Jumping spider mating display
October 31, 2009
Hi,
I was working in my backyard today when I noticed these two beautiful little jumping spiders. The male was trying to convince the female that he would make a good mate. He would approach the female with his arms raised and vibrate his pedipalps. When he would get close, the female would chase after him like she was going to eat him. Eventually the male decided that it wasn’t worth the risk and ran away. The male was about 1/4 of an inch long, and the female was about 1/2 an inch long. They had gray bodies and brilliant gold hairs covering their legs. Any help you can provide in identifying these little beauties will be very appreciated. Keep up the great work.
Josh Kouri
Jumping Spiders: Mating of Vying for Dominance???
Hi Josh,
We believe your spiders are Phidippus mystaceus based on images posted to BugGuide, but we also suspect this might be two male spiders vying for dominance. The male spider is a perfect match to an image on BugGuide. The coloration and pattern of the females posted to BugGuide are significantly different than in your photos. The images are quite amazing.
Jumping Spider: Male or Female???
Hi,
After I saw that you identified my spiders I decided to look for more pictures of Phidippus mystaceus/. /I found several sites that showed females with gold on their legs. These all lacked the red markings on top of their heads that the males have. The larger of the spiders I found also lacked these red markings, but the smaller one had them. Could there be another variation or subspecies of P. mystaceus/ /where the females have gold legs too? Thanks for the help with the I.D.
Josh Kouri
Hi,
Here are the links. http://bugguide.net/node/view/231102/bgimage
http://www.canadianarachnology.org/data/spiders/35475
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phidippus_mystaceus
Hope they help.
Josh Kouri
What Spider is this
October 27, 2009
This spider eated his mate.
mr
Costa Mesa, CA
Orbweavers Mating
Dear mr,
We are uncertain what species of Orbweaver you have sent our way. We couldn’t even say for sure if this is an Araneus. Perhaps one of our readers can tell. Your photos are amazing. It isn’t unusual for female spiders to eat their mates.
Orbweaver eats her Mate
Mountain Bug love
October 16, 2009
Found these two love-bugs while hiking a mountain in the Hudson Valley region of New York state during late spring. I’m not sure what they are, but I think they’re in love 
.
Tori
Hudson Valley, New York
Mating Purple Tiger Beetles
Hi Tori,
These are mating Tiger Beetles in the genus Cicindela. There are numerous species illustrated on BugGuide. We believe they may be Purple Tiger Beetles, Cicindela purpurea, though we would prefer to have an actual expert confirm the species ID. You can check out the photos and description of the Purple Tiger Beetle on BugGuide.
Dave Gracer’s comment
What’s cool about this pic is that the female has got some food, most likely supplied by the male as a token. In other words, sex for food. Other kinds of animals do this — I don’t know how many, but I know that roadrunners to it. Pretty fascinating, when you consider the possibility that there are some vague analogies in our species.
Mating dragonflies
September 10, 2009
I saw these dragonflies in my garden a few days ago (in September). I thought it was interesting that they were able to fly while coupled together. Fortunately they landed on a lovely pink dahlia and allowed me to take some close-ups of them.
I thought these would be a good addition for your bug love category, but identification would be great too!
Thanks
Brandon A
San Jose, CA
Mating Variegated Meadowhawks
Dear Brandon,
We haven’t the time to properly identify you beautiful mating Dragonflies at the moment, though we believe they are Skimmers in the family Libellulidae. Hopefully, we can do a proper ID later, or perhaps a reader will provide us with an answer.
Update:
Thanks so much to Karl who sent in a comment identifying these Variegated Meadowhawks, Sympetrum corruptum. There are numerous images on BugGuide.
Wheel Bugs mating
September 10, 2009
Just found these and searched for over an hour to find out what they are! I’m happy to say they’re beneficial in my yard, and thankfully I’m not a bug killer in the 1st place unless necessary. Would you like to add the photos to your collection? My 5 year old son is fascinated by them. Thanks for a great web site, its our go to for our bug questions.
Cara Bauer
St. Louis, Missouri
Mating Wheel Bugs
Hi Cara,
We love the interesting angles on your photos of mating Wheel Bugs.
Mating Wheel Bugs
Bug Love
August 31, 2009
I thought you might like a photo of some margined leatherwing beetles in the mating act.
