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Absence of additional photos
April 28, 2011 11:37 pm
Heh. Having been succinCt, descriptive, and specific in the subject, what’s left?
Oh yes, details. icon smile Fanmail
I note that many posts state that there are additional photos (the Polyphemus moth is the one I saw, where it has a newly-emerged moth and states that they have one four hours on–but there’s only the one photo)…but when you go to the post itself, there’s no additional photos.
I know you’re short on time and space–we all are–but puh-leeze, can we please have a few more eentsy little photos? icon smile Fanmail
You guys ROCK!!! bigtime at this; I keep telling teachers and kids and parents to come on over, it’s fun.  And even the grossed-out and/or phobic ones wind up here eventually, and LOVE it! icon smile Fanmail
Repeat: You ROCK. icon smile Fanmail   Totally. icon smile Fanmail
Now…what bugs in Butte County, CA, do you want/need photos of? icon smile Fanmail   I’ve not the money to donate but I can sure get pictures and do some ID work..!!
Hugs,
PA
Signature: Pam Alley

polyphemus bert1 300x175 Fanmail

Polyphemus Moth

Hi Pam,
Thanks for your kind email.  When photos are submitted, we generally choose the most representative or our favorite to post.  When there are several images, we often post two or rarely three.  We did a search for Polyphemus Moth using our search engine, and we believe we found the posting that you are referring to and there are two images.  Additionally, similar postings are available by clicking the small thumbnails under the posting.  We would love to post some of your photos, and we especially like seasonal sightings and species that are not well represented on our site.  Right now we hope to get a variety of different Blister Beetles from the southwest.  We are posting the image you were unable to locate as an accompaniment to this posting

Ah ha…must click on first photo to see all photos!  Silly me. icon smile Fanmail
Comment on chickens–hit the BackyardChickens website for best husbandry/health/housing information.  You aren’t the only one who has lost feathered friends unexpectedly, nor had trouble getting started.
Consider yourself hugged…that’s not fun. icon sad Fanmail   But that website will help you get restarted…
I do have a couple of bugs you might be intrigued by; one was a ‘wingless bee’ found under my rabbit cages…which amazingly, by the end of its photo session, had wings (laughing)–think it was a bee mimic of some kind.  The other was a seemingly voracious black and white striped bug that was encouraged to go forth and eat LOTS of earwigs.
BTW…I got into chickens as earwig control, and now I have more than I know what to do with…LOL…so watch out!  They’re addictive (or at least additive!
There are a number of show breeders of various kinds of chickens in your part of the world–highly recommend the Belgian d’Anvers breed–sociable, personality plus, and hardy as heck.  A bantam breed. You might consider getting some adults to start with–they lay very well and brood excellently too.
Recommend you put a nice chain-link kennel around your chicken coop area to keep skunks/raccoons out–raccoons especially, as they can carry nasty parasites and are incredibly strong given the smallest opening.  Try Craigslist for one that’s affordable.
Anyway, you’re welcome to my photo collection, should you want it…here are two exemplars and enjoy! icon smile Fanmail
If there’s anything I can do to help you folks, I have no life, so let me know. icon smile Fanmail
PA

Dear PA,
whoaaaahhh
There is no way all these can be posted.  This will probably take an hour to format.  We can post your letter and one species.  In the future, please use the identification form which helps the formatting of our website.  It is found here:  http://www.whatsthatbug.com/ask-whats-that-bug/
Thanks for your enthusiasm.
P.S.  Just yesterday, over 50 identification requests arrived

2

Posted 29 April 2011 § Fuzzy Bottom Gals § Giant Silk Moths ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

One Eyed Sphinx

New Moth sighting in LA 4-27-11
Location: Los Angeles, CA
April 27, 2011
Hey guys.  I have another moth sighting today.  May be a variation on the one we talked about last week.  Unfortunately this one did not stick around for the mating process.  Here is a picture.
I also found this on my house near my willow.
Thanks
Dan

1 eyed sphinx dan 300x206 One Eyed Sphinx

One Eyed Sphinx

Thanks for sending us another photo of a One Eyed Sphinx Dan.  We will link to your earlier letter.

