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Orange and Black Mystery Beetle in TX
November 18, 2009
Found this colorful beetle tonight; size a little smaller than a dime, mostly orange with black head and markings. He was moving fast so sorry not a better photo.
11/18/09
Evelyn W.
Joshua (South Fort Worth),TX
Earth Boring Dung Beetle
Hi Evelyn,
Despite the rather poor quality of your photo, it is easy to identify your beetle as an Earth Boring Dung Beetle in the genus Bolbocerosoma. Better images are available on BugGuide.
Bug carcass
November 15, 2009
This bug carcass was found yesterday as is, head and thorax missing. It was in the mulch of a large planter containing a small tree. I have never seen a bug as big as this in my area, living or dead before. I wish I could have seen a live one. Date found 11.14.09.
Fiona
Fairfax, Virginia (Washington DC suburbs)
Decapitated Eastern Hercules Beetle
Hi Fiona,
This is a decapitated Eastern Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus. Usually, if a predator like a bird happens to capture a beetle like this, it will eat the body where all the fatty nourishment is, and leave the head. This is a mysterious death. We posted a photo of a decapitated head of an Eastern Hercules Beetle several years ago.
Large Beetle
November 14, 2009
This beetle was found by my wife’s student in a cluster with 20 or so others inside an oak tree that fell during Hurricane Ike. It’s very large, roughly the length of an adult thumb, but with much more girth.
Eastern Hercules Beetle Pupa
It was so interesting that the police and rescue workers who were working the area took some of them as well, as no one had ever seen anything like them before.
These are the best pictures of the group my wife snapped.. Any idea?
Thanks alot!
Scott Hildenbrand
South Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Hercules Beelte Pupa
Hi Scott,
Based on the size, we believe you have found a veritable treasure trove of Eastern Hercules Beetle pupae, Dynastes tityus. We hope you will allow them to mature and procreate. This is probably North America’s heaviest beetle. We will consult with Eric Eaton to see if he agrees with our identification.
Eastern Hercules Beetle Pupa
rhino or coleoptera type beetle.
November 2, 2009
found in october, flying around the light, middle of the Daintree rainforest. as you can see he/she was quite big.
emmitted a squeaking sound when provoked and sounded like a mini helicopter while flying haha.
i’ve named it george. and i’m of to the pub, it seems quite happy on my shoulder for now.
Matt
cape tribulation australia QLD
Female Rhinoceros Beetle
Hi Matt,
We would recommend changing George’s name to Georgina since we believe she is a female Rhinoceros Beetle, Xylotrupes gideon. You can view a pair on the Natural Worlds website. This common Southeast Asian species is also found in Northern Australia.
Lovely Bug
October 26, 2009
These guys show up every year when the figs are ripe (July-Aug). About an inch long and maybe 5/8 thick. They usually mass on one fig and leave it in tatters.
Kenneth Magnone
90066 (West Los Angeles)
Figeaters eating Figs
Hi Kenneth,
We are so excited that you have sent us a photo of Figeaters eating Figs. Figeaters are also known as Green Fruit Beetles.
Christmas Beetle
October 19, 2009
I found a group of christmas beetles in my garden and i want to feed them but i don’t know what! I tried feeding them leaves but they didn’t like them, what should i feed them?
Karmen xo
South Coast, Corrimal
Christmas Beetle
Dear Karmen xo,
Christmas Beetles are Scarab Beetles in the genus Anoplognathus as well as some other closely related genera. They are considered to be leaf or flower chafers. A Christmas Beetle website we located indicates “Christmas beetles are voracious eaters and are capable of attacking a wide range of eucalypts and other tree species” and “Christmas beetles often show a preference for particular species, even individual trees within a species.“ If you found the beetles on a particular plant, you should try feeding them from the leaves of that plant.
Orange Asturalian scarab
October 17, 2009
I have seen these beetles often when camping in Cobram, Victoria, Australia.
it didn’t move for at least an hour, i never actually saw it moving other than noticing that it had moved when i was gone. this happened a few times before it disappeared. It has a colour changing sheen (mainly blue and green) depending on the angle you look at it. The beetle itself is orange.
Matt Molloy
Victoria Australia
Hi Matt,
This is one of the Scarab Beetles known as Christmas Beetles in Australia because of their seasonal appearance. It appears as though it is either Anoplognathus parvulus or a closely related species.
Grapevine beetle?
October 9, 2009
This beauty was clinging to our screen door early one morning last June. I have been trying to identify, and Grapevine beetle seems a possibility (we have 17 acres of grapes), but there aren’t noticeable spots. What else could it be?
