WTB? on BBC!!!
(03/13/2006) your site
I was watching BBC World last night and your site is onethat came up so I decided to see what it was all about and all I can say is WOW!!!! You have fantastic photos and I shall certainly be looking more closely in my garden from now on and as I am a nature photographer, I hope to be sending you some shots in the near future. I live in small village called Canoe which is part of the City of Salmon Arm, in Beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Thanks again for such a wonderful site.
Peter Clarke

Hi Peter,
We are intrigued. Did you really see us on television? We can't wait to get your photos.
Nabokov popularized the term Nymphette
(03/02/2006)
what immature insect has no pupal stage? it was something that starts with an N and it was made popular by Nabokov?

Amateur entomologist Vladimir Nabokov created a new word for the English lexicon when he wrote the earth shattering novel Lolita. Entomologically as well as Etomologically, the term Nymph refers to the immature phase of an insect that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis. The Nymph looks much like the adult, but often without wings and mature coloration. Nabokov coined the term Nymphette to describe the pubescent Lolita in his novel with the same name.
Photos cosidered Unofficial in siting tabulation
(01/31/2006) a question abt the value of photos..
Hi bugman,
I have a question about the role of photos in "official records". I just read an article in a local (Chicago) environmental newsletter. There was a nice dragonfly photo and the gist of the accompanying story was that photos can't be used to document sightings in the "official record". Only specimens. The photographer is opposed to "collecting" in that manner, so her sightings are not being used. Her point (and a review of your website would support her) is that citizen scientists have a valuable role in learning more abt these species and should be considered. Incidentally, the photo was of a possible black-tipped darner, which has never been recorded in IL. The author also had an (unofficial) state first in 2004 with a photo of a "russet-tipped clubtail". Unfortunately (for us) she is a professional photographer, so I doubt she'd share her photos with the rest of us. But... what IF one of your followers sent you a photo that shook the bug world? My primary passion is birding, and thankfully, photos are accepted to confirm rarities (although we have a lot of ruckus going on about the Ivory billed woodpecker right now... DID Cornell see what they say they saw? Of course, if they shot the bird, they wouldnt be getting flak over ID right now. But the collateral flak would be enough to close down the Cornell Lab of Ornithology). Is what she claims true?
Jill Anderson

Hi Jill,
Thanks for bringing up a potentially hot topic. First, we should begin by stating that we are unaware of the Official policy regarding insect sitings. There are government sites with official sitings and unconfirmed sitings indicated. In defense of the scientists, many insect identifications can only be confirmed through physical inspection of the specimen. Official is acceptable by the scientific community which demands facts. Photos, and we speak as photographers, do not tell the truth. Even if a species is identified by the photo, the location cannot be pin-pointed. The possiblitiy of a hoax always exists. Remember the Bigfoot video? Sadly, in today's world, the only real proof is the thing itself, and often that is debateable. Remember Piltdown Man? I suppose our advice is to celebrate the unofficial sitings.
Mountain Of Potato Bugs: Worst Potato Bug Experience Ever
(01/19/2006) Potato bugs
Back in 1956 in San Francisco--when I was a ten year old tomboy and loved helping my dad out by doing chores in the garden--something inexplicable happened to me. It was a sunny day and I had just finished siphoning the water from our family's cement fish pond. My dad was away from the house, at work, and I was looking forward to surprising him with a clean, sparkling pond. This siphoning ritual was one that repeated itself two or three times each year. After bringing the water level down to about four inches, I would step into the water barefoot, catch the pond's large and wriggly, orange, black, and white, spotted fish, throwing them into a nearby bucket of green pond water filled with lily pads. Next I would siphon out the water even further, until only a scummy sludge was left. I would scoop out this sludge with a metal dust pan, scrub and mop the pond's cement floor, then turn on the garden hose and start adding water. A few minutes later I would squirt in some water-treating liquid, and finally I'd start tossing in fish. I had done this so many times that it was second nature to me.
On this particular day however, right after having brought the water level down to about three inches, and right after taking off my shoes and stepping into the pond, in order to start catching fish... I was startled to discover that the ground was crunchy underneath me, almost as though I were standing in a pool to which had been added buckets and buckets of popcorn. Cupping my hands together, I bent down and scooped the water, thus hoping to discover the source of this odd sensation. It was then that I beheld a mound of drowned Potato Bugs. Yes... Jerusalem Crickets! There they were, all jumbled together in a tangled, ungodly heap, filling my cupped, wet hands. And here I was, ankle deep, in a sea of, crunchy yet rubbery, sci-fi horror corpses. It grossed me out so bad! I remember suppressing a gag reflex as I jumped frantically out of the pond. I ran hose water over my feet, at full force, almost compulsively for about twenty minutes. I wanted to run away forever! To call my mom and dad on the phone, and somehow convince them to sell the house.
And yet, it was only a matter of minutes before the tough and rugged jungle queen/cowgirl (that I fancied myself to be) started to emerge again. An almost delirious calm came over me, accompanied by a mounting sense of determination. I would not be turned into a chicken-shit sissy by those miniature, ball-headed, ball-eyed monsters! So I went into the house to fetch my galoshes and my mom's rubber gloves. I jumped into that pond from hell, and scooped out every one of them. Eventually they formed a pile about two feet tall and three feet wide. I left it sitting there, at one side of the pond. It was my trophy, my multi-faced shrunken head. Proof that I could successfully make it through even the most unspeakable of horrors. Besides, I wanted my dad to see this horrific vision for himself. Perhaps he could explain it to me, reveal to me why hundreds upon hundreds of tiny monsters from the id, would tumble to watery deaths. My dad had no idea however, and neither did my mom. When I told friends and relatives about it, they looked at me aghast, as well as perplexed. I always wore my galoshes after that... before stepping into that fish pond. But even though we didn't sell our house for many, many years, the incident never repeated itself.
If you, or anyone, can explain this experience to me, or share similar [or
un-similar] experiences, I will be deeply grateful.
Sincerely,
your sister in Potato Bugs, Anya Luz Lobos

Hi Anya,
You are our new hero. We can post a link with your request that takes people to your email address if you would like. Our best explanation is that there was a population explosion that year. Potato Bugs are nocturnal ramblers and often drown in pools. What happened in your case was a perfect storm.

Hi Daniel,
Hello again, New hero? Me? Worst Potato Bug Experience Ever? ALL RIGHT!!! About posting a link... Why not? It would be fun to receive email responses. I can't help but think that maybe there are other "perfect storm" accounts waiting to be told. Still, it boggles the mind, doesn't it? I mean, wouldn't the first two or three bugs that fell in the pond yell, "Help, I'm drowning!" in their language of Jerusalem or via insect radar or whatever, thus alerting the others to the danger? Or is it possible that Potato Bugs are noble and self-sacrificing (albeit stupid) creatures, and that each of the remaining 997 Potato Bugs took the fatal plunge in an effort to save the others? In any case, thank you for the bestowal of honors. I truly do feel honored. Yay me! (This fifty-nine year old cowgirl/queen of the jungle... still rules!) Sincerely,
Anya Luz Lobos
P.S. I might be able to dig up a picture of me at age ten, sitting next to the--now historic--fish pond. Would that qualify me for your home page?



I just found the photo in one of my albums: I'm almost ten tears old and am sitting next to the pond with my best friend Beatrice. This photo was taken shortly before the "perfect storm" incident. Neither Beatrice (left) nor I even knew that Potato Bugs existed, at that point!

