Skip to content

Tag Archives: bug of the month

What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Bug of the Month: January 2008 – Polka Dot Wasp Moth and Oleander Caterpillar

Choosing the Bug of the Month each month is an enjoyable ritual, and generally we select a recent letter for the honor. Sadly, we have not received a recent letter that is appropriate since we like to select a critter that our readership is likely to encounter while the letter is posted. We have dug through the archives for a nice image of the Polka Dot Wasp Moth, Syntomeida epilais, a wasp mimic moth that readers from Florida and other southern states often write to us about. The Polka Dot Wasp Moth is not a seasonal sighting, and according to BugGuide, it can be found year round.

The Polka Dot Wasp Moth is also known as the Oleander Moth because one of the favorite larval foods is the deadly oleander. The caterpillars are known as Oleander Caterpillars and readers frequently write about the large numbers of orange caterpillars with black hairs that are defoliating their oleander plants.

Posted 29 November 2007 § Tiger Moths and Arctiids § Woolly Bears ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bug of the Month: December 2007 – Gulf Fritillary Metamorphosis

thanx
You guys have been wonderful and I appreciate your getting back to me with some answers. I am sending you all a couple of shots of the changes in a gulf fritillary butterfly I happened to catch all happening at the same time. I hope they are of some use . Again, keep up the good work. This is a fantastic site. I just wish you could input colors on the search area because I don’t know exactly where to look to find some of these critters until I get an answer back. Thanx,
Scott Austin TX

Hi Scott,
It is time for us to choose the Bug of the Month for December, and we will be using your wonderful documentation of the metamorphosis of the Gulf Fritillary. This lovely orange butterfly has caterpillars that feed on passionflower, and can be found in warmer climates in the U.S. where that plant is cultivated, including California, Arizona, Texas and Florida. We know that our website has numerous problems, but at this point, it is such a behemoth, it probably cannot ever be tamed.

Posted 29 November 2007 § Butterflies and Skippers § Caterpillars and Pupa ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bug of the Month: November 2007 – Green Lynx Spider

Hi,

I live in central florida. … As for the green spider, i am terrified of them but i am also very curious as to what
type it is. i am assuming it is female since it seems to have and egg sack. thanks for you help in advance,

devan s.

Hi Devan,

Your spider is a Green Lynx Spider, and the female has just
laid eggs. It is time for us to choose a Bug of the Month
for November, and we are going to post your Green Lynx Spider
image as the Bug of the Month. This fascinating spider is
found more commonly in warmer climates, and not that winter
is approaching, our northern readers will not be writing in
much. Readers from Florida, Texas, California and other warmer
climates will start to notice Green Lynx Spiders now that
they have matured and are larger. Green Lynx Spiders are harmless.
They are hunting spiders that do not build webs, with the
exception of building a sparse web at the time of laying eggs.
Your mother spider will defend her egg sack fearlessly, and
once they hatch, the orange spiderlings will begin to disperse.

Posted 25 October 2007 § Spiders ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Bug of the Month: October 2007 – Locust Borer

Mystery Caterpillar and Bee-Like Insect
Hey Bugman,
I live in Rhode Island, and I’ve run across two odd insects recently. I was wondering if you could help me identify them.
The first was a bright-green and brownish-purple caterpillar with four little spikes on it. It was about an inch long. The second is a vaguely wasp-like insect (I’m not sure if this is Batesian or Mullerian mimicry, and I didn’t stick around to find out), and it was about an inch long as well. Thanks for your help,
Guillaume Riesen

Hi Guillaume,
Your caterpillar is a Saddleback Caterpillar and we have posted numerous images of this species. Your vaguely beelike insect is a Locust Borer, a Cerambycid Borer Beetle that is very common in the autumn and is often associated with goldenrod. Many beetles in this family are considered wasp mimics. We believe we are going to make it the Bug of the Month for October and will probably be using your photo on our homepage the entire month.

Posted 28 September 2007 § Longhorn Beetles ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:

Bug of the Month: September 2007 – Bagworm

a little caterpillar with a traveling cocoon
Hi,
I’m hoping you can identify this little fellow. He’s been hanging around (literally) ,and under my blue ceramic bird bath. At first I thought he was building a cocoon, but he keeps crawling all over the place with it . Let me know, please, if you can identify him. His cocoon seems to be about 3″ long. I live in Parma, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland). Thank you.
Mary Griffin

Hi Mary,
This caterpillar is a Bagworm. Bagworms are Moths in the family Psychidae. According to BugGuide: “Larvae (bagworms) construct spindle-shaped bags covered with pieces of twigs, leaves, etc., and remain in them, enlarging them as they grow, till they pupate (also in the bag). Adult females remain in the bag, emitting pheromones which attract adult males to mate with them.”

