Here are some pictures of another critter from San Juan, Colon, Panama. He was found at night attracted to a porch light. What is he? He has orange “hair” around his “nose” and the underside of his “head”.
Thanks,
Lisa

Hi Lisa,
Sorry, we forgot about your letter. Yes, this is a Weevil, but we do not know the species. Sadly, there is not a comprehensive guide to Panamanian, or even Central American insects. Perhaps you should compile one.

Update (06/10/2006)
An answer to Panama Weevil of May 2
We were recently on a trip to Costa Rica and took pictures of that same bug, it was very large – something like 4 inches long. I was able to identify the weevil through Bug Nation as a Rhina oblita – Cuban Weevil. Apparently there was a Cuban stamp with this critter. You can cut and paste the following link in your browser for a look-see: www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ch2m-nitu/jpg/cuba31.jpg
Thanks.
Diane from St. Petersburg, Florida

Unknown Beetle
Could you please help in identifying this small beetle? It is a small (5-7 mm long) red or reddish with several black spots. It looks like a weevil, or snout beetle. The picture was taken in mid-summer, in Southern Ohio.
Thank you.
Alex

Hi Alex,
We will see if Eric Eaton can provide a species name for your red spotted Weevil. Eric soon offered his assistance: ” The red-spotted weevil is most likely the Cocklebur Weevil, Rhodobaenus tredecimpunctatus. Certainly the genus is correct, the species could possibly be different, as there are two in Ohio.”

Fluoro green bug from Australia, or is it?
Attached to this email is a photo of an unidentified insect beside some coins for size reference. I found this bug below my sink. I am from the south east coast of Australia and I am curious to know:
1. Is this insect venomous/dangerous (stings, itches, etc, possible cause of bed bugs? If so… Its a wonder I haven’t missed them the first time!). As you can see by the pics its is fluoro green in color with black spots. Perhaps like many of the insect life on the Australian east coast, maybe its one of those insects that have this black spotty coat to warn predators of itself? Would slightly than normal summer temperatures be bringing this insect to our doorstep, or would any of the garden plants we have here in our backyard be attracting it? The temperatures we have been experiencing recently have reached around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (30+ degrees Celsius) you see.
2. Is it an Australian native insect? If it isn’t I will strongly consider destroying it, seeing that native flora and fauna has enough trouble trying to cope with many introduced species, and finally… 3. …why are it’s legs still slowly moving!? We have recently scattered some insect poison around the toilet floor to kill some roaches. This insect seemed to have been affected, as it seemed lifeless, at first. It seems though to be sort of waking up, as if it was recovering from a hangover or something! (yipes!)
Please respond when you can.
Regards,
Joe Baez

Hi Joe,
This is a Botany Bay Weevil which we located on an Australian Beetle Site. According to the site: “the Botany Bay weevil Chrysolopus spectabilis – up to 25 mm long – is active at this time of the year feeding on acacias. Despite the name, it lives right throughout south east Australia. The Botany Bay Weevil, was one of the first Australian insects to be described from material collected in 1770 by Joseph Banks, a naturalist who landed at Botany Bay with Captain Cook.” So it does not sting or bite. It is native. The acacias are attracting it and we have no comment on poison.

To whom it may concern at WhatsThatBug.
My father and I have set the Botany Bay weevil free. As soon as took it out of the pouch i was keeping it in, it wiggled all its limbs and slowly crawled away! Talk about a miracle of Christmas! Thanks heaps for the advice, and I’ll be sure to refer your site to others.
Regards,
Joe Baez.

Unknown insect from Cyprus
Hello,
I came across your site accidentally after seeing what I thought was a humming bird in my back garden, an unusual event for the south west of England. However, it turned out to be a hummingbird hawkmoth from the Mediterranean that had got lost. It doesn’t look like the ones I found on your site. Anyway, whilst on holiday in Cyprus in May of this year and keen to try out my new Cybershot camera, I came across this creature on my balcony. Of all the insects there, I never saw the like of it again and would be grateful to find out what it is and am hoping it goes by the name of ‘anteater beetle’! (I’ve got higher res images if needed)
Kind Regards,
Martin

Hi Martin,
This is some species of Weevil. Weevils belong to a very large family of beetles. They are also called Billbugs.

