What’s that bug?!
Location: San Leandro, CA
October 18, 2011 3:30 am
Saw this outside my house. San Leandro, California. Body looks like a wheelbug’s but the head looks like an ant’s head. This thing gave my Duck a fight and won. It would curl it’s tail up and make a karate stance. Even took a video for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpNoz0TTrxY
Signature: Irvin Najera
Devil's Coachhorse
Hi Irvin,
The Devil’s Coachhorse is a European Rove Beetle that has become naturalized in parts of North America including Southern California. Though it strikes a convincing threat posture, it is not a poisonous species, though it is capable of releasing a foul odor from scent glands in its abdomen.
1
schorpion like bug
Location: Belgium, brussels area
October 17, 2011 12:29 pm
Dear,
This small bug was found in Brussels Belgium, 19th of september.
It seems to try and defend itself by lifting up his tail above his head (like a scorpion). Some white secretion could be seen at the end of the tail next to ,what I believe is, the stinger.
Signature: Bram
Devil's Coachhorse
Greetings Bram,
This European Rove Beetle has become naturalized in parts of North America where it is known by the diabolical name Devil’s Coachhorse. Though it has struck a threatening pose, the Devil’s Coachhorse is not a venomous insect. The threat posture is often accompanied by the release of a foul odor from the white scent glands in the abdomen you mentioned. The Devil’s Coachhorse is a predatory species that will eat snails and slugs in the garden.
Thanks alot!
We found it quite funny lifting up its tail like that, hope he’s still around somwhere in the garden hunting snails!
Bram
1
Cerambycid in Africa
Location: Kenya, Africa
October 17, 2011 10:25 am
My friend is conducting research in Africa (Kenya) and sent this Cerambycid photo to me. Any idea?
Thanks so much!
Signature: Cera
African Longicorn
Hi Cera,
We do not recognize this lovely Longicorn species. We will post it as unidentified in the hope that in the future we may get an answer. Those furry front feet are probably a good diagnostic feature.
Update: Karl does some research
October 28, 2011
Hi Daniel and Cera:
I think you are correct Daniel in suggesting that the furry front feet may be diagnostic, and I therefore believe that the genus is probably Lasiopezus (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Ancylonotini). My first thought was that it might be L. sordidus, but that species is apparently restricted to West Africa. I was not able to locate images of all the half dozen or so species that do occur in Kenya but of the ones I was able to find L. nigromaculatus appears to be the closest match. That said, it doesn’t look quite right, mostly because the color of the mottling seems more brown than black and the overall effect is less contrasting. I like the genus but I suspect the species is one for which I was unable to locate an online image. Regards. Karl
Thanks for all the links Karl.
Amazing Beatle
Location: Brasília, DF – Brazil
October 16, 2011 1:10 pm
Hi there
First of all, congratulations on this website. The idea of helping people to identify these beautiful animals is phenomenal.
About the picture I submitted, I parked my car at the airport for some minutes and when I came back there was this amazing beatle (?) sitting on the hood.
It was about 5.5 cm long and had these long antennae. It drew my attention not only for its size but also because it was sporting these yellow shoes.
While I was driving home, it kept stuck to the car despite the wind pressure, which made me think about how strong it was.
Any ideas about this bug?
All the best from Brazil.
Signature: Gustavo
Unknown Longicorn from Brazil
Good Evening Gustavo,
We haven’t had much luck identifying your gorgeous Longicorn by species. This stunning beetle is in the Longhorned Borer Beetle family Cerambycidae. The larvae are the wood borers. Entomophiles with a certain hipness factor (among other entomophiles at least) call these beetles Bycids for short. We miss Karl. He always took on challenges such as these and he provided difficult identifications with links as support documents.
Unknown Longicorn from Brazil
Hi Daniel and Gustavo:
I believe your lovely Cerambycid is Dorcadocerus barbatus (Cerambycinae : Trachyderini). I found one online photo of what appears to be the same species, but tagged as D. barbicornis. However, I think this is probably a misnomer as I can find only one species listed for the genus (i.e., D. barbatus). Its range extends from Mexico to Argentina. Although not quite visible in your photo, the species appears to have a very curious, brush-like face. Regards. Karl
Hi Karl,
Thanks so much for providing this identification. Though we are thrilled with the identification, we are even more thrilled to hear from you again after what seems like an interminable hiatus. We hope all is well and that you will be visiting us more often in the future.
