What bug is this?
May 28, 2009
Had a few people look at this, yet nobody could identify it properly. The common consensus is that it looks like some kind of wasp. But I’m unable to locate anything like it with numerous google searches. I’m hoping you can enlighten me.
Thank you!
Marcus J
Northern Utah, USA
Red Headed Ash Borer
Hi Marcus,
This is a Red Headed Ash Borer, Neoclytus acuminatus. It is commonly believed that is mimics wasps for protection. Read more about the Red Headed Ash Borer on BugGuide.
Green Shell Bug
May 27, 2009,
The Green shell bug has very small brown legs and an almost nonexistent face. I found it near our front door by the dog kennel. We are in Northwestern Virginia. If the bug is on it’s back it can’t make it’s self upright again and it doesn’t appear to have wings. It measured as 1 1/2 cm long, it’s legs are sticky.
What bug is this, my girls ages 8 and 6years would love to know.
Nancy
Northwestern Virginia
Dog Tick
Dear Nancy,
First, we apologize for the six week delay. Our fast new computer is allowing us to answer so much more than before. We are going to try to select one letter a day from our oldest archived requests in an attempt to provide a service to our readership. Now the bad news. This is a Dog Tick. It looks to be engorged with blood. Ticks can carry diseases.
¶ Posted 13 July 2009 § Ticks ‡ ° small bug, with yellow stripes
July 13, 2009
do you know what kind of bug this is, and is it poisonous?
Joyce
northeastern Pennsylvania
Lady Beetle Larva
Hi Joyce,
In recent weeks, we have had countless requests for the identification of Lady Beetle Larvae, the immature form of Ladybugs, but since out computer was so slow, we did not post any, nor could we take the time to respond personally. Our fast new computer is allowing us to address ever so many more identification requests. The larvae of the Lady Beetle is not poisonous. They are predators of plant feeding insects like aphids, and we have gotten reports of people being bitten by larval Lady Beetles, but the bite is just a harmless nip.
Brown flying beetle.
July 13, 2009
This bug flew into my back door and dropped on the ground, it seemed aggressive as it had pinchers and it acted like it was very defensive. My dog grabbed it, and sadly, it was dead in the morning. It was a pretty big bug, measures almost 1 1/2 length, and 1/2 inch width
Stacey Perry
Baltimore, MD
Reddish Brown Stag Beetle
Dear Stacey,
We are saddened that this noble Reddish Brown Stag Beetle, Lucanus capreolus, has met an untimely end, but we are uplifted to know that you did not play a part in its demise. Our own feline occasionally catches and eats something we wish had escaped her claws. Judging by the size of the mandibles, this is a male Reddish Brown Stag Beetle.
snail type bug
July 12, 2009
Can you tell us what this is? Is it a worm; snail; what???
Union county bug finder
Union County, PA
Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar
Dear bug finder,
You have found the caterpillar of a Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus. BugGuide has an image of this typically green caterpillar with the same coloration as yours, and there is a comment that judging by the color, it is ready to pupate. BugGuide also indicates: “Caterpillars feed on Sweet Bay (Magnolia virginiana), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Swamp Bay(Persea palustris) and Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera). Adults take nectar from a variety of flowers.“ The adult butterfly is typically a large showing yellow tailed butterfly with black stripes, though there are some dark females.
4
Grey fuzzy fly or bee
July 13, 2009
Saw this fella in the Okanagan, B.C. It didn’t seem to make any noise and wasn’t worried about me at all. I’ve never seen anything like it, I’m very curious if you can id it for me.
Donna Dean
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Bee Fly
Dear Donna,
This is a Bee Fly in the family Bombyliidae, Subfamily Bombyliinae and Tribe Bombyliini, but we are uncertain of the genus or species. BugGuide has several possibilities. There is a photo posted of Bolbylius incanus from Maryland that looks similar. There is a photo of a mating pair from Washington that looks similar, and there are three photos of Anastoechus barbatus from Wisconsin that look very similar. If you are satisfied with just general identification, we can tell you that Bee Flies feed on nectar as adults, and as larvae they feed in immature beetles, bees, wasps, butterflies, moths or the eggs of grasshoppers depending upon the species, according to BugGuide.
Bee Fly
Related Posts
No related posts.
Glacier Bee/wasp?
July 13, 2009
Hi there, I’m Shannon from Alaska. I took my friend hiking on Byron Glacier today and found a bee like creature… on the ice! I wasn’t sure at first if he melted out of there or was taking a rest but I’ve never seen anything like him around here. I was hoping you could help?
Shannon from Alaska
Byron Glacier/Portage Alaska
- Sawfly
Hi Shannon,
Mistaking this Sawfly for a Bee or Wasp is understandable since Bees, Wasps and Sawflies are all in the same order of insects, Hymenoptera. Sawflies do not sting. We cannot say for sure what species or even what genus your specimen belongs to, but we are confident it is one of the Cimbicid Sawflies in the family Cimbicidae. According to BugGuide: “Adults robust, resemble bumble bees. Base of abdomen broadly joined to thorax (no wasp waist). Antennae have seven or fewer segments, slightly clubbed.“ Your specimen is robust and has clubbed antennae. The larvae of Cimbicid Sawflies are often confused with caterpillars because of their appearance and because they feed on foliage. BugGuide lists three genera in the family, and all are represented in the western portion of Canada. At first we thought this might be an Elm Sawfly which is reported from Canada, but now, because all the examples of Elm Sawflies on BugGuide show yellow antennae, we believe this might be a Honeysuckle Sawfly, Trichiosoma triangulum, and BugGuide has an image posted from Montana that looks very similar.
Update from Eric Eaton
Daniel:
The sawfly with the cigarette lighter is, besides causing trouble (ha!), probably Cimbex pacifica.
Eric
purple bug
July 11, 2009
Hello, we have purple bugs. They’re what we call potato bugs here in Michigan, but I see that on this site a potato bug is something else. Anyway, they are normally brown, but many of them are purple now.
Any ideas?
Kris
Western Michigan
Wood Louse infected with Iridovirus
Hi Kris,
This is the second time we have received a photo of a blue Sowbug or Wood Louse. Sow Bugs are sometimes called Pill Bugs because they roll into a ball. When a Sowbug is infected by a certain iridovirus, it turns blue. Here is what the Woodlice Oddities Page has to say: “Blue Woodlice An iridovirus can infect woodlice and at advanced stages of infection virus accumulates in such large numbers that it forms crystallinel structures in the diseased tissues. These crstalline structures give an intense blue or purple colour to the woodlice.
Individuals infected to this extent will usually die within a short time.”
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