Posted 28 April 2011 § Hummingbird Moths, Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths ‡ Comments (0) °

Wasp Moth from Mexico

Whats this bug
Location: Cancun Mexico
April 27, 2011 4:01 pm
Took this picture in January in Mexico South ofCancun in 2007
Looks like a fly?, Antennae like a butterfly, and weird fuzzy legs….
Very cool though
Signature: Sean

sesiid mexico sean 300x219 Wasp Moth from Mexico

Clearwing Moth from Mexico

Hi Sean,
What a positively gorgeous Clearwing (we know it seems like a misnomer) Wasp Mimic Moth in the family Sesiidae, an interesting group nicely represented on BugGuide. We will try to correctly identify the species for you.  Perhaps Karl will give it a shot.

Correction Courtesy of Karl
Hi Daniel and Sean:
Wasp Moth is a somewhat generic term used to describe wasp mimicking moths from several families. This one is actually an Arctiid moth (Erebidae: Arctiinae), Horama plumipes, which ranges throughout Central America and as far north as southern Texas. Regards.  Karl

Posted 28 April 2011 § Tiger Moths and Arctiids ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Striped Hawkmoth from Israel

which hawk moth?
Location: kibbutz mashabe sade negev israel
April 15, 2011 2:22 pm
hi i live in the negev in israel on a kibbut. i saw these moths flying around in the garden like humming birds thats how i tracked them down to hawk moths.maybe hippotion, am i right? they move with incredible speed took a while to work out how to photograph them. noticed them for about a week and now they seem to be gone, do they migrate? any additional info would be great. thanks
geora
Signature: geora

striped hawkmoth israel geora 2 300x209 Striped Hawkmoth from Israel

Striped Hawkmoth

Hi Geora,
We are nearly certain your moth is a Striped Hawkmoth, Hyles livornica, a common species in Israel that can get quite plentiful.  You may compare your individual to the images posted on the Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic website. We recently posted a photo of Striped Hawkmoth Caterpillars from Israel and we have also posted images of great swarms of the moths from Iraq.  We are preparing your letter to post live to our site in several days during our absence from the office.  Your photos are quite marvelous.

Posted 22 April 2011 § Hummingbird Moths, Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths ‡ Comments (0) °

One Eyed Sphinx, probably

Moth
Location: Los Angeles, CA
April 14, 2011 5:09 pm
This Moth appeared on my window screen in Los Angeles yesterday. Is now mating with a second. It is about 3 inches wing tip to wing tip.
What Kind of Moth?
Shoudl I be concerned with moth babies?
Signature: Dan

salicet sphinx dan 300x208 One Eyed Sphinx, probably

One Eyed Sphinx

Dear Dan,
We believe this is a Salicet Sphinx, Smerinthus saliceti, based on the Sphingidae of the Americas website, though we would not rule out the possibility that it is the closely related One Eyed Sphinx, Smerinthus cerisyi.  You have nothing to be concerned about.  Immature Moths are caterpillars.  We are actually a bit envious as we have never seen either species at our Mt. Washington, Los Angeles offices.  The related Striped Morning Sphinx and Carolina Sphinx are the only aerodynamic Hawkmoths that visit our own porch light.  We will see if Bill Oehlke can confirm our identification.  He may request additional information on the sighting location to include in his database of Sphingidae sightings in North America.

Bill Oehlke Replies
Hi Daniel,
There is very little to separate saliceti from cerisyi. Even the diagnostic feature that some use with the hindwing eyespot is not 100 percent consistent.
Generally saliceti is more of an orangey-brown to brown species while cerisyi is more grey brown to brown. The specimen in question seems to have quite a bit of grey so I am leaning towards cerisyi for that reason. I also feel the location is a bit too far north and west in California for it to be saliceti.
Although Tuttle maintains a distinction between the two species, he indicates that further research may prove them to just be variations of the same species.
I will send a copy of this to Dan in Los Angeles County, and will also request a larger image and permission to post.
Bill Oehlke

Bill and Daniel,
Great feedback from you both.  Thank you.
From the websites you shared I am 95% sure it is the cerisyi.  It was very grey…like old paper.  I have a large willow in my yard with the branches hanging down right by the window where it showed up.  As I mentioned there were 2 mating and they attached motionless for 12-24 hours.  They were gone this morning so no chance for a picture of them both together.  I am aware baby moths are caterpillars.  I am concerned that the larvae and then caterpillars may take to feasting on my willow tree.  If I see a large group of eggs, I will let you know.
Here are a couple more shots.  It is with my blackberry camera so apologies for the lack of quality.  You have permission to post.  The one with the ruler is fro the inside of the house.  the perspective is off, it was bigger than what it shows as the tape measure was closer to the camera.  I also include the original shot here.
Best,
Dan Yokich

Thanks for the additional information Dan.  We can’t imagine the caterpillars doing any lasting harm to your willow tree.  We would implore you to allow the caterpillars to feast should they happen to hatch on your tree.

