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Long Bodied Cellar Spider and Egg Sac
(01/26/2008) cobweb spider with egg sack
We have these in our basement shower all the time but this
is the first time I've seen one with an egg sack. I didn't
see a picture of a cobweb spider with an egg sack as good
as this one on your web site and thought you might like it.
Hope you enjoy it.
Becky
Hi Becky,
We will happily post your image of a Cobweb Spider, Pholcus
phalangioides, and her Egg Sac. We use the common name Cobweb
Spider after Hogue in his wonderful book "Insects of the Los
Angeles Basin, but BugGuide
calls this the Long Bodied Cellar Spider.
Newly hatched Hemipterans in Jamaica
(01/21/2008) aphids on my wall?
Hello!
I’m in Jamaica (West indies) and I have never ever seen
anything like this. They’re all huddled together like
they’re praying to a bug god. Then I went to see them
when it got dark and they were sleeping in a huddle but away
from the line (is that an egg case?). I looked at your site
but the only thing I could imagine they are, are aphids but
I know aphids live on plants. Please explain to me what these
crazy groupie bugs are lol Thank you!!!!
Carrie
Hi Carrie,
These are newly hatched Hemipterans, probably some species
of Leaf Footed Bug in the family Coreidae. Both Leaf Footed
Bugs and Aphids are in the order Hemiptera, but they are split
into different suborders, with Leaf Footed Bugs belonging
to the suborder Heteroptera, the True Bugs, and Aphids belonging
to the suborder Sternorrhyncha, the Plant-parasitic Hemipterans.
Southern
Dogface and Mystery Egg (maybe White Lined Sphinx)
(01/20/2008) dogface & egg???
While looking through some of my photos I noticed what seems
to be an egg beside this butterfly. I think this is a southern
dogface? There are several butterflies that look close in
resemblance. Could you tell me if this is in fact a dogface
and is that possibly one of it's eggs? This pic was taken
in October this year.
Scott from Austin Texas
Hi Scott,
According to BugGuide,
"larvae [of the Dogface] feed on legumes" and to the best
of our botanical knowledge, the plant in this wonderful photograph
is not a legume. That would indicate that is was either an
errantly placed Southern Dogface Egg, or more likely, the
egg of some other insect. The plant appears to be a fuschia,
though we are not certain. If the plant is a fuschia, the
egg might be from a White
Lined Sphinx, Hyles lineata.
Daniel,
Your guess is reasonable. It looks like a Sphingid egg and
lineata would be a good choice.
Bill Oehlke
Angular Winged Katydid Laying Eggs
(01/13/2008) its laying eggs
It laying eggs on my parents fence. I was told it is
called a leafcutter, but I cannot find it anywhere online.
Since you did not tell us where in the world your parent's
fence is located, we are reluctant to go any further than
to say this is a Katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is
a great photo, and we will see if Eric Eaton and identify
the species.
Hi, Daniel:
The katydid laying eggs is an angular-winged katydid in the
genus Microcentrum (if it was photographed in North America),
or a closely-related genus. Nice image of oviposition behavior!
Eric
I took those pictures in El Cajon, California. Sorry about
forgetting that info. Thank you for writing back to me.
Joe
Mermaid's
Purse
(12/31/2007) Ocean City MD
I found several of these washed up on the beach in Ocean City,
Maryland at the end of December, 2007. Can you tell me what
it is?
Mo Riddle
Hi Mo,
Though it isn't a bug, we couldn't resist posting your image
of a Mermaid's
Purse, a very lyrical name for a Shark Egg Case. We are
not sure of the species, but suspect it is a Dogfish. The
Monterey
Bay Aquarium website states: "Some sharks package their
young in leathery egg cases, then abandon them at sea. Nourished
by their yolk-filled egg sacs, the young sharks, called pups,
develop on their own. After several months, one edge of the
case comes apart and the tiny sharks emerge, alive and swimming.
