housefly with long cricket legs
Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 7:54 PM
Hello,
This was flying all around my apartment in San Antonio, TX the other night and swooped in on me once. I was concerned because it had long dangling legs like a wasp. It was probably at least 90 degrees or warmer out. I don’t recall it making any noise but it was flying in kind of a slow hover pattern. Eventually it flew into a fan and alas it was no more. Looks like a cross between a housefly and cricket. Is it a juvenile cricket? Thanks.
Kate
San Antonio,TX 78212
Ensign Wasp
Hi Kate,
You will probably lament this Ensign Wasp’s untimely demise after learning that Ensign Wasps in the family Evaniidae parasitize the egg capsules of Cockroaches.
Beautiful Ichneumon
Thu, Jul 2, 2009 at 6:48 PM
Hello! I found this incredible creature flying around in the grass on a warm June night in Western Massachusetts. I think it is an ichneumon, but I just can’t seem to find out much more. Can you tell me its species? Thanks so much!
Jamie
Sheffield, MA
Unknown Ichneumon
hi Jamie,
We agree that it is an Ichenumon, and we agree that it is beautiful, but we are uncertain of the exact species. We will contact Eric Eaton to see if he can provide any additional information. We will also post your letter in the hope that one of our readers knows more than we do. We would recommend that you either keep checking the posting to see if there has been a comment, or better yet, supply an additional comment to the posting with any additional information that may be helpful. Then if a reader provides a comment with an identification, you will automatically be notified.
Update
Daniel:
Yes, it is an ichneumon, but no telling what subfamily, let alone genus or species, without the specimen in hand.
Take care, enjoy the holiday weekend….
Eric
6 legged fuzzy backed beetle
Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 7:05 PM
I am in Bakersfield, California and was bitten while feeding my horses by this 6 legged fuzzy beetle. It crawled into my shoe and bit through my sock. Very painful like a wasp sting. The area is by a river that is dry and lots of empty scrubland.
Can you identify him from these scans of him? He was not very cooperative and was difficult to make him stand still. I will now extract my revenge and feed his happy little self to some chickens. Thanks for your time.
Michael Beilby
Bakersfiel, California
Velvet Ant
Hi Michael,
We just drove through Bakersfield on the way back from Mendocino, and it was a scorcher. This is a Velvet Ant, a flightless female wasp, which would explain why her “bite” felt like a wasp sting. It actually was a wasp sting. We believe this is Dasymutilla sackenii based on images posted to BugGuide. Non-stinging males of the species, indeed of the entire family Mutilidae, have wings and resemble other wasps.
Velvet Ant
half the size of my hand, orange antennae that curl back, hairy, orange wings, black body, 8 legs
Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 9:20 AM
I was walking outside and I saw this bug following me on the sidewalk. I let it pass me as I walked behind it I noticed how big it was and that it was not flying. I had to chase it to take a picture of it because it walks fast. IT has orange wings, orange hairy antennae that curl back when it touched something, a hairy black,blue body, look like a stinger back end but no stinger was present, big eyes, and when I captured it, it started to lay eggs which made me more interested. What type of bug is this?
Jen
Riverside, California, United States
Tarantula Hawk
Hi Jen,
This is a female Tarantula Hawk, a wasp in the genus Pepsis. You miscounted the number of legs, which should only be six. We are quite curious about your observation that upon capture, the Tarantula Hawk laid eggs. Here is what Charles Hogue writes about Tarantula Hawk in his book, Insects of the Los Angeles Basin: “When a female wasp finds a tarantula, she alights and engages in battle. The wasp then stings the spider on the underside between the legs and usually succeeds in paralyzing but not killing it. She has previously dug a shallow burrow, using her mandibles and legs as pick and shovel, or selected an earth crack, rodent burrow, or even the burrow of a tarantula for a nest, and she now drags the paralyzed prey into this hole, lays an egg on the victim, and then seals the tunnel with soil. A supply of fresh food is thus insured for the developing larva. The sting of the female tarantula hawk is described as extraordinarily painful by those who have experienced it.”
Wasp eating large spider
Sat, Jun 20, 2009 at 5:08 PM
We found this wasp eating a large spider. Unusual find… This picture was taken near Vilcabamba, Ecuador.
