Subject: Crimson bug species? Panama fauna!
Geographic location of the bug: San Miguelito, Panama.
Date: 04/14/2020
Time: 05:28 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi bugman. I’ve only seen this bug twice in my life 3 years appart first in 2009 and then in 2012. Both times it was just standing still inside my house and both insects were identical. Back then there were a lot of jungle-like green areas around my house for context. This bug was about 5cm / 2 inches long, had “feathery” antennae, transparent wings, the most posterior part of the abdomen was “hairy” (i think the sides of the abdomen were hairy too but less hairy) and I confirmed it was capable of flight as I accidentaly startled it when I was taking the photo. Well as you can see most of the body is colored with (really strong) red and black. The thorax has two parallel white lines. I never saw the ventral part of the insect.
Is this a moth? A butterfly? This question has been haunting me for 10 years. Well thanks and have fun with this one!
PS:Sorry if I used wrong terms in my anatomical description.
How you want your letter signed: A curious physician
Dear curious physician,
We are impressed that you identified this as a moth or butterfly. It is a Moth, but one that is often mistaken for a wasp. It is a Scarlet Tipped Wasp Moth, Dinia aeagrus, and we identified it on Project Noah. You can also find it pictured on FlickR.
I remember one post where a specialist said something about D. eagrus (or aeagrus) and D. mena.
Thanks Cesar. Probably Julian Donahue.
https://www.whatsthatbug.com/2013/04/07/wasp-moth-from-brazil/
Thanks for the link Cesar. The expert on Arctiids is Daniel’s good friend Julian Donahue.
Although I didn’t think it was a wasp At first sight I thought it could be dangerous. I guess the feathery antennae made me think of a moth. Thanks for your really fast response.