Update (01/28/2006) Possible Explanation:
Horsehair worms lead Jerusalem crickets to water?
I read the account of the pond full of drowned 'potato bugs' and can offer a possible explanation -- There is a group of 'worms' (Phylum Nematomorpha: Class Gorgonioidea - unless the systematics has been reworked since I was in school) that parasitize Jerusalem crickets, among other insects and crustaceans. The adults are free-living in freshwater, do not feed, and lay their eggs in the water. The hatched young parasitize an arthropod (and sometimes leeches). They go through multiple molts in the host's body and do not emerge until they're nearly adults. They emerge, according to my book, when the host is near water. More than once, I've seen a drowned Jerusalem cricket in a puddle of water with the very active horsehair worm that had just emerged. I recall my prof saying that the gordioid worms actually may be able to 'force' the Jerusalem crickets to enter pools deep enough to drown them (the Jerusalem cricket, that is), if there were no other water source available, but no one had figured out how that worked. The description of the pile of drowned Jerusalem crickets in the backyard pond your correspondent described is truly impressive -- maybe they had a thriving population of horsehair worms in the garden! Your site is truly wonderful ---
Kathy
House Centiped in Operating Room and remedy for Reptile Mites
(12/31/2005)
Hello WTB,
I ran across your wounderful website today while trying to save the life of a missunderstood house centiped that had been called a silverfish by a staff member today. The critter ran past us and avoided a near squishing foot by ducking under our surgery table. I had seen this guy or his relatives in our basement from time to time and though they can move very quickly and startle me they have never seemed to have any intentions of harming anyone. I managed to capture our visiter in a urine cup...it's all I had and it was sterile =x and decided I would try to identify him so that he would not be sentenced to death simply for being scary. Well your website saved his life and proved he was not a silverfish, but a house centipede that would take care of any spiders or other insects he could find. I released him in our basement and the other staff memebers agreed he was scary but better than having spiders around. His new name is Fluffy.
After work I revisited your site, I've been a long time fan of bugs and can still be seen with my head in a bush if I see something interesting. As I browsed around I saw a post from someone named Kevin on 11-30-05 on your mite page. His snake's cage has been invaded by some mites. While I do like bugs and insects, I realy hate ectoparasites. My columbian red tail boa, Link, had a similar problem this spring. While our office does not see reptiles we researched the topic and came up with a plan to free my snake of his friends. I changed his cage completely, discarded all items that could harbor mites, branches, sticks and the like. Link himself was treated with Frontline Spray (fipronil), this is an off lable use, and Merial the company that makes the product has not tested it for use on reptiles. Kevin should check with a local reptile vet before treating his snake. We sprayed a paper towel with frontline and gently wiped Link down then returned him to his cage. In cats and dogs you have to wait 24 hours before giving them a bath after applying frontline. I did not want to deprive my snake that long so I returned his swimming pool after about 6 hours. The mites have not been seen or heard from again. I hope this helps Kevin's poor snake.
Jessica Leonard, CVT
Cure fo Arachnophobia
(12/31/2005) Arachnophobia cure! (at least for me)
Dear Bugman,
I just want to share an effective "arachnophobia" cure to anyone who is very afraid of spiders. I used to be repulsed by all spiders "squish first, ask questions later" was my motto. One day I stumbled across my very first black widow in the corner of my garage. My husband almost finished it right then and there but being an elementary teacher, I saw a glorious teaching opportunity. We captured it in a large jar with air holes and also threw a small branch in with it. I took it to school to show kids what a true black widow really looks like. The spider built a web on the branch and the students took turns catching flies for her to eat. We kept that spider alive for weeks and I found myself watching it a lot, being fascinated by its movements and behavior. Something happened to me during that time. I am no longer afraid of spiders, I actually let some reside in my home. (Though the larger "wolfies" as we call them, are placed gently outdoors. I love to find new spiders in my garden, and my hunt for the identification of some "huntsmen Spiders, or Banana Spiders that I found in my storage shed led me to your site. Keep up the great work!
Thanks,
Gina

Hi Gina,,
Thank you for the wonderful letter, though we doubt many of our readers will try taking your cure.
Kindness to Arthropods
(12/22/2005) Thank you so much for this site!
I found it incredibly refreshing to come across a site so vehemently against the unnecessary killing of insects and other arthropods. In my house it's a RULE that you don't kill spiders etc . And an unwelcome critter is put out gently , as long as the weather is warm enough. I recently went to a Christmas party where the host had captured a Western Conifer Seed Bug, that had come into there house. Their kids didn't care for it lol, so I wound up taking it home and set him up in a habitat until warmer weather when he can be set free. Thanks to your site I was able to properly identify him. It's great how you're working to enlighten people about the wonderful benefits of arthropods. Here are some photos of my son and I hanging out with some little critters. Thanks again for your wonderful site!
Sincerely,
Lark

Hi Lark,
Now it is our turn to thank you for the gracious letter, but sadly, none of your photos attached.
House Centipedes and Roaches
(12/11/2005) awesome site
I just wanted to say thank you for maintaining this site. I have lived in NYC my whole life and am only afraid of what I call waterbugs. REally large , able to fly roaches) When we moved into our new apartment in Astoria, NY we had an infestation of what my husband called house centipedes. They are very common on your site. I hate these too. However if as you say they eating roaches then they might be my new best friends. But I wish they wouldn't crawl on the wall over my bed. I am going to share you site with my educator friends.
Jenny
Flying Frog!!!
(12/03/2005) Love your site
Thank you for this marvelous site!  I learned a lot in the 2 1/2 hours I browsed it.  Cute story:  My daughter and friends who were sleeping over came screeching into my room one night screaming that there was a flying frog in the house.  I recognized it as a cicada, but I thought the description was apt.  I will be signing onto your site whenever I have an unidentified bug, AND when I just want to learn something new!
Thanks,
Lisa Lippitz
Boxelder Bugs
(12/03/2005) the Box Elder Bug
(Name Withheld by Request) here, a US citizen in Alberta Canada, (should you cite me, just refer to me as SW in Alberta). Re: the Box Elder Bug. When I lived in NW Indiana, our house covered on the southern (sunny) outer wall before later when the house was invaded by them. We had them all through the winter months. They lived in the heating ducts. They "spotted" our drapes. I tried a local hardware store (where they sold pest sprays). They had a big, thick book on what to do to rid this or that bug, but on the Box Elder Bug, it said, cut down the box elder tree. We didn't have any near my house so I tried Venus fly traps.  They were so slow closing on them, I basically had to catch and force feed them. I'm glad I moved away from them. BUT, when I got to this part of Alberta (in the prairies) they call the same bug a Maple Bug. I know the Maple Leaf is on the Canadian flag, but I see very few Maple trees here. I think the Cottonwood tree is most prevalent.
SW
Medicine Hat, Alberta
Donations???
(12/01/2005) Just Praise for your site
Dear Wonderful People who run the web site - What that Bug?
I think your site is the best. I think you are the best. Thank you for promoting understanding and knowledge of these special creatures. It is so wonderful for me to read stories about people who also love bugs and who make every effort to help and save them, to feed them and keep them warm. Thank you for doing what you do and for being such a great inspiration and resource for so many people. Wishing you and yours the best.
With Love,
~Lisa.
P.S. Do you accept donations or contributions?
Missing From the Web
(10/30/2005) Daniel, I drop by daily for my insect fix and haven't seen any new additions for a few days. I hope all is well with you and your staff.
Janet

Hi Janet,
We are swell, but seems there was a DSL problem and we had no connection since the 26th of October. We are currently trying to post at least one image from each day we were down, but we couldn't even receive any mail Nov 2 -4 as there were 477 messages and no more space. We are back. Thanks for your concern
Daniel
US Department of Agriculture Stamp of Approval!!
(10/13/2005) Your Website
I just stumbled onto your site in attempting to show a visitor exactly how the giant ichneumon accomplishes oviposition.  I perused several hot buttons and hey!-----you really have a great site.  It will be extremely useful for our neverending stream of visiting students from local schools. Just curious.  Where are you located?
Sam Pair
Research Leader
USDA-ARS, SCARL
Lane, OK

