rss What is this bug !!!!!
Location: Staffordshire, UK
July 4, 2011 7:03 am
I found this on my shed soaking up the sunshine, its about 2+ inches long and quite ugly !!!!
Signature: Lindsey ! Staffordshire
Poplar Hawkmoth
Hi Lindsey,
This Poplar Hawkmoth, Laothoe populi, is the first possibility on the Beginner’s Top Twenty of the UK Moths website.
What is this?
Location: Bucks County, PA
July 4, 2011 10:56 am
I found this on my front door this morninig. It looks like some type of moth.
Signature: Seth
Spotted Apatelodes
Hi Seth,
Though it is frequently mistaken for a Sphinx Moth, your Spotted Apatelodes is actually a Silkworm Moth.
what is this?
Location: Honolulu Manoa Valley
July 3, 2011 3:20 pm
Found this caterpillar in my yard in Manoa Valley in Honolulu, Hawaii in some ginger and monstera and next to a crown flowers tree.
Signature: Beth
Pink Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Hi Beth,
The Pink Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar, Agrius cingulata, is also found throughout much of North, Central and South America and it was most likely introduced to Hawaii. The caterpillar is highly variable, and the Sphingidae of the Americas website does not depict this particular variation on the standard species page, however is you scroll down the Sphingidae of the Americas Hawaii page, you will see an example of this color variation.
Thanks for the quick identification! Am checking the sites you mention and googling others to see what else I can learn about this caterpillar. I see it is also referred to as the sweet potato hawkmoth. Do they feed on sweet potato? I am growing a lot of sweet potatoes in my garden. But I found this one over by my ginger. Also near my crown flower tree. I know the monarchs like the crown flower.
Do you know what this species eats? Or anything more about their life cycle.
Aloha,
Beth
Hi again Beth,
According to BugGuide: “Larvae feed on Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas), jimsonweed (Datura spp.), pawpaw (Asimina spp.), and other plants in the Potato (Solanaceae) and Morning-glory (Convolvulaceae) families. Adults take nectar from deep-throated flowers such as morning-glory (Convolvulus spp).”
What bug is this?
Location: Philadelphia area
July 3, 2011 12:37 pm
Hello,
We have a large organge bug with wings and antennas on our front door. Can you help us identify it? I’ve attached a photo.
Thanks!
Signature: Melissa
Royal Walnut Moth
Hi Melissa,
This gorgeous moth is a Royal Walnut Moth or Regal Moth, and it is the adult form of the equally spectacular Hickory Horned Devil caterpillar.
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.
Red and black flying bug
Location: Yorkshire, England
June 30, 2011 5:51 pm
Can anyone identify this insect? When it flies, the parts of the wings near the body are a spectacular red; at rest, the black wings show red spots.
We have spotted these in two locations near the coast in Yorkshire (U.K.) in June.
Signature: Mike G
Six Spot Burnet
Hi Mike,
According to the UK Moths website, this Six Spot Burnet is a common diurnal species.
Thanks. I’ve looked in our books, tried a few Websites, but I couldn’t find it! So thanks for your help.
I’ve seen lots more in the last few days, so they must be common, but I’ve noticed any before.
Mike.
What is this?
Location: Central Indiana
July 1, 2011 5:57 am
The bug in the picture was on our Buterfly bush a few days ago. I was trying to landscape around the bush when I saw them. Do we need to be worried about them?
Thanks
Signature: Pete
Snowberry Clearwing
Hi Pete,
Of the three species of diurnal Sphinx Moths in the genus Hemaris that are listed as ranging in Indiana according to the Sphingidae of the Americas website, we believe this most resembles Hemaris diffinis, the Snowberry Clearwing or Bumblebee Moth. They are harmless pollinators that are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds.
Prometheus or Tulip Tree Silkmoth?
Location: Clifton, Virginia
June 30, 2011 1:03 pm
Hi! This gorgeous moth was playing around my porch light last night (6/29/2011), and I spent over an hour watching and photgraphing her. I thought at the time that she is a Prometheus (Callosamia promethea), but now Googling has led me to find out that she may be a Tulip-Tree Silkmoth (Callosamia angulifera), which looks very similar. I’m having a tough time deciding which she is, and I’m about all googled out. Help, please? Thanks!
Signature: Ericka
Tuliptree Silkmoth
Hi Ericka,
You did a nice job of sleuthing. In our opinion, this is a male Tuliptree Silkmoth. It looks nearly identical to this image on BugGuide. We are suffering from Google overdose ourselves and we are about to close the office and enjoy the beautiful Southern California day.
Hi Daniel.
Thank you so much for the speedy reply. Good to know! I do have loads of tulip trees in the yard, so that makes sense. I didn’t realize there was another moth species that looks so similar to C. promethea. I will rename my photo files and stop referring to said moth in the feminine.
Have a great evening!
Ericka
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