With the website currently down and no questions to answer, we have been strolling through the canyon briskly every morning. We have been noticing several species of insects that we occasionally get letters regarding, and others that are just plain interesting. We decided to return with our digital camera and photograph some of the above. Here are some Harlequin Bugs, Murgantia histrionica. They are small stink bugs, about 1/4 inch long. They are variegated black, red, and white with a reddish or light colored + on the scutellum. These bugs are occasionally seen in the garden where they feed on cabbage, sweet alyssum and related plants of the family Brassicacaea, but in the canyon and vacant lots, they prefer wild mustard. According to Hogue: “Mating pairs are often present. The male illicits copulation by tapping the female’s antennae and body with his antennae.” Females lay several sets of 5-12 eggs that look like black and white striped barrels.

(06/26/2004) Copulating Harlequin Bugs will eventually lay eggs. The female places one or two rows of from usually 5-12 eggs neatly on twigs. The eggs look like black and white striped barrels. Here are some freshly layed eggs on anise.

We recently spotted this Tiger Moth, The Painted Arachnis, Arachnis picta, laying eggs on the side of our house. Every night, the moths are attracted to the lights outside. Our Green Lynx Spider has been feasting on them on a regular basis, hence the corpse on the right.

worst bug story ever
Just found your site – great work!! Read "Worst Bug Story Ever" and was wondering, did you ever identify the culprit bug? Sounds like bed bugs to me – am I close? They are reported to be real problems in the East esp. hotels and motels. Can you dish any dirt on these little devils? Thanks,
Ron

Dear Ron,
There is no true way you can identify a bug by its itch. While bedbugs, Cimex lectularius, are a possibility, we believe our victims of the worst bug story ever were plagued by some type of bird mite.
Hogue writes: "When indoors, the Common Bedbug feeds exclusively on human blood, invading the bed at night for its meals. although the bite may cause immediate pain in some individuals, the first indication of its presence is often only dark stains on the bed sheets from the bug’s excrement or the itching of bites the next day. Heavy infestations of bedbugs also are accompanied by a characteristic disagreeable musky odor that comes from the bugs’ scent glands, which are similar to those possessed by stink bugs. Some people assume that the source of infestations is dirt or old clothing, and these mistaken ideas probably stem from the bug’s ability to withstand long periods without food. Infestation always begins, of course, by introduction from other preexisting infestations. and the bug easily finds transportation on clothing, bedding, or overstuffed furniture. During the day bedbugs hide in crevices in walls and floors, behind wall decorations, and in furniture.

I guess you already know that you must have a male cricket to get singing. I have known people who bought large quantities of crickets from the pet store to use in art installations as a sound component, so I know that pet store crickets will sing, though their songs are frail. Additionally, store crickets, usually European House Crickets (Acheta domesticus) are not very attractive, since they are an anemic shade of tan. Garden crickets or Field Crickets (Gryllus species) are a beautiful glossy black and have a robust chirp. Singing generally occurs in spring and early summer. I had a Field Cricket move into my bathroom sink drain many years ago, and it managed to hide somewhere in the pipes whenever I ran the water, though I was careful to not scald the free-loader. My cricket would sing constantly. I would recommend locating a cricket in your garden by tracking its chirp. Give it a cool, dark place and hope for the best. I cannot come up with a logical reason why your captives are mute, and I would suggest patience. Give the guy a chance to adapt, and eventually his romantic inclinations should bring on the song.

March 14, 2002
This is Ken Blanchard from the forum of cryptozoology.com. After inquiring about a weird caterpillar sighting I had years ago, I was referred to your Daniel Marlos. I can’t find a specific e-mail address to him on any of the insect pages, so I’d appreciate it if you would forward this to him.
Seven summers ago, my family and I were camping in the Catskills of New York State. While walking across a sickly campground lawn, I spotted a mostly to entirely pink hornworm crawling across the grass. It was about 5 inches long and about 0.75 inches thick. Its body was very smooth and it lacked the characteristic spine on its rump that is characteristic of hornworms. The lack of a spine appeared to be normal as the larva was
completely uninjured. I captured it and it cocooned itself within a few hours. Being just a foolish kid at the time and not thinking about the possible cryptozoological importance of my find, I threw the cocoon into the woods and never retrieved it. Is there a known lepidopteran in NY that starts out as such a larva? If not, then I made a big mistake, but at least it shows that I can make another entomological discovery here in NY if I try hard enough.