Hi Sam,
Thanks for the compliment. We have some awesome Ichneumon oviposition images sent in by web browsers. We are in Los Angeles.
Feeding Spiders
(10/09/2005) What biologists do for fun...
Hello!
First off I have to compliment you on your wonderful website!  What a great resource for experienced entomologists and beginners alike.  I especially love how your answer to how to remove insects from a house is to "capture and remove them" :)  A google search to find out the type of scarab my boyfriend and I saw today (which turned out to be a rainbow scarab, unfortunately being devoured by fire ants...grrrr) brought us to your site. I thought you might enjoy a story that might give you a good laugh! While working for the Point Reyes Bird Observatory in California, my coworker and I lived in field housing.  Being out in the middle of nowhere and on an old dairy, naturally we had a lot of anthropod residents in our house, including what I just call "house spiders" (We also had at least 4 gorgeous female black widow spiders residing on the outside of our house until the entire house was sprayed for cinch bugs which naturally killed EVERYTHING...grrr again!).  One of my coworker and I's activities that we enjoyed was to stun houseflies and then "feed the pet spiders"  It never ceases to amaze me watching how a spider catches its prey. In our tv room we had 3 spiders that shared adjoining webs made over the flourescent light.  On one particular night we fed these 3 spiders and watched them battle over the flies.  The best part was when the 2 largest spiders were fighting over a fly, the smallest spider snuck in and stole the fly!  Yeay for the underdog! I hope you enjoyed the anecdote!  Keep up the great work!
A new fan,
Katie
Dispelling Fear
(10/02/2005) We Love Your Site!
Dear What's That Bug-
My children and I wanted to drop you a quick note to say how much we are enjoying your site.  We found it while searching the internet for pictures of bugs for a class project.  We now make a point of stopping in to see your new additions!
I think it has made my children less afraid of bugs in general, which is a good thing!
We especially enjoyed the picture of the red and gray spider today.  My kids think he looks like a little stuffed animal.  We never realized spiders had such expressive faces!
Thanks again for all your work and the time and effort you must put into this truly amazing site.
Candace, Reagan & Stuart
Rhode Island..
Suggestion of Exotica Section
(10/01/2005) Evan Owens
Seems we've opened the proverbial can of... grubs?
I stand corrected as well then.  I thought the head may have been a little bloated for the EAB, but I would rather be wrong and have people take a second look at the plants and animals around them then be right and not have anyone take notice.  I really enjoy a good diversification of species, but when one gets introduced that threatens to wipe out another... I'll just say that Snakeheads still give me the creeps.  Not to mention, I forget there's only, um, several million species to consider when making an ID on an insect. All I can say is, that I would be very glad if Evan's grub wasn't an Emerald Ash Borer... Roscommon is a good ways up north and I'd like to think they haven't traveled that far yet.  Give me the house centipedes and toebiters... you can have your Japanese Beetles and Gypsy Moths, thanks.  In that vein, I was wondering if you've ever considered a "Who's who" section of destructive import species?  Just to let people know where infestations are likely to occur and who to contact at regional offices.  You folks already kick butt at identifying things (I like it when y'all "keep it real") and that would be a fine public service.
Weston Tulloch
Still in Bay City

Hi again Weston,
We love your suggestion of an exotica section. Did you notice the scorpion at the top of our homepage that was just found in Chicago?
WTB? hits radio airwaves!!!
(09/23/2005) Just FYI
Hello Bugman...
I have featured your site on my Radio Show... it will air this Sunday the 25th on KNX-1070am in Los Angeles...  4:55 AM, 5:25 PM. I have attached a copy for you. Thanks for the site... very interesting and fun!
Joe Westerberg
Palm Springs, CA

Hear what Joe has to say!!!
Couldn't open the photo
(09/14/2005) Moth Picture
Hello Bugman,
I have to convey to you how much I absolutely love your website! It is pretty much the coolest site EVER! I happened upon your website when trying to identify a very odd looking bug that my husband brought home for me from the grocery store parking lot the other day. He does that occassionally because I have a serious fascination with insects which people seem to think is strange but I just LOVE them!! Anyway, you site identified the insect as a Mole Cricket which thrilled me to death to just know what the little thing was. I have a picture of a moth I happened upon in yet another grocery store parking lot and I just wanted to be part of your wonderful site so I am sending the picture to you. Is this a species of the Polyphemus Moths that you have pictured on the site? Thanks so much for your time and I will walk around armed with a camera from now on since I now know about you guys!
Thanks,
Michelle in Suwanee, GA

Hi Michelle,
You sent such a wonderful letter, but sadly, we cannot open your photo attachment. Please try to resend it as a jpg attachment and not a bmp. Until we get the image, we are posting your letter on our fanmail page.
Some interesting local names from Tennessee
(09/06/2005) we love your website
Dear Bugman,
First let me say I love your site. It has been the most informative that I have found. My son and I looked everywhere trying to identify an insect and we finally found it here, thanks . We also found out alot about insects that we thought we already knew about. For example, the camel cricket is known as the" blister cricket" here in Tennessee, and the saddle back caterpillar is known as the "packsaddle". They're just local names I'm sure so it was very interesting to find out their real names. Now I have a question. What ,if anything, does the hickory horned devil turn into? We have them evrywhere here and I've always assumed they were just a worm.
Thanks,
Paula
East Tennessee

Hi Paula,
The Hickory Horned Devil turns into the lovely Royal Walnut Moth.
Praise from an Educator
(08/30/2005) This is the greatest bug site ever!
I spend hours everyday outside exploring nature with students. I must hear "What's this bug? "  fifty times a day. Your site has been the best source I have found to answer this question, no matter how many times the kiddos ask! It is truly a bug lover's dream. Thanks!
Eugena Vicars
Outdoor Learning Facilitator
Bransom Elementary
Hickory Horned Devil
(08/23/2005) He fell from the tree
Hi There!
This amazing Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar fell from a tree onto our Brick steps yesterday. Before we actually knew what he was, he appeared quite vicious when probed, but after looking for him on the internet using the words HORNED and CATERPILLAR to search, we knew we had found our bug. Our daughter is facinated with him and so we kept him overnight, making a terrarium in a large bowl for him. He burrowed into the soil last night and she is now very sad. Our question to you is....while we captured him in a jar, he excreted a fairly large amount of brown liquid. Was this natural (excrement) or was this a neccessary fluid for pupation? We are worried that it may have been hurt during the fall. He fell a good bit of the way from the tree above, and like I said, onto BRICK. We don't know if he is hurt or just pupating. Please help if you can. Thank You.
Lynn
Beaufort, SC



Hi Lynn,
Hickory Horned Devils are rarely noticed until they drop from the trees to bury themselves underground where they pupate.
Fishfly Identification
(08/15/2005) Your website
Just wanted to pass along I identified a bug I've never seen before I found in my driveway (a fishfly). You're site is much more helpful than the load of University web sites and bug-o-pedias I searched before stumbling across Whatsthatbug.com.  I've spent the last hour just browsing and learned alot.  I'm certain I will be back when my 4-yr old brings me another bug he's stumbled across.  Thanks. Kelly Wagoner
Woodstock, GA

