mites?
Hello Bugman,
I just came over your site on the internet. I like taking macro shots of insect and today I have taken an interesting one. There are were some red dots on the wing of a dragonfly. I think maybe they can be some sort of insects or mites. I live in Hungary, Europe I hope you can help me anyway…
Best regards.
Ambruzs Péter
Dear Ambruzs Péter,
Your photo is beautiful. We suspect you have photographed the Locust Mite, Eutrombidium rostratum. Essig writes that it : “is the common locust mite of the United States and Europe. It is a large bright red species. … They are often taken on the body and wings of grasshoppers, crickets, katydids, and mantids, and do not attack humans.” Even if it is not that exact species, you have most definitely photographed mites hitching a ride on your dragonfly.
two unidentified spiders
Dear Bugman!
I have here two photos of different spiders. The male with the orange abdomen has eluded ID for too long! I happened to catch him while loving on his woman. He presented her with a grasshopper, and while she munched happily on her tasty treat, he got around to more importnat things. I managed to take a nice succession of photos, but this one had the best representations of both of them. I don’t need to tell you how awesome it was to witness this event. The second photo is a small spider with moderately long front legs, the first two pair I believe, found on the wall. He folded his legs up tight in response to my camera in his face, so I couldn’t get him to pose. I took these pictures West Texas this month.
Thanks!
Wendy A.
How romantic is that Wendy?
We love your courting Jumping Spider photos and the story as well. Your Jumping spiders are from the Family Salticidae, probably the genus Phidippus, and possibly Phidippus formosus. Hogue writes: “The brilliant red abdomen of this species frequently attracts attention in the spring, when it is most active. … The Red Jumping Spider is not considered dangerous, although its bite may be painful to sensitive persons. Like all jumping spiders, it has a pair of very large eyes. This is a hunting spider and thus does not use a permanent web for trapping prey. … Both sexes spend the daylight hours wandering over the ground and vegetation in search of small invertebrates, upon which they may leap from some distance.” Your spider might also be Phidippus insolens, which exhibits dimorphism in both sexes, meaning that the males and females are differently colored as well as having different color variations within the sex. One form has a black cephalothorax and red abdomen like your photo. Your second photo might be a Domestic Spider, Theridion tepidariorum.
big beetle bug
Hey.
We live near Raleigh, NC and are having a horrible time getting rid of some bugs that have attacked our newly planted (last fall) River Birch Tree. They have attacked only one of the 3 trunks of the tree which is now pretty much black and looks like it has been burned up. As you can see in the close up photo of the bottom of the tree, there are 2 types of bugs – one we know is a typical “June Bug”. The larger one favors the June Bug, but is twice the size. We have tried normal ways of trying to rid ourselves of them – which has worked on the June Bug, but not the larger one. We have used Sevin Spray and the Bag – A Bug. The Bag – A – Bug doesn’t even draw them and the spray only kills the one’s that are on the tree at the time. The next day, more are present – many more!!! They come by the 100’s. They are now moving onto my tomato plants – so it is time to get serious!!! Any idea what we are dealing with???
Going nuts!
Jim & Judy in NC
Hi Jim and Judy,
In addition to the smaller June Beetles, Phyllophaga species, you also have Green June Beetles, Cotinus nitida. These beetles are often called Figeaters, since they love to eat fruit. Adults fly in large numbers, making a loud buzzing which is somewhat similar to the buzzing of bumblebees. The beetle feeds on many plants, eating roots, stems and leaves. Larvae are common in rich soil and manure. We suspect that when you planted the tree, you amended the soil with organic material which served as a perfect habitat for the larvae. I would strongly suggest you check with a local nursery for a control method.
PA Bug
Bugman,
What was this ? the orange one appeared to be eating the other one. Assassin bugs? Which is female and male?
Seen Bloomsburg,PA on 8/1/04.
thanks
Rich
Hi Rich,
Your photo is too out of focus to be certain, but it appears that it depicts an adult Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, on the right, newly emerged from the discarded skin or exoskeleton of the nymph stage on the left. The Wheel Bug will turn gray as its new exoskeleton hardens.
Hello bugman,
I have found this critter on three occasions and I cannot identify it from my search on the net. The first was found in the bathroom and he was promptly disposed of mainly because he landed on my leg. The second was found again in the bathroom, but this one was on the floor and very slow moving. He was held for interrogation but I couldn’t get anything out of him. The third (pictured) was found about a week later in the basement, but he was already dead. None have been found since (approx 2 weeks). My pictures are not great, but from a rough description he has wings, short antennae, a snout, and 3/4" long. From my search I thought maybe he was a wood boring beetle, which concerns me as I have a fairly old house that I only moved into a few months back. However if he’s not a wood borer then I’m also concerned as I’d like to know if they’ve come from outside or in… Located in Southern Ontario, Canada.