Dear Ken,
Hornworms, the larvae of the sphinx moths, do not form cocoons, choosing instead to bury themselves in the ground where they pupate. Caterpillars from the Saturnidae or giant silk moths, do however, form cocoons. They are also among the largest caterpillars in North America. Members of this family include the Cecropia, the Polyphemus and the Prometheus moths. All have caterpillars of varying shades of green. The adult moths from this family live only a few days, do not eat as adults, and their sole purpose in life is to mate and produce a new generation. One of the rarest and most beautiful of the Saturnidae is the pale green Luna moth which flies near dawn in the late spring.
Your caterpillar was pink. You will not find this caterpillar in any text on North American lepidoptera, which makes it an excellent candidate for cryptozoology. I was lucky enough many years ago, just before dawn on a blue moon in May, to encounter the comely specimen in this photo in Northeastern Ohio. It is a very rare color variation of the luna moth (I am the only known observer) which I have named Actias luna var. magenta. Magenta is the complimentary color to green, the normal hue of the moth, but magenta does not exist in the visible spectrum. It is created when the longest light rays, the red ones, are combined with the shortest light rays, the blue ones, turning the visible spectrum into a man-made color wheel. Magenta has no true wavelength, and since it is composed of the longest and
shortest light rays combined, the color tends to vibrate.
Ken, had you not, in a youthful lapse in judgement, pitched your cocoon into the woods, you might have been fortunate enough to witness a similar moth metamorphose before your very eyes. Tough luck.
Dear What’s that Bug,
Being from Georgia I am used to hearing insects chirping at night and even bullfrogs doing their thing in the backyard. I am fond of these sounds and find them relaxing. And I know that having a cricket inside is supposed to be good luck. (Or is it just good luck if it is in your closet?)
However, the cricket or other chirping insect that is currently residing in my bathroom is not making me happy or relaxed. In fact, it is getting on my nerves and disturbing my sleep. I want to know what I should do. I don’t want to hear this sound that sort of echoes around in my empty bathroom but I don’t really want to kill this bug, nor would I really know how.
I have not spotted the bug, but it is really making it’s presence known. Any advice?
Thanks!
Amanda

Dear Amanda,
There are many folk beliefs in existence about crickets. Their presence in the home is generally thought to be an omen of good fortune in many parts of the world, and in China they are kept in captivity. The Chinese also match crickets for combat in a sport that is as popular there as cock fighting is in other countries. Extravagant wages are made on the outcome of championship fights.
The most common species in Southern California is the Tree Cricket (Oecanthus sp.) which is generally found in gardens and is almost always heard and not seen. They are usually green or white in color and only about 1/2 an inch long. It is common knowledge that the chirp rate of this cricket varies with the surrounding temperature, increasing at higher degrees and decreasing at lower ones. This fact has inspired formulas for calculating the temperature from the number of chirps per minute. The Snowy Tree Cricket, also called the Thermometer Cricket (Oecanthus fultoni) indicates the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit if one counts the number of chirps in 13 seconds and adds 40.
Your tenant is, however, more likely another type of cricket. Field Crickets (Gryllus sp.) are much larger than tree crickets, with body lengths up to 1 1/4 inches. Field Crickets live on the ground in fissures and under litter, vegetation and stones. They sometimes sing in the morning or late afternoon, but more usually at night when they come out to feed on all sorts of organic matter. They occasionally enter homes and become a nuisance by their unwelcome presence and incessant chirping.
A third possibility is that you are hosting a European House Cricket (Acheta domesticus) which are about 3/4 inch long as straw-brown in color. The species was apparently introduced into the eastern United States from Europe, although its original home may have been Africa. It has since become widespread in Southern California, where it is usually associated with human habitations. Lacking a dormancy period and hence being easy to raise, it is sold as fish bait and animal food in pet stores. Its chirp is frail and attracts less attention than that of its Field Cricket relatives. Bathrooms and kitchens are the most likely places to find crickets in the home.
I once had one who lived in the drain of my bathroom sink and I found its chirping to be quite soothing. I think you should lighten up and surrender to the sounds of nature.