Kyle
South America
Spider Wasp with prey in Ecuador
Hi Kyle,
The wasp is some species of Spider Wasp in the family Pompilidae. We believe the spider is a Huntsman Spider. For clarification, Spider Wasps do not eat spiders. Female Spider Wasps sting and paralyze spiders to provide food for larval wasps. According to BugGuide: “Spider wasps prey on spiders. Some species sting and paralyze their prey and then transport it to a specially constructed nest before laying an egg. Other species leave the paralyzed spider in its nest and lay an egg upon it.” Adult Spider Wasps feed on nectar from flowers.
Horse Hair Tail Insect
Sat, Jun 20, 2009 at 5:49 PM
These weird looking bugs are hanging around tree stumps, which have many holes in them. I don’t know if these insects made the holes or if they are trying to lay eggs in them, or get at the bugs in the dead stumps. The tail is almost like a strand of horse hair, about 4 inches long. The head, front legs and tentacles are bright yellow. It has a narrow body (black) about 1 1/2 inches in length and the wings are purple in color, 1 inch in length. As you can see in one of the pictures, the tail turns into a light green circular thing and the tail looks like it is rolled up in it. Then it will lose this thing and again have the horse hair like tail again. They also can fly. What the heck are these things?
Linda Mueller
St. Paul, Minnesota
Giant Ichneumon
Good Evening Linda,
You have Giant Ichneumons, Megarhyssa atrata, non-stinging relatives of wasps. Giant Ichnuemons parasitize the larvae of wood boring insects like the Pigeon Horntail. The female Giant Ichneumons locate the grubs deep inside the wood, and then use their stinger-like ovipositor to deposit an egg inside the tunnel inhabited by the larva. When the egg hatches, the larval Giant Ichneumon locates the wood boring larva and parasitizes it. The holes you saw were probably produced when the wood boring larvae emerged as adults, or possibly by the Giant Ichneumon when it emerged.
Giant Ichneumon
Bee fly
Sat, Jun 20, 2009 at 9:55 AM
I racked my brain trying to figure out what species bee this is, only to find out it’s not a bee at all. I’m still having trouble determining which genius it is. It has a very bright orange color. And is about the same size as a Bumble Bee.
Sincerely, Audrey Wilkison
Long Island, New York
Scoliid Wasp
Hi Audrey,
This is a Scoliid Wasp, a family of wasps that parasitizes the grubs of Scarab Beetles, especially June Beetles. Scoliid Wasps are large, robust, hairy wasps. Your photos are quite blurry, so we are not certain of the exact species identification, but we believe this may be Scolia nobilitata which is pictured on BugGuide. According to BugGuide, its “Range Includes southeastern United States. Noted from Illinois, West Virginia, North Carolina, south Florida.” We would have eliminated the larger Campsomeris quadrimaculata because BugGuide indicates it is found “Throughout Southeastern United States,” yet there is one report on BugGuide from New Jersey and it was in June. Again, your photos look too blurry to be certain, but we believe your specimen looks more like Campsomeris quadrimaculata, and the sighting from New Jersey makes that a distinct possibility.
Scoliid Wasp
Wasp with purplish wings???????
Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Please help me identify this creature that is eating my deck
thank you
Windsor Ontario Canada
Mason Wasp
This is a Mason Wasp, Monobia quadridens. According to BugGuide it: “Usually nests in wood borings, but sometimes burrows in dirt banks. Sometimes takes over abandoned nests of carpenter bees or ground bees, also Sceliphron (mud dauber) cells. Nest is provisioned with caterpillars, and cells of nest are separated by mud partitions.” We do not believe this Mason Wasp is damaging your deck, and you do not neet to fear that it will “eat” it to the point that it is structurally compromised. The advantage of the caterpillars from your garden that will be used to feed its young far outweighs any damage done to the deck.
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Posted 20 June 2009
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Giant black ant with wings? Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 7:13 PM
Ok, what is this thing? My son found it in our Southern CA backyard on a cool June day. We live in a desert area. I have never seen anything like this. It looked like a giant plastic ant, about 2 – 2 1/2 inches long, but with wings. It flew all around the yard and and climbed up the house wall for a while. Any idea what it is?