Occasionally egg cases wash up on beaches before the sharks
inside can hatch. Beachcombers may know the pillow—shaped
cases as 'mermaid's purses.' Swell shark egg cases come with
strings attached—long, wiry tendrils at the corners that catch
on rocks and seaweed. These tendrils anchor the egg cases
to the bottom and help prevent them from washing up on shore.
"
Update
(12/31/2007) mermaid purse actually SKATE egg case
Hi,
I imagine someone else has already pointed this out, but the
Mermaid’s purse is actually a skate egg case, not shark.
Sara from NJ
Hi Sara,
Your comment prompted us to do a bit more research. It seems
you may be correct, but we may not necessarily be wrong. Both
sharks and skates, as well as some rays, produce egg cases
known as Mermaid's Purses. We found a website, The
Sharks, Rays and Skates of the Carolinas, that explains
the classification of these primitive fish in this way: "Sharks,
skates, rays, and sawfish are cartilaginous fishes (class
Chondrichthyes), which means that their bodies are supported
by cartilaginous skeletons rather than bone." Later it states:
"Elasmobranchs are composed of two monophyletic assemblages:
sharks (Squalomorphii, 491+ species, 44 percent) and skates,
rays, and sawfish (a type of batoid ray) (Rajomorphii, 626+
species, 56 percent)." We located another website
that is requesting Shark and Ray egg cases from around the
globe for examination. Experts can positively identify the
species of shark, skate or ray from the egg case, but insects,
spiders and other arthropods give us enough trouble for us
to even attempt a positive identification. For now, we are
content with saying this is a Mermaid's Purse which is the
egg case of some species shark, skate or ray.
Update: (12/31/2007) mermaid purse actually
SKATE egg case
Hi,
The mermaid's purses are actually fairly common here on the
east coast. I've seen them on the Jersey shore, Assateague
Island and Cape Cod. Island Beach State Park, Liberty Science
Center and the Boston Aquarium have all had displays of mermaid's
purses that I've seen, and in each case they are identified
as skate egg cases. Skates are similar to rays and related
to sharks. By the way, I love your website and check it daily
for more cool bugs and fascinating info.
Sara
Update: (01/01/2008) Mermaid's purse
Hi Daniel,
Happy New Year to you! This is in fact the egg case of a Skate,
a kind of ray, family Rajidae, one family within the rays,
superorder Batoidea. I do not know which genus and species
this came from however, although it looks pretty much identical
to the ones I find washed up on the shores of Long Island
New York. This is not the eggcase of a dogfish, which is tan
in color, not as flat, and much more bullet-shaped. All the
best to you,
Susan J. Hewitt, NYC
Gulf Fritillary Egg
(12/09/2007) gulf fritillary egg
If you'd like to complete your documentation of the gulf fritillary
life cycle, here's a photo of its egg.
Tim
www.wildlifetheater.com
Hi Tim,
Thanks so much for completing our Gulf Fritillary Metamorphosis
entry.
Australian Mystery: Bird Dropping Spider and Eggs
(12/05/2007) Looks like spiders
Hi Bugman,
This thing has been on my side gate (in Melbourne, Australia)
for at least a month and a half. The web around it suggest
it is a spider's egg. The lowest ball looks different to the
rest, I think it has legs - but it never moves! I'd love to
know what kind of insect made this. Thanks,
Louisa
Hi Louisa,
This is a mystery to us and we don't have the time to research
it right now. We are posting in the hopes some reader has
the answer. We have also written to Grev, a frequesnt contributor
from Australia.