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Dear What’s That Bug,
I was walking through the woods yesterday evening when I ran across several of these creatures. We live in the southeastern U.S….these were found near dusk in a drizzle in a forest. I have always heard of them being called ‘cherry bugs’ due to the scent that they emit when startled or feel threatened…they are between 1.5 and 2.5 inches in length, black, with yellow spots down not only the sides, but also down the center of the back as well. All markings are symmetrical. They look *very* similar to a picture I saw of a yellow-spotted millipede…the difference being the extra row of yellow spots down the center of the back….plus, the yellow-spots are from Oregon…and we are in Tennessee. I am curious to know what exactly these are, they are interesting creatures, and I’d like to know a bit more about them. Also, any care advice would be appreciated as well.
Thank you! -
Christina Loder

Dear Christina,
Unfortunately, if you enclosed a photograph, it did not arrive. Based on your description, and your latitude and longitude, I would guess that you have stumbled upon some caterpillars, more specifically, the larvae of some local swallowtail (Papilio sp.) My guess would be the larvae of the black swallowtail butterfly, which feeds on parsley and related plants including Queen Anne’s Lace which grows in uncultivated meadows. The caterpillars are green, black and yellow, and have two orange horns which are hidden near the head. When the caterpillar is threatened, the horns emerge, along with a musty smell that I would not really liken to the scent of cherries. Try this: http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/kkhp/
1insects/BSC.html
If you keep them in captivity, you can feed them carrot tops. They will form a crysalid and a butterfly will eventually emerge.

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Dear Readers,

Dear Bugged by Buzzing Behemoth,
To the best of my knowledge, you have had an encounter with a female Valley Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa varipuncta). These very large (1 inch) bees are so named because they bore into wood, forming tunnel-like nests for the rearing of young. Telephone poles and fences are often attacked. The Valley Carpenter Bee has earned itself a bad reputation because of its formidable size and habit of “buzzing” people. The green-eyed male is light brown with golden hairs and looks velvety. The female is a shiny black with bronze reflections on the wings. The female bees can sting, but do so very reluctantly, causing only mild pain.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Late in the afternoon on Labor Day, while preparing for Diorama Club, I noticed a very large, very shiny female Valley Carpenter Bee buzzing loudly and crawling around on a dead branch of my carob tree. I also noticed a perfectly round hole in her proximity. Issuing from the hole was additional buzzing. In the spring, a female VCB had been seen in the vicinity. At that time the honeysuckle was in full bloom along the street, and female VCB’s were often found lapping up nectar. Could it be that I was witnessing the emergence of her brood from the tunnel she had dug for them? I hoped if I watched long enough, I would get to see one of the males. The sexual dimorphism that occurs in the VCB is quite extreme, and a Casual Observer