Hi Kelly,
Thanks for the compliment. Since we are not associated with an institute of higher learning, we can afford to be a bit quirky.
Devil Siting
04/04/2005) (hickory horned devil
I was at the park 8/2/05 and saw our big guy put him in a cup and brought him home.  Thanks to your website we found out what he is and what he will be.  We also were able to hold him and enjoy him for a short while.  It was tough on my daughter (6) when we had to put him back into a walnut tree so he can "grow to be a Royal Walnut Moth" or as my 4yr old son calls him the walnut king moth.  After we got threw the tears we let him go.  It was hard for us but it was the best thing for The King.  Sorry I have not a digital camera but we did take two with a disposable.  Thanks again for your fabulous webpage I have and will continue to enjoy it.  PS every year we get the generic catapillars you know the ones that are everywhere.  There dark and have yellow strips kind of hairy but small.  What are they and what do they become.  My nieghbor swears that her son got bit by one and had an allergic reaction to it.  Is this true?  I tried to find a picture of it but could not.  We live upstate SC.  Thanks again
Robyn from Greenville SC
One Reader's Research
(07/30/2005) Ergates spiculatus
Thank you for your marvelous site! it enabled me to identify the mucking large beetle flying around our outside light as Ergates spiculatus (I was concerned about it being a wood-eating bug, since I and my folks live in a cedar house).
After doing a bit more searching on the 'Net, I was able to pinpoint that particular bug as Ergates spiculatus spiculatus, the Ponderous Borer -- this according to James R. LaBonte, an entomologist with the Oregon Department of Agriculture who specializes in beetles. You can read his comments at the end of the web page http://www.intrepidtrips.com/treatise/borers/ where the people have pictures of the larvae - and HUGE suckers they are!!!
According to a few other sites I found, the ponderous borer is interested only in dead or distressed Douglas Fir or Ponderosa Pine. (whew! our house is safe) An interesting anecdote at the site of the University of Northern British Columbia specifically http://web.unbc.ca/ctl/webcourses/fsty307/wood/wood.html alleges that a logger got the idea for the design of the teeth on a chainsaw chain from the mouthparts of the borer larvae - whether or not it's true, it sure makes for a good story! As well, the following is an excerpt from the web site The Unseen World of the Fallen Tree (http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/hardtoget/jk-79html/16-31.html):
"The ponderous borer (family Cerambycidae), the largest western cerambycid, directly penetrates the sapwood and heartwood. Adults emerge during the summer.  After they mate, a female deposits her eggs in crevices in the bark or in cracks in exposed wood of class I fallen trees.  The eggs hatch and the larvae chew their way into the sapwood and then deep into the heartwood of the tree.  They grow to nearly 3 inches (7.5 cm) in length by the time they are mature; one generation requires 3 to 7 years to mature.  The oval, meandering galleries of mature larvae are large (1 to 2 inches (2.5-5.0 cm) in cross section) and are filled with frass and refuse.  When they are mature, larvae construct pupal chambers at the ends of their feeding tunnels and pupate.  They emerge as adult beetles in summer, mate, lay their eggs, and die (Anderson 1960, Chamberlin 1949, Furniss and Carolin 1977)." Fascinating!!!
And thanks again for your wonderful site....there are some really pretty beetles in the world (including the ponderous borer - it's a rich brown like finished wood).
Leanne Ridley
Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada
Garlic against Earwigs and Cloves to repel Ants!!
(07/29/2005) Enjoy your website
Hello - Just wanted to say Thank You for your great website!  I'm not fond of "bugs" - especially spiders - but it's getting easier, thanks to you.  Also, I want to tell you that for two years now my mailbox has been the birthing room for hordes of earwigs - and this year I chased them all out with garlic!  Just a sliced clove of garlic spread around in the mailbox and the lid left open - they skittered out of there in a hurry.  Also have had good luck with chasing ants away with powdered cloves.  I had ants coming up through my bathroom flooring (I assume through cracked concrete and then through small holes in the vinyl).  I mixed a little vegetable oil (for staying power)  with a lot of powdered cloves and filled the holes in the vinyl; when the level went down, I poured more in, etc.  After several days, the ants left, never to return (and this had been a 6-month + battle).  Thanks again for all you do - you are much appreciated. 
Mary

Thanks for the helpful hints Mary.
Helping to Ease Minds
(07/25/2005) Awesome Site!
Hi there, I wanted to tell you that this is a fabulous site! I found it in a true panic! I woke up in the middle of the night a couple nights ago to use the bathroom. To my suprise, I turned on the light and found a black bug sitting on my register vent. At first I didn't really think much of it. (I'm not afraid of bugs) Then I took a piece of toilet paper and smushed it. As I was about to throw it away, I decided to open the tissue and look at it. Up close the wings almost made it look like a cockroach. I completely went numb and ran into the bedroom and jumped on the internet! I looked at all your pictures of cockroaches and decided it wasn't that. Not being 100% sure, I will see if I across another and send a picture in. So since then, every bug I see in the house or outside even, I get on here and look it up. I feel so much better about my "buggy" surroundings now. Thanks for helping freaks like me put our minds at ease.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
MI
Ichnuemons
(07/24/2005) Ichneumom in Wisconsin
Thank God I found you!!!!
After what seemed like hours of trying to identify this lovely bug I found what I was looking for on your lovely web site.  You have now been added to my "favorites" list.  What a great site can't wait to share it with my kids. Anyhow these interesting bugs are primarily active in July and August...yes?  And the adult insect emerges from the wood after devouring  it's host...yes?  And they are not harmful to humans...right?  do they ever host off of other wasps or bees?   I have never seen one of these before are they common to Wisconsin?  If not where might it have come from? Just curious...well alright very curious after all I have just spent the past two hours trying to identify this creature and it is now 1:46 in the a.m. Peace,
Jill

Hi Jill,
Thanks for the nice letter. Ichneumons prey on wood boring larvae, usually beetles but possibly also horntails, wasp relatives. Perhaps the sudden population explosion of Ichneumons has something to do with the Asian Longhorn Borer infestation that is occurring, especially in Ash forests.
Wolf Spider?
(07/16/2005)
I just wanted to say your site is great, and the fact the you responded shows you truly love this! I appreciate the response, and have added this as a bookmark! I also wanted to commend you for the numerous responses you have sent to people telling them 90% of the insects they send in are actually doing good. As much as I hate insects, I always try to save those I know that are doing good. From reading your site, I learn more and more are out there for my benefit than I would think!
Doug (Maryland)
Fishing Spider Identified
(07/11/2005) awesome web site
Greetings
I happened to stumble across your website in search for some info needed to identify a very large (well for me!) spider.  I only wish I had my camera since he was over 4 inches including legs.  I identified my spider as a fishing spider in less than 30 minutes.  It is one of the best databases I have seen!  I cannot say I will enjoy it, since I have an abnormal fear of ANYTHING creepy crawly, but it is certainly fascinating and wonderful!!!  Excellent work..........
Regards,
a non bug lover
E Cossean
Future Ichneumons will benefit
(07/06/2005) GREAT SITE
Dear Bugman,
Thanks for the great site. I have a cabin in Northern Michigan, and over the past couple of years, I have noticed a very large strange looking insects which I have not been able to identify in any bug book that I have looked at...but I did find it on your site, along with a lot of very informative information. The insects were giant ichneumon. Unfortunate to say though, there were several on the one tree, and with having small kids around, a bug that size that looked like a wasp, was met with a dose of wasp spray. I wish that I had read your articles earlier, and finding out that they are harmless, they could have provided some interesting viewing, expecially after knowing that they did not sting. Thanks for the great site, keep it up and running, as it is definatly one of the most informative bug sites that I have found. Sam

Thanks for your kind letter Sam. Future Ichneumons thank you as well.
Carrion Beetle released
(07/05/2005) No question just a comment
Hello and thank you.  A beetle flew into the house today, and by google I found your site.  I was able to find a picture of the little creature.  A carrion beetle,  we do have lots of animals and a wooded area in our backyard.  I guess it is doing its job, I would prefer it to stay outside!! Now that I know what it is I will turn it loose. thanks for a great site.
Sami from southern Indiana
A Beetle Ate My Homework!!!
(07/04/2005) paper mache---pantry beetle?
Hi there Mr.Bug man!
I am so intrigued by your website!  I only wish I knew about it six months ago when we took down a paper mache tree I made for my son's room.  A few years ago, I created a three dimensional tree on his wall using school-type brown paper towels and a paste of flour and water.  My masterpiece looked even more life-like within a couple years when it became the home for thousands of teeeeny-tiny little brown beetles.  I never imagined it was the paper mache tree that continually lured these little guys into his room each summer until we finally noticed pin holes throughout.  YUCK! Based on your description and photos of the pantry beetle, it would be my guess.  What do you think?
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!
Sincerely creeped out,
Melissa Hiller
Jackson, MI

Hi Melissa,
You are so correct. They have eaten our papier mache diorama projects in the past.
Life Cycle
(07/03/2005) Labidomera clivicollis, a Leaf Beetle
How wonderful to find your website while Googling to get more information on the Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle that is devasting my garden milkweed.  After having viewed pictures on numerous sites I am certain that this is the pest that I am dealing with.  I live in Tallahassee, Florida, and devote my entire yard to bird and butterfly gardening.  As such I have milkweeds that are planted for the specific intent of providing food for the Monarch Butterflies on their migrations in both Spring and Fall.  I do not spray any insecticide, ever, and have been hand plucking and yes, killing, this pest, as it can strip a healthy milkweed in almost no time at all.   Do you have any information on its life cycle, habits, anything that I can use to help keep it at bay?  As much as I dislike having to destroy it, if I don't it won't leave any milkweeds for the Monarchs. I would greatly appreciate any assistance you can offer.
Thank you!
Francie Stoutamire