Update: (12/06/2007)
Good morning Daniel, Let me say I am no expert on bugs. I
am just very interested and curious about all the creatures
in my own garden - usually if I can identify something it
is because I have photographed it and done some research to
find out what it is. The spider eggs seem to be from the Bird
Dropping Spider (Celaenia sp) and the one with legs at the
bottom is probably the spider waiting for nightfall to start
moving about, See: http://museumvictoria.com.au
/spiders/detail.aspx?id=1&pic =2
http://www.amonline.net.au
/factsheets/bird_dropping _spider.htm Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Grev
Newly
Hatched Hemipterans: Probably Stink Bugs
(11/21/2007)
Bugman:
This is in Central Australia. I found a set of eggs
underneath a small green leaf of my tomato plant. Curious
as to what they were and hoping they were ladybugs, I placed
the leaf in a spice jar, and this morning I was greeted by
these teeny tiny beetles. I love how the eggs have now
got little lids with "latches". I haven't
a clue what they are. Do you?
These are not beetles. They are True Bugs, Hemipterans.
We suspect they are probably Stink Bugs in the family Pentatomidae.
Gray Bird Grasshopper, Eggs and Nymphs
(11/19/2007) CA large grasshopper
We live in Los Angeles, CA. My husband caught this grasshopper
for our boys to look at in September. We got more than
we bargained for as it layed eggs the first night. Six
weeks later they ALL hatched. I’ve been trying
to figure out what kind of grasshopper it is, but haven’t
found an exact match. I’ve attached a photo of
the mother who was close to 4 inches long, as well as the
egg sac, and nyphs.
Jenny
Hi Jenny,
What a wonderful letter. We generally try to scan letters
that come in on a given day before deciding what to post,
but on occasion, there is a letter so special that we just
immediately post it. Your grasshopper is a Gray Bird Grasshopper,
Schistocerca
nitens, a common species in the Los Angeles area. According
to Charles Hogue in Insects of the Los Angeles Basin, the
adults are generally found in the spring. The large female
Gray Bird Grasshoppers are about twice as large as the males.
The nymphs are bright green. Both nymphs and adults feed on
the leaves of crops and ornamental garden plants.
 
Mantis Oothica
(11/18/2007) Mantis Egg Sac?
Hello,
I found your website by accident last year. I have used
it many times to identify bugs in my perennial beds.
It has become a great source of knowledge for me. I wanted
to send you a picture that we took of what I believe is a
preying mantis egg case. During the past few
years, I have found more and more preying mantises
on my plants. When I was cleaning up my landscaping
and front porch this fall, I found this item on the
front brick of my house. I remember see something similar
on your website. However, I just wanted to get
some type of confirmation from your team of experts. Thanks,
Patti Dussold
Florissant, MO
Hi Patti,
You are correct. This is a Mantis Oothica. The hardened foam
acts as an insulation against the inclement weather of winter
and young mantids will hatch in the spring.
Imperial Moth laying Eggs
(11/10/2007) Imperial Moth Laying eggs
Hi WTB,
I am so glad that you are back! I live in central Florida
and have two very curious girls who are 16 and 12. Yesterday
my 12 year-old ran home from the bus stop and exclaimed,"Dad,
Come quick, you've got to see this moth!" I grabbed my
camera and she brought me to the side of a tree where she
had found a very large yellow moth which was laying eggs on
a live oak tree. I am an amatuer nature photographer and was
able to get this picture of it as well. Thanks for the great
site. We visit it often.
Mike Healy
Saint Cloud FL
Goodness Mike,
Your letter makes it sound like we were gone for months, or
even years. We were only away for a few days. Thanks for your
awesome image of a female Imperial Moth laying eggs. It is
an exquisite photo.
Leaf Footed Bug laying eggs
(10/10/2007) bug in Houston, TX
Hello!
Your site is amazing; great work! A couple of years
ago, my husband and I moved from Southern California to Houston,
Texas. We soon started seeing lines of what we assume
are bug eggs on the sides of our house. I was able to
snap a picture of one of the bugs responsible for the lines
today, and I’m fairly certain I never saw anything like
it in California. I would love it if you could identify
the bug! Many thanks,
Shasta
Hi Shasta,
This is a Coreid Bug, also known as a Big Legged Bug or Leaf
Footed Bug, in the genus Leptoglossus. Our first guess is
Leptoglossus
phyllopus, but it might also be Leptoglossus
clypealis or Leptoglossus
zonatus.
