Content Use in Magazine
I love your website and was interested in publishing info about 1 bug in a local inflight magazine here in Costa Rica. It’s a bimonthly publication that reaches about 75,000 people per edition. We would credit your website and include the URL with each featured bug. It would also be translated into Spanish (bilingual pub.). Would this be of interest to you?
Claire Saylor
http://www.naturelandings.com
Yes. Please provide additional details. Do you want to use images from the website? Content from the website?
Thanks
Daniel Marlos
Dear Daniel,
Thank you for your quick response! The idea would be to post it in the same Q&A format that you use with the photo submitted by the reader (we could probably find the species picture elsewhere if that poses a problem, but the details are key to show what part of CR the bug is found in). It would only be 5 total bugs (1 per edition) as a side bar. If you have any other ideas please send them on, and I hope to hear from you soon!
Regards,
Claire Saylor
OR — I can submit a bug picture with an answer from you guys to start the section and we get our readers to submit future photos so it wouldn’t be reproduction and both your website and our magazine can publish the answer. Tell me if you prefer this option!
Claire
Hi again Claire,
I am fine with the photos and credit being used provided there is a credit. Clicking the photos on the posting will provide a larger file that would probably be better for print. Older postings do not have that feature, so the images on the website are smaller. If you want to submit photos for use on the website, that is also fine, but as summer approaches, the number of letters greatly increases, and unless you catch my attention (putting Daniel in the subject line as well as the subject helps) letters might get overlooked.
Thanks for your interest.
Daniel
Dear Daniel,
That sounds great! I appreciate your interest in collaborating. How would you like the credit to read? Two options are I could write a short intro about teaming up with Whats That Bug and put your website URL at the bottom, Or just write a formal credit line: “This information was provided courtesy of www.Whatsthatbug.com, for more information on Costa Rican insects, visit their website”
Our next edition doesn’t come out till April so there’s some time to think it through!
Best regards,
Claire Saylor
Adult Antlion
February 3, 2010
I photographed this adult antlion a little past midnight on Dec 22, 2009 on Necker Island, BVI. I was wondering what particular species it was.
Donald Gudehus
Necker Island, British Virgin Islands
Antlion
Hi Donald,
The exact species identification of this lovely Antlion would be a job for a specialist in Neuropterans, or even more specifically, a specialist in Myrmeleontids. Alas, we here at What’s That Bug? do not fit that bill, but perhaps a Myrmeleontidist will write in with a response.
So you think you’ve got bedbugs? Don’t jump the gun.
February 3, 2010
Dear Bugman,
Thank you for just being you. This is a wonderful blog. I will spare you my gushing, but suffice it to say that this experience has turned me from a bug hater to a bug enthusiast! Here’s my little story:
I was doing a little(overdue) cleaning under my bed last Sunday, and pulled out a cotton sock that had little bugs on it. I admit, I panicked. I found more in and on a broken umbrella that I meant to throw away, and immediately ran to bag those things and put them outside. I have noticed that bedbugs have been getting a lot of press these days, so I assumed that’s what they were. I completely flipped out and commenced to cleaning my whole room top to bottom, baseboards first. I found another smaller nest of them under/behind st of drawers on a couple of cotton balls in a little nest of cathair, human hair, and dust. I have two cats that live indoors, so my bedroom had quite a bit of cathair on the floor. Gross, I know, but these bugs were loving it I guess. It’s like a Vegas buffet in there!
Anyway, I did a lot of internet research after I flipped out (bagging my mattresses and boiling my sheets) and began to think that maybe I had something that’s not a bedbug.
I hadn’t gotten any real bites that I was aware of, but I deduced the ‘bedbugs’ must be feeding off my cat, Prissy, who happens to have a bald, itchy belly right now. I also found one, lone bug between my boxpring and mattress. I found a few more around the plastic reinforcing corner on my boxspring. That was my confirmation that I needed to evacuate. Besides that, I was itching like crazy just thinking about them.
Today I finally found a few that I had not yet dispatched (sorry) so we had a little photoshoot. They are either very sleepy or dead, because the ones that were not just casings (or skeletons) don’t move a lot that I can tell.
While I was under my chest of drawers (also wood, like my headboard, and used) I saw a brighter, more active bug with orangey black striped/spotted wings. Again, I was freaking when I saw that, so into the trash it went.
After I looked at the pictures I took, I thought I may have carpet beetle larvae instead of the dreaded bedbug. I am praying that you can confirm this! Thanks for your time, and keep up the great work.
