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Promethea Moths Mating and laying eggs

What kind of moth is this?
April 16, 2010
The reddish moth showed up two nights ago, and this afternoon I noticed she (I’m assuming she’s a she) had begun to lay eggs on a deck post. This evening the darker moth (the male?) landed next to her, and they seemed to connect at the thorax in bit of “nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more” moth love. I’ve found about four different moth identifications that could be this moth, but I’m curious what you think it is.
Michael
Landrum, South Carolina

promethea mating michael 300x213 Promethea Moths Mating and laying eggs

Promethea Moths Mating

Hi Michael,
What marvelous photos you have submitted.  These are mating Promethea Moths, Callosamia promethea, also known as Spicebush Silkmoths.  BugGuide has information on the identification of the species.  The female is the lighter larger moth, and the male is the darker smaller moth.  Your letter and wonderful photos almost got overlooked because it has the same subject line as a letter we posted the day before, and the archiving of our email system in WordPress combined them in our inbox.

promethea mating eggs michael 300x155 Promethea Moths Mating and laying eggs

Promethea Moths Mating

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Posted 17 April 2010 § Giant Silk Moths ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Polyphemus Moth Eggs Hatching

More Polyphemus Love
April 2, 2010
About 3 1/2 weeks later… icon smile Polyphemus Moth Eggs Hatching
Matt
Houston, Texas

polyphemus eggs hatching matt 300x205 Polyphemus Moth Eggs Hatching

Polyphemus Eggs Hatching

Thanks for the update Matt.  It is great seeing the result of the mating photo you sent.

Posted 02 April 2010 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Rusty Tussock Moth Cocoon and Eggs from England

Cocoon with raised circular bumps
March 28, 2010
Hello Bugman, from across the pond. I spotted this cocoon, attached to a branch of a 2 year old Hebe, and can’t find out what it is. It’s about the size of my thumb, but fatter – completely secured along it’s length to the branch, and looking very solid. The small circles on the outside are almost like little hatched eggs – these have confused me, as whatever is inside would have had to crawl in after making them, rather than spinning a cocoon around itself? It is as if it needed extra armour. Inside is something which is filling the whole cavity, and looking a bit furry icon smile Rusty Tussock Moth Cocoon and Eggs from England
Luigi
Surrey, South East England

emperor moth cocoon eggs england luigi 300x171 Rusty Tussock Moth Cocoon and Eggs from England

Rusty Tussock Moth Cocoon and Eggs

Hi Luigi,
This is a most interesting situation.  Before we saw your location was England, we were certain that this must be a Cecropia Moth Cocoon.  It is actually a Small Emperor Moth Cocoon, Saturnia pavonia, which can be viewed on the Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa website.   Eggs are typically laid in neat rings around the twigs of the food plant, and it seems like the moth that emerged from this cocoon was a female and she laid her eggs on her own cocoon.  We are going to contact Bill Oehlke with this unusual situation and he may request permission to post the photos on his own website.

emperor moth cocoon eggs england luigi 2 300x270 Rusty Tussock Moth Cocoon and Eggs from England

Rusty Tussock Moth Cocoon and Eggs

Correction:  Rusty Tussock Moth Eggs and Cocoon
March 28, 2010
Hello,
These are not the eggs of a saturniid but rather the rusty tussock moth (Lymantriidae: Orgyia antiqua), which is native to Europe but is now found throughout North America and elsewhere.  It is typical of this species and a number of other tussock moths for the eggs to be deposited right on the female’s cocoon, because the females are flightless.
There is a photo similar to these in my new book, “Tracks & Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates,” which I think y’all might enjoy.  There is some information about it here: http://www.northernnaturalists.com/invert_tracks.html
Cheers,
Charley

Ed. Note:
We found a matching photo on Wikipedia.

Thank you so much for your reply – that’s really interesting.  I’ve just had another look at it, and there is definitely something still inside the cocoon, so the moth has not yet emerged (I see that the UK flight time starts in mid-April).  I haven’t noticed any larvae of the kind, and no larvae damage to the plant (a Hebe). I wonder if something else entirely has laid its eggs on this cocoon?