Black and Yellow Orb Weaver with Eggsack
(10/02/2007) Please help!
I have a big female spider living outside my house. It has
attached itself to the back of the house. She has three
sacs now. This morning I found her and the third baby
sac on the back screen door. I don't want to harm the
spider but rather relocate it, BUT I really want to know what
kind of spider it is. Please find the attached pic.
I hope that you can help. Thank you.
Charlotte
Suffolk, VA
Hi Charlotte,
Your letter doesn't really indicate why you feel it is necessary
to relocate this magnificent Argiope aurantia who found an
ideal location for her nursery. Argiope aurantia has numerous
common names, that are sometimes confusing, like Garden Spider,
Black and Yellow Orbweaver, and Golden Orbweaver. She can
and will bite if provoked, but she is not a threat to you
or your family.
Cockroach Oothica
(09/27/2007) eww-theca
greetings bugman! here for you i have a picture of an ootheca
which you i thought you might like to put on your 'eggs' page.
when i first found it i had no idea what it was, and was touching
it way more than i would've had i known what creature it came
from! gross. after searching 'brown egg case' a picture came
up that sent shivers down my spine, for it was of the ootheca
still attached to its mother roach. i understand roaches
are important for the environment, but that didnt stop
me from throwing it over my neighbors fence. they'll probably
find their way back to me anyway, they always seem to. thanks!
ps- sorry about the cat hair!
Thank you so much for adding to our archive with your
awesome Cockroach Oothica.
Lacewing
Eggs
(09/22/2007) lacewings, I think
Hi, I just found these eggs on my trampoline net, and thought
that was a funny place for someone to lay eggs! I think
they are lacewing eggs, from your informative site. I lose
track of time on your website; I love it!
Enjoy
Emily
Hi Emily,
You are correct. These are Lacewing Eggs. Lacewings lay their
eggs on the silken stalks because the predatory larval Lacewings,
called Aphid Lions, are such ravenous eaters they will devour
their siblings that hatch later. If you think you loose track
of time on the site, just image the time we loose browsing
through all the wonderful letters and images (and some considerably
less that wonderful) while trying to decide which letters
will be posted each day.
Ladybird Beetle laying eggs, Eggs hatching, and newly
hatched larva eating Aphid
(08/12/2007) Ladybeetles Laying Eggs & Ladybug larve.
I thought these could go on the Bug Love & Carnage page…
or on your ladybird page… I live in Boise, ID,
and my neighbors had a frenzy of ladybug activity on an aphid
infested plum tree. Too cheap to buy ladybugs for my
own yard’s pests, and not wanting to use poison, I captured
about 15 ladybugs and kept them captive in a large glass vase.
I fed them aphid covered leaves from my garden, and the ladybugs
kept mating and mating, laying eggs and more eggs, which hatched
into hungry little larve which went outside on the plants
when they got big enough.
It was fascinating to watch and to nurture these bugs, and
photograph with my new camera that does Super Macro shots.
Here’s where I’ve got some more of these shots stored. http://picasaweb.google.com/EmilyTheChef/BugsMay2007
Carnage… tiny ladybug larve sucking the life out of
of a juicy aphid. Most of the larve were all black,
with tiny specs of red, but a few of them were “blonde”,
like the bottom larve in this picture. They’re
on my finger. I have to put the object directly in front
of the lens, practically touching it, for it to be in focus.
This next one is so cool… varying stages of ladybugs
hatching. ·
Some still yellow goo (may not have ever hatched- I don’t
remember this particular set of eggs, I had probably about
20+ sets)… I read that the larve will eat the
un-hatched eggs to sustain themselves until they’re
big enough to eat bugs. Some still encased in the egg (I knew
the egg bunches would hatch soon because they turned from
yellow to white) and Some actually popping out of the egg.