Jen in TN
Pulaski, Tennessee, USA (Mid-South USA)
Carpet Beetle Larvae
Good Morning Jen,
It must give you such pleasure to awake in such a clean bedroom. If only we would be similarly inspired to thoroughly clean our own room, we would probably find some Carpet Beetle Larvae as well. Goodness knows how many we would find in our own cat’s favorite hiding place in the back of the closet. You are correct that these are Carpet Beetle Larva. We wanted to direct your attention to another letter from our archives, and we couldn’t locate it, so we are transferring the information from our old computer to the new computer and reposting as it seems to have gotten lost in the site migration. Thanks so much for your highly entertaining contribution.
Carpet Beetle Larva
Leaf/Lime Bug!
February 2, 2010
This bug that’s about 1 1/2 cm in diameter has been on my garage wall for at least 30 hrs. It seems to be alive and resting. When I first saw it I thought it was a small leaf. When I enlarged the picture, it looks like a lime!
Marion Furlong
Port Charlotte, Florida
Spined Green Stink Bug Nymph
Hi Marion,
This is an immature Spined Green Stink Bug in the genus Loxa. In December 2006 we received a very detailed image of a nymph and we requested assistance from Eric Eaton who put us in touch with Julieta Brambila, who contacted an expert in Stink Bugs named Joe Eger who made the identification. There are two possible species, Loxa flavicolis and Loxa viridis which are difficult to distinguish from one another as nymphs. You may read about that identification in our archives and you may see images of the adults on BugGuide. The thoracic spines that appear on the adult are not evident on the nymphs. What most amazes us is that this same individual has been living on your garage for thirty years and it has never matured. We found the Global Biodiversity Information Facility website that indicates the range of Loxa flavicolis as being Florida, Texas, Mexico and Central America, but we are not having any luck identifying the host plants. The Sonoran Desert Bugs website provides some information.
Spined Green Stink Bug Nymph
Correction
Hi Danial,
Thanks for your time and help identifying the bug as a Spined green stink bug, I was pleased to hear from you so fast and to be a part of your bug identification site.
When I read what you printed about the bug being on my garage for 30 years I thought I’d made a mistake. You misread it, it had been there for 30 hours! I thought you may like to know so you can change it.
If it’s not to late, it’s still there and has moved into a different position. I took a couple more pictures from a different angle and with my fingers next to it to get an idea of the size.
Thanks again for your help.
Marion Furlong
Oops. Thanks for the correction Marion. Sometimes we read things too quickly.
File uploading failed
February 2, 2010
What kind of mantis is this?
I found this mantis(I presume) on the livingroom floor in Brasil. Can you tell me what kind it is?
Brazilian Stick Mantis
I’ve put it on a branch to take a beter picture without noticing that there was another mantis on it allready(I only found out when I looked at the pics on the computer). I hope they didn’t eat eachother…
Regards,
Pieter
Paracuru, Brasil
Brazilian Stick Mantis
Hi Pieter,
We are very happy we wrote back to you and were able to guide you into uploading your images. Upon viewing your photos, we were struck by the visual similarities to Brunner’s Mantis from Texas, an unusual species is a race of females that reproduces parthenogenically, without the need for insemination by a male. The closest relatives are in South America. We believe this might be the Brazilian Stick Mantis, Brunneria brasiliensis, though we have no images to verify that identification. According to BugGuide, Brunner’s Mantis can be identified by: “distinctive fine serations along sides of thorax …. Thick antennal base characterizes this species. Wings reduced–flightless.“ Your specimen appears to have the fine serrations along the thorax, and the wings are similar to the Brunner’s Mantis images on BugGuide. The EyePlorer website indicates “Brunneria brasiliensis, common name Brazilian Stick Mantis, is a species of praying mantis found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay” but credits Wikipedia with the information. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to confirm this information and identification.
Brazilian Stick Mantis
Largest Furry Moth I have ever seen!!
February 2, 2010
Hi bugman, we found this very large moth on our house this morning – Near Wellington, New Zealand.
He was approx 15cm wing span with beautiful colourful brown/green and even pink markings but a little too furry for my likings. Sorry its not the best photo, I did not like to get too close to it 
We have some swan plants in our back garden with Monarch Butterfly eggs and caterpillars, so we are very proud of our bugs!!
