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Tag Archives: Invasive Exotics

What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

White Cicada from Korea: Lycorma delictula

Black bug with red and white spots from South Korea
August 1, 2009
I have already spent countless hours on the web (both Korean and English) trying to figure out what this is when I already am not too fond of looking at bug pictures. It’s a little less than an inch in size and saw them everywhere in a park in Seoul and on hiking trails (still in the middle of Seoul) back in the middle of July. When approached it changes the direction its facing much like a spider and when threatened, it jumps away– pretty far for a little guy. I didn’t get to take a picture, but from the profile its body tilts in a 45 degree angle at rest. Please help me sleep.
Judy
Seoul, South Korea

Lycorma delictula from Korea
Lycorma delictula from Korea

Hi Judy,
Two weeks ago we received some photos of this interesting Fulgorid Hopper, Lycorma delictula, and it was Karl who made the identification for us.  Here is the excerpt from that identification.

Another Update from Karl
Unknown Chinese Hemipteran
July 31, 2009
Daniel:
I dug a little deeper and found an interesting story behind this handsome creature.  The species is Lycorma delictula (Family Fulgoridae : Subfamily Aphaeninae) and it has the erroneous common name White Cicada. Originally from southern China, it has been on the move recently and appears to have made quite a nuisance of itself outside of its natural range, particularly on the Korean Peninsula. I even found one reference in a report on China-Korea trade relations where it was referred to as “adding insult to injury”. It makes a living by sucking tree sap. Regards.
Karl

Goodness– I had a hunch it might not native to Korea since I couldn’t remember seeing them while growing up, even though they seemed to be everywhere this time.  Thank you so much for the identification.  
Judy
Thank you so much for identifying this for me so fast.

Posted 01 August 2009 § Aphids, Scale Insects, Leafhoppers, and Tree Hoppers ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bee-Like Robber Fly eats Japanese Beetle

Giant bee eating Japanese beetle
July 30, 2009
Hello!
While working in my garden, i came across what appeared to be a giant bumblebee eating a Japanese beetle. The bee had a fuzzy abdomen that was striped yellow and black. It was between 1 3/4 ” and 2 ” long. The Japanese beetle was 1/2 ” long. The bee was flying around holding the beetle in it’s mouth. It was huge! Any ideas on what it is?
tree
Floyd county, VA

Bee-Like Robber Fly eats Japanese Beetle

Bee-Like Robber Fly eats Japanese Beetle

Hi tree,
About a week ago we receive a question if Robber Flies ate Japanese Beetles.  We wish your photo had arrived before we answered.  Since Japanese Beetles are an invasive exotic species that does considerable damage to ornamental plants, many gardeners would welcome these Robber Flies into their yards, including our own mother in Ohio.   This is a Bee-Like Robber Fly in the genus Laphria, which can be distinguished from the genus Mallophora by the antennae.  This is explained on BugGuide on the Mallophora genus page thus:  “Resemble Laphria, another genus of robbers that mimic bumblebees, but is even hairier and has antennae with a very thin terminal final segment, whereas Laphria has thick antennae.“  Based on images posted to BugGuide, we believe your specimen most closely resembles Laphria grossa, but we would like an expert confirmation on the species.

Bee-Like Robber Fly eats Japanese Beetle

Bee-Like Robber Fly eats Japanese Beetle

Posted 30 July 2009 § Robber Flies § Scarab Beetles ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:

Painted Bugs from Africa mating in Mount Washington: Bagrada hilaris

July 26, 2009
We noticed some tiny Stink Bugs on our kale and collard greens yesterday, so today we took out the camera and shot some photos.  According to BugGuide, this is a new Invasive Exotic species from Africa, Bagrada hilaris.  It is a very small Stink Bug, about a quarter of the size of the similarly marked Harlequin Stink Bug we also photographed today.  We should try to get one more photo as a size comparison.