Hi Francie,
Thanks for the nice letter. Sadly, we can't tell you anything about the life cycle of Labidomera clivicollis except that both larvae and adults feed on milkweed.
Potato Bugs, Parasites and Fear Factor
(07/03/2005) answer to posting on the web site
On your site on 12/18/2004, there's an entry Question from Tim Doak, in Southwest Wyoming, regarding a bug similar to something he had seen on Fear Factor. I grew up in that area of Wyoming (Sweetwater County) and the believe the bug he's referring to is commonly called "Jerusalem Cricket, Stenopelmatus fuscus. The parasite living inside is called a horsehair worm, I think. Please advise Tim, for more info, he contact the science dept, there in Southwest Wyoming, at Western Wyoming Community College, she's done quite a bit of research on this, especially related to the parasite it carries.
Thanks,
Elizabeth S.
Google led her to What's That Bug?
(07/02/2005) Giant Ichneumon
Dear Bugman,
I googled long tail flying bug and came across your website. (totally   awesome by the way!) My husband spotted this bug on our driveway the other day and   couldn't believe his eyes. After looking at it I was totally surprised, I had never seen a bug   so big! At first we thought the tail was a stinger.  OUCH!!   After seeing   the photos on your website we agreed it must have been a female giant ichneumon wasp. Are these insects found all over the U.S.??
Jane
in NH

Hi Jane,
Thanks for the compliment. Giant Ichneumons in the genus Megarhyssa are found in the North, South, East and West, but different species are found in different locales.
Endorsement: Soap against Box Elder Bugs really works!!!!!
(07/01/2005) fanmail
Box Elder Bug Great, great site!  Although I'm entirely creeped out and won't sleep for a week, I did identify the giant swarm of box elder bugs covering my back yard near - what else? - the box elder and maple trees.  They've been there for several years, and when I read they could come in the house, it was time for them to go.  Many many thanks to Debbie Fenclau for the environment- and pet-friendly solution of spraying them with laundry soap solution.  Worked like a charm and as much as I hate to see things die, that they did right in front of my eyes.  And, although I'll be silently screaming in horror, I will leave the house centipedes be now so they can eat worse things.  I have already forwarded your site to a number of friends, including my sister who just moved to California and will have a whole new bunch of bugs to make friends with.  The information you provide is wonderful, and your site will be the first place I go to ID new bugs.
Thanks,
Sally
Dearborn Heights, MI
p.s. found your site via Google-ing "identifying insects in Michigan"
Bring It On: Awesome Dobsonfly Photos promised
(07/01/2005) Hellgramites
Hi Bugman,
I needed a picture of a Hellgrammite to send to a buddy. Yours are tops. I have long time experience with the hellgrammite.
We use them as bait for bass fishing. I have seen the adult Dobsonfly and it is larger and broader has a much stronger wing structure than your photos.
I will attempt to take some pictures of some local dobsonfly. The ones that you are showing wimpy.. Some of these hellgrammites are 4 to 5 inches in length.
Nice web site.
Best regards,
Joe B
Springtails
(07/01/31) great job!
Fantastic Website!!! I'm so glad I found you! for the past 3 yrs I've been trying to figure out what bug is in my shower every summer and immediately learned they were springtails from your website.  You guys are great!  So glad you're out there for people like me. I also very much enjoyed the beautiful photos people have submitted and have a new appreciation for bugs considering i'm scared to death of them.  thanks again and keep up the GREAT work!
Keriena
Ewwww
(07/01/2005) Thank you!  Your site is wonderful.  My daughter spent the better part of an
hour clicking through the various bug links.  Many of them got the wonderful
"Ewwww!" of little kids.
Steve
Luna Moth Siting
(06/27/2005)
I was hiking on the Zaleski Backpacking trail in Ohio today andmiraculously saw one of these hanging upside down under a twig. I can't beleive I saw it given it looked almost exactly like a leaf...unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me so no pictures. I was trying to find out what it was and came across your page...I know it's a page about pictures of them and not stories about sitings but I just wanted to let you know and thanks for the web page...google is the best. Next time I go hiking I'm definitely bringing the camera. oops! I guess I should have mentioned that I was talking about a luna moth.
(06/27/2005) Did a spider and a fly fall in love?
Thanks for your quick response. Unfortunately my digital camera has only 2.0 Mega Pixels. Is there an insect that resembles a fly and a spider? I live in Hialeah, Florida so I see quite a bizarre array of insects on a daily basis. Thanks again. I just have to mention that I am enjoying your website. There is nothing like it out there!
Cristina Labreau
Another House Centipede Saved!!!!
(06/03/2005) thank you thank you thank you
I just wanted to express my sincere apreciation for your website!!  My roommates and I have been under attack by giant, billion-legged monsters for months now, and we've been unable to win the war against these bugs as the damned things are too fast to catch.  I went online to try and figure out what the things were so that we could come up with an appropriate way to extinguish them once and for all, and of course your website came up.  And there on the home page was a picture of our monsters!!  Apparently our man-eating bugs are just house centipedes, and we've been living in terror, chasing these bugs around in the night with flashlights and shoes, for no reason at all.   While it doesn't make me feel any cooler (I'm 5 feet 8 inches tall, and they are 4 inches tall.... and I  still can't catch or outwit them) I do feel better about our little monsters.  As they eat roaches, spiders and whatnot, from now on the roommates and I will do our best not to squish them in horror, and I'm defininately not chasing them anymore!  So thank you, please keep up this wonderful site, and we'll be back to visit often!!
Kris in Portland, Maine
(05/14/2005) Great Site!
My fascination with arthropods and other living things has led me to post many photos of insects, spiders, etc. on my blog site (www.weirdandwonderfulworldofchir.blogspot.com) and on several Yahoo!Groups trying to get an ID.  A friend suggested your site.  Why haven't I heard about this site before?  It's GREAT!  I live in Costa Rice.  Many of the species I've seen posted on your site seem to be here as well as in the US although your information says it is confined to certain areas of the US only.  But I'm going only by a photo and perhaps a quick peak here.  May I post some photos as attachments to Email to you for identification?  I also have some short "avi" video clips of a couple of creatures that moved to fast for a clear macro photo or that had unusual movement. Can I send those as well?  Thanks.
Mary Thorman
San Vito, Coto Brus
(Pacific slopes of Talamanca Mts. in the southern zone of Costa Rica)

Hi Mary,
Thank you for your kind letter. Insects do not respect national boundaries and flagrantly cross them with no regard. All of our source books are U.S. Guides so we usually write about the range in the U.S. Naturally, many of the same species will range to Costa Rica. Also, there may be some closely related species that look similar. We strive for exact species identifications, but this is often impossible. Then we stay more general. We would gladly help you in a general way. I'm not sure we can handle videos though.
Google Hit: "Small bug with pincers"
(05/09/2005) Brown Recluse -like spiders
Will you have a page dedicated to the brown recluse anytime soon?  I used to live in Moses Lake, WA where we had many spiders that looked similar to both the Brown Recluse and the common Wolf spider but I can't tell them apart.  My grandmother was bit by a recluse somewhere in the vicinity and I can't tell which spiders are which!  Now I've moved to Edmonds (just north of Seattle) and I recently found another spider similar to our Wolf spiders, but it was slimmer and held it's front legs in a tighter, more predatory manner (though it could have been a "defensive" manner cause I had tried to squish him twice and failed).   Any pictures and size approximations would be wonderful.  I would also like to tell you that you have an extremely useful site.  It happened to be the 3rd hit on Google for "Small bug with pincers" when I was searching for a pseudoscorpid that I had just found. Oh, and my grandmother is ok, by the way!  She was bit on the scalp, and was noticing that her heartbeat had sped up and she was losing mobility in part of her face and went in to see the doctor within 3 days of being bit.  The doctor was the one who classified the bite. -- Thanks much!
Megan

