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Bugman speaks at Theodore Payne Foundation
Bugman speaks at Theodore Payne Foundation
Bugman speaks at Theodore Payne Foundation
Posted 1 day ago

Make reservations now and support the non-profit Theodore Payne Foundation!!!
Local Lepidoptera: Butterflies and Moths of the L.A. Region with Daniel…

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Bugman speaks at Theodore Payne Foundation
WTB? sponsors National Moth Week event Saturday, 21 July 2012
WTB? sponsors National Moth Week event Saturd…
WTB? sponsors National Moth Week event Saturd…
Posted 9 days ago

Make plans for your own local National Moth Week event!!!
Posted February 1, 2012
What's That Bug? will be working the the…

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WTB? sponsors National Moth Week event Saturd…
Bug of the Month February 2012: Mole Cricket from Slovenia
Bug of the Month February 2012: Mole Cricket…
Bug of the Month February 2012: Mole Cricket…
Posted 10 days ago

creepy crawler unidentified
Location: Horjul, Slovenia, EU
January 31, 2012 8:21 am
Found this thing trying to eat my hardwood floor! The noise…

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Bug of the Month February 2012: Mole Cricket…
What's That Bug? makes High Country News
What’s That Bug? makes High Country News
What’s That Bug? makes High Country News
Posted 90 days ago

November 12, 2011
What's That Bug? is profiled on High Country News.

Rock star status
November 14, 2011 11:22 am
Dear Daniel, Thanks for…

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What’s That Bug? makes High Country News
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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Sawfly

What’s this bug ?
Location: Vancouver BC
January 29, 2012 7:21 pm
Hello. At Christmas time I bought a Douglas fir and found a cocoon on it, which I housed in a jar. The cocoon opened today with this not-a-butterfly bug. 4 wings. 2 larger ones and 2 sort of smaller fairy wings on top. About an inch long. I was hoping that you could please help me identify it. I don’t know where the trees were grown. I tried to take some photos but he won’t sit still. He likes honey. The cocoon is in the photo. Thank you a lot !
Signature: Rhonda

sawfly cocoon canada rhonda 300x206 Sawfly

Sawfly emerges from Cocoon

Dear Rhonda,
We are able to identify your insect as a Sawfly.  Sawflies are nonstinging relatives of bees and wasps that often have larvae that are mistaken for caterpillars.  Your individual most closely resembles the Cimbicid Sawflies (see BugGuide), possibly even the Elm Sawfly, though it looks more to us like a member of the genus Trichiosoma which we also found on BugGuide.  The Cimbicid Sawflies are the largest North American Sawflies and they have clubbed antennae like your individual, but the information we have found does not list Douglas Fir as a host plant for the larvae.  They feed on deciduous plants including elm, honeysuckle and cherry according to BugGuide.  We did do a search for Sawflies that feed on Douglas Fir and we found an Oregon State webpage devoted to members of the genus Neodiprion, called the Douglas Fir Sawflies or Balsam Fir Sawflies, however the images posted to BugGuide do not resemble your individual.  It is entirely possible that your Sawfly was feeding on another plant and somehow the cocoon was spun on the Douglas Fir.  The Forestry Images Website indicates of the genus Cimbex (and so possibly also other members of the family Cimbicidae) that “The larvae spin tough, papery cocoons in the litter or just below the surface of the soil.”  There is also a photo of the cocoon of a Cimbex Sawfly on the Forestry Images website that looks like your cocoon.

sawfly cocoon canada rhonda 2 300x206 Sawfly

Sawfly emerges from Cocoon

We are hoping that one of our readers will eventually be able to assist us in a more definitive identification.

sawfly canada rhonda 300x241 Sawfly

Cimbex Sawfly

Dear Daniel
Thank you so much for your help. I will do my best to keep him alive until the weather warms up. Too bad he doesn’t like roses or lettuce or anything else that’s lurking about in my fridge. He is quite an inquisitive little bug and checks out everything I give him.
Thanks again,
Rhonda

 

Related Posts

Posted 30 January 2012 § Horntails, Wood Wasps and Sawflies ‡ Comments (0) °

Ghost Moth, Poinciana Longicorn and Antlion found in one night in Australia

moth ID
Location: Termeil,NSW….state forest
January 30, 2012 8:18 am
translucent bug,2.5” long,turned up before rain not long after sunset,temp 30C plenty other bugs around,attracted to light…and there’s another moth and a Longhorn Beetle all in the one night.
Signature: Bugger

ghost moth australia bugger 300x269 Ghost Moth, Poinciana Longicorn and Antlion found in one night in Australia

