Interesting Long Black Bug
July 18, 2009
Thanks for taking a look at this bug. It was hanging out on the side of our house, and wasn’t afraid when I brought the camera lens up close. It must have been at least two inches long, and that may have been just the body length. It was late spring. I have higher resolution pictures if required.
Shilo
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Salmonfly
Hi Shilo,
This is a Giant Stonefly or Salmonfly in the genus Pteronarcys. There is a matching photo on BugGuide also from Alberta Canada.
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Posted 19 July 2009
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I found this bug, would love to know what it is
Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Me and the kids stopped off by a mountain stream at the bottom of helvellyn in the lake district on sunday and there were lots of these creatures on the rocks around the water, i would appriciate your help in finding out what type of “thing” it is – it resembled something like a flat grass hopper/ over grown earwig crossed with a scorpion, it didnt have a sting but had quite large mouth/biting bit – ithey were a good 2″ long and not particualrly friendly looking
jodie lee
lake district
Stonefly Naiad
Hi Jodie,
This is the aquatic nymph of the Giant Stonefly known as a naiad. Presumably it has crawled from the stream, will soon molt its exoskeleton, and become a winged adult. Adult Giant Stoneflies do not feed, but are relished by trout, other fish, birds and many riparian predators. Anglers use both larval and adult Giant Stoneflies as bait. We have recently posted a photo of an adult Giant Stonefly for comparison. You photo and letter will not go live on our site until Tuesday at noon. We have been preparing posts to update one a day while we are out of the office planting tomatoes.
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Posted 09 June 2009
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7th grade river walk this afternoon, …
Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 3:22 PM
Left us wondering “who” this is. It was stationary, hanging onto the side of a small tree, 15 feet from the river that runs behind our school in VT. It looked to be 2 – 2.5 inches long.
Lisa
North Central VT, a couple of miles from the base of Mt Mansfield.
Giant Stonefly
Hi Lisa,
This is a Giant Stonefly in the family Pteronarcyidae. The aquatic nymphs have gills and are found in streams and rivers and they eat aquatic vegetation. We recently received an ID request that we did not post of a nymph, and we are going to try to locate it in the labyrinth of our email inbox. Adult Giant Stoneflies do not feed. Fishermen are fond of Giant Stoneflies as bait for trout and other freshwater fish. You may learn more about Giant Stoneflies on BugGuide. We are preparing your letter and photo in advance to post live to our site on Monday at noon since we will be out of the office for a week and not answering any new incoming mail. We feel an obligation to our regular readership to continue to update on a daily basis in absentia.
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Posted 08 June 2009
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Odd Spokane Resident
Sat, Dec 20, 2008 at 10:12 PM
Odd Spokane Resident
While tilling a flower bed this last summer (May/June), my wife found this bug under a top covering of pine needles. I have never seen anything like this.
It has a beautiful black with orange outlines. Its wings are huge!
Spencer Morley
Spokane, WA, USA
Giant Stonefly
Hi Spencer,
This is a Giant Stonefly in the family Pteronarcyidae. According to information posted to BugGuide, we believe this is probably a California Salmonfly, Pteronarcys californica . BugGuide indicates: “The California Salmonfly ( Pteronarcys californica ) is common in western United States and southwestern Canada; it is an important food of trout and salmon, and a favorite bait of anglers.” These aquatic insects are often attracted to lights.
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Posted 22 December 2008
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dobson-fly? With Orange neck?
Found on the side of a building by the New Brunswick/Maine border. After looking at your site I believe this might be a type of Dobson Fly, cigar shaped body, 4 inches in length, clear wings. There does not appear to be mandibles and unlike the pictures on your website this one has a flourescent orange neck. Hoping you can open the attachments! Same one in both pics! Sorry about the poor quality!
This is a Common Stonefly in the family Perlidae. BugGuide has images, including one with a ruler showing the size 4 inches, and one showing the orange color of the neck, and they identify the genus as Perlesta or perhaps Pteronarcys pictetii. While we can’t exactly confirm the genus or species, we are confident this is a Common Stonefly.
