Hi, we found these bugs in the road, we think they are privit hawks but arent 100% We moved them out of the road because they would have been squashed and are now in our garden. We live in the south of england.
Danny
Hi Danny,
Your identification of the Privet Hawk-Moth, Sphinx ligustri, is correct.
milkweed beetle soap opera
Hello,
This series of photos might be fun for your bug love page. I found these mating red milkweed beetles in a milkweed patch near my house in Danielsville, PA. A third milkweed beetle came along and climbed on the back of the bottom bug, pushing off the top bug. They then stood there headbutting for a couple minutes, and then all three went their separate ways. I guess you could call the third one a homewrecker. 
The “homewrecker” arrives and tries to push the top beetle back off the one on the bottom. There’s a standoff of sorts as the one on top from the couple refuses to back off for a few moments. But the “homewrecker” persists. The beetle on the top relents and backs off. The top beetle continues to back away from the new couple, just before the “homewrecker” decides to walk away too. … BTW, I love your site and use it all the time. I recently was able to identify a swamp milkweed leaf beetle and your site was also where I discovered the little reddish spider like creatures I had seen were wheel bug nymphs. Thanks!
Johanna
Hi Johanna,
We love your account of this sexual melodrama between Red Milkweed Beetles. We do wonder though why the victor decided to relinquish his conquest.
Boxelder bugs.
Hi folks!
Two pictures, one of Boxelder Bugs (Boisea trivittata) mating for your Bug love page, and one of a box elder nymph. Sending you the full sized pics so you may crop as needed. They’re also called Garage Bugs, and oddly enough, these bugs were on my garage door!
Cheryl-Anne Miller
Hi Cheryl-Anne,
Thanks for contributing to our Boxelder Bug archive.
Comment: (07/02/2008) THANK YOU..
hahah im so glad you guys answered the boxelder bug question 9078787697867657956 times. i spent all day trying to figure out what they were to see if they were harmful and your site is the only one that helped me.
p.s. im also glad you don’t offer extermination advice. i love bugs. keep up the good work guys.
More bug love
I love your site!! I just found it and will be using it to help identify some of my insect species I find up here in southwestern Manitoba in Canada. My co-workers have been teasing me lately b/c of my photos of what they call, ‘beetle porn’. I noticed you didn’t have many for the dragonflies so I thought I would send my most lovely one to you…photo that is. And if you care to tell me the species, I would great appreciate that as well, save me from looking it up!
Sherry Lynn Punak-Murphy
Natural Resource Technician/Biologist
Manitoba
Hi Sherry-Lynn,
Your photo of mating Dragonflies. It truly is wonderful. We are not that adept at exact species identification of Dragonflies. Perhaps a reader will supply us with an answer and perhaps you will do the work on the exact identification and notify us. Please include Dragonfly ID in the subject line.
Bug love!!
Good Morning!
My friend, Kevin, bought a new camera and went for a nature hike (here in Kentucky) and as he knows that I like to take photos of insects and spiders he showed me the assortment that he had taken. Amongst them was this spectacular bug love photo. I explained to him about your collections and he gave me the file to send to you. I hope you enjoy it, I thought it was particularly lovely when rotated to the left (also attached). Sincerely,
Teresa
(Normally photographing the bugs of Wisconsin…)
Hi Teresa,
Kevin’s image of mating Ebony Jewelwings, Calopteryx maculata, a species of Damselfly, is pretty great. We also prefer the rotated image, not only for the more obvious heart space produced between the bodies, but because it formats so nicely to our site while maximizing the image size. The photo has excellent lighting and a perfect camera angle for showcasing these lovely insects caught in the act.
BUG LOVE!
Hello,
JUST LOVE your site. And, my little ones do too! My almost-2-year old came across the pair of these little beetles mating and she was just fascinated by them. So, I saw the photo op and thought I’d forward to you for your enjoyment/possible posting. Happy July!
Jenn, Massachusetts
Hi Jenn,
These are mating Lily Leaf Beetles, Lilioceris lilii. It is an invasive introduced species.
Conjoined Twin Butterflies!