Doug
near Omaha NE
Mating Goldenrod Soldier Beetles
Dear Doug,
Thanks for sending us your Bug Love image, but we don’t believe these are Margined Leatherwings. That species, according to BugGuide, is “Very similar to C. pennsylvanicus, but pronotum has wide dark band, instead of an irregular dark spot. Elytra of C. marginatus often more extensively dark than pennsylvanicus. C. marginatus is also somewhat smaller and is active earlier in summer than C. pennsylvanicus.“ In our opinion, your photo depicts mating Goldenrod Soldier Beetles or Pennsylvania Leatherwings, Chauliognathus pensylvanicus. Compare your image to the images posted on BugGuide.
ant like bug with balck and yellow stripes.
August 27, 2009
Ive been living imy my house for over 12 years, and my father recently found these bugs crawling all over the branches he had cut off the tree a few weeks back, that were not there when he cut them off. He has NEVER seen a bug like it.
It looks like a big ant with black and yellow stripes going down its back. I got a close of picture of two, that look like they are mating.
buggedeyed
Lancaster, CA
Mating Red Headed Ash Borers
Dear buggedeyed,
These are mating Red Headed Ash Borers, Neoclytus acuminatus. The mating pair was probably attracted to the smell of the freshly cut wood. The larvae bore in ash trees, and according to BugGuide: “Larvae feed on the sapwood of ash and other hardwoods, and even occasionally on vines and shrubs. Larvae are commonly found feeding in downed timber with the bark left on.”
Green Walking Stick?
August 25, 2009
I found this “little” bugger by a pool in the DFW area of Texas. He very calmly sat there for 10 minutes while I went to fetch my camera. It was about 6 inches long.
Katie F.
Texas
Brunner's Mantis
Hi Katie,
We are quite excited to have received your letter at this point in time as we are currently working on the Bug Love section of our book that is devoted to mating insects. This is a female Brunner’s Mantis, Brunneria borealis. We first posted a photo of a Brunner’s Mantis in September 2005. According to BugGuide, it is also known as a Walkingstick Mantis (hence your question) or a Northern Grass Mantid which is a bit odd since it ranges in: “Southeastern United States: North Carolina west to Texas.“ The reason your letter has us excited is that BugGuide indicates Brunner’s Mantis: “reproduces by parthanogenesis; males are unknown.“ This of course demands considerable more research on our part. Parthanogenesis is virgin birth, and a female Brunner’s Mantis is able to produce an oothica with viable eggs without ever contacting another member of her species. There was a study on Brunner’s Mantis in 1948 by Michael James Denham White entitled The Chromosomes of the Parthenogenetic Mantid Brunneria borealis in Evolution, vol. 2 (1948), pp. 90-3 and we are trying to get a copy of that paper. White’s interest in parthanogenesis continued in his study of a South African grasshopper, Moraba (later Warramaba) virgo. An online biography on MJD White states: “In an earlier study in Austin on the mantid Brunneria borealis White had described an exclusive parthenogenetic reproduction system and had pondered on the genetic consequences of parthenogenesis for a number of years. He sent off a short note to the Australian Journal of Science about his discovery, which was published in August 1962. White enthusiastically took Ken Key, his taxonomist colleague, to look at the all-female population. Key was initially sceptical that this would prove to be a valid species. However, he was soon convinced that no males were present and provided a suitable taxonomic place for the species, with a joint publication in the Australian Journal of Zoology in 1963.“ The biography makes a point about White’s pronunciation of the word “femalllllllllle” during his lectures.
Parthanogenic reproduction, though rare in insects, is not unique to the Brunner’s Mantis. Many Aphids undergo both sexual and asexual reproduction at certain seasons and under certain conditions, but the fact that there are no known male Brunner’s Mantis specimens brings up some unusual questions. We wonder if DNA analysis would reveal that all individuals are identical and originating with an Eve, much the way the DNA of plants started from cuttings are all identical. Every single Sterling Silver rose is genetically identical since they have all been started from cuttings of the original specimen hybridized in 1957 by Gladys Fisher when she crossed Peace with an unnamed seedling. The interesting case of the Brunner’s Mantis begs the question if there were ever males of the species. It is possible that once the females developed the ability to reproduce without insemination, the then useless males vanished. Without males to change the DNA with each generation, there can be no natural evolution or variation.