Shona (mum), Charlie & Teddy
Paremata, Wellington, New Zealand
Emperor Gum Moth
Hi Shona, Charlie and Teddy,
This gorgeous moth is an Emperor Gum Moth, Opodiphthera eucalypti. As you can see from the images on the Csiro Entomology site for Australia, there are many variations. It is an introduced species in New Zealand.
What bug is unseen to the eyes that invade?
February 2, 2010
What kind of bug bites hard, leaves whelpes, like a rash, but can’t be seen?
Not scappies! I thought dust mites but be treated for that and still have the problem. We thought flees, but have seen none! it’s at night when they attack, we thought maybe a nat or something.
Can you help me? DeAnn
los angeles
No-See-Ums, seriously.
Oh my God! I first thought you were make’s fun of me, then I discover there really is a bug call no-see-ums, lol… Thanks!
Trapdoor Spider with Young?
January 31, 2010
Tearing down a shed in South Goergia I found her with hatchlings. I laid a quarter down next to her for scale. She looked a lot more impressive with he legs stetched out, but still a cool speciman.
Wild Man
South Georgia
Southern House Spider with Spiderlings
Dear Wild Man,
This looks to us like a Southern House Spider, Kukulcania hibernalis, one of the Crevice Weaver Spiders. According to BugGuide: “Females are frequently mistaken for small tarantulas or trapdoor spiders. Males are often mistaken for recluse spiders (Loxosceles). This is a totally harmless species that builds ‘messy’ webs emanating from crevices, often on the outside of homes.“ Your photo nicely illustrates the maternal care many spiders exhibit toward their spiderlings.
Insect eating leaves of potatoes
February 1, 2010
Hi -
I have this infectation of hairy 6 legged bugs eating my potato leaves. At first I thought it was a woolie aphid but they aren’t. The are about 2mm wide and about 5mm long and there are masses of them all over the back of my potato leaves. However this is the only plant in the vegie patch they seem to have taken a liking too. To me they look like a hairy what & black caterpillar but when you rool them over they only have 6 legs. I have sprayed the potato leave with white oil which seems to be killing them but I would really like to know what they are.
Thanks
JLO
Australia, NSW, Ulladulla on the south eastern coast.
28 Spotted Potato Ladybird Larva
Dear JLO,
Most Lady Beetles in the family Coccinellidae are beneficial predators, with both adults and larvae consuming insects that are detrimental to plants, including many crops, but alas, your larvae are 28 Spotted Potato Ladybird Beetles, Epilachna vigintioctopunctata, one of the few plant pests. The Brisbane Insect Website has a wonderful page on this species. You may also find information on the Butterfly House website where it is called the 28 Spot Ladybird.
katydid with leaf-like wings
January 31, 2010
The photo of the dead leaf mimic got me thinking about the katydid I found in my backyard in northwestern New Jersey last August. Its wings have that amazing vein-pattern of leaves. One can see how, with just a little nip and tuck from natural selection, the dead leaf mimics evolve. Thank you for your wonderful work.
jeannie
newton, new jersey
Forktailed Bush Katydid
Hi Jeannie,
Thank you for your kind letter, and also providing such a detailed image of a Bush Katydid in the genus Scudderia. We believe this is a female Scudderia fasciata, the Treetop Bush Katydid, based on images posted to BugGuide. We will see if Piotr Naskrecki is able to provide a confirmation of that identification.
Correction thanks to Piotr Naskrecki
HI Daniel,
I think that this is Scudderia furcata, rather than S. fasciata (which usually has more black coloring on its wings.)
Cheers,
Piotr
Don’t have a clue where to start with this one
January 31, 2010
Hi,
I haven’t got a clue what this is. I took the shot in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica.
Thanks
Miles
Costa Rica, Caribeean coast
Planthopper
Hi again Miles,
This is a Freeliving Hemipteran in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, and probably in the superfamily Fulgoroidea. It may be one of the Issid Planthoppers in the family Issidae or perhaps a Cixiid Planthopper in the family Cixiidae. Though they are not your of species, we have linked to some photos on BugGuide that look similar enough to have made the general identification we provided. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide a species identification.
Karl finds some information
Hi Daniel and Miles:
This looks like a Net-winged Hopper in the family Nogodinidae, a relatively small group of planthoppers that are quite similar to the Issidae, of which they are sometimes considered to be a subfamily. It is difficult to find much information about the group, but there are several photos identified as Biolleyana costalis and Biolleyana sp. posted on Flickr that look more or less identical. The Electronic Biologia Centrali-Americana provides very similar illustrations under the older synonym, Sassula costalis. Regards.
Karl
