Subject: Bees Wasps
Location: Soham Cambridgeshire UK
May 3, 2013 3:47 pm
Dear Sir.
I saw this bug on a tree in Soham Cambridgeshire UK almost a year ago.
I have had no way of uploading the picture till now as not had a computer.
It was a lovely sunny day in June of last year 2012.
It is about an inch in length, with a blue band around it;s’ middle. I have
never seen one of these before and was wondering if it is a rare species to this country
or it may have got lost on its travels. I didn’t notice any stinger on it.
If you could help I would be most appreciated.
Signature: Nick Halliday

Hornet Moth:  Sesia apiformis

Dear Nick,
This clever little mimic could fool most folks.  This is not a bee nor a wasp.  It is a Hornet Moth, Sesia apiformis, a moth that mimics a stinging hornet as a means of protective coloration.  According to UK Moths:  “Rather similar to the Lunar Hornet Moth, this species can easily be distinguished by the yellow head and tegulae.  It has a more southerly distribution than that species, rarely being encountered north of the Midlands.  The larvae burrow into the wood of black poplar (Populus nigra), and other species of poplar.  The moths emerge in June and July, and can be found low down on the trunks in early to mid morning.”  The Hornet Moth is in the family Sesiidae, the Clearwings, which includes many species with similar protective coloration and markings.

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Subject: Synanthedon exitiosa?
Location: Nashville, TN
September 16, 2012 8:56 pm
We think this a type of borer. The closest our bug guide has is a Peach Tree Borer; Synanthedon exitiosa. It’s not a perfect match. Can you help us identify this bug?
Signature: Jennifer

Clematis Borer

Dear Jennifer,
Though your species identification is incorrect, we are impressed that you came so close with this difficult identification.  You are correct that this is a Borer in the Clearwing Moth family Sesiidae, a group known for excellent mimicry of wasps.  They are often called Wasp Moths.  This is a Clematis Borer, Alcathoe carolinensis, and we identified it on BugGuide.  The Clematis Borer and the Peach Tree Borer are both in the same tribe, Synanthedonini, so they are very closely related, hence they share similar physical attributes.

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Subject: strange abdomen or ovipositor? wasp?
Location: Tinley Park, IL, USA
July 21, 2012 12:19 pm
Hello!
Was wondering what sort of insect this may be? Wings had a slightly yellow tinge and abdomen had an unusual end that pointed back towards the head.
Was hanging out on a screen that led to my balcony. Was able to shoot it’s underside, but it’s back was hard to capture because of the sky backlighting. It looked like it had little yellow ”shoulder straps” that are faintly visible in the photo. Head to abdomen was just under an inch long.
Was shot around 2pm on July 14, 2012.
Signature: KippyQ

Clearwing Moth

Dear KippyQ,
This is one of the Clearwing Moths in the family Sesiidae, a group that contains many wasp mimic members.  We believe we might have correctly identified your Clearwing Moth as Synanthedon fatifera based on this BugGuide photo, though there are many similar looking members in the genus Synanthedon.

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Subject: Unidentified
Location: Northeast, OH
June 20, 2012 1:06 am
We found this beauty in our front yard and have been trying to identify it. We would love to know how to tag it in our family nature journal.
Signature: Thanks, Melissa

Clearwing Moth

Hi Melissa,
The best we can do right now is a family identification.  This is a Clearwing Moth in the family Sesiidae, a group that includes many mimics of wasps and bees.  You can search BugGuide to try to determine the species identity.

Update:  November 17, 2012
Thanks to a comment we just received, we now know that this is a Rhododendron Borer, Synanthedon rhododendri .  Alas, BugGuide has not photos in their guide for comparison, and there is but one image of a mounted specimen available on Bugguide, but it does appear to match.  There is also an image of a mounted specimen on the Moth Photographers Group.  Though there are no photos of the moth, there are photos of the damage caused by the Rhododendron Borer on Gardenphile.  Finally, Penn State University has a very comprehensive posting with a nice entomological drawing.  Seems What’s That Bug? might have one of the only photos of a living specimen available online.

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Subject: funky badass looking moth
Location: holmen wi
June 1, 2012 10:56 pm
found this cool looking moth, i thought it was a fly at first but the body is very mothlike. its red and black as you can see, but the wings when looking at them just right are shiny green
holmen wisconsin
Signature: with letters

Squash Vine Borer

Dear with letters,
You were very observant to classify this Squash Vine Borer, Melittia cucurbitae, as a moth as it is a very effective wasp mimic.  The female Squash Vine Borer lays her eggs on the stems of squash, melon and related plants.  The larvae are stem borers and their feeding negatively impacts the health of the plant.  You can read more about the Squash Vine Borer on BugGuide. 

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Moth or wasp?
Location: southern West Virginia
July 18, 2011 9:38 pm
I found this bug in my bean patch early in the morning and wondered what it was. No internet search could help.
Signature: Cori

Squash Vine Borer

Hi Cori,
The Squash Vine Borer is a moth that mimics a wasp for protection since wasps sting and moths do not.  The larvae bore in the stems of squash plants including zucchini and pumpkin.  We are guessing that you have some squash growing near the bean patch.

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Flying Bug in Whitstable UK
Location: Whitstable UK
July 2, 2011 6:33 am
Dear Bugman
My sister pictured this in their backyard in Whistable, Kent, UK and we would like to know what it is please.
Thanks
Signature: Michelle Morris

Large Red Belted Clearwing

Hi Michelle,
This is one of the Clearwing Moths in the family Sesiidae, a group which contains species that mimic wasps for protection.  We believe we have correctly identified this as a Large Red Belted Clearwing, Synanthedon culiciformis, thanks to the UK Moths website.  The larvae of many of the Clearwing Moths are borers in woody plants, and the UK Moths site indicates:  “The species inhabits heathland and woodland, where the host tree, birch (Betula abounds, and is known from much of mainland Britain.”  The UK Moths site also states:  “Although generally larger than the similar Red-belted Clearwing, the sizes overlap and it is more easily distinguished by the orange-red suffusion at the base of the forewings.  The moth flies earlier in the year than many other clearwings, being on the wing in May and June.”  The Red Belted Clearwing is also represented on the UK Moths website.

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About a weird red bug on my pumpkin stems
Location: Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
June 26, 2011 1:43 pm
Hello,
this morning I noticed a weird red bug that looked like a cross between a beetle and a wasp that was fully bright red with several black dots down its abdomen. The abdomen curled up just like a bee’s does when it’s pollinating, and its wings were pretty large and totally black. But the front of its body resembles a beetle shape. I am attaching the few pics I was able to take before it flew away. We have a small garden, but everytime it flew away and came back it went right back to the pumpkin stems at the bottom near the dirt and seemed to be stabbing the thickest part of the stem like a bee pollinates flowers.I have never seen anything like this insect before and was wondering if you could help identify it. Was wondering if it was good or bad for the pumpkin plant.
Thank you
Signature: Cheri Fazio

Squash Vine Borer

Hi Cheri,
This is a Squash Vine Borer in the family Sesiidae, the Clearwing Moths are are wasp mimics.  The behavior you describe is consistent with that of a female ovipositing, or laying eggs.  The larvae bore in the stems of plants in the squash family including pumpkin and melons.

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