what’s eating this cicada? (besides the fact that it’s dead)
Hi Bugman!
Love your website, and apologies if this was already covered in a chapter. There are just SO many photos on your site I don’t know where to begin! Anyhow, I was outside when I heard a small battle being waged on my lawn, looked over, and saw this ?? (hover fly? wasp???) attacking this cicada. Next thing I knew the cicada ceased to be (it was now an ex-cicada) and the fly/wasp had dragged the cicada over to the nearest tree and started flying/climbing up the trunk. Below is my Kodak moment of this adventure. What is the fly/wasp creature, and what on earth was it doing? Thanks for your help!
Curiously Yours, Sandy in Evanston, IL
Hi Sandy,
This wasp is a Cicada Killer, and the Cicada isn’t dead, yet. The female Cicada Killer digs a burrow that is her nest and then hunts Cicadas. She stings them to paralyze them and then gets them back to her burrow. Since the Cicada is so heavy, the wasp will climb a tree to gain altitude. The paralyzed Cicada then becomes the larval food source. She will lay a single egg and the paralysis keeps the meat fresh until the egg hatches. The larva then eats the Cicada alive.
¶ Posted 15 July 2005 § Uncategorized ‡ ° Also tagged: Black Widow dining on a Jerusalem Cricket
We found these guys hanging from the garage door when we got back to Los Alamos, NM from our vacation. The black widow was about the size of a silver dollar with legs. They really like our garage.I’d never seen a child of the earth before in my life though, and I’ve lived in this state for about 25 years. Well, I thought it was artsy at least. I wouldn’t have bothered snapping a photo had I never seen your web site!
Neale
Thanks for the photo Neale,
We have an old spider book by Gertsch that has photos of a Black Widow and a Jerusalem Cricket. It’s just not a fair match.
¶ Posted 14 July 2005 § Uncategorized ‡ ° Also tagged: Spider v. Japanese Beetle
Hi Mr. Bugman,
I love your site and have learned much from it. Thank you for all your hard work. The fuzzy legged spider in the attached photo was sizing up a Japanese Beetle on my rose bush located in Sinking Spring, PA. They both were about the same size so maybe the encounter ended in a standoff. I’ve scrolled through your site but didn’t find anything that looked like this spider. Can you help in its identification? Thanks for your help.
Bob & Elena
Hi Bob and Elena,
We talked to Mom today who lives in Ohio. She said the Japanese Beetles had appeared. I said that we have never gotten a photo of one and lo and behold your image arrived. Your spider is a Jumping Spider from the Family Salticidae. They do not build webs, but prefer to stalk prey diurnally using their keen eyesight.
¶ Posted 09 July 2005 § Uncategorized ‡ ° Also tagged: eating
I think this is an Eastern Pondhawk female devouring a Ruby Meadowhawk- at least all the other Meadowhawks around were Ruby Meadowhawks. I never seem the see males with prey- are they less voracious or just less conspicuous? thanks- i just discovered your wonderful site.
Pam Burtt
Wow Pam,
What a great photo. We have always been under the impression that females of the species were better hunters.
What is it..
You wouldn’t happen to know what this is. I live in Crosby Texas and found this bug on my patio.
Awesome photo of a Robber Fly dispatching one of the Thread Waste Wasps.
¶ Posted 21 June 2005 § Uncategorized ‡ ° Also tagged: My Bug
Hello – I do know my bug is a caterpillar of some sort but what I want to know is what is happening to this creature. I live in south east Arizona and the caterpillar is common here but I have never seen one with the white “larvae” attached to it. It is alive and was perched on a mesquite tree branch when we found it. Do you have any ideas? Thanks you…
Jeannie
Hi Jeannie
Your Juno Buckmoth Caterpillar, Hemileuca juno, which we matched on BugGuide, has been parasitized by a tiny Braconid Wasp that laid her eggs in the caterpillar. The young wasps fed on the caterpillar and then pupated outside. Sadly, the caterpillar will die.
Crab/flower spider
I was so excited today, when I went out to admire my roses, and found a cool white spider with pink lightning bolts down it’s side! I’d seen spiders of a similar shape, but not with this neat-o, new-wave color palate, and never in the middle of their lunch. I grabbed my camera snapped a couple pics, and immediately came back inside to google white and pink spider. Your site came up, and I started looking through it. That was 3 hours ago. What a great site you have!! Well – now I know what my spider is, as well as so many other critters I’ve seen about my house, here in Seattle, WA. I noticed you don’t have too many entries from this part of the country, though, and I’ve seen some interesting creatures that I couldn’t find on your site. Now that I know you’re here, I’ll keep my camera handier, so that when I do see new fascinating friends, I can get your help in naming them for me. Thanks for your wonderful site!!
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
I’m so happy our site was both helpful and entertaining.
¶ Posted 16 May 2005 § Uncategorized ‡ ° Also tagged: No questions, just thought you might enjoy this picture
Elizabeth Norman
Thanks for the image of the feeding Argiope Elizabeth.
¶ Posted 29 April 2005 § Uncategorized ‡ ° Also tagged: 
I like This