Posted 28 August 2007 § Bagworm ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bug of the Month: August 2007 – Giant Ichneumons

bug??? Hi,
I was wondering what kind of bug this is. There were at least 30 of them on the tree at once. I am located in Grand Rapids MI. Thank you soooo much for your time!
Melissa

Megarhyssa atrata Megarhyssa macrurus


Hi Melissa,
You have submitted photos of two different species of Giant Ichneumons. The black specimen with the yellow head is Megarhyssa atrata and the brown and yellow individual is Megarhyssa macrurus. Giant Ichneumons are beneficial insects, though they are often mistaken for wood wasps upon which they feed. The adult female Giant Ichneumon uses her formidable ovipositor to deposit eggs in wood infested with wood boring larvae of the Pigeon Horntail and other Wood Wasps. The young Ichneumon parasites the wood boring larva. We have gotten so many images of Giant Ichneumons this summer we have decided to make it the Bug of the Month for August.

Posted 28 July 2007 § Ichneumons ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bug of the Month: July 2007 – Cicada Killer

Our 1st CK
Dear Bug Man,
The Cicada Killer in the attached photo, thanks to your site, will continue to “guard” our back step this summer (in the MD suburbs of DC). It’s a relief to know the family & especially our dog, will be able to frequently pass by him w/o being harmed. We used to have an underground yellow jacket nest in this same area. Do CKs ever move into abanadoned nests? I believe this particular CK is a male b/c he frequently rubs/bounces his tail on the step & door mat. Is this behavior to mark his turf, attract a mate or both? Even if you’re unable to responsd, THANK YOU! Your site provides a wonderful & very interesting service. Jean

Hi Jean,
According to Eric Eaton, the behavior you describe is of a male Cicada Killer marking his territory and trying to attract a mate. Cicada Killers dig tunnels with cells for individual paralyzed Cicadas and a single young Cicada Killer. Yellow Jackets are social wasps and their abandoned nests will not suit a Cicada Killer. We have decided to make the Cicada Killer the Bug of the Month for July 2007, so your photo will remain at the top of our homepage until August.

Posted 30 June 2007 § CIcada Killer Wasps ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bug of the Month: June 2007 – Emerald Ash Borer

Please post…
Good Evening,
Could you possibly post some information on the Emerald Ash Borer as a feature? Their spread and destruction of trees has been all over the news and many people that I know are now killing every green bug they see. The insect population of Wisconsin thanks you!
Sincerely,
Teresa

Hi Teresa,
What a wonderful suggestion. We just returned from a week in Ohio and the Emerald Ash Borer was quite the topic of discussion. We received the following letter earlier in the year and are thrilled to repost it to our homepage.

Emerald Ash Borer
(03/29/2007) Emerald Ash Borer
Dear bugman,
This is in response to the folks from Ohio that sent in a photo of the 6 Spotted Tiger Beetle. I’m glad Bruce does recognize its not EAB but I have attached photos I took in the past that might help people ID Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) if they think they have found it. Note the D shaped exit hole.They will be emerging in early June and ending about mid July. Your readers may find the attached website of use and report these pests if found in new areas. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/emerald_ash_borer/emerald_ash_borer.shtml
Keep up the good work
Brian

Hi Brian,
Thank you ever so much for providing us with a photo and information. We will try to remember to repost your letter on our homepage in June.

Another Link
(05/31/2007) link to Emerald Ash Borer doesn’t work, but here’s another one
Daniel and Lisa, Try this link (not sure it has exactly the same info, but…): http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/content/printable_version/pub_pheab.pdf More bugs! Less email! regards,
Dave Fallow

Hi Dave,
Thanks. We corrected the original link issue as well.

Mating Emerald Ash Borers
(05/31/2007) Emerald Ash Borer
Dear Bugman
Thanks for making Emerald Ash Borer the bug of the month. This will help folks learn more about this pest and maybe discover new sites where it has become established and report them. Attached is an old photo of them mating and a good close up shot. Remember-Don’t Move Infested Wood! Keep up the good work
Brian Sullivan
Plant Health Safeguarding Specialist

Hi again Brian,
Thanks for sending us another wonderful image to better help our readers identify the Emerald Ash Borers.

