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What is this Bug!!!
Dear Bugman,
Out on my patio on 9/1/07, saw this Bug, never seen it before. This was shot @ 6:00pm CT on Sat. 9/1/07 in Shakopee, MN What is it, it’s has a pretty mean looking stinger. Is it dangerous? See Attached
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
This is a Pigeon Horntail, a non-stinging wood wasp. The stinger is actually an ovipositor that the female wasp uses to lay eggs under the bark of dead and dying trees.
What type of caterpillar is this?
I’m hoping you folks can help me identify the type of caterpillar in the photo I’ve attached. They’re ravaging my white birch tree! That aside, I just want to ensure for the most part that it’s safe for my kids to play around the tree. Thanks,
Christian
Hi Christian,
These are not caterpillars, but Sawfly Larvae. Sawflies are non-stinging relatives of wasps. They will not harm your children, but might defoliate your tree if they are plentiful enough. We tried to identify the species, or even genus, but were unable to do so, despite locating a wonderful website devoted to Sawfly Larvae. We got excited when we read the description of the Birch Sawfly, Arge pectoralis, because the coloration matched, but the images on BugGuide show a very different body shape.
Hi Daniel,
Well, you can get excited again! See the attached image. My picture is out of focus, however the body shape is the same. I noticed that they go into that ‘S’ shape whenever any other bug, or my finger, approached it. Thanks for your help,
Christian
Can you name my bug?
My nephew came inside and said he had a surprise, so we went outside to see what the fuss was about. We live in a little town in western Colorado. Rifle is near a mile above sea level. Our home is about one mile from the Colorado River on the I-70 corridor. The insects was found on a dead branch on our hundred year old maple tree. I hope this helps with the ID. Thanks for the help!
Brandon
Hi Brandon,
This is a Pigeon Horntail, Tremex columba. Pigeon Horntails are sometimes called Wood Wasps and are grouped along with Sawflies in an unclassified taxonomic group known as Symphyta. The wood boring larvae of Pigeon Horntails comprise the primary food of larval Giant Ichneumons in the genus Megarhyssa.
Strange white caterpillar under willow tree…
Hello,
I was standing under our curly willow tree when this strange creamy white caterpillar plopped onto some sticks at the base of the tree. I don’t know whether he just fell off or if a bird dropped him. Anyway, I have not been able to find out what kind of caterpillar it is anywhere! He has the distinct black stripe down his back, and tiny black dots along each side. He is very sensitive to being bothered and will curl up tightly like a cutworm at the slightest touch or bothering. One other strange thing was his head was cream colored too. Could he perhaps be an albino of some species? His skin is very smooth and tough feeling. I gave him some willow leaves but he has not tried to eat any yet. Please help me out here! Thank you!
Charity
P.S We live in Michigan.
Hi Charity,
It looks like a Caterpillar, but it is not a Caterpillar. It is a Cimbex Sawfly larva. Sawflies are non-stinging relatives of wasps. We have seen Cimbex Sawflies in yellow, green and pink, but yours is the first white image. Seems they are available in the colors of after dinner mints.
Mud Dauber????
Hi there Bugman!
I came across this pretty, 2.5 – 3.0 cm long shiny gunmetal blue wasp with white banding on his legs while hiking in the Oregon Mt Hood Wilderness. I’m guessing he’s a Mud Dauber . . . . ???? But what type?
Peter
Hi Peter,
This is a Wood Wasp in the genus Urocerus. It matches an unidentified mounted specimen on BugGuide that might be Urocerus albicornis.
Update: Urocerus albicornus
(08/03/2007) Corrections on some ID’s
Dear Bugman,
Today I found a very eye-catching specimen of Urocerus Albicornis, the White-horned Horntail, wandering around on a Douglas Fir in extreme NW Washington State (near Ferndale) and laying eggs. I didn’t know what it was, but I captured it in a very high-tech device (empty paper soda cup courtesy of Burger King!) and brought it home, and after doing a little web-research, found out that it was the critter mentioned above. Actually, it was your website that really helped me make the leap forward finally – I wasn’t getting very far on any of the other so-called “identification” sites. So anyway, after I verified what it was, I tried to get some more information about it, but there doesn’t appear to be very much other than a very very few pictures. Almost NO information to speak of online. However, in the course of my ferreting around I finally came back to your site, and found several other pictures of this very dapper bug. But it looks like they are mis-identified, so I wanted to let you know. In response to the posting by Devon on 7/22/05, you state that it is a “Smoky Horntail,” and in response to a posting on 7/28/07 by Peter, it was ID’d as a “Wood Wasp…might be Urocerus Albicornis.” There were also several other postings that look very much like this bug, only the wings are more rust-colored – these are ID’d as Urocerus Californicus. (9/12/06 by Annie and one other, I don’t remember the date/poster though). I do have to apologize for not taking a picture of it for you guys before I released it, it was a real beauty. I’m glad I didn’t kill it though. … Also, must say, GREAT SITE!!!! Totally fascinating, to say the least. I spent WAY more time browsing around looking at all the cool bugs than the time I needed to find out about the Horntails. Two thumbs up!