I couldn’t even see all the detail with my eyes, but
the Super Macro sees very close up! They’re so
tiny when they’re hatched… they look like a speck
of ladybug poop, until they start to move. And where it all
started (well, it really starts with bug love), a Ladybeetle
laying eggs. I felt kind of weird watching their intimate
moments, but it was amazing! Most of the time, theyd
lay in nice neat rows & bunches, sometimes it was willy
nilly. Next year I’ll get some photos
of the pregnant bugs. You can totally tell which ones
are about to lay eggs, because can practically see the yellow
eggs through a thin membrane, and their shell looks like it
doesn’t fit when they’re about to lay their eggs…
Emily Sullivan
 
Hi Emily,
Just for clarification, our Carnage page is reserved for insects
who are killed unnecessarily by humans. Your Aphid eating
Larvae belong on our Food Chain page. Bug Love is for mating
only, and egg laying would go to our Eggs page. Your images
are positively fabulous and the body of your letter should
be a lesson in organic gardening. Thanks for your wonderful
contributions.
CORRECTION:
NOT Imperial Moth Lays Eggs
(08/10/2007) Imperial moths
HI
I love your site and have used it often finding out the names
of insects for my small Daycare. I found an Imperial moth
this morning and put her into a butterfly cage we have and
after some hours let her go so she wouldnt die. On a leaf
in the cage are tiny yellow eggs so I guess she was doing
more then we thought in there. I kept the eggs and would like
to know some information on them. How long does it take for
them to hatch? After hatching what do the little ones eat?
How long before they will start to make cacoons? Thanks so
much,
Karen Maier
NOT Imperial Moth Eggs with Caterpillars showing
(08/12/2007) Imperial moth eggs, me again w. photo
Hello,
Have a great photo of the eggs I wrote you about acouple days
ago. I couldnt believe I could actually see the little guys
in there. Isnt it great. LOL I will take other pics
as they grow but at this rate it probably wont be long before
we have little ones running around.
Karen Maier
Hi Karen,
Feed them leaves from a wide variety of trees including Bald
Cypress, basswood, birch, cedar, elm, hickory, Honeylocust,
maple, oak, pine, Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), Sweetgum
(Liquidambar styraciflua), sycamore, walnut. Visit BugGuide
links for more info.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for sending in your photos of developing Imperial Moth
Eggs. We eagerly await updates on the caterpillars progress.
NOT Imperial Moth Eggs Hatch
(08/14/2007)
Well its only been about 4 hours since I took a photo of them
and sent it. But checking on them at lunch time gave us a
surprise, they were hatching. So I grabbed 4 or 5 different
types of tree leaves to put in the cage. Do they need water??
or is the leaves enough. I really want the little guys to
have a chance or turning into those beautiful Imperial moths.
Karen Maier
PS let me know if u want any more photos as they grow or if
you have enough of that type. dont want to send any you cant
use.
Hi Karen,
These are not Imperial Moth caterpillars. We fear you misidentified
your original moth. BugGuide
has an image of a newly hatched Imperial Moth, and it does
not look at all like your caterpillars. We cannot identify
your specimen from this hatchling image. We suspect this is
still one of the Giant Silk Moths. If you describe the moth,
we may be able to identify it. It would be great if you could
take a photo at each stage of development, known as instars.
Each time a caterpillar molts, there is a new instar. There
are five instars before pupation. You caterpillars will fulfull
their water needs through the leaves they eat. Thank you for
noting in your photo title that the eggs hatched after four
days.
Callosamia species laying eggs: Promethia Moth or
Tulip Tree Silkmoth????
(08/04/2007) tulip tree silk moth?
Hello! I thought this picture was unique and wasn’t
sure if it was a tulip tree silk moth- thanks for your help!