Posted 01 June 2007 § Metallic Borer Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bug of the Month: May 2007 – Valley Carpenter Bees. From the Archives: a pair of Carpenter Bees from Texas

Carpenter Bees
I bet you guys have fun on your sight. I thought you might like the attached photo of a male and female carpenter bee from El Paso, TX. The differing colors are great. I believe them to be a Xylocopa species. According to John L. Neff of the Central Texas Melittological Institute in Austin, it is either X. varipuncta (your Valley Carpenter Bee) or more likely, X. mexicanorum, given distribution records. The picture was taken on Feb 19, 2005, which is a bit early for them to be out and about (they usually show up, based on my recollection, about April and May). They were rather lethargic for quite some time despite that it was not cold (upper 70s that day). The tree is a “Mexican Elder”, my wife tells me a Sambucus mexicana, though she is not sure. The site is: El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, 2 miles n. of downtown.
Glenn Davis

Hi Glenn,
Thank you so much for sending in the gorgeous photo.

Ed. Note: When this image arrived last spring, we fell in love with it. We are always cheered by the presence of these large lumbering black female Valley Carpenter Bees in our garden each spring. They frequent the sweet peas and the honeysuckle. The female bees remain in the garden most of the summer. One year a bee nested in our carob tree and another year we found a nest in a sumac. The female bee labors many hours creating a tunnel. she fills the end of the tunnel with pollen and nectar and lays an egg, sealing the chamber with wood pulp. She will create about five or six chambers, each housing a single egg, within the tunnel. The adults emerge in about 45 days. Adult female bees will overwinter and create a new nest in the spring. The golden male bees are very short lived and have a very different, more nervous flight pattern. We are eagerly awaiting the appearance of the first male bees in our garden this spring. Male bees are attracted to our lantana and digitalis.

Posted 30 May 2007 § Valley Carpenter Bee ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bug of the Month: April 2007 – Luna Moth in Texas

Luna Moth
Took a pic of this Luna Moth on February 27, 2007, just north of Houston, Tx
Lynne

Hi Lynne,
This is the first official Luna Moth photo we have received this year, and it is a gorgeous photo.

Ed. Note: (04/01/2007)
We have been receiving countless letters and images of Luna Moths from the Southern part of their range beginning in February and increasing in March. We suspect it is not too late to make the Luna Moth the Bug of the Month for April since the northern specimens will begin to emerge as springtime weather hits the north. These emergences should continue through May and June for the most northern specimens in Maine and Canada. Luna Moths overwinter in cocoons formed around leaves from the deciduous trees that they feed upon. These cocoons usually drop to the ground where they remain among the leaf litter. The warm spring sun stimulates the metamorphosis of the adult. Adults live only a few days and do not feed. They mate, lay eggs and die if they do not become a food source for birds and other predators first. The caterpillars spend the summer fattening up on leaves before pupating. There are two generations in the southern portion of the range..

Posted 02 April 2007 § Luna Moth - Rare Specimen ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bug of the Month: March 2007 – Silverfish

What is this?
Hi, there,
Recently I can see this kind of bug everyday in my house. First I thought it is a House Centipede. But I found there are not enough legs. Please tell me what it is and how to control them (I killed 2-3 everyday). Thanks and regards
James

Hi James,
This is a Silverfish, a primitive insect. They are considered household pests. They are found in dark, damp areas, often the bathroom and basement. They will eat many things, but are fond of glue that adheres wallpaper to the wall and the glue in book bindings. Your timing was perfect and your photo quite gorgeous, so we are making the Silverfish the featured Bug of the Month for March 2007.

Posted 02 March 2007 § Silverfish, Bristletails and Firebrats ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bug of the Month: February 2007 – Third Fiddler Beetle from Australia in a week

What is it??
Hello there
Found this in Sydney Australia. Any idea of what it is? Thanks
Stuart

fOUND IT!!!!!! thanks!
Fiddler Beetles
Eupoecila australasiae
These beetles emerged from cocoons found in a pot of daffodils in Randwick. Other locations around Sydney where Fiddler Beetles have been recently found include Ingleburn, St Mary’s, Kellyville and Faulconbridge. They are common in heath and woodlands in south-eastern Australia. Adult beetles emerge from soil in early summer and feed on the nectar of flowers. The beetles lay eggs in rotting logs or in the damp soil under logs. The grubs feed on rotting timber and build cocoons of soil and debris in which they pupate. These attractive beetles are harmless to humans.

Hi Stuart,
We are thrilled that you identified your Fiddler Beetle. This is the third specimen we have posted this week and your letter is the first to arrive in February. It is time to post a Bug of the Month for February 2007, and since we have so many fans in Australia, we have decided to that this month we will feature the Fiddler Beetle. This will be the first Bug of the Month not found in the U.S.

Posted 01 February 2007 § Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Page 3 of 4«1234»