Dear Canada,
We just heard from Eric Eaton who corrected us on this one. It “is actually an adult masked hunter, Reduvius personatus, which hunts bedbugs, not humans, thank God:-)” Bugs from this group are also known as masked hunters because they are sticky and often accumulate dust, as your specimen demonstrates.
Hi, I was so glad to find your site – My daughter and I are fascinated by the unusual (and usual) insects we find in SE Canada(Ottawa, Ont.Canada). This beautiful caterpillar was discovered on a Virginia Creeper vine (Gini). We have seen many caterpillars and we have fun watching the larva pupate and emerge as butterflies. No one, uncluding experts has been able to ID Gini, and we would love to know what she is(especially since she wandered off from her spot and is hanging somewhere, or dug into some plant. It’s been 2 weeks since her hiatus, and still nothing.
Thank you,
Sherleen and Faith Smithson
P.s. She’s 4 inches long
Hi Sherleen and Faith,
Gini is one of two different color varieties of the Abbot’s Sphinx Caterpillar, Sphecodina abbotti. According to Holland: “This beautiful hawkmoth is found throughout the Eastern States and southern Canada and ranges westward as far as Iowa and Kansas. The larva feeds on the Vitaceae and is not uncommon on Ampelopsis. The caterpillar is not provided with an anal horn, but has instead an eye-like tubercle, or boss, at the anal extremity. It has the habit when disturbed, of throwing its head violently from side to side, a movement found in other sphingid larvae, …” Holland doesn’t mention the two color varieties. We found that information on this site which states: ” Two very different forms: form pictured here unmistakable; other form brown, streaked with white and black, and oblique lines that run through spiracles. Head with broad dark band to either side of triangle, edged outwardly with pale band. Caudal horn replaced by eyelike bump. Food: grape family. Caterpillar: May through September; presumably 2 generations in Deep South, 1 generation in North.” By the way, your photo is much nicer than the one pictured on that site. Guessing by the size of your caterpillar, we can only guess that it has buried itself in the ground to pupate.
Thank you, Daniel, now I know she has to be in one of my plants! There are wild grape vines growing with the Virginia Creeper. so I imagine Gini was traveling for the ground when I was clearing the patch. We are so pleased about your site, because we’re always coming across something unique. I wish I could have sent in pictures of a pink(magenta), smooth-skinned caterpillar and a shell pink moth(1 1/2″ wingspan). Anyway, Faith and I will continue to watch your site. Thank you so much,
Sherleen Smithson
P.S. My oldest son did the photo – he inadvertently killed a Dobson Fly because it terrified him – he didn’t know what it was until we found a picture in a book. I think he’ll be a bit more merciful in the future. He brought us a gorgeous Imperial Moth and took photos of it and the Sphinx(probably Tomato Hornworm) Moth we found. If you could use the pictures, we can send them.
I found a weird bug today in my dads car
Hello Bugman,
My name is Jimmy, today I found this wierd type of caterpillar my dad thought it was a tomato bug. We didn’t know. We researched your website but we couldn’t find it at all. Can you please help me. I don’t know if it was poisonous or not so i used a kleenex to pic it up and there was this slik like substance behind it when it walked. Can you tell me which is his head and which is his butt?
Thank You
Jimmy Brickner
Strongsville, Ohio
Hi Jimmy,
The reason you could not find your caterpillar on our website is because we only post photos that readers send in. You are the first person to send in a photo of a Cecropia Moth Caterpillar, Samia Cecropia. This is the largest North American Moth, and its wingspan reaches six inches across. It is a member of the Giant Silkworm family Saturnidae, and as adults, the moths do not feed. Your caterpillar looks nearly mature. They eat leaves from cherry , maple, willow and other trees. Try keeping the caterpillar in a well ventilated box with fresh leaves. I am guessing that since it was in your dad’s car, it was looking for a place to pupate. The cocoon is usually spun on a branch. It will overwinter as a cocoon and emerge as a grown moth in the spring. Thank you for the photo. They are not poisonour. The head end has the orange tubercles. In your photo, it is on the left.
A few for your collection!
Hi there Bug People!
I like to photograph only the most taken for granted of things in the world…lowly mushrooms and fungus, insects, small rodents, amphibians, etc… I have included a few ( a very small sampling ) of my ‘insect world’ favorites for 2004. Hope you enjoy them! (Personally, I love the Imperial Moth that befriended my hand…the Stag is second place) All of these photos are from the location described below.
Kindest Regards,
Scott Pierson
Actual Location Data: (of all insect photos attached) Earleville, MD – in a small, private community named ‘Hazelmoor’.