Charlee
4 miles east of Lawrence, KS
Goldsmith Beetle
Hi Charlee,
Your guess that this is a Grapevine Beetle is well founded, though incorrect. This is a Goldsmith Beetle, Cotalpa lanigera, which is in the same tribe, Rutelini, as the Grapevine Beetle, Pelidnota punctata. You can see additional images and read more about the Goldsmith Beetle on BugGuide. Our favorite bit of trivia about the Goldsmith Beetle, is that it is believed to be the Gold Bug in the famous Edgar Allen Poe story.
Thanks so much for the info! We have lots of unusual (for this area) bugs, birds, and varmints visiting our farm, and I was having trouble trying to identify this beetle. It certainly was beautiful– the same morning I photographed this guy, I also got great shots of a pair of Io moths. Living in the country certainly has its perks!
Thanks again,
Charlee
Charlee Glinka Davenport Orchards/Vineyards/Winery
Assassin bug dining on Japanese beetle
September 20, 2009
While out scouting for butterflies, I came upon this slightly grizzly scene of a wonderful assassin bug dining on a Japanese beetle. Glad it wasn’t me!
This was taken on June 30, 2009 in Orange County, VIRGINIA — the original OC 
Lynne from Virginia
Orange County, Virginia
Wheel Bug eats Japanese Beetle
Hi Lynne,
Thanks for sending your wonderful Food Chain documentation. More specifically, the Assassin Bug is a Wheel Bug. We are sure your photo will bring great joy to many gardeners who are plagued each year by the appearance of the scourge, the Japanese Beetle. The invasive exotic Japanese Beetle appears in great numbers each year and feeds on many ornamental and food plants, including roses. We have heard that this year in Ohio, the Japanese Beetles can still be found despite the late date.
Small rounded, bobbing head beetle
September 9, 2009
My dad found this bug in our garage and showed it to me because he knows i don’t condone the killing of bugs, i took a few pics and relocated it. he (or she) never flew, but looked like a beetle that was a quarter inch long and high. it bobbed it’s head down and up quite a bit.
Thanks, joe s.
Minnesota
Earth Boring Dung Beetle
Hi joe,
We see that by the time we had an opportunity to write back to you, you had already submitted your photo to BugGuide as well and your Earth Boring Dung Beetle has been identified as Bolbocerosoma bruneri.
Can you indentify this beetle?
September 5, 2009
I have seen a number of these beetles on one tree in our yard. I’m fairly sure it’s a variety of oak but I don’t know which sort. The beetles are eating a white milky sap that is oozing from the bark. I’m trying to figure out whether these beetles are damagingbthe tree.
Kelvin
East Texas just north of Interstate 20
Figeater? or Green June Beetle???
Dear Kelvin,
Though we are certain that the genus on your beetle is Cotinis, we are torn with the species. Texas is included in the range of the western Figeater, Cotinis mutabilis, as well as the eastern Green June Beetle, Cotinis nitida. The Figeater is generally found later in the year in August and September, while the Green June Beetle generally flies in July. The Figeater is listed on BugGuide as eating “ripe fruit and sometimes sap”, and the Green June Beetle is listed on BugGuide as eating ripening fruit and leaves. The fact that this sighting was made in East Texas inclines us toward the Green June Beetle, but the time of year and food source incline us toward the Figeater. Regarding your question about damaging the tree, we would say that the beetle is not causing damage, but is benefiting from damage potentially caused by some wood boring insects.
orange beetle with triangle on thorax in an argiope’s web
September 3, 2009
Around noon today, I saw this small beetle get caught in the web of the largest Argiope aurantia spider I’ve ever seen. I live in Fort Pierce, Florida. The beetle has an orange abdomen and legs, but a yellow and black thorax and head. There is a yellow triangle pointing towards the abdomen on its thorax. What could this beetle be? I don’t think I’ve seen one before.
I’ve also included a picture of the spider, in case you want to use it on your site.
Thanks!
Gary
Fort Pierce, FL
Delta Flower Scarab in Orbweaver's web
Hi Gary,
This lovely beetle is a Delta Flower Scarab, Trigonopeltastes delta. The beetle gets its common and scientific name from the shape of the marking on the thorax that resembles the Greek letter delta. According to BugGuide: “Adults take pollen and/or nectar. (Possibly eat vegetative parts as well?) Food plants include Goldenrod (Solidago), Feverfew (Parthenium), Coneflower (Echinacea), and Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccafolium).“ Golden Orbweavers are also called Writing Spiders because of the pattern of the stabilimentum in the web that is believed to help camouflage the spider. We are quite happy to add your images and letter to our Food Chain pages.
Golden Orbweaver eats Delta Flower Scarab