Posted 28 March 2010 § Tussock Moth Caterpillars § Tussock Moths ‡ Comments (1) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Gardenia Hawkmoth, Caterpillar and Egg from Indonesia

Little moth sounds like a little airplane
March 27, 2010
I love your site. The fabulous pictures have helped identify many of the bugs I’ve photographed in my travels. I live in Jakarta, Indonesia. This year the raining season has brought lots of butterflies (I’ve counted at least 10 different ones) and a few caterpillars. Unfortunately, because of the rain, we are getting lots of ants too. Most of my neighbors requested to have the gardens/houses fumigated weekly. So I do my rounds and collect caterpillars and keep them until I get beautiful butterflies and moths. I have full cycles of a few different bugs, which I’d love to upload to get them identified. I think this is a type of hummingbird moth. The gardeners thought it was a bird!
Many many thanks.
MiriamR.
Kemang, South Jakarta, Indonesia

cephonodes moth indonesia miriam 300x225 Gardenia Hawkmoth, Caterpillar and Egg from Indonesia

Gardenia Hawkmoth

Hi Miriam,
We are touched by your letter and your neighborhood efforts to preserve caterpillars, moths and butterflies in your area.  We also hope you send us additional photos and information on your rescue efforts.
You are correct that this is a Hummingbird Moth.  More specifically, this is the Gardenia Hawkmoth, Cephonodes hylas, a species common in Asia.  The caterpillar in your photo actually appears to be feeding on the leaves of gardenia.  You can see additional photos and read about this moth on the Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic website that states: “The moths are rather slow in taking to the wing, but when they do so the flight is very rapid. They make a deep humming note when slightly alarmed, as do Macroglossum moths. They are very active in the morning and evening and dart rapidly from flower to flower, as well as ovipositing on the wing. They are not attracted by light. Bred females do not readily attract wild males, but the sexes pair freely in captivity.“

cephonodes cat indonesia miriam 300x206 Gardenia Hawkmoth, Caterpillar and Egg from Indonesia

Gardenia Hawkmoth Caterpillar

The image of the egg appears to be ready to hatch. The egg on the cited website is described:  “OVUM: Pale blue-green or green when freshly laid, becoming pale canary yellow with age. Oval (0.75 x 0.85mm), shiny and very smooth. Laid singly on the underside of young leaves near the growing tip, or on shoot tips.“

cephonodes egg indonesia miriam 300x198 Gardenia Hawkmoth, Caterpillar and Egg from Indonesia

Gardenia Hawkmoth Egg

Hi Daniel,
Thank you for confirming that it is indeed a hummingbird moth. All three specimens I’ve photographed still had the protective coating of scales. They started vibrating their wings, lost some brown fluid (just like the swallowtails do when emerging from the chrysalis) and some scales as they tried to fly. One of them took hours to completely clear its wings, the other two did it in less than 30 minutes. I promise to upload other photos.
Many thanks for your response,
Miriam

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Posted 27 March 2010 § Hornworms § Hummingbird Moths, Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths ‡ Comments (0) °

Cape Zebra Cockroaches from South Africa

Stripy Cockroach Looking Bug With Tail
March 2, 2010
I found these 2 little bugs nesting happily underneath a computer on top of a plastic box. They were a pair, one with a long smooth hard black tail thing and the other without one. I’ve never seen anything like them before, can you tell me what they are? They look a little like trippy cockroaches to me. The house they were in is on the mountain, with the surrounding terrain mostly in it’s natural fynbos state. The room itself has a lot of damp in the walls which perhaps they like.
Jo
Fish Hoek, Cape Town, South Africa

cochroaches south africa jo 280x300 Cape Zebra Cockroaches from South Africa

Cape Zebra Cockroaches

Hi Jo,
These are definitely Cockroaches, and not the species that are normally associated with home infestations.  They are actually quite pretty.  The tail on the one specimen is actually an oothica or egg case.  In many species of Cockroaches, the female carries the oothica about until she finds a suitable location for it.  We recently posted an image of  Cape Mountain Cockroaches from South Africa, but your species is different.  While attempting to unsuccessfully identify your species, we stumbled upon the All Pet Roaches page on Angelfire, though your species is not pictured.  Perhaps one of our readers can assist in this identification.

cockroach oothica south africa jo Cape Zebra Cockroaches from South Africa

Cape Zebra Cockroach with Oothica

Daniel and Jo:
They look like Cape Zebra Cockroaches (Temnopteryx phalerata). According to Wikipedia the Cape Zebra Cockroach is “is endemic to the Fynbos biome of the Western Cape province of South Africa”. The Field Guide to Insects of South Africa has a brief write-up and a photo if you scroll down. According to the Field Guide there are six other similar Temnopteryx species, all endemic to South Africa, so it could actually be another species in the genus. Regards.
Karl

Posted 02 March 2010 § Cockroaches ‡ Comments (0) °

Male Giant Water Bug Tends to eggs as female eats

February 24, 2010
Giant Water Bugs
Hi, WTB,
I’ve been going through photos from last summer and I thought that you might be interested in some Giant Water Bug images that have a little more detail (including particulate gunk in the water — sorry for that) than is sometimes seen in field photographs.
The first image gives an idea of the male behavior of, what seems to be, aerating/hydrating (and, perhaps, cleansing?) the eggs by rapidly moving his back in and out of the water.