Michael and Amanda in Santa Clarita
Canyon Country, CA
Tarantula Hawk
Dear Michael and Amanda,
There is no way we can possibly answer the hundreds of emails that arrived in our week long absence, so we are only selecting subject lines that catch our attention. Your great subject line and spectacular photo of a Tarantula Hawk prompted us to choose your letter this morning. Tarantula Hawks are Spider Wasps in the genus Pepsis. The adult female stalks, does battle with, and stings and paralyzes Tarantulas to feed her brood, eventually burying the paralyzed Tarantula in a burrow and laying an egg. The hatchling wasp larva then has fresh meat upon which to feed. The sting of a female Tarantula Hawk is reported to be extremely painful. Male Tarantula Hawks do not sting. The antennae of the female are curled and those of the male more straight. Both adult male and female Tarantula Hawks feed on pollen and they are especially attracted to milkweed. We have seen large Tarantula Hawks in the Los Angeles River Bed, but they are more commonly found in desert areas like Joshua Tree. The largest examples we have ever seen, the size of a small bird, were on the beach in San Felipe Baja California Mexico.
Mallow/Hibiscus Sawfly Larva
Fri, May 29, 2009 at 6:47 AM
I found these larvae devouring our rose mallows and a few on our Malvaviscus. It’s the first year I’ve seen them. I didn’t see this type of sawfly larva on your site, so I’m sending photos of them and a photo of the damage they do to the leaf. Thanks again for all the hard work that goes into keeping up such a great site.
Tim
Memphis, TN
Hibiscus Sawfly Larva
Hi Tim,
Thanks for sending us your photos of a Hibiscus Sawfly Larva, Atomacera decepta. We are linking to the BugGuide information page on the species.
Hibiscus Sawfly Larva
Looks like a dragonfly, with wasp-like markings
Sun, May 24, 2009 at 6:31 PM
I saw this insect on the side of my house, it was roughly 2 inches long with a similar wingspread. I’m assuming it’s some kind of dragonfly, based on the mouth, wings, and body. I’ve never seen one with markings like this though, it reminds me of a wasp, with striking yellow-on-black. I also don’t recall seeing a dragonfly with antennae ever before. Any idea what this guy is?
Kyle, Hatfield MA
Hatfield, MA
Male Giant Ichenumon
Dear Kyle,
This is a male Giant Ichneumon in the genus Megarhyssa. Giant Ichneumons are parasitoids that are closely related to wasps, but they do not sting. Your photo is of particular significance because of its high quality and also because we very infrequently receive images of male Giant Ichneumons. In July 2007, we received a wonderful image of several males awaiting the emergence of a female. BugGuide has a photo of a male Megarhyssa atrata, the species we believe you have photographed, and the posting contains a significant commentary posing the possibility that it might be a related species, Megarhyssa macrurus, also a possibility in your case. Most of the images we receive of Giant Ichneumons are of females, and a large number are ovipositing. The female has an ovipositor that can be as long as four inches, and many of our readers mistake this for a stinger. The female uses her ovipositor to deposit eggs deep inside dead and dying wood that contains wood boring grubs, often the larvae of the Pigeon Horntail.
the curious case of the hornet in the daytime
Wed, May 13, 2009 at 11:33 AM
I was at a bus stop and saw this winged insect which came walking along pulling what appears to be a caterpillar or larvae. It kept walking for a whole block with it in tow. At one point, the end of the green insect caught on some debris and stretched as if stuck or clinging. I’m curious to know what these insects are, what they were doing, how it was being carried, and where they could’ve possibly been going. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!
Jongela
Czech Republic
Sand Digger Wasp dragging Caterpillar
Dear Jongela,
Though we cannot tell you the exact identity of the Wasp nor the Caterpillar, we can tell you that many wasps prey upon caterpillars to feed them to the larval wasps. This is behavior often seen in social wasps like hornets and yellowjackets. Many times the wasp will skin the caterpillar and fly off to the nest with manageable sections of the caterpillar. The wasp will “cut” the caterpillar into chunks small enough to fly away with. The fact that this particular wasp is dragging an entire caterpillar inclines us to suspect that perhaps the caterpillar has been paralyzed and will provide a living food source for a developing wasp larva. The adult wasp may provision a nest with living paralyzed caterpillars, laying an egg on each. Perhaps additional research on our part or the input of one of our readers will provide an accurate identification and explanation. A few minutes of searching led us to the Garden Safari Wasp page that revealed this to be a Sand Digger Wasp, Ammophila sabulosa.