Dear Mr. Bug man,
Recently, I won a scholarship which enabled me to study abroad in the north of Spain during the past summer. Unfortunately, I would give anything if I hadn’t. The dormitory I stayed at had lots of bugs, no cockroaches but mosquitoes, termites, and one girl was bitten by a spider. I saw some that looked like beige or grey fleas in my bed one night, and I also began to feel something crawling, a ticklish sensation all over my body. I couldn’t see anything on me though.
Well they exterminated my room, with a spray called Bloom, and that evening it started again. I refused to sleep in that bed, so they finally gave me a key to another room. A few days later I returned home. I had cleaned everything in my new room before returning and hand washed my clothes (not the best way I now know). About two to three weeks after returning home, it seemed that these mysterious bugs hatched everywhere. They usually begin by crawling up my calves, then proceed to my scalp, they go in my ears and sting me, and even in my nose. I have some bite marks that look kind of like mosquito bites, others look like pin pricks. They are vicious little creatures. I’ve been to the doctor four times, first my primary doctor, then one dermatologist twice, and another once. None of them believe it is scabies. The dermatologist took a stool specimen, some of my blood, and a biopsy of one of the bites. Then he, like the primary doctor, gave me permethrin 5% although he, like the primary dr. couldn’t find anything. The second dr. asked what the first one did and gave me the
same thing. I went to the second dermatologist with my boyfriend who is starting to get the same symptoms. At first he only felt the stinging bites, but now that creepy crawling, tickling sensation too. Also my cats have been shaking their heads, scratching and biting. I took them to the vet. Neither dr. could find anything on them, but the second gave me some Revolution, which has something like ivermectin (probably not spelled right). One dose is supposed to protect them for 30 days. He gave me a three month supply. We have bombed the apartment about 10 times with pyrithium insecticides to no avail. All of our clothing and rugs, including our couch and mattress are wrapped in plastic, because I initially thought I had lice or scabies. Every day we’ve been going to the Laundromat with our bedding and clothing
washing in hot water and drying on hot for one hour. We are so exhausted and near homeless. It is unbearable to be in the apartment.
Many nights I have not slept. The only time I can sleep for a couple of hours, is fully emerged in a tub of water. At one time, I was taking 5 baths a day. Then someone said perhaps my skin was irritated and with the bombing, which does seem to help, I’ve been able to cut it down to one or two, on a bad day maybe three. I’ve done numerous other things too, put olive oil and garlic all over my body with plastic seran wrap on my head. I’ve put Vaseline on my face and in my long hair. Recently, I finally gave in and cut several inches of my hair which was starting to fall out anyway. And once I actually put hot sauce on my legs (big mistake). Obviously, I can’t keep this up, physically, psychologically, emotionally or economically. Why won’t they die!? When I take a really long bath, boiling out my ears with peroxide, and submerging myself, if we’ve recently dropped a bomb, I can get out of the apartment without any on me. I stayed a blissful two days at my boyfriend’s sisters without any sign of the little creatures. We are going to stay with her for about five days and put the cats in a boarding house. An exterminator is going to come and take a look on Thursday. We will try to bomb some more. I can’t take the cats to the sister’s apt. though, because her building doesn’t allow it. My mom lives all the way in TN. And I feel so stuck. I have never been more depressed. This is worse than when I had walking pneumonia about 3 or 4 years ago, especially since you can’t see them.
I have put some sticky things around, given to me by the extermination place. But honestly, I am at my wits end. I have canceled my classes for this semester, which they gladly did since I told them it was their program that this evolved from. My professor however, seemed indignant since she is from the town where we stayed and attended the same university. I’m sorry she took it personally, but I do believe the school failed to take precautions. They hadn’t any screens on the windows, and they did not cover the mattresses in plastic. Also, they let food rot in a fridge in the hall for about 3 out of the 4 weeks we were there. I would sue them if I had the energy, but I just want the whole thing to be over. Thank god for my boyfriend’s job, but the sleepless nights may eventually put him in a compromising situation at work. He has to be on his toes, because he works in a high pressured environment (an investment banking firm) trouble shooting computer problems. He doesn’t make a ton of money though and with all the recent layoffs we are really worried. We live in New York City, and
finding another apartment is soooooooooo difficult. Also, they may not resolve the problem because we may well end up taking them with us. I even went to a catholic church and put some holy water on myself (my mom’s suggestion), and confessed to the priest, although I’m not catholic He informed me he could not give me absolution, but I told him I just really needed to talk to somebody. He was very kind, and I felt better. But I still have the problem. Just when I think we’re winning, it seems a new batch hatches out. I returned from my trip on August 23rd I think it was, and this is November 6th. My patience is running out. We are all probably going to get cancer from so many pesticides, the ones I’ve sprayed, and put on myself. I’ve even boiled
water and mixed it with bleach to mop the hardwood floors. I’ve cleaned everything with Lysol. My cat threw up, although we do mop up
afterward. I hate putting them through this awful crap. They are spoiled and one of my greatest joys. I’ve used Off, including the
candle which made my nose blow black sot. I’m probably poisoning him too. Everything that lives must die. It has to be an insect, since the pesticides do seem to help. What am I doing wrong? I am losing my hope, sanity, and am afraid of ending up homeless in this city. I hope I haven’t sounded too much like the doom patrol, but if you have any clue I would be so grateful. If not, thanks for at least letting me vent. It is somewhat cathartic in itself. Maybe one day I will be able to look back and at least if not laugh heartily, smile nervously while sharing my experience with friends in my nice cozy apartment which I love and have worked so hard to make that way.
Yours truly,
Charley a.k.a. curvysmile

