Large Unkown Fly
Location: South-Africa, Gauteng
February 4, 2012 4:40 pm
Dear Bugman,
I live in South Africa. We have a huge diversity in insects. I was in our town outside a clothing store, and there is this waste high, round steel barrier (about 3-4 inch wide) in front of it. As I waited outside the store an insect came and sat on this steel barrier… At very 1st I quickly thought it might be a bumble bee of some sort as it has quite a large size. It was black, very hairy and with 1 white stripe on its back above the wings. Upon closer inspection I realized that it was some sort of fly. I immediately took out my mobile phone and took 3 photos before it flew away. I have NEVER in my 30 years seen a fly like this and at such a huge size. Can you please tell me what it could be, as I think this might be a new species Insecta Diptera…
Thank you!
Signature: Eugène McLaren
Carpenter Bee Robber Fly
Dear Eugène,
This magnificent predator is a Robber Fly in the family Asilidae. We are not certain of the species, but it most closely resembles North American Robber Flies in the genus Laphria, the Bee-Like Robber Flies. On BugGuide they are described as “most species are black and yellow mimics of bumble bees or carpenter bees.” The Bee-Like Robber Flies look similar to the Bee Killers in the genus Mallophora, but they can be distinguished by their antennae. According to BugGuide, the Bee Killers are: “Large, fuzzy, bee-mimicking robber flies. Resemble Laphria, another genus of robbers that mimic bumblebees, but is even hairier and has antennae with a very thin terminal final segment, whereas Laphria has thick antennae.” Your individual has the thick antennae. Continued research revealed that this is an entirely different genus. We believe we have correctly identified your Carpenter Bee Robber Fly, Hyperechia marshalli, by a description on the Google Books Field Guide to Insects of South Africa where it is described as: “Large (wingspan 34-44 mm), stout carpenter bee-mimic, uniformly black with yellow to yellowish white band of hair on hind margin of metathorax. Legs thickly covered with long hair. Biology: “Rests and oviposits on tree trunks. Adults hunt from dead trunks bored by carpenter bees. They feed on carpenter bees and other bees and wasps. Larvae bore and live in wood tunnels in association with carpenter bee larvae, on which they are reported to feed.” We then found a matching image on Global Species. There is a nice photo on FlickR and another on ZipZode Zoo.
Carpenter Bee Robber Fly
Stumped by a backyard find!
Location: Wake Forest, NC
February 3, 2012 5:34 pm
My dog found this insect in our backyard yesterday 2/2/12. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m hoping you can help tell me what it is!
Thank you!
Signature: Megan
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Hi Megan,
This sure appears to be an Eastern Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa virginica. You can view higher resolution images on BugGuide for comparison.
Roach..
Location: in my living room ( Maine)
January 30, 2012 10:19 am
This is a colony of false death head roaches. I have had them for a year. They turn out a good product. Im used to the hard case of eggs that they deposit….but now i see this crazy thing…What is it? its soft like ..skin
Signature: Happy Haunting 
False Death's Head Cockroach in captivity
Dear Happy Haunting,
We learned on the Worm Man website that False Death’s Head Cockroaches, Blaberus discoidalis, are native to Mexico and Central America and they are raised as live food for other exotic pets. In our opinion, this is a freshly laid oothica or egg case that has still not hardened.
Brilliant Blue Bugger
Location: North San Francisco Bay Area, Inland
January 27, 2012 9:48 pm
I’ve searched your site, and the net in general, but haven’t found a good match for the subject of my attached image, recorded May 7, 2011 in mid-afternoon. Taken in macro mode, when viewing ”actual pixels” the effective magnification is about 4.5X. Body length, excluding legs, is 13/32” ±1/32, or about O.40”.
Our photogenic friend’s carapace has an irridescent metallic sheen that can range from royal blue to teal to green. Here it appears to be royal blue with light blue speckles on the top, while it’s lower hemisphere is teal. At other angles the body appeared green and the tail blue.
Might this be a wasp of some sort?