Ghost Moth

Dear Bugger,
Taxonomically, your three creatures are in three different insect orders, which screws around with our method of archiving postings, however, they are significant in that all three appeared in one night, so we are making an exception and keeping the posting intact.  Your moth that is on the shoe is a Ghost Moth in the family Cossidae, and they are also called Goat Moths, Carpenter Moths or Wood Moths according to the Butterfly House website.  The larvae are called Witchety Grubs.  We just posted a letter yesterday with seven awesome images of a mating pair of Ghost Moths, so it would seem they are currently in season in Australia.

poinciana longicorn australia bugger 300x227 Ghost Moth, Poinciana Longicorn and Antlion found in one night in Australia

Poinciana Longicorn

We are nearly certain that your beetle is a Poinciana Longicorn, Agrianome spinicollis, and the larva is another wood boring grub.  The photo from the Agriculture of Western Australia website is a match.  The Queensland Museum website states:  “This species is found in rainforest and open forest in eastern Australia. It is common in Queensland and New South Wales and also occurs on Lord Howe Island. The larvae are huge white grubs found in rotten wood, especially dead Poinciana or fig trees. It is an important pest of pecan trees. The large adults sometimes blunder into house lights.  Identification  Length 60 mm. This is a very large, broad longhorned beetle with khaki wing-covers and a reddish-brown thorax edged with a row of pointed ‘teeth’. The antennae are a little longer than the body.”
Your final insect is some species of Antlion in the family Myrmeleontidae and you can see some examples on the Brisbane Insect website.  We believe it is most likely Heoclisis fundata which is pictured on Dave’s Garden.

antlion australia bugger 300x191 Ghost Moth, Poinciana Longicorn and Antlion found in one night in Australia

Antlion

Posted 30 January 2012 § Ghost Moths § Longhorn Beetles § Neuropterans: Lacewings, Antlions, and Owlflies ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Fulgorid Planthopper from Bolivia is Amazon Roostertail

bolivia bug
Location: Rurrenabaque, Bolivia
January 29, 2012 10:25 pm
This bug is from Rurrenabaque, Bolivia can you identify it please
Signature: M Schwartz

fulgorid planthopper bolivia schwartz 300x236 Fulgorid Planthopper from Bolivia is Amazon Roostertail

Fulgorid PLanthopper

Dear M Schwartz,
We identified your Fulgorid Planthopper as the Amazon Roostertail, Lystra lanata, on FlickR.  The common name is listed as the Red Dotted Planthopper on Animal World where it states:  “These interesting insects are members of the hemiptera or true bugs. They use their proboscis to penetrate their host plant/tree on which they are usually found to drink the sugary rich phloem. They excrete honeydew which is a sugary liquid stripped of the nutrients needed by the fulgorid but still of interest to other insects, chiefly ants. So, fulgorids (and many other hemipterans) can be found attended by many different species of ants which will actually cultivate, farm and defend their hosts. The white tails are actually made of wax. This strategy is possibly a ploy to fool birds and other predators who might mistake the extremely visible tails for the head. Found during a night hike in Iwokrama rainforest reserve, Guyana”.

Hello Daniel
Thank you very much for such prompt and helpful assistance!
Chuck McClaugherty

Posted 30 January 2012 § Aphids, Scale Insects, Leafhoppers, and Tree Hoppers ‡ Comments (0) °

Bronze Copper

metalmark or something else? And infected haploas
Location: Kane County, Illinois
January 29, 2012 3:21 pm
Hi bugman,
Wondering what this small (maybe half inch) butterfly is? I thought it was a Nais Metalmark but the patterns are slightly off and the Nais metalmark doesn’t live anywhere near me… I found this butterfly in a prairie next to a small pond. It allowed me to get really close to snap the pic. It was mid may but really hot. … Thanks guys!
Signature: Sam

bronze copper sam 300x225 Bronze Copper

Bronze Copper

Hi Sam,
Since your two requests are unrelated, we are splitting your email into two distinct postings and dealing with them separately.  Your butterfly is not a Nais Metalmark.  It is one of the Coppers in the genus Lycaena.  At first we thought it might be the American Copper, but the markings on the undersides of the lower wings more closely resembles the markings on the Bronze Copper, Lycaena hyllus, based on photographs posted to BugGuide, so we believe that is the correct identification.  The Bronze Copper also ranges in Illinois according to the data map on BugGuide.