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Posted 12 June 2008
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another pic of a fishfly
Here’s another great pic of a fishfly. I put something on a park bench concealed from a rainstorm allowing this "little" guy to get out of the rainstorm.
Karen MacEwan
Hi Karen,
This is not a Fishfly. It is a common Stonefly in the family Perlidae. We just spent a bit of time adjusting the contrast and sharpening a far inferior image of a Common Stonefly to post because we opened that letter first. Though we don’t really feel the need to have two Common Stonefly images on our homepage at once, you image is so lovely we cannot resist the temptation to do so. Your telephone area code (which we are not posting) indicates you are from the Minneapolis, Minnesota area.
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Posted 11 June 2008
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FishFly or Female Dobson Fly?
Hey Bug Man,
You have a ton of Dobson flies on your site, but I’m still not convinced that this is one because of the lack of mandibles (or else this one’s are puny). It also doesn’t have the trademark feathered antennae of a fishfly. The orange accents were also interesting. I found this 3 inch specimen on a tree in my backyard in Ashburn, Virginia on April 26. I live 100 yards from a stream and the weather has given us several 80 degree days for the first time this year. Thanks for the great compilation of excellent photos on your site.
Joe
Hi Joe,
This is a Common Stonefly in the family Perlidae.
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Posted 27 April 2008
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Bug photo attached for your collection if wanted
Came across your neat site while searching for stonefly photos on Google. Found this yesterday as it came out from under my son’s riding mower as we pushed it into the back yard to work on it. Been told it’s a Golden stonefly. Thought you might want it for your photo collection. We’re in southwest Virginia.
Dick & Jane
Hi Dick and Jane,
Thanks for sending your image. According to BugGuide, Golden Stoneflies or Common Stoneflies are in the family Perlidae.
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Posted 03 April 2008
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what’s this bug?
We were interested to see a couple of this bug crawling on top of the snow on March 15 near Niagara Falls Ontario in a provincial park where there are horseback riders and dog walkers. Is it a common insect?
Nancy Cook
Hi Nancy,
Winter Stoneflies, known as Snowflies, are not rare, but are very seasonal. They are one of the few insects that are active when there is still snow on the ground.
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Posted 15 March 2008
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bug identification
Hi,
Attached is a picture of a bug that we are seeing on wintery sunny days on the outside and a few inside our house. It has wings, but does not fly. We live in a woody area in CT. We have also have had an increase of ladybugs and houseflies recently. Thank you
This is a Winter Stonefly in the family Capniidae. According to BugGuide there are 151 [identified] species in North America in 10 genera, and the: “family is distributed throughout much of North America but many species have restricted geographic ranges, and are endemic to relatively small areas.” They are also called Snowflies.
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Posted 10 February 2008
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Hello! Bug from Hell’s Canyon Oregon here!
Beautiful laced wings on this bug we saw at Indian Crossing campground on the Imnaha river, Hells Canyon national recreation area on the border of Oregon and Idaho. It was in a forested area. Any ideas? Love the site!!!!! Thanks!
Justin Friedman
Hi Justin,
This is a Giant Stonefly. BugGuide has a matching photo, but does not identify the species. They only identify it to the family level, Pteronarcyidae.
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Posted 12 October 2007
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Glacier insect
Aloha Bug-people:
Thanks again for the help with the Passionvine Hopper nymph last year. I have another mystery. Attached image is of an insect found while trekking on top of the Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia, Argentina. Length about 3/4 inch. Our guide told us these were discovered on the glacier, but he did not know a name for them. Searched your site of course, but the only thing with a similar structure was a Timema. I have read that sprintails have been known to live on glaciers as well, but they are much smaller to my knowledge. Sorry for the poor image. Had to shoot handheld without my tripod, and the little guy was moving. Kind regards,
Don Brown
Hi Don,
This looks like a Snowfly, a group of Stoneflies in the family Capniidae, the Small Winter Snowflies. Some are winged and some are not.
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Posted 20 December 2006
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