Curled up tail and wings
Sat, May 9, 2009 at 5:57 PM
This bug was found outside, in the twin cities metro are of Minnesota. The size of the bug was rather small, a few centimeters. I hope the image is good enough for you to see and hopefully figure out what it is.
TK
Minnesota
American Pelecinid
Dear TK,
The very unique American Pelecinid, Pelecinus polyturator, is not likely to be confused with any other North American insect. Your specimen is a female, and she uses her unusual abdomen to parasitize the grubs of scarab beetles. According to BugGuide: “Parasitoids of insect larvae that feed on decomposing wood, etc. These include larvae of scarab beetles, esp. May Beetles ( Phyllophaga ). Also reported to parasitize wood-boring insects. Female thrusts ovipositor into soil to detect host, lays one egg on each. Pelecinid larva burrows into the beetle larva, killing it. Wasp larva scavenges remains and pupates there in soil. ” BugGuide also indicates this surprising information: “In North American populations, males are rare, and reproduction is apparently largely by parthenogenesis (Brues, 1928). In tropical populations (or species), males are more abundant.” Lastly, BugGuide also states: “Typically August-September. Reported July-August (Minnesota), June-September (North Carolina)” which could make this early sighting another indication of global warming. Insects are often quite adaptable, and changes in their habit force them to adjust quickly as their life cycles are generally less than a year.
Striped antenna scavenger
Sun, May 3, 2009 at 8:09 PM
Hi Bugman,
I was in local park and saw this bug running around over leaves. It was moving its antennas over everything it ran over like it was trying to feel and detect food. I had never seen a bug quite like this and was wondering what it was. I scared it at one point and it flew away. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Inquiring Mind
Cary, NC
Ichneumon Wasp
Dear Inquiring Mind,
WE are relatively certain that this is a Spider Wasp in the family Pompilidae. According to BugGuide: “Adults are usually found on flowers or on the ground searching for prey.” This seems to accurately describe the behavior you witnessed. The doubt we are having has to do with the wings. BugGuide indicates: “Wings not folded flat on top of abdomen” and your specimen appears to have flat folded wings. There are 8 pages of genera listed on BugGuide, and our quick search did not provide any matches with striped antennae. We hope to get some input from Eric Eaton on this ID, and perhaps some reader can also provide a species or genus name for us.
Ichneumon Wasp
Correction: Wed, 6 May 2009 17:36:40 -0700 (PDT)
Daniel:
The “spider wasp” is actually an ichneumon wasp:-) Fooled ya! Hey, everybody has been fooled by mimicry like this at one time or another. Spider wasps very rarely have banded antennae, but the tips of the antennae are sometimes a different color. Many ichneumons and sawflies do have banded antennae, however.
Eric
Caterpillar (6 legs?), Brown, Spikey, Gum forest, Australia
Sun, May 3, 2009 at 5:07 AM
Hi There, we found this squad of unknown bugs when walking in a Gum (Eucalyptus) forest (Dandenong Ranges National Park) at Fern Tree Gully in Victoria, Australia. They were moving uphill as a unit, flicking their tails up when approached. They were on a gravel path and are about 60mm long. We’d love to know what they were. Thanks!
Nick and Kathryn
Fern Tree Gully, Victoria , Australia
Sawfly Larvae
Hi Nick and Kathryn,
Though they look like caterpillars, these are actually the larvae of Sawflies. Sawflies are Hymenopterans, the order that includes ants, bees and wasps. Often Sawfly Larvae feed in groups. We are uncertain of your exact species, and perhaps a reader will provide that answer. We are linking to the Brisbane Insect Sawfly page as well.
Sawfly Larvae
Hi Daniel,
Thanks so much for your prompt reply. We’ll keep checking back in case someone can identify their exact species so we could find what the adult would look like. In the mean time, once we knew they were sawflies we were able to find other references, and the alternative name of ’spitfires’. This site has what looks to be the same/similar species: http://australian-insects.com/lepidoptera/none/sawfly.html
Thanks again for running the site,
Nick and Kathryn
Giant Hornet
Sun, May 3, 2009 at 6:15 AM
Hello again,
Thanks to your wonderful site and also to Jeff & Helen West of Winchester, VA (9/24/06), this beauty was easily identified as a Giant Hornet, Vespa crabro germana. Maybe these photos will help the next person looking to identify a specimen.