Posted 30 January 2012 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) °

Long Tailed Skipper

Unknown Moth
Location: Jacksonville, FL
January 29, 2012 10:33 pm
Dear Bugman,
I found this lovely moth, in a screened patio. It has a lovely subtle green shade on the body and rear wings. I thought it would be easily identified by the ”tail”, but I’m proving myself wrong. :}
I love finding and photographing insects!!
Signature: Dan

longtailed skipper dan 300x283 Long Tailed Skipper

Long Tailed Skipper

Hi Dan,
Though it looks somewhat moth-like, the Long Tailed Skipper, Urbanus proteus, is actually a butterfly.  Skippers are generally considered to be a transitional species between butterflies and moths, though they are classified as butterflies.

longtailed skipper dan 2 300x213 Long Tailed Skipper

Long Tailed Skipper

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Posted 29 January 2012 § Skippers ‡ Comments (1) °

Darkling Beetles: Edrotes ventricosus

Identification request
Location: Moapa, Nevada
January 28, 2012 8:43 pm
I’m after an identification confirmation or other options. Images of Paracotalpa deserta are the hardest to find of the four species. That said, this matches Field Guide to Beetles of California description for a ”Little Bear” scarab beetle with January thru March time of appearance, creosote-bursage desert habitat, and general description as ”black”. These were 9mm long.
Signature: Bruce Lund

darkling edrotes ventricosus bruce 300x239 Darkling Beetles: Edrotes ventricosus

Darkling Beetle: Edrotes ventricosus

Dear Bruce,
The antennae on these beetles are wrong for a Scarab.  We believe we have correctly identified it as a Darkling Beetle, Edrotes ventricosus, by matching to photos posted to BugGuide.  The species has been reported in California and Nevada.

darklings edrotes ventricosus bruce 300x206 Darkling Beetles: Edrotes ventricosus

Darkling Beetles: Edrotes ventricosus

THANK YOU for the identification AND especially for the antennae comment.
The latter sent me back to field guides and websites to look at what I
missed and OF COURSE the antennae are not correct for a scarab beetle and
are correct for the Tenebrionidae. I’m just starting to work in the
insects and my learing curve is nearly vertical.
Bruce

You are most welcome Bruce.  It always helps to have more than one set of eyes when doing unusual or difficult identifications.

Posted 29 January 2012 § Darkling and Ironclad Beetles ‡ Comments (0) °

Mating Ghost Moths from Australia

Canberra moth
Location: Bruce, Canberra
January 28, 2012 7:13 pm
Last night we found a massive moth on our porch, it was about 10cm in length and weighed about 45 grams. We were worried that our cats might think it would make a nice snack so decided to move it. It jumped onto my hand and was heavy and warm. We put it in a tree. We were worried it might not survive the move…..this morning we got up to check on the moth….and it had met up with another moth
Signature: Mel

ghost moth australia mel 300x288 Mating Ghost Moths from Australia

Ghost Moth from Australia

Dear Mel,
We are pretty certain that you had an encounter with a Ghost Moth in the family Cossidae, possibly Endoxyla leucomochla which is pictured on the Butterfly House website.  The caterpillar is a wood borer that is called a Witchetty Grub, though alternate spellings include:  “Witjuti, Witchedy, Wichetty, Witchety, witchjetti”.  According to Butterfly House:  “The adult is a large finely mottled grey moth, with wings suffused with rusty red towards the bases, and with a wingspan of about 16 cms. It has degenerate mouthparts, and so cannot feed. It relies for energy totally on the nourishment taken in by the Caterpillar earlier in its life.”  We would not discount that it might be some other member of the genus as they all look quite similar.  There are many possibilities pictured on Butterfly House. 