Bug Love: Hera Buckmoths
August 25, 2009
Hi Lisa Anne and Daniel. As you can imagine, I was quite pleased today to find these mating Hera Buckmoths on the ranch of my friends Bart and Gay Lynn Byrd. I hope you enjoy them also.
The improvements to your site are great 
Peace
Dwaine
north of Glenrock, WY
Mating Hera Buckmoths
Hi Dwaine,
Thanks so much for sending your awesome photos of mating Hera Buckmoths. We are copying our webmaster who just spent an entire work week on our site improvements. We dumped all of our revenue into a new server and we are thrilled with the new found speed.
Mating Hera Buckmoths
Texas Leaf Cutter Ant – Atta texana (Buckley)
August 24, 2009
Found a pile of leaf confetti at the base of a Shumard Oak in my yard, followed the trail for about 20 yards then it went under the fence. There were no ants, found out they operate at night and took some pictures this morning around 4:30. They may just defoliate my tree! Looked them up on the Aggie Extension site and believe that I have correctly identified them.
Renee
Seguin, TX
Texas Leaf Cutter Ant
Hi Renee,
We agree with your identification of a Texas Leaf Cutter Ant. BugGuide also lists many additional common names, including Town Ant, Cut Ant, Parasol Ant, Fungus Ant and Night Ant. Leafcutter Ant and Leafcutting Ant are also used. BugGuide also states: “Food In Texas these ants damage weeds, grasses, plum and peach trees, blackberry bushes and many other fruit, nut and ornamental plants as well as several cereal and forage crops. The ants do not eat the leaf fragments they collect, but take them into their underground nest where they use the material to raise a fungus garden. As the fungus grows, certain parts of it are eaten by the ants and fed to the larvae. This fungus is their only known source of food.Leaf cutting ants will attack pine trees but ordinarily they do little damage when other green plants are available. During the winter when green plant material is scarce, seedling pines are frequently damaged in parts of east Texas and west central Louisiana. Where ants are abundant, it is almost impossible to establish natural pine reproduction. In such sites, young pine seedlings often are destroyed within a few days unless the ants are controlled before planting.
Remarks Leaf cutting ants live in large colonies of up to 2 million.“ We are also linking to the Forest Pests website that contains much information including this: “Biology – The ants have a mating flight in May or June. After mating, the females establish nests beneath the soil and become the queens of the colonies. Worker ants carry the cut foliage and other vegetative material back to the nest, where it is used to culture the fungus that is their primary food.“
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Posted 24 August 2009
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Also tagged:
black with red stripes
August 23, 2009
I’ve found a half-dozen or so of these guys crawling around behind the barn, although it might be a mistake to refer to them all as “guys”. they have five horizontal red stripes around a tapering body – maybe 3/4 to 1″ long. Head and legs are more like those of ants – little teeny wings (?) with a vertical red stripe. they can move really fast when they want to, but mostly just waddle around.
I’ve looked in all my available references and I’m stumped.
Nancy L.
western AZ at 5000 feet elevation
Mating Blister Beetles
Dear Nancy,
We really think Blister Beetles in the genus Megetra are phenomenal looking, and we are ecstatic that you have sent us a photo of a mating pair.
Blister Beetle
Thread Waisted Wasps Mating
August 13, 2009
Hi, I just saw these two in the garden, and just found them on your site! Ironic that the description onsite said they could often be seen mating in the garden because that’s exactly what they were doing when I saw them! Hope you can use the pictures and thanks again for a great site!
Kathleen Haines
Newport News, VA (southeastern VA)
Thread Waisted Waps Mating
Hi Kathleen,
Thanks for sending us your excellent images of Thread Waisted Wasps, Eremnophila aureonotata, mating in your garden. Indeed, Bugguide does state: “Female digs burrow and provisions with a single large lepidopteran larvae. These are reported to include various moths from the families Noctuidae, Notodontidae (especially), and Sphingidae, and also skippers (Hesperidae). The wasp is commonly found on wildflowers with large clusters of blossoms, such as Queen Anne’s Lace, from summer into fall. One frequently observes mating pairs on the flowers.“
Thread Waisted Wasps Mating