abedus male eggs denny 300x239 Male Giant Water Bug Tends to eggs as female eats

Male Giant Water Bug with Eggs

The second shot shows a submerged male with all of the eggs, and only the eggs, above the surface.

abedus male eggs denny 2 300x239 Male Giant Water Bug Tends to eggs as female eats

Male Giant Water Bug with Eggs

The third photo is of a completely submerged male and eggs.  You just can see the very tip of his backside breaking the surface.

abedus male eggs denny 3 300x240 Male Giant Water Bug Tends to eggs as female eats

Male Giant Water Bug with Eggs

The final shot is of a, presumably, female — totally submerged — who is feeding “up” on the food chain.
Early July, foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains, southern Arizona, about 4,400 ft.
Denny Schreffler

abedus feeding denny 300x240 Male Giant Water Bug Tends to eggs as female eats

Giant Water bug with Prey

Dear Denny,
You are continuing a pattern of excellence with both your photos and your verbal descriptions.  These documentations of a Male Giant Water Bug in the genus Abedus, probably Abedus herberti which BugGuide reports is found in Arizona, are positively spectacular.  The focus and detail are superb, and the observational information on the aeration/hydrating/cleaning behavior of the male with the eggs is a wonderful addition.  The Giant Water Bugs in the genera Abedus and Belestoma are interesting in that the female cements the eggs to the back of the male after mating, and the male has the responsibility of protecting the eggs, though once the eggs hatch, he is freed of his duties.  Thanks so much for including the information that the photos were taken in July, because so often our readers submit images that are many years old and they fail to include such relevant information.  Though your photos are quite detailed, you neglected to indicate what prey was captured in the Food Chain image, other than that it is up the food chain.  Is it possible to provide that information?

I don’t know what fleshy little vertebrate morsel she is eating — I came upon her after she already had been through the carry out line — but it probably tastes like chicken.
Thanks for the nice comments.
Denny Schreffler

Eric Eaton Agrees with identification
Hi, Daniel:
The giant water bugs from Denny here in Arizona are the species Abedus herberti.
Eric

Posted 25 February 2010 § Toe Biters and other Aquatic True Bugs ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: , ,

Wheel Bug Eggs

Unknown egg cases – help Bugman
February 21, 2010
My daughter and I discovered this array of egg cases on the underside of a branch today, February 21st. The entire array measures maybe 3/4 x 3/4 inch. They are stuck to the branch by a mass of black goo.
Curious in NC
Central North Carolina

wheel bug eggs nc 300x213 Wheel Bug Eggs

Wheel Bug Eggs

Dear Curious,
These are the eggs of a Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, the largest Assassin Bug in North America.  Wheel Bugs are beneficial predators that will help control the population of many plant eating insects in your garden.  BugGuide has an image of the hatching eggs for an idea what the hatchlings will look like.

wheel bug eggs nc 2 300x190 Wheel Bug Eggs

Wheel Bug Eggs

Thanks so much for the quick reply. We are overrun with wheel bugs here and know them well but never knew what the eggs looked like. My daughter is watching them daily in hopes of catching them hatching.
We really enjoy the site, thanks for taking the time.
Regards,
Bill

Posted 21 February 2010 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Puriri Moth from New Zealand

Green, large Moth.
February 21, 2010
This thing careened into my kitchen last night and started laying eggs. It’s about 5 inches in length. The photos are a better description than I could ever give.
Nina
Northcote, Auckland, New Zealand

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Puriri Moth

Hi Nina,
Though there is considerable variation in the markings based on photographs online, we are confident that this is the Puriri Moth or Ghost Moth, Aenetus virescens.  There are many Maori names for the largest moth native to New Zealand, and found only on the North Island.  These names include pepe tuna, mokoroa, ngutara and pungoungou according to the Insects and Spiders of New Zealand website which includes the following facts:  “is the largest moth in Aotearoa / New Zealand, and is found only on Te Ika a Māui / North Island;  relatives live in Australia, New Caledonia, and Papua New Guinea;  caterpillars start life living in a bracket fungus;  older caterpillars make a refuge tunnel in the trunk of a large tree;  caterpillars feed on the wound tissue of the tree around the tunnel entrance, which is concealed by a silken ‘tent’;  pupation occurs in the tunnel;  adult moths do not feed, and live only for a few days;  moths are active at night.”  The New Zealand Farm Forestry Association website has wonderful photos of the life cycle, including caterpillar images.  The New Zealand Tramper website has an image of a living moth that more closely resembles your photograph than most of the other online images, though it has more markings than your specimen.

Posted 21 February 2010 § Ghost Moths § Moths ‡ Comments (0) °

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