Signature: zzwerzy
Cuckoo Wasp
Dear zzwerzy,
While it is an easy enough matter for us to identify your lovely insect as a Cuckoo Wasp in the family Chrysididae, it is quite another matter for us to be able to provide you with a species identification. According to BugGuide: “they are most diverse in the west: 166 spp. are found in CA alone (10% of all our spp. are CA endemics)” and we haven’t the necessary skills to differentiate between the species. BugGuide also states: “The name ‘cuckoo wasp’ refers to the fact that these wasps lay eggs in the nests of unsuspecting hosts” and clarifies that with this information: “Parasitoids feed on the larva of the host and cleptoparasites ‘steal’ the host’s food. The food-stealing behavior of cleptoparasite species resembles that of the cuckoo bird and gave rise to the cuckoo wasp’s name. Hosts of parasitoid species include bees, sphecid wasps, potter wasps, sawflies, silk moths, and the eggs of stick insects. Cleptoparasitic species feed on provisions of sphecid wasp nests, which may include dead spiders, true bugs, aphids, or thrips.” BugGuide describes Cuckoo Wasps as having a “Body metallic blue or green, usually with coarse sculpturing (many pits in surface).”
What Moth Is This?
Location: Jinotega, Jinotega, Nicaragua (12°55′N 85°55′W)
February 2, 2012 3:13 pm
Dear Bugman,
Could you try to identify this moth so I can try to find better image of it?
This is in Jinotega, Nicaragua, during the rainy season in the last week of July 2010.
Signature: Cheers! SRW
Pool Player with Giant Silkmoth
Dear SRW,
The photo you submitted does not provide much detail in the moth, but we decided to attempt an identification. We first found a moth that looks like a good match on the Evolutionary Biology webpage, but it is not identified and the caption reads “Nightlife at Lake Apoyo.” You need to scroll down the page a bit to see the image. We continued to search and we believe this image of Arsenura armida on FlickRis a good match. Over the years we have posted several aggregations of Central American caterpillars that have been identified as the larvae of Arsenura armida.
Possibly Arsenura armida
ladybug’ish with stripes
Location: Houma, Louisiana, USA
February 1, 2012 1:57 pm
I found this bug on my back door and I have never seen one like it before. We have warmer weather than usual so I thought maybe that is the reason for the unusual bug. It looked like a ladybug in shape and size, but its color was kind of reddish brown with gold stripes. Any ideas?
Signature: Karla
Leaf Beetle
Hi Karla,
We thought this resembled a Leaf Beetle in the genus Calligrapha, and our suspicions proved correct when we matched your individual to images posted to BugGuide of Calligrapha (subgenus Bidensomela) bidenticola.
Caterpillar in January?
Location: New Jersey Shore
February 2, 2012 12:56 pm
Found this Caterpillar crawling along by porch in New Jersey. What type is he and why is he out at this time of year?
Signature: Mr. Green
Winter Cutworm
Dear Mr. Green,
Your caterpillar is a Winter Cutworm, Noctua pronuba, the larva of the introduced Large Yellow Underwing according to BugGuide. The Winter Cutworm is native to Eurasia, but it is now found in much of North America.
Two insects in the house
Location: New Jersey
February 1, 2012 9:40 pm
We have these two separate small insects in our house. Neither bites. The small winged one doesn’t appear to fly. The small ticklike one (it’s not a tick) seems to congregate around our baseboard heat. I’ve tried all the websites but haven’t come up with a name.
Thanks in advance for any info…
Signature: Elaine
Aphid
Hi Elaine,
Both of your insects are Aphids, and they are most likely the same species. The winged individual is a sexually mature adult. Immature aphids and females that reproduce by giving live birth to clones without the need for a mate are generally wingless. Aphids are common pests on a wide variety of plants, including rose bushes, and you should be able to find much online information. We often hear of Aphids being brought indoors on Christmas trees, and that could be the source of your current sightings. You may have also brought Aphids in on plants that were brought indoors to avoid cold weather or even on fresh flowers from the florist or on fresh produce. Aphids will not harm your home.
Aphid
Thanks so much for your quick response. This answers alot of our questions!!
Related Posts
No related posts.
I like This
