Larry the Bug
Sat, May 2, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Found on my wall around the bathroom light. Yes, that is my wall, the wings are translucent. We named him/her Larry, but never seen before. Stayed there most of the night, but was gone in the morning.
Stan the man
West Texas
Antlions
Dear Stan the Man,
Larry the Bug is an Antlion. Antlions are Nerve Winged Insects in the family Myrmeleontidae. The larvae are also known as Doodle Bugs and they dig small pits in the sand to trap ants and other insects. The Doodle Bug lies at the bottom of the pit buried in the sand with just its jaws protruding.
¶ Posted 03 May 2009 § ‡ ° flying insect with lace wings.
Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 4:43 AM
I would like to identify this flying insect. I am hoping it is not a termite. Found flying around our house. Light tan or light green in color. Wings are see through / lace looking.
Thanks, Cara
Romania
Lacewing
Hi Cara,
Interestingly, in English, this harmless predatory Neuropteran is called a Lacewing. Adults are attracted to lights, which probably explains why you found it in the house.
¶ Posted 13 April 2009 § ‡ ° Texas biting bug
Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 9:37 AM
Hi, I live in Austin, TX and am getting terrible bug bites in my yard mostly. It is a tiny black and white bug with a tail that tapers down to a point. Eventhough I have been bitten many times I have only seen 2 and they were smaller than a pencil eraser. It has kind of a flat body and the triangular tail points up when I squish it. I felt a prick when it bit me but the bite didn’t start itching until the next day. The bites last a couple of days with a small knot under the skin. Any ideas as to what this thing is? The one in the picture was the size of a lighter flint.
Candice
Austin, TX
Aphidlion
Hi Candice,
We have received reports in the past of people being bitten by Aphidlions, the larvae of Lacewings. Lacewings are actually beneficial insects that prey upon Aphids, that scourge of many a home gardener. Though the bite may be unpleasant, there is no real harm. BugGuide has numerous images and more information.
¶ Posted 11 April 2009 § ‡ ° Clearwing Moth?
Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 12:17 PM
This insect was photographed in a longleaf pine forest in late September in SW Georgia. The head and antennae remind me of a moth or butterfly but the wings suggest otherwise. Could you please provide proper identification?
Thanks!
Aubrey
Southwest Georgia
Four Spotted Owlfly
Hi Aubrey,
What a spectacular photo of an Owlfly in the family Ascalaphidae, probably the Four Spotted Owlfly, Ululodes quadripunctatus. BugGuide has an excellent page with information on the species. Owlflies are Neuropterans and are related to Lacewings.
¶ Posted 18 February 2009 § ‡ ° long beetle bug
Thu, Nov 20, 2008 at 9:04 PM
I found this in my kitchen, only one of them in with the pans. It’s only about 1 inch long and it’s head is round and flat – disk shaped.
Julie
Newcastle, CA (Foothills, No. Cal)
Possibly Rove Beetle Larva
Hi Julie,
There is no need for concern. This is a predatory larva and it will not harm you, your home, or your pets, unless you have some insect pets. We believe this is one of the Rove Beetles. We will check with Eric Eaton to get a confirmation.
Hi, Daniel:
Never got a note about the “rove beetle larva,” which is actually the larva of a snakefly! Neat find. They are predatory, often found under bark on trees.
Eric
¶ Posted 22 November 2008 § ‡ ° Mantispid?
Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 10:18 AM
Back in June, we found this fascinating insect in our kitchen. He must have flown in and been attracted by the ventahood light. At first, I thought it was a wasp and was going to smash it (I’m allergic to wasps, so they get no quarter from me), but then I noticed that its front legs were distinctly mantis-like. So I called the boys to see the “funny-looking” mantis, and my son (a budding naturalist) said he thought it might be a “mantis-wasp” imitating a pepsis wasp. After an hour of searching through images of
wasps and mantids with no luck, I found the mantispid pictures on your site. I think we’ve properly identified him, but the naturalist wants confirmation.
Wendy (Mom), Caleb (the budding naturalist), and Isaac Anderson
Memphis, Tennessee
Mantidfly
Hi Wendy, Caleb and Isaac,
You are correct. This is a Mantidfly or Mantispid. Of all the genera and species posted to BugGuide, your specimen looks the most like Leptomantispa pulchella, but it doesn’t appear to be a perfect match.
¶ Posted 19 November 2008 § ‡ ° Micro Mantidfly
Sun, Nov 16, 2008 at 3:59 PM
Hi guys,
found this tiny mantidfly on my back door. Its only about 12mm long but really liked the patterns which became visible in the close up. Order Neuroptera, Family Mantispidae, apart from that I can’t go further with the ID. Hope you like it.
aussietrev
Queensland, Australia
Mantidfly from Australia
Hi Trevor,
As always, we love getting your contributions from Australia. The Mantidfly is a nice addition.
bee or butterfly? (neuroptera or lepidoptera?)
Thu, Nov 6, 2008 at 4:53 AM
we photographed this fairy like bug in a forest near Izmir Turkey. it is not a strong flyer. only seen on spring time. head and legs look like a bee, but it has beautiful wings like a butterfly. is it a known specie?
Thank you..
aegean sea coast, west anatolia, izmir, turkey
Ribbon Winged Lacewing
Dear Reader,
This is a Ribbon Winged Lacewing in the family Nemopteridae and the order of Neuropterans. We have no idea what the species is and a cursory search did not show any matching images online. Ribbon Winged Lacewings are also commonly called Thread Winged Lacewings, Spoon Winged Lacewings, or Thread Winged Antlions. Your photos are quite lovely and they have jumped the queue of letters that arrived November 5.
Ribbon Winged Lacewing
¶ Posted 07 November 2008 § ‡ ° 
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