Dear Bug Man:
After reading "The worst bug story ever" I nearly fainted because everything that was written in her story is our story also. If possible, we would like to have contact with her as we have been experiencing this problem for about one year with no relief! We’ve tried everything and the symptoms are identical. Crawling sensations, very small bites, and these things seem to get more vivacious in the early morning hours. This all started with a bird mite infestation. We had pigeon and sparrow nests in the eves of our condo. After the erradication, the mites dropped down into our unit and have been wreaking havoc ever since. We’ve had exterminators over here with no relief. They suggested we tent, however we have yet to convinced our association to take the expense. We are rentersand our neighbors had the problem, but now say they don’t for fear of us suing, (long story) and have been told to keep silent. We have been to doctors and dermotologists. We are not suffering from scabies, and have had all the creams with only minor relief. We are not suffering from delusional parisitosis, because when we leave this place for a few days they are gone. I am a businessman and my wife is in the movie industry. We take no drugs. Can you please E-MAIL us, and/or give us the writer’s e-mail address so we can contact her to see if she has had any success.
Thank You,
Candy & Ronnie in North Hollywood, Ca.

Dear Candy and Ronnie,
So sorry to hear about your terrible bug saga! Sounds awful! I have sent your letter on to the lady who wrote in about the worst bug incident ever, and, unless she has been completely destroyed by the bugs, I’m sure she’ll get back to you!

Hi Lisa,
I am glad to say that we finally got rid of the little "buggers". But I am truly very sorry to hear that someone else is going through the same hellacious dilemma with these vicious little creatures. Thanks for the privacy consideration, but I don’t mind if you give these unfortunate folks my email. If my experience could in any way contribute to the early eradication of the mysterious and tortuous bug experience for any one else, I would feel somewhat vindicated. To be quite frank however, we still don’t know for sure what the heck they were and which of the many things we tried finally did the trick in getting rid of the little beasts. And for the first few months afterward, I actually had nightmares that they were back! The good thing is that it did end, eventually. I’ll have to keep my fingers crossed that we don’t turn green in 10 years from toxic pesticide poison, my worst fear about the whole mess. Anyway, now I can actually laugh about it, a little bit, somewhat nervously, while slightly trembling. On a lighter note, I’ve attached a photo of Java. He is our other kitty cat. The photo doesn’t do him justice, but its the only one I had scanned in the puter. It will give you an idea of what he looks like. He and Gato are best buddies and I was most sorry for the misery they went through during the bug crisis. Also, a brief update. George and I were married last December. With the mites that bite and 9-11 (we live in nyc), we decided not to waste any more time. It is nice to hear from you again Lisa. You guys keep up the good work. I really enjoy your site.
Charley

Dear Charley,
Thanks so much for the update! I’m glad to hear the good news that the bugs have found another home! I’m a little sorry that their new home appears to be on the West Coast… (see What’s That Bug….)