Hi Megan,
We cannot be comprehensive.  We post images and identification sent in by our readers.  We will post a Brown Recluse photo as soon as we get one. Glad your grandmother is OK. Because we print our readers' letters verbatim, the search engines find our site based on layman's terms, and not scientific terms, which is why we get so many site hits.
House Centipedes
(05/07/2005) Your site is GREAT!
I just wanted to say "thanks" for what I consider, a great site. We've been finding what we describe as "very scary monsters" in random areas of our home and we able to quickly identify them as "house centipedes" on your site. We've since bought some bug spray, as nobody in my house will even go near them with anything, and are quite relived to know that they are "harmless", although I do find it hard to believe and will continue to run like the wind when I encounter them..... They really are some of the scariest and grossest things I've even seen.
Thanks again,
Melinda from Montreal, Quebec.
(05/06/2005) Thank you!!
I just discovered your web site and all the questions I had were answered there. I live in Northern Arizona and saw a house centipede in my bathroom last night. It was not the first one I have seen and have wondered if they were dangerous or not. The other creature I had been curious about was the wind scorpion. I had been told that they were not poisonous but thought I should check for myself since we have found quite a few of both the wind scorpion and the house centipede in our house and have 3 small children. I was very glad to learn that neither of them are harmfull. Yours was the only site I found that had pictures and information. Thank you so much.   
Marianne
Greeting from Kuwait
(02/07/2005) WEB SITE
Hello WTB!!
I’m sad to say that this E-mail will contain no specimen photo in need of ID.  I simply wanted to compliment you on you web site.  I am very impressed!!  I am currently working as a DoD contractor (Vector Control) in southern Iraq .  We are the “Bug men” for our troops deployed in OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom).  I was curious if you might like to have a few specimen photos of some of the creatures “our boys” encounter here in the “sandbox”?  Though we deal with everything from Horned Vipers to the occasional herd of camels we spend the majority of our time focusing on local arthropods.  If you might have any knowledge of sites similar to your own with information concerning creatures from our “neck of the woods” I would be very interested. 
Thanks and Kudos,  
Jason McCann
Vector Control Technician
Camp Buehring/Udairi, Kuwait

Hi Jason,
WE have gotten several photos of the infamous Camel Spider, including one that has been making quite a splash in the news along with horrific storiesl. The image was taken with a wide angle lens, so the critters look two feet long. Sorry we can't help you with any Middle Eastern identification sites, but we will gladly publish any images you send our way.
permission to use picture
(02/03/2005) Dear "Bug man":
I am writing to ask permission to use one or more of your images on a web site.  The image is of a tortoise beetle.  ... The site, which is being developed by students in a biology class entitled "Insect fact and folklore", is an "Insect ABC" with several pages for each letter of the alphabet.  The site is strictly for non-profit educational use, and will be geared toward students at the primary school level.   You may visit the site (under construction) at:
http://cornellcollege.edu/biology/insects2005/
or see a previous version at:
http://cornellcollege.edu/biology/insects2003/
Please contact me by email, or contact my professor, Dr. Andy McCollum, by phone, fax, mail, or email (contact information below) to grant or deny permission or if you have any questions you want to ask before deciding.
If you are willing to grant blanket permission to allow other students in this class to use images for this web page, or are unable to grant me or any other student in this class student permission, please specify that and we will add your name to the "do not disturb again" list for this class to prevent you from unnecessarily receiving additional requests from this class.
Thank you,
Brian Schweigl

Professor: Dr. Andy McCollum
Department of Biology
Cornell College
Mount Vernon IA 52314

Hi Brian,
We would be honored to contribute images to your site.  We here at What's That Bug? do not employ the copyright police to patrol the web searching for our images.  We like to think of the www as a place to disseminate knowledge.   Please link the image back to www.whatsthatbug.com if you don't mind.   You will find that creating more links on your site will put you on the radar with search engines which is how What's That Bug has gotten so much attention.
(01/11/2005)
We get lots and lots of earwigs and ladybugs in the spring. I am from Oklahoma originally and have seen scorpions and huge rattlesnake colored spiders. But I have to say at least they are beautiful in there appearance although scary. Please tell me how I can prepare for the nuisance invasion, or avoid it altogether.
Your site is very cool, I cant believe I spent hours looking at bugs. My science teacher tried and tried to get me interested.
Susie O.
Riverdale MI
(10/06/2004) great site
Hello from Southern California!
I wished I'd discovered your site two weeks ago when I came across what I know now to be as two green lynx spiders (probably pregnant females) in my rosebushes! I feverishly searched the net trying to find out what they were. Being so enormous and colorful, it was a surprise to find no information about my spiders on the searches I did.  However, thanks to your information, I now know what they are and can prove to everyone that I was not exaggerating my description of them. However, I have noticed many large webs across my trees, and since the green lynxes do not spin webs, I am concerned about what other creepy critters are back there. Some of the photos of the other spiders you've identified make me cringe---- I hope that those are not the ones lurking in the trees!   Although their work has me marvelling at the incredible lengths of their webs, I imagine that a huge and long web must be coming from a massive spider!:(
Thank you for the valuable information!
Melissa Rivas
Site Traffic too Heavy
(09/11/2004) Bandwidth
I notice that, again, the whatsthatbug.com site is down due to bandwidth issues. What is being paid for the site currently and what would it cost to keep the site up without interruption? If you asked for donations on the site, I would be more than happy to help out with bandwidth costs via paypal as I think this is an invaluable service you provide.
Josh