So, my 6-year old son calls me out to the passion flower vine, telling me that there are two butterflies lying on the ground, one on top of another. I explain that they are likely mating, and tried to go back to my work, but he INSISTED that I come out to see them. Imagine my surprise to find that they are, in fact, *conjoined twin* gulf fritillary butterflies, sharing a single abdomen! I think the picture 042 shows the join the best, albeit a bit out of focus. The other pictures are much clearer, but not as good of a view of the join. Amazing! Didn’t find anything about this anomaly online, so I thought I’d see if you were interested in having a look-see…. My question – Would they have come from conjoined caterpillars, or would they possibly have been a single caterpillar prior to the cocoon? Thanks for any insight!
Julianna McDuffie
San Marcos, CA
Hi Julianna,
Your letter gave us a good chuckle. These actually are mating Gulf Fritillaries. Taking a good look at our numerous Bug Love pages will reveal that many insects interlock during mating to ensure the fertilization process. Interestingly, the disection of butterfly genitalia is the only sure way to distinguis species sometimes. We are not certain if the cellular structure of an insect egg would even permit conjoined twins, but if it did, the immature insect would surely not survive since the mutation would not be an advantageous one. Since most insects don’t care for their young, exceptions being the social ants, bees, wasps, and termites, and some oddities like Bess Beeetles, a mutated larva that couldn’t survive on its own would die.
sable moths
Hello bug people,
Thought you might enjoy this photo of what I think are White Spotted Sables, Anania funebris. They were on my deck in upstate New York in early June. My five-year-old son and I thought they were very handsome, although we had different theories about what they might be doing.
Kathie & Cole
Hi Kathie and Cole,
Cole is correct. The White Spotted Sable Moths are mating. Kathie, we are not sure what you thought they were doing.
cecropia and others
Hi! A couple of years ago I sent you pictures of my Cecropia project — I raised a bunch of caterpillars and was rewarded with beautiful moths the next spring. Last year I was fortunate enough to get more caterpillars, and I wanted to share some images of the moths. Very serendipitously, as you’ve made them your bug of the month for July. For your bug love page, here’s images of Red Milkweed Beetles (Tetraopes tetraophthalmus) and Scarlet and Green Leafhoppers (Graphocephala coccinea) — one with the two leafhoppers getting advice from the beetle! I’ve included a pic of a Nessus Sphinx (Amphion floridensis) that I took last year in my back yard. According to the folks at Butterflies and Moths of North America ( http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org ) it’s a first report from MN, so that’s pretty exciting. I know it’s not a great pic but I thought you might like to see it Lastly is a pic of what I think is Labidomera clivicollis, Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle. What do you think? Thanks as always for a great site
henry
hi Henry,
While we applaud your enthusiasm and are impressed with the volume if imagery you sent our way, we have to limit our postings. We are thrilled to post your mating Candystriped Leafhoppers and a cropped version of the three Cecropia Moths on your window screen, awaiting an opportunity to venture into the night.
Bug Love
Can you tell my what kind of moth this is? Thanks From Lenox Michigan
Donna
Hi Donna,
What a beautiful image of mating Cecropia Moths. It is coming our way at the perfect time to designate it as the Bug of the Month for July 2008. We have received numerous images of Cecropia Moths this year, but none as lovely as yours. Cecropia Moths are Giant Silk Moths and they do not eat as adults. Their sole task is to mate and reproduce.
Bug Love picture from Georgia
I snapped a couple of pics of two moths mating yesterday. I really like this one: underneath this one isn’t as dynamic: topside I included links to the flickr photostream too. They look like Cerisy Sphinxes from what I saw on your site. Feel free to use this pictures if you’d like. Thanks for running a great site,
Casey Willis
Hi Casey,
Bill Oehlke’s website doesn’t list Cerisy’s Sphinx in Georgia. These are Blinded Sphinxes, Paonias excaecata. You can also read about the Blinded Sphinx on Bill Oehlke’s website.
buglove
I just love your site. You have helped me identify dozens of bugs. I believe the picture I sent is of mating tiger beetles. We came across a bunch of them running around on a trail through a State Park in central Florida. Pic was taken in mid June of 2008. I’m just sending it for your buglove pages, as I don’t think I saw any there.
Jim from Everett, PA
Hi Jim,
We believe your mating Tiger Beetles are Cicindela hirtilabris, as pictured on BugGuide which states that it ranges in: “Peninsular Florida and extreme southeastern Georgia” and that it is “found commonly in dry white sand areas including trails, road edges, and open areas with sparse vegetation.” Another similar species found in the panhandle of Florida is Cicindela gratiosa, the Whitish Tiger Beetle.
