Strange looking bug!
Location: Karnataka, India
December 14, 2011 4:53 am
Dear Bugman,
I am from India, and came across this interesting specimen while out on a hike. Would very much appreciate your help in identifying the species.
Thanks!
Rohan
Signature: Rohan
Bombay Locust from India
Dear Rohan,
This positively gorgeous grasshopper has aposomatic coloration or warning coloration, a characteristic that is often found in the Toxic Milkweed Grasshoppers in the family Pyrgomorphidae. Many species found in South Africa cause severe toxic reaction if they are eaten. We believe we have correctly identified it as Aularches miliaris on the Siam Insect Zoo and Museum website. The God of Insects website indicates the common name is the Northern Spotted Grasshopper.
Thanks, dear Bugman! Has anyone told you that you’re super? 
Hi again Rohan,
Super is a new adjective for us. Thanks for the compliment.
What is this?
Location: Sub-tropical rainforest area, Central Coast, Australia
December 9, 2011 10:59 pm
There’s a lot of weird bugs at my boyfriend’s house that I’ve never seen before, which is interesting because I grew up only a few kilometres away on a really similar property. Still, we saw this on the roof of my car and couldn’t figure out what on earth it is. It probably looks rather unproportionate in the picture, but each one of the long arms at the front was about 1 1/2 inches long. Not only is it creepy looking, it moves really damn quick.
Help?!
Signature: – Mel
Crab Spider
Hi Mel,
We believe this is some species of Jumping Spider in the family Salticidae. We have not had any luck determining the species.
Possible Correction
Trevor sent in a comment that he suspects because of the paired front legs that this may be a Crab Spider. There is a photo on the Brisbane Insect and Spider website that is called a Peak Crab Spider in the genus Tmarus or Sidymella that looks very similar. FlickR also has an image of Sidymella.
object found in the desert
Location: Mojave Desert
December 7, 2011 9:53 pm
Hi,
I found this egg-shaped object in the high desert (Joshua Tree area). It’s about 1 inch long and looks like it’s made of sand, with openings on top and bottom. Somebody’s home?
Very curious, thank you.
Signature: Marianne
Desert Thing
Dear Marianne,
We aren’t exactly sure what this thing is, but we suspect is was created by some insect or other arthropod. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide an identification.
Desert Thing
Atlas Moth
Location: Leyte Philippines
December 9, 2011 8:36 pm
Hi Daniel,
Thought you may be interested in this photo of an Atlas Moth resting in our garden in 2009. It flew off in the evening.
Signature: Steve
Atlas Moth relative
Hi Steve,
The bushy antennae and hooked wing tips indicates your Atlas Moth is a male. Thanks for sending the photo.
Correction on the species
We received a comment from Ryan indicating this was actually a relative of the Atlas Moth from the same genus, Attacus caesar, and a photo on BizLand supports that identification.
St Andrew’s
Location: NSW, Australia, near the coast.
December 10, 2011 12:17 am
Hi, I noticed you only have a couple of posts about St Andrew’s cross spiders. I thought you might like this picture of one that’s living on a plant outside our house.
Thank you!
Signature: Emma
St. Andrew's Cross Spider
Dear Emma,
Thanks for sending your excellent images of a St. Andrew’s Cross Spider, Argiope keyserlingi, to flesh our our archives. The Australian Museum has a nice page on the species. The name St. Andrew’s Cross Spider refers to the X-shaped stabilimentum woven into the web by the spider. It is commonly believed that St. Andrew was crucified by the Romans on an X-shaped cross in the first century AD.
St. Andrew's Cross Spider
Wow, That’s morbidly interesting! I’m glad you liked the photos. Thank you!
Grizzled Mantis
Location: North Central Florida – Ocala National Forest
December 9, 2011 7:34 pm
Hi,
I found this mantis under a car cover in North Central Florida. It had to be moved because although we had a cold night, by midafternoon the temp was 75 degrees F and I wanted to apply the finish coat of paint onto the car. My son got it to grab onto a stick and we put it in a safe place, far away from the painting zone. My question: what are the extremes of cold weather that these creatures can survive?
Signature: Lynnepear
Grizzled Mantis
Dear Lynnepear,
We don’t know if there is a recorded low temperature that a Grizzled Mantis has survived. If they are able to take shelter, they can probably survive most short cold snaps that might occur in Florida. As a species, the Grizzled Mantis is not recorded north of North Carolina on BugGuide, so they are a warm climate species. Oothica or egg cases are more likely to survive extended cold weather ensuring the perpetuation of the species.
Grizzled Mantis
Thanks for the info! Now I have an additional reason to cover my tender yard plants during freezing nights—the covers may provide shelter for some of the tiny creatures in the yard! I’ll just have to be careful to shake the covers out carefully when they’re removed during the day.
For that we will tag you a Bug Humanitarian.
Insect
Location: Ellisras (Limpopo)
December 12, 2011 11:51 pm
Good Morning
Can you tell me what insect this is.
Thank you
Signature: By email
Giant Water Bug
Dear By email,
Your insect is an aquatic Giant Water Bug. The species found in North America are commonly called Toe-Biters or Electric Light Bugs. The giants found in Southeast Asia are eaten as delicacies. Giant Water Bugs are found on all continents with the possible exception of Antarctica.
Coneheaded Grasshopper from China
Location: Guangzhou, China
December 12, 2011 1:33 am
Hello found this little guy sunbathing on my grill behind my house. I live in Guangzhou, China. Picture was taken just two weeks ago but Southern China never really gets much cooler than about 10 degrees C.
Signature: CTSH
Conehead
Dear CTSH,
Though you correctly identified a Conehead, you are mistaken that it is a grasshopper. Your Conehead is actually one of the Katydids. Grasshoppers are distinguished from most of the other Orthopterans by their relatively short antennae. Katydids and many other Orthopterans are classified together into the suborder Ensifera, the Longhorned Orthopterans.
¶ Posted 13 December 2011 § Katydids ‡ ° 
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