Ed. Note: As of June 2005, we have upgraded our account and do not expect to be leaving the web waves due to our increased traffic allowance.
(09/10/2004) 2 praying mantis on sidewalk
Dear Bugman, I don't know for sure if this will really reach you.  Hope so.  Live here in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Was walking for exercise yesterday, 4:30 PM, beautiful clear, sunny day, little bit of a breeze. I looked down at the sidewalk in front of me and there was a very still appearing praying mantis, green, long skinny abdomen, his legs folded up, lying on his side, he was all intact, and when I moved it slightly with a stick he moved his front arms a little.  Looking around, there was also a larger mantis with the big broad abdomen and the 2  little "spikes at the end of her (?) tail, with a little bit of brown stuff on the end of her abdomen as well. She acts like she has a little more life left in her than the other, she is still stronger.This one's yellow wings were partially folded, partially out, the other one's one wing was stuck out, and the other wing was folded in completely.   I'm thinking, one is the male and the  other is the female, but I can't figure out why they are both almost dead, and the larger one looks like she may have recently laid her egg case. (because of the brown stuff, but I can't rule out accidental trauma by a person walking by either alone or with a dog, or purposeful intent to harm by the owner of the house--but why would anyone do such a thing on purpose?  I think I saw very light brown spot under the female mantis' mouth, a little spot on the sidewalk, this is not good.)  I picked up the male with a stick, he hung on and I put him in the garden border next to the sidewalk, and I also tried to pick up the other one, she fell off the leaf I used at one point, I winced thinking if she wasn't dying before she probably would now from the little fall, I put her in the same garden border, more protected than the sidewalk, and continued on my walk wondering what had happened to them.  Earlier in spring I was lucky enough to see a baby mantis in our yard, it was so small, about an inch and a half. I was so excited about it, it was something to tell the husband about, this is the smallest I had ever seen.  Then, at a local popular college restaurant in front of the university I was with my husband and his colleagues for lunch and I spotted a green thing on the back shoulder of one of the people in line wearing a light blue shirt, the guy turned out to be our substitute mailman (!)(total coincidence he was there on his lunch break at the same time we were!) and I said calmly to him not to worry but there was a praying mantis on his shoulder,  so I safely got the mantis in my hands and carried it across Central to the huge rosemary bushes there in front of the bookstore and put him there.  Not very lush as far as moisture is concerned, hopefully better than his fate on the mailman's back, the best I could do, next to taking it home in the car to our garden, which is what I should have done.  I picked it up with my bare hands, so why didn't I pick those 2 mantises up the same way yesterday? Maybe because they weren't standing up, and I was afraid I'd break off a leg or something, or because they might have been defensive in their fragile state, and stung or bitten me, do they "sting?" Anyway, I see them in our yard  every end of summer, a couple of them, on the front porch or on the stucco walls in the back yard.  You do have to be careful when cleaning up the yard not to rake them to their doom, sometimes that is what I'm doing when I spot one.  Presently, there are 2 in the front on the wall sconces, and hollyhocks.  A couple days ago first spotted them one on the front door screen the other on the window screen, both on the front porch.  Then one on the arts and crafts chimes there on the edge of the front porch.. And not 2 feet away a big grass hopper that I saw molting a couple days ago, that was a scary sight.  Now I see the old "skin" on the ground and the hopper way up by the chimes, the other hopper right below on the porch, actually on the "rake part" of the rake.  I thought maybe the mantis and hopper might get into it, of course, I think the hopper would win.  Really right now I can't seem to spot the second mantis.  I accidentally spotted one of the mantises on the hollyhocks yesterday while pruning the lavender next to them. Looking there this morning it is not there, but one is on the sconce further down the wall.  Then on my pink petunias there is this nasty looking orange caterpillar chowing down the flower as it sits stretched from the center to the outside edge where it is chomping methodically.  There is also a green caterpillar in the petunias.  Thought the hoppers or mantises might take care of them but maybe not, I should just take 'em off myself and squish them.  The other day the green one was on the stucco wall across from the porch, pretty much booking it, I thought I'd  smush it but I went to do it later, it was gone.  So, there'll be one more moth at our house, maybe a few more chewed up petunias.  Better go, have to walk the dogs, by the way I am a college educated nurse, having some time off! Thanks for your time, for reading this, I hope it reaches you.  Great educational website for kids!  Feel like I'm putting a note in a bottle! happy mantis and garden watching.
Linda.
(09/01/2004)
Oh, and I love your site, the little boy in me never grows tired of sitting wide-eyed and looking at the 'bugs' :)
Blessings
Michael
(08/11/2004) Dear Bugman,
Dude, you are so cool.  I have wasted (in the eyes of my employer obviously not my own) a huge amount of time on your site today.  I am kind of fascinated with bugs (though by no means as much as you), and usually only when they are bothering me or when they are outside.  I live in New York City so its rare to see any insects aside from ones that I can hate--like cockroaches, silverfish and now that I know what they are called...pantry bugs (little bastards are in all my organic flour and grains-what they don't know is that I eat it anyway!  HA ON THEM!  right?  I figure their poo is pretty much exactly what they're eating.  wait, does that make me gross?)  Those Mo'fo's better stay clear of my chocolate though.  New York City is also a burgeoning site for bed bugs, something I am completely obsessed with and fearful of.   I am absolutely NOT a fan of parasites especially ones that infest.  I had a seriously bad housesitting experience with fleas.  I don't usually kill bugs if I can help it but BOYHOWDY will I kill fleas. 
 
I write for a blog and I would like to feature your site, I saw a bunch of things referring to traffic problems so I wanted to ask you if it was OK to link to your site in my article.  We don't have too many readers but I thought i should ask.
Keep on keepin' on with the bug stuff...I love it!
word.
-c

Hey C,
We would be honored to be linked to your site. We are currently checking out options for more bandwidth at a lower cost. Sorry to have taken so long to reply, but letters with photos get our attention first. I still have 150 unanswered letters and the site has been down for two weeks. Have a great day.
Daniel
We did a radio interview!
(08/10/2004) Story idea
Dear Sir,
I am a reporter for an ABC radio station in Washington DC and I came across your website. I am interested, if you would be, to talk about all the weird, strange and different bugs and bug stories, especially in the DC area.
If you would be interested please let me know so we can set up a time for a phone interview!
Thanks,
Patrick D. Brogan
Managing Editor
630 WMAL Radio
Washington, D.C. 20015

(08/10/2004) THanks!!
I wanted to thank you for helping us identify our spider!  My five year old son brought home the most unusual spider yesterday-- it is white with black spines.  Though most of our neighbors had seen this spider in varying shades of red/black and yellow/black, none of them knew what it was.  Thanks to one of the letters posted on your site, we were able to figure out that this is an orb spider of the genus Gasteracantha minax.  They are truly amazing!  Thanks again!
Pam Kothmann
(08/09/2004) WOW
I happened across your bug info site looking for June Bugs and found a lot more!!  Now I know what's eating my tomatoes and what to do about getting rid of the problem.  This is one of the best information sites I've encounteres.  I'm somewhat computer illiterate but had no problem navigating your site and finding all i needed.
Thanks,
Betty-Southern California
(08/05/2004) RE: tiny hairy creature
Dear Daniel,
Well, the education never stops!!  Your photo of the ladybug larvae was right on!!  I do everything I can to keep the lady bugs around my place because they are beneficial.  It's great to know that their young find it a good place to be, also.  Here in Florida, we have all sorts of aphids, but the lady bugs do help keep them at bay.  Once again, many thanks.
Sandee Natowich
(07/08/2004) Beetles...
Dear What's that Bug,
This is Steven Barney from the Beetle Experience (beetle- experience.com). Wanted to let you know I've been enjoying your site. I'm surprised at some of the photos you receive. I also wanted to mention that I would be very interested in finding someone who wouldn't mind sending be a few live examples of Cotalpa lanigera. I have been searching for a few years to find some, but have not been able to locate anyone with access to them. I know that this is not the type of thing your site was designed for, but thought I would ask. Either way, I'm very glad to have found your site.
Thank you,
Steven

Thanks for your nice letter Steven,
We will post it on our fanmail page along with your link and will refer anyone with Cotalpa lanigera to it. Sadly, our site goes down frequently, due to heavy traffic. We will return in August.
Daniel

(07/31/2004)
Daniel,        Glad to see the site back up, and with new photos. I was able to find someone in AZ with some live Cotalpa consobrina recently. Was able to collect a few eggs from them and get some pictures. I'm sure you've found this site before, but thought I would send it in case you haven't: http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/USInsects/    It was created by a friend of mine and I refer to it often. Hope all is well.    Oh, just to help, a quick note on male stags: Pseudolucanus capreolus males a reddish and have a small "tooth" on the inside of their jaws. P. mazama are black, have smooth jaws (no tooth) and are only found in the south-west. We also do have P. placidus, but they are very rare. You probably already know this, but just trying to help.    Steven
(07/08/2004)
I was trying to figure out what I had (it was a ten lined june beetle). Your site was exactly what I needed and answered my question perfectly. I accidentally closed my car door on an evergreen branch and this humongous beetle fell into my car.  At first I thought it was a pine cone.  Well I guess I killed it because it shortly stopped moving, and I donated it to some local ants. Thanks for your great web site.
Amy
Seattle, WA

Hi Amy,
Glad we could help and am also very happy you did the research. So many lazy non-readers are bogging my mailbox down and they just need to scroll down our homepage to get their answers.
Correction
Thanks, Daniel.  I came upon your website by accident, but enjoyed it very much.
Bob Jensen
entomologist
Canoga Park, CA
website:  http://www.bobjensenphotography.com
(07/05/2004)
Just wanted to say that you have an awesome site here.  I walked into my bathroom a couple of hours ago and saw in my sons toy boat a strange looking bug. I got to admit being a former marine that i did jump.  I quickly ran and got my Raid out and went back and killed it.  It reared up at me and had me concerned, so I checked out this site.  I found out it was a house centipede.  Also it rearing up was just the nerve agent in the raid.   I regret killing it now because of the amount of small spiders I have in my house.  Just wanted to say that I hope the rest of the centipedes stick around.  I will be sure to keep checking out the site for ALL of my inquiries on insects and whatever other "critters" I see out and about.

