rss larva from compost
Hello
these guys are in my compost heap. Are they good, should I be worried?
Joseph Morabito
Wildomar Cal
Picture was taken late Nov 2005
Hi Joseph,
This looks like a Window Fly Larva, Hermetia illucens. These are large flies that look like black wasps. The larvae feeds on decaying fruits and vegetables and is often found in compost heaps. It is thought that it might prey on more pestiferous maggots. They are benign.
Mosquito pic
Dear Bugman,
Browsing your site, I see no picture of a mosquito. This one my son, Andrew, shot in Alaska in June, just south of Denali. This Alaska State Bird specimen was on the screen of our screen house, and had just munched on our Golden Retriever. We used a Linolool mosquito inhibitor to kep our sanity during this trip- they confuse the critters, and they fly around like they’re drunk, and don’t tend to land on you.
Ruth in New Mexico
Hi Ruth,
We were a little late in posting your fabulous photo, but we now have an illustration on our Mosquito page.
Bee or Fly
good morning,
During a recent visit to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior Arizona my wife took this photo of a flying insect that was on a ‘Butterfly Bush’. Is this creature a fly or a bee.
Jim and Daniele BOLLER
Hi Jim and Daniele,
We contacted Eric Eaton for assistance on your fly identification. Here is his response: “he fly is a flower fly (family Syrphidae), in the genus Copestylum (formerly part of Volucella). They are common on desert broom (Baccharis) flowers at this time of year (well, a little late, actually, but late October, early November).”
Back Alley Bug
Found about 15 of these bugs in about 100 sq ft of alley, no where else, near my house in south western Canada. The peice of alley is located near some gardens and compost piles. These little guys (body: 1", tail(?): 1 1/2") were walking all over the place. They have little legs at the front and rear ends of the body.Two different camera setting acount for the variance in color in the two photos. Can you tell me what it is.
D
Hi D,
This appears to be a Drone Fly Larva, Eristalis temax, also known as a Rat-Tailed Maggot. Drone Flies are large flies that are often mistaken for bees. Adults are common in flower fields where they feed on nectar and pollen. The Rat-Tailed Maggots are found in stagnant water filled with organic matter and are sometimes found in liquid cow manure, hence their appearance in an alley with compost piles. Here is some interesting information from our Audubon Guide: “Larvae, called Rat-Tailed Maggots, are usually found on wet carrion and in open latrines. They are responsible for numerous cases of intestinal myiasis in people. Adult flies sometimes emerge from carrion, a phenomenon that was probably the basis for the myth that Honey Bees develop in dead mammals, as told in the Biblical story of Samson and the lion, and in writings of Ovid, Vergil and Solomon. the adults so closely resemble Honey Bees that people and insectivorous animals avoid them.”
a strange bug from central australia
Hi Bugman,
We found this funny looking creature at our chook shed this morning. I thought it looked like Darth Vader! It has a very orange upper abdomen which it flashes when beating wings. It also has hairy and very long legs. It was about 5cm long. It has a proboscus like a cicada… My girlfriend thinks its a cicada…I think it’s a Star Wars character..! Help
Jay and Ada – Alice Springs, Australia
Hi Jay and Ada,
This swift flying predator is a Robber Fly. By the way, one of our favorite books is Ada by Vladimir Nabokov and it has hundreds of insect references.
me again:)
I found this predator while walking in the upstate ny woods. I was looking for butter and dragon flies with my camera in hand and this wasp-looking thing landed in front of me then quickly flew off. What bug catches an aeronautic master like the dragonfly.(if that’s what is being eaten)
Thanks,
torch
Hi again Torch,
This is an amazing image of a Robber Fly. These winged predators might have dragonflies beat when it comes to aeronatic maneuvering.
Yikes!
I found this bug on the cedar shingles outside of a building in upstate NY(on a horse ranch). I’ve never seen anything like it. I was wondering if you can fill me in to whatever you know about it. Thanks.
torch
Hi Torch,
This is a Crane Fly and they are harmless.
2 Cranefly Pics
Love your site. Thought I’d send you these two pictures I took of craneflies in my backyard. One on its own and the other of a mating pair. I wouldn’t have known they were craneflies until identifying them on your site.
Cindy
Ajax, ON CANADA (just east of Toronto)
Hi Cindy,
Sorry for the long delay. We are posting both of your images on our Cranefly page and our second Bug Love page. The images are both stunning.
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