1
Please identify this bug thanks!
Location: Wiltshire, England.
October 13, 2011 8:25 am
Dear Mr Bugman
I found this bug in my greenhouse today – it was trying to escape from a plastic plant module – no idea how it got in there. It was about 3cm long. When I tipped it out into the garden, it fell on its back and the underneath was an irridescent blue. I live in Wiltshire. Would love to know what it is, and whether I did the right thing in letting it go!
Signature: Karen
Lousy Watchman
Hi KAren,
We just learned some fascinating information. This is a Dung Beetle, and upon doing the research on species from the UK, we learned on the Down Garden Services website that this is a Common Dor Beetle or Lousy Watchman in the genus Geotrupes. According to the Down Garden Services site: “Dung beetles are important because they get rid of a lot of animal faeces, breaking it down and incorporating it into the soil, so helping in the recycling of nutrients. This also makes the world a less smelly place to live in and reduces the numbers of other insects like flies which would otherwise breed in it. In the UK dung beetles utilise the dung of cows, horses, rabbits, deer and sheep, eg. a cow produces about 7 tons of dung per year. The Common Dor Beetle, Geotrupes stercorarius, is known as a ‘tunneller’, usually found in cow dung; they make tunnels below the dung. They are good at flight and a single beetle flies around until it finds a fresh cow pad. Once a pair have got together they dig a tunnel beneath the pad and drag as much dung as they can down into it. The females normally stay in the burrow, using their long broad legs to build numerous galleries in the soil. Dung is deposited in each gallery and an egg is laid in the dung, providing the emerging grub with nourishment. The males provide the dung pellets for the female to bury. Often they have a colony of mites living on them hence the name Lousy Watchman.” The Wild About Britain website has a nice photo of the blue undersides.
Dear Daniel
You are amazing! Thank you so much, we are all thrilled that you identified our bug.
Can’t thank you enough!
Karen.
Ground beetle?
Location: Northern Central NJ
October 11, 2011 2:38 pm
I saw this guy running in the grass and managed to shoot him twice … with my camera, of course. He (she?) is fairly large, perhaps a good inch long. I tried researching it but I’m not seeing any black long beetles with the knobby bent antennae. It seems to be some sort of ground beetle, but …?
Signature: Jackie
Ground beetle? NOT!
Location: Northern Central NJ
October 11, 2011 7:18 pm
In searching around, I found the identification of the beetle whose two photos I sent in earlier today. It’s not a ground beetle. It’s a black blister beetle. Thank you for running this site! It’s a treasure trove of bugs!
Signature: Jackie
Oil Beetle
Dear Jackie,
Since our editorial staff is gainfully employed, we generally respond to questions early in the morning prior to heading off to work. We are happy to learn that you self identified your Oil Beetle or Black Blister Beetle on our site. Thanks for the compliment.
1
Do you know what kind of bug this is?
Location: Charlotte, NC
October 9, 2011 11:10 pm
Hi there,
This bug was outside my door yesterday. I live in Charlotte, NC. Any idea what it is?
Thanks,
Charlotte
Signature: Charlotte, NC
Glowworm
Hi Charlotte,
Had you turned off the lights, you might have been treated to seeing this Glowworm in the genus Phengodes glow, like this image from our archives.
Thank you so much! My friends thought it was a palmetto bug egg/larvae, etc. Whew. I am relieved!
Young Palmetto Bugs look just like adults, but smaller and without wings.
1
cucumber beetle
Location: Bronx, NY
October 10, 2011 1:21 pm
Didn’t know what this was till I came across it on your site. This one’s reading the nutrition info on a can of nuts 
Signature: Robbie R.
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Hi Robbie,
Thanks so much for resending this image of a Spotted Cucumber Beetle using our standard form. Now all the information we require is formatted properly for posting. This is a particularly amusing photo to us. If we ever decide to create another calendar, this is the type of photo we like to use: high quality and just quirky enough to never appear in an reputable identification guide.
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