Catherine Pangan
Indianapolis , IN
Hi Catherine,
This is definitely a moth in the genus Callosamia, but we
are unsure if it is a female Promethia
Moth, Callosamia promethea, or a female Tulip
Tree Silkmoth, Callosamia angulifera. Our inclination
is that it is a Promethia Moth, but we want to try to contact
a true expert, Bill Oehlke.
Female Dobsonfly eats Blueberries and lays Eggs
(08/02/2007) Blueberries for Bailey
Hi, and thanks for such a wonderful website! Thanks
to your site we were able to identify our dobsonfly.
My boys named her Bailey. We'd also like to confirm
that adult females do eat. I read they liked blackberries
but having none I substitued blueberries and she does indeed
like them. I have video of her mouthparts working the
blueberry. She lives in this cage but freely comes and
goes at will as the top of the cage is open. Our question
is has she laid eggs? There is a frothy
looking white patch in the third picture. Thanks a billion
bugs!
Mary, Cal, and Cade
P.S. If these pics are too big I can resize them.
I wasn't sure what works best for you.
 
Hi Mary, Cal and Cade,
This is an exciting submission for us. We have always believed
that adult Dobsonflies do not eat. We will see what Eric Eaton
has to say about the blueberry diet. Additionally, we do believe
Bailey has laid eggs. The Featured
Creatures website states: "Eggs : Dobsonfly eggs are gray,
cylindrical and a little less than 1.5 mm in length and 0.5
mm in width. They are laid in clusters (about 2 cm in diameter)
with an average of approximately 1,000 eggs/cluster (Baker
and Neunzig 1968, Mangan 1992.). The eggs are arranged in
three layers, and the egg mass is covered with a clear fluid
by a brushing motion of the tip of the female's abdomen. The
clear fluid dries to a white color. Superficially, the egg
masses resemble large bird droppings. " That seems like an
accurate description of what your photo depicts.
Wingless
Female Tussock Moth Laying Eggs
(06/28/2007) Egg Laying??
Hi Bugman...this one really has me stumped. Found it in my
backyard this morning. Hopefully you can help me out on this
one. Thanks
Tom Rook
Brantford, Ont. Canada
www.stockfullofnature.com
Hi Tom,
This is an exciting photo for us since we get so many requests
to identify White Marked Tussock Moth Caterpillars, Orgyia
leucostigma. The female Tussock Moth is flightless and lays
a foamy mass of eggs. This image agrees with one posted on
BugGuide.
Heteropteran Eggs and Hatchlings: Probably Coreid
Bugs
(Summer Solstice/2007) Some sort of treehopper?
... noticed the eggs on Tuesday, found the hatchlings on Wednesday
... cheers,
Rich Parker (Alexandria, VA)
 
Hi Rich,
In a very general identification, these are Hemipterans. The
Hoppers used to be considered a separate Order, Homoptera,
but now Hemiptera and Homoptera are viewed as the same order,
Hemiptera, and Heteroptera comprises the old classification
and is termed the True Bugs. These are probably in the Family
Coreidae, the Big Legged Bugs or Leaf Footed Bugs but newly
hatched specimens are often very difficult to properly identify
and we do not recognize the eggs. Perhaps you will be able
to provide us with photos of adult specimens in the future
which will assist in correct identification. BugGuide
has a photo of your eggs, but with the same general identification
we have provided.
Cecropia
Moth and resulting Caterpillar Hatchlings
(06/20/2007) Cecropia Moth Hatchlings
Hi Bugman...I photographed this cecropia moth on June 8/07
after it laid eggs and the eggs hatched on June 19/07. I really
enjoy your site and appreciate how much work goes into
keeping it going. I noticed you don't have these eggs on your
site so thought they might be a good addition.
Tom Rook
Brantford, Ont. Canada
www.stockfullofnature.com
 
Hi Tom,
Thanks for sending us your Cecropia Hatchling image. We linked
back to your excellent stock
photography site and we hope that doesn't crash your server.
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