Update from Eric Eaton: “I actually recognize that weevil from Cyprus. It is in the genus Lixus. Many species in that genus have the yellow, powdery “bloom” on their bodies. Eric ”

Hi!
We found this bug in the grounds of our friend’s house just outside Sao Paulo in Brazil. Any ideas what it might be? We think it looks like a bug from a Disney film it’s so cute!
Thanks v much
Chloe

Hi Chloe,
All we can say for sure is it is from the family of beetles known as Weevils.

Please help!
Yesterday, my four year old entomologist found this outstanding bug at a wildlife rescue place. It is near farmlands (strawberries, squashes, etc). I have had one person help identify it as a snout beetle or weevil, but could you help be more specific so we can learn more about it? Thank you! Joanna

Hi Joanna,
Needless to say, we are very intrigued by your insect, a Weevil or Snout Beetle from the largest insect Family Curculionidae. We are not familiar with your species and one expert we questioned even suggested the possibility your images were Photoshop™ enhanced, a theory we quickly dismissed. We did some web research and found a tribe of Weevils known as Leptopiinae, the Painted Weevils, including the genuses Gymnopholus and Eupholus which are described as “very handsome and metallic blue, green or reddish”. They are found in New Guinea and Indonesia. That is the best we can do at the moment, but we would love to know where your Weevil was found and perhaps we can learn something more concrete.

HOLY MOLY GUACAMOLE!
We are more than excited as well–I was about to nix him and glue him to a card to start Max’s bug collection, but I think we’ll wait! We are in Miami, Florida, USA. This is so exciting–I wasn’t too impressed with Max’s finds up until now (they mostly consisted of cockroaches-EW!), but this has definitely peaked my interest! We wrote to one guy and sent the same pictures–he wrote back and offered to trade a bug book in exchange for our weevil. We’ve decided to hold onto him for a bit. We would like to keep him alive, though, but if we can’t, do you have suggestions for preserving him? We “carded” a practice beetle with a little elmer’s glue and his body color and shape seems to be good. Is this sufficient? I am quite anxious to hear more! Feel free to call: 305-251-9091. Thank you!
Joanna

Ed. Note: Eric Eaton passes on the following advice on dealing with Exotic specimes:
Dear Friends:
Daniel Marlos of “What’s that bug?” was kind enough to pass along your e-mail that accompanied the photo.I am personally unfamiliar with this insect, and wonder if it might not be an exotic species. If that is the case, someone in the U.S.D.A. (Department of Agriculture) needs to see the thing. Urestricted “free trade” is leading to many more accidental importations of pest insects. The authorities need our help in documenting newly-arrived species so as to thwart outbreaks. Please consider contacting an official soon, while the insect is still alive. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Eric R. Eaton

(04/13/2005)
Spoke to a guy at the USDA this morning and we’re going to drop him off this afternoon. He *thinks* he has collected this species before, but either way, it’s so newly established here that they need to document its existence here, so they’ll send our guy off the Gainesville for positive identification and then HOPEFULLY, Max will get him back. Cross your fingers and I’ll let you know what they think he is! Thank you for all of your help!
Joanna
P.S. Just so you know….the guy still couldn’t identify it, but he recalls having caught one of these himself a number of years ago. He’s sending it to Gainesville, Florida for cataloguing, but promises that we’ll get it back. (Let’s hope!)

Please keep us posted as to the latest developments in this continuing melodrama Joanna. Sadly, What’s That Bug? is currently down due to heavy traffic, but we will return to the web in May and we want to continue to follow your saga.

(04/14/2005)
Thank you so much for all of your help! Another entomologist I have contacted thinks it may be Eurhinus magnificus, but it has been sent to Gainesville to make sure and to catalogue him. I am assured that he will be returned to me in about a week to become the crown jewel in my son’s bug collection. We will however, be on the outlook for more and any subsequent ones I’d be happy to send to you! Thanks to Eric Eaton as well for putting us in touch with the proper authorities (i.e. USDA)–please pass along my appreciation (and the identification).
Joanna

Hi Joanna,
This surely is interesting. I checked on Eurhinus magnificus and it is from Costa Rica, but no images. It sounds like you might be on your way to becoming an entomologist as well as Max.

Update: 17 June 2009, 7:27 AM
In trying to identify an unusual Weevil from Costa Rica today, we stumbled upon this great link with the life cycle of Eurhinus magnificus.