NE Flordia Stumper
Location: Fleming Island, FL
February 6, 2012 7:27 am
I’ve lived in Florida (Insect Mecca) for many years…but this is a new one. I live in Fleming Island, FL about a mile west of the St. Johns River. I started noticing these on my two collies after they would play out back. I have a small fenced in yard that backs up to a field of an elementary school.
The insect has six legs, and very in size from 1/2” to 1” in body length.
The best I could guess was some sort of Wheel Bug Arilus cristatus Nymph.
Hopefully you can give some assistance.
Signature: Joe Summanen
Milkweed Assassin Bug Nymph
Hi Joe,
You are on the right track, but not exactly correct. This is the nymph of a Milkweed Assassin Bug, Zelus longipes, and like the Wheel Bug, they are both in the Assassin Bug family. Milkweed Assassin Bugs are important beneficial predators, but if they are carelessly handled, they can deliver a painful bite.
Thanks Daniel!
Unfortunately, I was bitten once. Ouch. That’s what caught my attention.
Much appreciated.
Joe
Unknown insect
Location: Grand Island, NE
February 4, 2012 5:46 pm
My wife found this insect in her bath towel. It left what appears to be a single puncture in her skin. We just want to know what it is.
Signature: John
Masked Hunter nymph, Unmasked
Dear John,
This is an immature Assassin Bug, but we had to do a bit of digging to identify the species even though this is one of the most common Assassin Bugs on our website. This is an Masked Hunter nymph, though it is a bit atypical since Masked Hunter nymphs are generally covered in lint an debris that acts as camouflage for them. We are guessing this individual is newly molted and it hasn’t yet had any lint or debris stick to it yet. Masked Hunters are often found in the home, and we generally inform people that they are beneficial as they will eat other problematic insects and they are especially fond of hunting Bed Bugs. Masked Hunters do not normally bite humans, but they will bite if carelessly handled or provoked. Sadly, the accidental encounter your wife had resulted in a bite. The bite is not considered dangerous, though the discomfort may last a few days. Adult Masked Hunters are glossy black winged insects.
1
What is this?
Location: Lower New York
February 1, 2012 7:24 am
Hi, Do you know what kind of bug this is? I get them occasionally in the den of my house, but lately much more than usual. I have noticed it puts out a strong odor when messed with sometimes. I live in NY, in Westchester County, just above Manhattan.
Signature: Andrew
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Greetings Andrew,
This is a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, an invasive species introduced from China that has become established in North America. Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs frequently seek shelter indoors as the weather begins to cool. We also have many native species of Stink Bugs and there are other True Bugs that seek shelter indoors during the winter. They will not harm the home or its occupants, however, if plentiful, they can become a nuisance. We featured links to these hibernating Hemipterans in our Bug of the Month feature for January 2012.
Thank you! Cool, I thought it was a carpet bug. Which to me sounds worse, but these stink bugs stink and are annoying.
1
Green Jungle Beettle?
This message may not have been sent by: ldfieldjournal@gmail.com Learn more Report phishing
Subject: Green Jungle Beettle?
Location: Jungles of Western Belize
January 27, 2012 11:21 am
On our jungle hike yesterday, we noticed this beetle hanging out with leaf cutter ants on some freshly cut plants. It appears to have very distinct colors, and we hope it will be easy to identify. Thanks for your help!
Signature: Lower Dover Field Journal
Stink Bug
Dear Lower Dover Field Journal,
You are mistaken. This is not a Beetle. It is a Stink Bug in the family Pentatomidae, but we have not had any luck determining the species. We will try some additional research.
Stink Bug
Thanks! If it’s any help it had violet under-wings.
1
Giant Water Bug
Location: Queensland, Australia
January 26, 2012 12:50 am
Hi guys,
Hope you like these shots of a giant water bug that was hanging around banging into a shiny piece of stainless steel in my carport. They will often mistake a reflective surface for water and attempt to drop into it.
The bug played dead when I got close to it and it allowed me to turn it over for a shot of its piercing mouthparts. It was determined not to give itself away until I picked it up and took it over to some long grass. When I dropped it on the grass it quickly righted itself and flew away.
Signature: aussietrev
Water Scorpion
Hi Trevor,
The very flattened body and extremely long, posterior breathing tube indicates that this is a Water Scorpion, and not a closely related Giant Water Bug. Interestingly, we found a photos of a Water Scorpion from Australia submitted by you in 2008 in our archive. We decided to do a bit more research and we found the AusEmade website that has a photo of an Australian Water Scorpion from Simpsons Gap that is identified as Laccotrephes tristis and contains this information: “One of the interesting looking insects found swimming in the pools is the Water Scorpion, whose other common name is Toe-biter. These strange looking creatures are carnivores, feeding on other aquatic organisms that they can capture including tadpoles, small frogs and small fish. They swim with the tip of their long needle like tail breaking the water surface, acting as a breathing siphon. With their large pincer-like forelegs used for seizing their prey, Water Scorpions can inflict a nasty nip, although they are also known to play dead when disturbed. Once they have grasped their prey, they inject a venom that liquefy the prey from the inside, which enables the Water Scorpion to suck out the prey’s body fluid.” The Identification and Ecology of Australian Freshwater Invertebrates website also has some good information. The Atlas of Living Australiahas a distribution map.
Water Scorpion
If you look closely at your close-up photos, you can see tiny red spots which we suspect are Mites. Several sources indicate a common name of Toe-Biter which is shared with the North American Giant Water Bugs.
Water Scorpion
Possible Phasmid?
Location: Upstate New York
January 24, 2012 12:11 pm
We saw this guy in our hedges last summer around mid July. It had two tiny wings and could fly, but not very fast. It also had tiny vice-like forearms, similar to a mantid. I tried looking this up online but can’t seem to definitively identify this bug.
Signature: lureah21
Thread-Legged Bug
Dear lureah21,
Though it somewhat resembles a Phasmid, it is not. Your observation of the raptorial forelegs was keen, identifying this as a predator and not a vegan. Your insect is a True Bug in the Assassin Bug family. It is subclassified as a Thread-Legged Bug in the subfamily Emesinae. We believe it is most likely in the genus Emesaya, possibly Emesaya brevipennis which you can find on BugGuide.
Thread-Legged Bug
Thank you for your response, that does appear to be the bug we saw.
Tracy
Bug under bark
Location: Worthington, OH
January 23, 2012 3:01 pm
Happy New Year to WTB!
Towards the end of December, we had a pretty warm couple of days here in central Ohio. I went outside to pick up some logs for the fireplace, and grabbed some maple logs with fairly loose bark on them. I peeled the bark off and found a ton of these little guys. The longest of them was maybe 1/4” max. To say they were lethargic was an uderstatement. I left them in the sun for about 10 minutes before they even started to move. It appears that they have a healthy appetite for wood, but I have no clue what they are. Any ideas?
Signature: Ed Huston
Flat Bugs
Dear Ed,
You have uncovered a colony of Flat Bugs in the genus Aneurus, both adults and immature individuals of various stages known as instars. Flat Bugs do not feed on the wood. According to BugGuide, Flat Bugs are found “under bark” just as you found them, and they feed on fungi.
Flat Bugs
Daniel,
Thanks for getting back to me. That was much quicker than expected. I’m glad to know that they aren’t human eating micro-zombies or some such thing.
Thanks again!
Ed
rss
I like This