It flew in the house last night, upset a guest, but didn’t make it to morning…found in this condition on the floor.
Many thanks Daniel,
R.G. Marion
Great Smoky Mountains, TN
Giant Hornet
Hi R.G.,
Thanks for sending us your photos of the Giant Hornet or European Hornet. We recently posted a photo of a living specimen, and the inclusion of the ruler for scale should be quite helpful to our readership.
Eastern Cicada Killer?
Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 11:25 AM
I was watching TV this morning, and heard a loud buzzing sound behind me. I found this huge hornet? I did some research and concluded that it was a Cicada Killer. I know it’s a ground dweller because I’ve seen these hornets go underground in a hole. I’m just not positive if it’s an Eastern Cicada Killer. Can you confirm?
Chris
Georgia, United States
European Hornet
Hi Chris,
Though the large size of your specimen is similar to the size of a Cicada Killer, your specimen is a European Hornet or Giant Hornet, Vespa crabro, possibly a queen emerged from hibernation. According to BugGuide: “Paper nest is built in hollow trees, or in human structures such as attics. Adults come to lights at night, perhaps seeking prey?
Queens emerge from hibernation during the spring, and they search for a suitable location in which to start a new nest. They build the nest with chewed wood pulp, and a few eggs are laid in individual paper cells; these eggs develop into non-reproductive workers. When 5-10 workers have emerged, they take over the care of the nest, and the rest of queen’s life is devoted solely to egg laying. The workers capture insects, bringing them back to the nest to feed the brood. Workers need more high-energy sugary foods such as sap and nectar, and hornet larvae are able to exude a sugary liquid which the workers can feed on.
The nest reaches its peak size towards mid September. At this time the queen lays eggs that develop into males (drones) and new queens, she then dies shortly after. The new queens and males mate during a ‘nuptial flight’, after which the males die, and the newly mated queens seek out suitable places in which to hibernate; the old nest is never re-used.”
Polyester Bee In Idaho?
Sun, Apr 19, 2009 at 7:49 PM
We nearly stepped on this fellow in our kitchen in North Idaho. She is grey with a smooth abdomen and a fuzzy thorax and yellow front legs and face. At first we thought she was covered in plaster dust or something. Is she a polyester bee?
AnnE & James
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Queen Yellowjacket covered with dust
Dear AnnE & James,
We wanted to verify our suspicions with Eric Eaton, and this is what he wrote back to us: “Daniel: An extremely dusty queen yellowjacket, probably the western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica. Eric” With that, we can say you are lucky you didn’t step on her.
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Posted 20 April 2009
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aussietrev wasp foodchain pic
Thu, Apr 16, 2009 at 7:08 PM
Hi guys,
Walking along and this wasp came buzzing out from a small shrub and landed on a grass stem to finish off this caterpillar, which I think is one of the Geometridae. Taken in the Capricornia region of Queensland.
aussietrev
Qld, Australia
Paper Wasp captures Caterpillar
Hi Trevor,
We believe this is one of the social Paper Wasps, possibly Polistes tepidus, and we also believe it has captured the caterpillar to feed to larval wasps back at the nest. The Brisbane Insect Page has photo documentation of a Polistes Paper Wasp skinning and “packaging” a large caterpillar into manageable portions for travel. It states: “The wasp cut a large piece from the caterpillar and carefully pack it into ball shape for easy carrying. Then she started to fly back home to feed their larvae. We noticed that the wasp circle around over the caterpillar body a few time before she disappear. We believed she did that to recognize the location so that she could come back after deliver the meal.” Perhaps one of our readers can substantiate this.
caterpillars in coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) in Carpinteria, CA
Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 9:38 PM
I’m not sure what these green caterpillars are. There were hundreds of them in the Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis) at the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park this past weekend.
John Callender
Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park, Carpinteria, CA
Unknown Sawfly on Baccharis
Hi John,
We will check with Eric Eaton, but we believe these are Sawflies and not Caterpillars. Sawflies are the larval form of a non-stinging member of the order of insects that includes ant, bees and wasps, Hymenoptera.
Update:
Daniel:
Hard to tell from the image, but either sawfly larvae or chrysomelid leaf beetle larvae.
Eric
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