Mating Invasive Exotic Stink Bugs in our own garden

Mating Invasive Exotic Stink Bugs in our own garden

We went back out with the camera, placed two specimens in the freezer to slow them down, and took the following size comparison photo between Bagrada and Murgantia and then posted the images to BugGuide.

Bagrada (left) and Murgantia size comparison

Bagrada (left) and Murgantia size comparison

The Natural History of Orange County website has a nice page documenting the life history of what the County of Los Angeles Agricultural Commissioner is calling the Painted Bug in a posted pdf entitled Bagrada_hilaris.

Update:  We wrote to Stephanie at the US Department of Agriculture
Hi Stephanie,
Apparently this new African Stink Bug was first documented in Los
Angeles and Orange Counties last year.  Does anyone need specimens
before I squash what is feeding on my collard greens and kale?
Daniel Marlos

Thanks so much for letting us know. Apparantly, it has been widespread in California for a while now and has been found in La Crescenta, Altadena, Eagle Rock, Pico Rivera, Bell Gardens, Los Angeles, and Long Beach, which are in a roughly 27 x 10 mile swath north-south within the Los Angeles basin in Los Angeles County, California.
Go ahead and squash ‘em. However, I won’t have to put you on the nasty reader list now, would I?
Take care,
Stephanie

Ed. Note:  On killing insects
We need to clarify several things here.  Nasty readers are people who are rude to us, not people who kill harmless insects and other arthropods out of fear or ignorance.  We strive to educate the public regarding fierce looking, but harmless or beneficial creatures that are often squashed or that become unnecessary carnage by other means.  We have no ethical problem with the killing of problematic species, and invasive exotic Stink Bugs feeding on our garden crop would be one of those exceptions.  We are putting ourselves on blast here:  Yes, we will squash all the Bagrada hilaris we find on our produce since we don’t use insecticides in our vegetable patch.

Posted 26 July 2009 § Stink Bugs and Shield Bugs ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

American Cockroach: Drowned in the Fountain

nocturnal brown flying insect
July 21, 2009
Dear Mr. Bugman,
I hopelessly freaked out by bugs! Just last night, I saw a few of these bugs flying around my backyard. When they land they scurry around quickly like cockroaches but then take flight. The one photographed drowned in my waterfountain (oopsie). Can you please tell me what it is?
Buggin’ out
Fontana, CA (So. Cal)

American Cockroach

American Cockroach

Dear Buggin’ out,
These are American Cockroaches, Periplaneta americana, which is something of a misnomer since according to BugGuide:  “They are significant pests throughout the world. They are not native to the Americas at all. They come from tropical Africa. They were probably transported to the Americas on slave ships.” BugGuide also has this to report:  “Adults have wings and will occasionally fly. However, they are awkward fliers and prefer to run when disturbed. Males and females are about the same size and look very similar. Both have a pair of cerci, finger-like appendages, at the tips of their abdomens. The cerci are used to detect air currents in the cockroach’s surroundings. Male cockroaches have an additional set of appendages called styli on their abdomens. The styli are located between the cerci but are smaller and more delicate. The presence of styli is the easiest way to distinguish male from female cockroaches. Immature American cockroaches resemble adults, except they are wingless. The American cockroach egg capsules are mahogany brown and about 1/3 inch long.”

American Cockroach

American Cockroach

Posted 21 July 2009 § Cockroaches ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Twelve-Spotted Asparagus Beetle from Romania

Little red beetles
July 20, 2009
Hello,
I first noticed these fellows in our garden this June. An asparagus bush seems to be the only place they like to hang around and they’re about the size of lady bugs (seems they’re related too). They gave me the impression it’s completely under their dignity to be touched by humans – as I try to grab one it heroically throws itself of the plant and flies just before reaching the ground.
Could you tell me a few things about these bugs?
Thank you :)
Sonia
Romania

Twelve-Spotted Asparagus Beetle

Twelve-Spotted Asparagus Beetle

Hi Sonia,
The Twelve-Spotted Asparagus Beetle, Crioceris duodecimpunctata, is not closely related to the Lady Bug.  It is in the family Chrysomelidae, the Leaf Beetles.  The Twelve Spotted Asparagus Beetle is native to Europe, but it has been introduced to North America where it is considered an agricultural pest of the asparagus.