Understood. We had a issue with butterflies laying thousands of eggs on 10 to 15 boughs. It was a mess with black caterpillars falling down and stripping long lengths of branches.
This sounds much different with just a few eggs here and there.
We will let them feast.
Dan

Since your tree is a willow, we expect the butterfly that laid eggs on your tree was a Mourning Cloak.

Posted 15 April 2011 § Hummingbird Moths, Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths ‡ Comments (1) °

Eyed Tiger Moth

moth
Location: jacksonville, nc
April 13, 2011 8:59 pm
I found this little guy at work hiding out on the steps, probably praying not to get stepped on. What kind is it? He’s white with black circles all over him, almost looks like someone dew on him with a black marker lol
Signature: Meg

leopard moth meg 268x300 Eyed Tiger Moth

Eyed Tiger Moth

Dear Meg,
This pretty little Tiger Moth is commonly called an Eyed Tiger Moth or Giant Leopard Moth.  There is a great deal of variation in the spotting pattern between individuals.  Adult Eyed Tiger Moths do not feed and the caterpillars are commonly called Woolly Bears.

Posted 14 April 2011 § Tiger Moths and Arctiids ‡ Comments (0) °

Flightless Female Bagworm Moth from Australia

What’s this funny insect?
Location: Sydney, Australia
April 13, 2011 7:03 am
This creature was on the wall the other day. I have never seen anything like it. Any idea what it is? Is it dangerous? The spike on the back looks a bit scary!
Signature: Carey

bagworm moth australia carey 300x166 Flightless Female Bagworm Moth from Australia

Bagworm Moth

Dear Carey,
Just a few days ago, we had another identification request for this flightless female moth from Australia, and it was identified as a Bagworm Moth, Cebysa leucotelus.  Only the females are flightless.  We suspect that is an ovipositor protruding from her abdomen.

bagworm moth australia carey 2 288x300 Flightless Female Bagworm Moth from Australia

Female Bagworm Moth

Dear Daniel,
Thank you for that! I hope she laid her eggs outside first.
Carey

Posted 13 April 2011 § Bagworm Moths ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Flightless Female Moth, but what species???

is this a moth?
Location: central Nebraska
April 11, 2011 11:19 pm
I found this in my house. He was hanging on to the wall like a cicada, but he can run pretty quickly. Those look like immature wings, but I thought moths came out fully formed. It is the first week of April and this is one of the first insects I’ve seen this year.
Signature: Jerry

flightless moth jerry 300x228 Flightless Female Moth, but what species???

Unknown Flightless Female Moth

Hi Jerry,
Congratulations on correctly classifying this as a Moth.  It is a flightless female Moth, though we need some time to attempt to identify the species.  There are many moth species that have flightless females.  Perhaps one of our readers can provide an identification while we are at work today.  As an aside, we get very few identification requests from Nebraska.  We wonder if it is perhaps the Winter Moth, Operophtera brumata, a species accidentally introduced to North America from Europe.  Here is a photo of the Winter Moth on BugGuide.

flightless moth jerry 2 300x236 Flightless Female Moth, but what species???

Unknown Flightless Female Moth

Daniel
I tend to agree that there is a good possibility that this is a female “Winter Moth” but the question still remains is it the exotic “Winter Moth” Operophtera brumataor one of the native Geometrid “Winter Moths”.  I know that here in the state of Michigan, we are on the look out for the exotic pest and maybe the good folks in Nebraska may be wondering of its establishment in their great state.  Us humans have the ability to help move these exotic species around and this problematic species is established in several states.  Puzzling though is that the adults are out and about from November to January but maybe this one was lucky to over winter indoors?
My Two Cents
Thanks
Brian
United States Department of Agriculture

Posted 12 April 2011 § Geometrid Moths ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

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