High quality grapevine beetle photos, and eastern bloodsucking conenose (I think)
July 2, 2010
Hey bugman,
the other night I was outside taking photos of the Conenose (I believe courtesy of bugguide, thats what it is), which was sitting beside the outside light, when I suddenly heard loud buzzing. I turned around and saw what I thought to be a large june beetle and after a few rather pathetic attempts to grab it as it was flying I finally made a good attempt and caught what turned out to be a grapevine beetle instead. I was so happy as I had never found a grapevine beetle and had always wanted to. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoy your website.
Michael Davis
Seymour (just south of Knoxville), Tennessee zip code 37865
Eastern Blood-Sucking Conenose Bug
Hi Michael,
Thanks for sending us your high quality photos. We will be uploading your photos in separate postings to simplify our archives. Our readership will benefit from your excellent image of an Eastern Blood-Sucking Conenose Bug, Triatoma sanguisuga, which is profiled on BugGuide.
BIG Orange Bug!
June 28, 2010
We found this bug on our backyard deck in South Central Kansas on June 28th. It was on the banister, consuming a large spider! What is this thing?!
Curious Kansas Family
Wichita, Kansas
Molting Wheel Bug
Dear Curious Kansas Family,
While it may appear as though you witnessed a predatory act, you actually witnessed the metamorphosis of a Wheel Bug. The orange coloration of the newly molted adult Wheel Bug, North America’s largest Assassin Bug, will soon darken to a charcoal gray color.
Think it’s a blister beetle
June 28, 2010
Good day. The pictured bug is from Mesa, Arizona. Scads of them have been around my peppers and tomatoes (which they have damaged or killed) since March. They seem to suck the juice out of fruit and stems. My peppers and tomatoes are organic. I don’t use chemicals in
the pepper patch. If this is a blister beetle, how can I get rid of them without chemicals? If it isn’t a blister beetle, what is it? Not much else I can tell you. They fly. They haven’t been around in the past 40 years. First year I’ve seen this many, if any of them.
Daniel
Mesa, Arizona
Small Milkweed Bug
Hi Daniel,
This is a Small Milkweed Bug, Lygaeus kalmii. It is a True Bug and not a Beetle. Beetles have chewing mouthparts and they actually take bites out of things. True Bugs have piercing and sucking mouthparts and as your email indicates, they suck juices. Your letter is the first report that we have received that Small Milkweed Bugs are problematic in the garden. According to BugGuide: “Adults suck nectar from flowers of various herbaceous plants, and also feed on milkweed seeds(?). Also reported to be scavengers and predators, especially in spring when milkweed seeds are scarce.” We do not normally give extermination advice. We control problematic sucking insects in our own garden by spraying with a weak detergent like dish detergent in water.
This bug creeps me out man….
June 9, 2010
This bug runs around here in Shreveport/Bossier City area, It has massive claw like things and once it latches onto a stick or something it does not let go, they are probably 3-4 inches in length give or take.
Ben
Shreveport, La
Toe-Biter
Hi Ben,
This is a Giant Water Bug, commonly called a Toe-Biter or Electric Light Bug. They are aquatic predators that will bite a person if carelessly handled, and the bite is quite painful. Though they are aquatic, they fly quite well and they are attracted to lights. Because of their large size and unusual appearance, they are one of the most common identification requests sent to our website. Since we will be out of the office from June 15 through June 22, we are setting some letters to post in our absence, and your letter will be one of those.
Little bug, big pain!
June 15, 2010
I have lived both in the city and now in the country, so I have had my share of bugs. This guy though is new to me. I have looked all over and I cannot find out what this is. I have only seen two ever, and I have not seen one since the event. My little girl was sitting on the floor and suddenly screamed. This little bug ran from her and she said it bit her. It didn’t actually bite her, but it did sting her. There was a little puncture wound in her had from it. I watched her carefully and no adverse signs ever appeared. The hole was there in her hand for several days. I have been curious ever since as to what exactly this little guy is. I am sorry the pictures aren’t better, but I hope you can tell me what it is. The one thing is the little stinger came out of the back , but it fell off by the time I took the photos.Thank You.
M.Mason
Caroline County, VA
Black May Beetle Eater
Dear M Mason,
Your daughter was bitten by a Bloodsucking Conenose in the genus Triatoma, but the coloration does not match any of the species posted to BugGuide. The portion of the abdomen that shows at the edge of the wings is striped in the Eastern Bloodsucking Conenose, Triatoma sanguisuga, but in your individual, the abdomen is a solid red. The Bloodsucking Conenose bites, and it does not have a stinger. Your bug is missing its head. You can compare your individual to the members of the genus depicted on BugGuide.
Black May Beetle Eater
Update: June 23, 2010
Thanks to Karl’s comment, we now know that this is a Black May Beetle Eater, Melanolestes pincipes, one of the Corsair Assassin Bugs.
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