Thank you for the great letter. We and the centipedes are happy.
I can help you:-)
(07/05/2004) Dear Bugman:
My name is Eric Eaton, and I am the principle author of the forthcoming "Kaufman Focus Guide to Insects of North America."  I like your site very much, as there is a great need for your services.  However, it has not remained consistently online enough, and that alone detracts from your credibility.
Secondly, I have noticed some erroneous identifications given for some of the ID requests.  This is going to happen from time to time, but I'd be happy to make corrections if you let me know how to go about it.
I'd also like to offer a couple of other resources to share the burden. I am one of several entomologists at AllExperts.com who can do identifications for the inqurining public. Another resource I highly recommend is
http://www.bugguide.net
It, too, is growing rapidly, but may be slightly better organized than your site.  You might check it out, and/or refer visitors there to get them started.
Lastly, I recommend subscribing to the "BugNet" listserv:
bugnet@listproc.wsu.edu, subscribe with an e-mail to
listproc@listproc.wsu.edu, leaving subject liine blank, and only this text:  "subscribe bugnet" in the body of the message.
Lots of good people there who can help you. There is also Gordon's Entomology Home Page, or something to that effect, which offers visitors a chance to pose ID questions (which often end up on BugNet anyway:-). Please let me know how else I can help you.  In return, I'd love it if you could post an announcement that I am seeking professional quality images of live insects for the field guide. Keep up the good work!
Sincerely,
Eric Eaton
http://community.webtv.net/bugeric/BugEric
(06/28/2004) Thank you...
This is just a note to thank you for having such a wonderful site!  I'm no entomologist, but I love observing bugs...I encountered my first snowberry clearwing moth last year in Ohio, and was amazed and perplexed to find something I've never seen before.  I saw another one this spring and it drove me crazy not knowing what it was.  Found your site and there it was, right on the home page!
Thanks again - Ohio Kristen

(06/25/2004) I'm offended
Hi. I'm a spider living in the bottom of the ocean, and I resent that you would ignore mine and my family's existence. This is just plain discrimination and I won't stand for it!...Nice site by the way. It's a permanent reference for me. Keep up the good work!...PS- Little humor there, hope you don't mind. (based on your response to the guy from Maine who's afraid of spiders)
Take care,
Jim

Actually Jim,
I'm sure if we had undersea habitation, there would be spiders there.  Thanks for the letter.

Thanks for your quick response. I realize you said "UNDER" the ocean, but I thought you might find this site somewhat interesting.

(06/24/2004) nice website
"What's that Bug" Website Folk -
I enjoyed very much browsing your website. I am interested to know where you are located and what regional insect fauna you are most associated with. I am author of the Exploring California Insects website -
www.bugpeople.org.
 
Eddie Dunbar, Project Director
"Exploring California Insects"
5209 Congress Avenue
Oakland, CA 94601-5405

"Lake Merritt and Greater Oakland Insects"
a field guide covering 105 local groups
with 100 color images is now available.
Visit the ECI website: www.bugpeople.org

Hi Eddie,
Thank you for the nice letter. I can see downtown Los Angeles from my backyard. I live in the neighborhood of Mt. Washington near one of the entrances to Elyria Canyon. Most of the photos that I take for the site are in my garden or the canyon. What's That Bug? started as a lark in a photocopied "zine" called American Homebody. When American Homebody went online, the column What's That Bug? went along for the ride. The column generated so much mail that we purchased the domain name and www.whatsthatbug.com became a spin-off of the original site. Quite frankly, we aren't associated with any entomological organizations, but we do occasionally get advice from the staff of the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. One of my greatest interests is to do documentary photos of the life cycles of some local insects and I am thinking of applying for funding to create a pamplet for Elyria Canyon Park with insect photos. I have also been toying with the idea of adapting a book based on our site that could act as a humorous accompaniment to Hogue's awesome Insects of the Los Angeles Basin.

(06/23/2004) Oxford Fan: Hurrah for you guys!
I just wanted to compliment you on your fascinating site! I'm a student in Oxford studying Environmental Biology (my speciality being spiders - recently identified 807 of them for a research project!). I've often used your site for information in essays, and i think it's a brilliant resource for everybody.
You must thoroughly enjoy running it.
Keep up the good work,
Olivia

Thank you so much for the sweet letter Olivia. I am amazed that a prestigious institution like Oxford has benefitted from our humble site. My biggest thrill in the spider identification category was the Red Legged Purse Web Spider. That photo was so beautiful and I was obsessed with identifying it. Have a great day.
Daniel
(06/21/2004)
I enjoy your site.  When I was a kid, I loved those bug-shaped plastic things made with a Thing Maker.  Remember those?  That would be a cool thing to sell again.  I'm surprised you don't sell the big metal coffee table bugs.  The options are endless.  And what's wrong with plastic bugs in soap anyway?!  Anyway, my question is about June bugs.  That's the only name I know them by--the little brown bugs that appear, I assume, in June every year for just a short time.  Little flying beetles.  For some reason I have always associated these with good luck.  I'm thinking of writing a children's book with a June bug as the main character, and wonder if you might have some suggestions as to material (certain books or authors, etc) that I should be sure to research.  Is there folklore or superstitions associated with any bugs?  Thank you,
Barbara Lawrence, San Diego, California

Hi Barbara,
What a sweet letter. And how about Creepy Crawlers made with a small oven and that liquid that hardened with heat? Our parent company American Homebody recently began to make homemade soaps under the name Dirty Bird Soap. We want to include plastic bugs in them.
June Bugs are actually June Beetles, members of the Scarab Family that includes the Dung Beetles so revered by the Egyptians who associated them with the sun. We personally associate June Beetles with the moon because of their nocturnal flights.
Fabre's Book of Insects is loaded with interesting annecdotal information about insects. It might help your research.

USA Today Hot Site
06/07/2004 - Updated 11:05 AM ET
Hot Sites
What's That Bug?
Step One: Please stop screaming. Step Two: Drop by this site and see if any of the mug shots… erm, photos resemble the thing on the bathroom wall. Step Three: Deal with bug as recommended. And remember: If you don’t stop looking at the pictures, you’re going to start with the screaming again. They are rather good, though, aren’t they? The Web community’s doing a great job of contributing to this project, just as the Bugman’s doing a fine job of figuring out what these critters are. — HSS
Yahoo! Picks
May 11, 2003
What's That Bug?
Remember the pair of nerdy entomologists in The Silence of the Lambs, who, in a pivotal scene, helped agent Starling pin down a rare Death's Head Moth? Armed with a similar passion for bugs, this helpful site is rife with letters (including the worst bug story ever) from creeped out users in search of a positive ID. Have pesky critters invaded your kitchen cupboards? Never fear, the Bugman is here, and he is itching to answer questions relating to mysterious aphids, mites, weevils, and stink bugs that may be occupying your pantry or even sharing your bed. Scroll down a long list of unusual suspects, read the letters, and see if any of the photos match up with your unwelcome guests. The Bugman's responses are friendly, informative, and filled with tips to help you tackle, or learn to live with, these creepy domestic intruders. If you still can't find a positive match, quit scratchin' your head and send in a letter that describes what's bugging you. (in Science > Animals, Insects, and Pets)

(06/08/2004) Cool Site
Hi Bugman,
Congratulations on Cool Site of the Day pick.  How do you do it???
Yahoo Site of the Week! USA Today pick! How do you do it???
I haven't even been able to find where to submit to on yahoo or USA Today. And believe me I've tried. Here is my site any hint's and I'd really appreciate it.
http://www.realityclock.com
Also here is a site I've been putting together for a friend that you may find interesting.
http://www.big-bugs.com
Thanks, so much for any feedback.
Sincerely,
Robert Werz

Hi Robert,
We are actually amazed that we keep getting selected as best picks ourselves.  We have never submitted anything.  The site started as a lark one day when I was asked to write a column for another site.  I chose What's That Bug? because I said it was something everyone wanted to know.  Soon the column was more popular than the parent site and we bought the domain.  Apparently because we include many links, the site gets more and more traffic.  We should p