ghost moths mating australia mel 300x149 Mating Ghost Moths from Australia

Mating Ghost Moths

According to the Brisbane Insect website, Ghost Moths are also called Wood Moths and:  “Moths in the family Cossidae are from large to very large size. They have long and narrow wings like those of Hawk moths. They are mostly brown or grey in colours. Most have the inverted “U” shape on thorax. When rest, they held their wings roof-wise. The adult moths in this family do not feed so their mouth parts are largely reduced.”  While he was researching his book, The Curious World of Bugs, Daniel learned that an Australian Ghost Moth has the record number of eggs laid for a non-social insect, 29,100.

ghost moths mating australia mel 2 300x133 Mating Ghost Moths from Australia

Mating Ghost Moths

Thank you so much for your speedy reply – I got a little bit addicted to your website today.  I actually think it is a Wattle Goat Moth (Endoxyla affinis) – I have some even better photos now (they spent alot of time mating in our garden and it was easier to get good pics in the arvo) – anyway, let me know if you want me to send them through. What an amazing pair they were.

Hi again Mel,
The Wattle Goat Moth, Endoxyla affinis, did occur to us as another possibility.  We would love to post one or two better images.

ghost moth australia mel 2 300x258 Mating Ghost Moths from Australia

Ghost Moth

Here a some photos of both the male and female moth…..I think the female was the bigger one and had a very active scent gland which I took a photo of, the male had some blue on his head. Big storm last night and both moths have gone now icon sad Mating Ghost Moths from Australia

ghost moth australia mel 3 300x206 Mating Ghost Moths from Australia

Ghost Moth

Thanks for sending additional photos Mel.  We hope they will contribute to a positive species identification.  The close-up photo appears to be a sexual organ.

ghost moth detail australia mel 300x206 Mating Ghost Moths from Australia

detail of a Ghost Moth

The newest image you sent of the mating pair is also a nice addition.

ghost moths mating australia mel 3 300x206 Mating Ghost Moths from Australia

Mating Ghost Moths

 

 

1

Posted 29 January 2012 § Ghost Moths ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Unknown Things are Springtails

Unknown nymphs
Location: Mundlein, IL
January 27, 2012 10:30 pm
Enthusiastic fan, first time posting. I’ve used your archives to help identify insects in the past, but always knew the day would come when I would have to post a photo and ask for help. It seems that day has now arrived.

things ap 257x300 Unknown Things are Springtails

Springtails

While cleaning a basement in suburban Illinois, I found 8 dead nymphs in the bottom of an empty coffee mug. They appear to have gotten trapped in an early stage of their life cycle – I found two moltings in the mug with them. The nymphs are about 2 mm in length. They are reminiscent of tiny, hairy, wingless mosquitos, with big black antennae resembling spider forelegs. Their actual legs seem smaller and lighter in color than the antennae. The head and thorax are very small, bent perpendicular to the rest of the body, giving the body an ”L”-shaped profile. Half of them have a hairless, white, curling double-tail sprouting out the anus, the other half don’t (sexual dimorphism, or saprophytic fungus?).
The mugs were dry and empty when placed, so it seems unlikely a brood of mosquitos would have been hatched there, or arrived by flying there from some other location (and then unable to fly away). I suspect rather they are some flightless species that hatched in a crack somewhere and dropped down from the shelf above. However, they appear to me as such a Frankenstein collection of stitched-together parts from different creatures, I haven’t been able to classify them any narrower than Order Insecta. If these are indeed a brood of nymphs, what do you think the parents might look like? (And are they still out there, lurking in my basement?)
I tried to take photos with a macro lens and through a microscope, but the camera seems to have its own ideas about lighting no matter what I do. Through the microscope, I can clearly see the head, eyes, antennae, thorax, hair, legs, and erstwhile twin tails – if there are wings, I can’t discern them.
Please help – I’ve been showing off bug-identifying skills with which your site has empowered me, this has me stumped and a certain rep may be at stake
Thanks in advance!
Signature: A. P.

thing ap 300x135 Unknown Things are Springtails

Springtail

Dear A.P.,
We are so sorry we are unable to provide you with instant gratification.  We are not even sure how to classify these Things.  Hopefully we will have some luck with research, or perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide us with some assistance.

thing ap 2 300x210 Unknown Things are Springtails

Springtail

Update:  Two different readers commented that these are Springtails, and it seems so obvious now we feel silly for not being able to provide an identification.  This image from our archive is a perfect match.  Springtails are benign creatures that are sometimes considered a nuisance if they are plentiful.

 

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Posted 29 January 2012 § Springtails! ‡ Comments (5) °

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