Sean in Ferndale, Washington
What kind is it?
Dear What’s that bug,
My son found this caterpillar when we were camping lat week. The park nature guy did not know what kind of caterpillar it was can you help from the pictures attached? thanks in advance,
Effie on behalf of Joshua.
Hi Effie and Joshua,
This is not a caterpillar. It is the larva of a Cimbicid Sawfly in the genus Cimbex. Sawflies are non-stinging relatives of bees and wasps.
That’s this bug?
I live near Regina, Saskatchewan Canada. When I had this bug land on me it scared the crap out of me! I searched your site but did not find anything that resembles this one. I have never seen a bug like this before in this area. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Mark
Hi Mark,
This female Horntail Wood Wasp, Urocerus gigas, cannot sting. Though it appears she has a stinger, it is really an ovipositor for laying eggs in dead and dying trees where the larvae bore into the wood.
Nematus ribesii – Gooseberry Sawfly
Hello,
We really enjoy your site, it’s a great resource. My son and I have been looking at some caterpillars feeding on our Red Currant in Edmonton Alberta Canada.
They are voracious feeders, here are some pictures of the various stages from egg to larvae and adult.
We managed to grow some larvae to the adult stage which made the identification much easier. Would you agree that this is Nematus ribesii – Goosberry Sawfly?
John and Andrew Simon
Dear John and Andrew,
First, we want to praise you for your incredibly excellent documentation of this Sawfly Metamorphosis. What patience and diligence you have. We don’t disagree with your identification based on larval images found on the Down Garden Services website, but a real expert might have a definitive identification. A suspect adult image we located does not match your adult. Thanks ever so much for your contribution of, if not the metamorphosis of the Gooseberry Sawfly, Nematus ribesii, at least a closely related species.
What’s this bug?
A friend of mine photographed this bug on her deck and was wanting to know what kind of bug it was. I looked on your site, but couldn’t figure it out. It was photographed in Woodbury, St. Paul, Minnesota.
David S. Justin
Hi David,
You can find images and information on the Pigeon Horntail on our Sawfly page. Pigeon Horntails are non-stinging wood wasps whose larvae bore into wood. Those larvae provide the primary food for the larvae of another non-stinging wasp relative, the Giant Ichneumon.
whats this bug??
hello,
I am 14 years old and i live in Ohio. I was in my yard yesterday, and i found about 20 of these purple caterpillars on a plant (i think it might be poison ivy). i searched all over the internet but i could not find out what it is. But, i did find your website. Could you tell me what kind of caterpillar it is?? thank you =]
Brittany
Hi Brittany,
We love the striking and clashing magenta and orange coloration on your Argid Sawfly Larva. It seems we have seen this hip color combination on products sold at Target. Sawflies are not caterpillars. They are non-stinging relatives of wasps. This larva most closely matches a specimen on BugGuide called Arge coccinea that feeds on Sumac. It is possible that the color has changed just prior to pupation, or it might be a different but closely related species.
Update: December 24, 2008
We just received a new photo and letter, and our web searching led us to the identification of the Poison Ivy Sawfly, Arge humeralis. Photos of adults can be seen on BugGuide.
British Columbia South Coast
Found thousands and thousands of these caterpillars infesting a few Alder trees… they are everywhere! Haven’t seen any tents and the trees are now completely leafless. They are quite small, less than an inch in length. Have looked online to identify them, but no luck aside from the fact that I believe they are feeders! Any idea what kind they are?
Amelia
Hi Amelia,
We must begin with a compliment. Your request is so thorough and has allowed us to positively identify your insect in just a few minutes of web searching. You provided a location, a food plant and a photo. This is not a caterpillar. It is a Striped Alder Sawfly larva, Hemichroa crocea. The larvae are social feeders and BugGuide has an excellent image of a group feeding together.
Hi there, we live in central/western Canada, and a friend of a friend found this fly on her peonys, I thought it might be a sawfly, but it looks as though it drinks nectar (by its long nose lol!) Any ideas? Thanks alot
Laurie Summers
Saskatchewan,Canada
Hi Laurie,
Definitely a Cimbex Sawfly.