Latitude: 39.4401 Longitude: -76.0247
Time is always (approx) between the hours of 20:30 to 00:00 hrs, EDT
My Goodness, Scott,
I admire the structuralist tendencies you have applied to your insect photographs. We also like your photo of a poor dead Annual Cicada.
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Posted 05 August 2004
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I need help identifying something strange (like you don’t hear that all the time). I was out on my porch the other day when I heard a buzzing sound from what I assumed was some sort of beetle or something. There are a lot of bugs around our wooded lot in western Virginia, so I didn’t think anything of it until it landed on the chair next to me. It was big (about 2 1/2" long and fairly "beefy"), blackish, and resembled a locust except for the soft yellow and black ringed body that tapered to a point at the end. I couldn’t see the wings while it was sitting there, but obviously it had some. I was immediately reminded of something from a sci-fi movie or a prehistoric critter on the Discovery Channel. I’ve looked everywhere and can’t find any descriptions or pictures resembling it. However, I’ll certainly be sure to take my camera with me whenever I take a cigarette break from now on.
-Michaele
(08/16/2004)
This is quite coincidental, in fact, because not two seconds before I checked my e-mail, it had returned out on my front porch and I was able to snap a picture. It’s not very good because I couldn’t get too close before it flew away, but here it is.
Michaele Davis
Hi again Michaele,
I’m glad you got the photo. You have a species of Robber Fly, Family Asilidae. These are predatory flies that it locates with those big eyes and often captures on wing. They are beneficial, though will bite people if mishandled. Based on your original description and your blurry photo, it seems like you have a Bee Killer also known as a Giant Robber Fly, Promachus fitchii. They are found in meadows and near honey bee hives from Massachusetts to Florida and west to Texas and North to Nebraska. According to our Audubon Insect Guide: “The Bee Killer often rests on leaves and branches with a clear view of flowers visited by Honey Bees. It seizes its victim from above, pierces its body and sucks out juices, then drops the emptied prey. A dozen or more bidies may pile up on the ground below a favorite perch.” Size can be deceptive. This species reaches 1 1/8 inches in length.
A few for your collection!
Hi there Bug People!
I like to photograph only the most taken for granted of things in the world…lowly mushrooms and fungus, insects, small rodents, amphibians, etc… I have included a few ( a very small sampling ) of my ‘insect world’ favorites for 2004. Hope you enjoy them! (Personally, I love the Imperial Moth that befriended my hand…the Stag is second place) All of these photos are from the location described below.
Kindest Regards,
Scott Pierson
Actual Location Data: (of all insect photos attached) Earleville, MD – in a small, private community named ‘Hazelmoor’.
Latitude: 39.4401 Longitude: -76.0247
Time is always (approx) between the hours of 20:30 to 00:00 hrs, EDT
My Goodness, Scott,
I admire the structuralist tendencies you have applied to your insect photographs. We agree that your Imperial Moth photo is amazing.
Thank you for your reply – I didn’t realize that you’d already posted it the website! My previous email did not include that “I think the site is great!” What a service to folks – especially those interested in insects. This is a great wealth of information and the fact that there are photos to examine is priceless. It’s great that you take the time to help folks out like this. Thank you again! Kindest Regards, Scott Pierson
Huge Spider??
I live in Calvert County, Maryland and I found this HUGE spider hanging on the brick of my front porch. There is no web around and it looks like he live in a space behind the brick. Can you tell me what this might be??
Thanks,
Freaked out
Autumn
Don’t be freaked out Autumn,
Your Northern Dolomedes, Dolomedes scriptus, is probably more afraid than you are. These are beautiful spiders which do not build a web, preferring to stalk prey. The female cares for her young in a very maternal manner. These spiders are also commonly called Fishing Spiders and Nursery Web Spiders since the only time they make a web is to care for their young. They are capable of catching small fish and are often found near water.
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Posted 05 August 2004
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Spider
I happened on your site while trying to search for the type of spider I found in my garden last year (actually, in the plants that grew out of the compost pile). I’ve never seen a spider like this in this area before (Northern Massachusetts) or since. I don’t have any good size comparison in the pictures I got except that those are pumpkin leaves he’s (she’s?) on. I would estimate the diameter of the circle formed by the legs was about 3 inches. anyway, if you could identify this spider for me, I’d appreciate it.
Thanks,
Greg
Hi Greg,
We have lots of photos and information on the Golden Orb Weaver, or Yellow Garden Spider, Argiope aurantia or Miranda aurantia, on our two spider pages. We agree that this spider is always startling to see, but though it can bite painfully, it seldom does. Your female looks very mature.
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Posted 05 August 2004
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