 days (range 27-375); optimal developmental conditions 30-35 degrees Celsius and 70 percent humidity; as many as 6-7 generations per year, depending on temperature and food supply; adults typically live 6-10 months but may live longer than 3 years.“ BugGuide also indicates that they can be found: “in containers or buildings where grain is stored; adult O. surinamensis cannot fly; adults of O. mercator are strong fliers but are not attracted to light.“ We would suggest that you inspect the pantry closely to identify the source of the infestation. Extermination will not help unless all of your food is sprayed with pesticide, which is not a healthy option.
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