Posted 20 July 2009 § Leaf Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Giant Resin Bees

Unidentified Bee
July 17, 2009
I put up a bee house for mason and leafcutter bees with 3/8 inch holes. The leafcutters came earlier in the year and have gone. Now some of the holes have been plastered over and two large black bees with rust colored hair are going in and out the holes. They have very large eyes with mandibles coming out very close to the eyes. Their small eyes are in line with the top of their large eyes. The thorax is black with rust colored hair along the sides and the first abdomen segment is rust colored. The second segment is black, then a thin white stripe, then the rest of the abdomen is black.
Karen Oliver-Paull
Northern most part of Lancaster Co., South Carolina

Giant Resin Bees nesting

Giant Resin Bees nesting

Dear Karen,
The Giant Resin Bee, Megachile sculpturalis,is an invasive exotic.  According to BugGuide:  “They are opportunistic and nest in existing wooden cavities, rather than excavating their own.  Recently introduced from Asia. To make things worse it turns out to be a good pollinator of another introduced invasive: kudzu.“  Here is how BugGuide describes the life cycle:  “The female bee nests alone and begins by preparing a cell in an existing tube or narrow cavity, using resin and sap collected from trees. Other materials such as bits of rotten wood and mud are also used in nest construction. Next she collects pollen and carries it to the nest on the underside of her hairy abdomen.  After completing several pollen collecting trips, she lays an egg on the pollen ball in the cell. Then she seals it, and prepares another cell. Continuing in this fashion, one female can complete about 10 cells. If the entrance of the nesting tube is directly exposed to the outside, the tube may be noticeably sealed with a resin, wood and sometimes mud cap. After the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the pollen and spend the winter within their cells. The larvae pupate in late spring and the adult bees emerge that summer.” North Carolina State University

Posted 17 July 2009 § Bees ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Brown Widow doused with aerosol insecticide

Great Site for Science Students
Wed, Jul 8, 2009 at 4:43 PM
Hi Bugman,
I’m a sixth grade science teacher and I wanted to say how helpful your site is when teaching my students about helpful and harmful insects, arachnids, and other creatures. Students love the pictures and they often have good discussions about the bugs I show them. Your site is useful in helping students to identify before they kill bugs. Thanks for providing a great site. It’s great to show my students great pictures. You are appreciated!
C.G
Science Teacher
Florida
P.S.
I have enclosed a photo of a brown widow that I necessarily had to carnage on my front porch. It had nested under a chair on my front porch.

Brown Widow

Brown Widow

Dear C.G,
Thank you so much for your kind letter.  It is with trepidation that we are NOT tagging your letter as Unnecessary Carnage, and we feel many of our readership will disagree.  Your justifiably dispatched photo of a Brown Widow doused with insecticide nicely shows the typical orange coloration of the hourglass and the striped legs.  According to BugGuide the Brown Widow has a distribution:  “World wide in the tropical zone.  It was introduced in Florida and has since been observed moving north through Georgia, and into South Carolina; it has also been officially recorded in California, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas. Habitat Found around buildings in tropical climates. (1)However, it is an introduced species and is the most human-adapted of the species occurring in the South Eastern US. Its webs may occur anywhere there is sufficient space to make one. It may be extremely abundant on houses and other man-made structures (e.g., barns, fences, guard rails, bridges). It reproduces frequently and disperses rapidly, making it nearly impossible to control.”  Since it is an introduced species, we will be tagging it as an Invasive Exotic.

Posted 09 July 2009 § Black Widow ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Mating Japanese Beetles

Metallic looking beatle skeletonizing grape leaves
Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 7:34 AM
We have a swarming of metallic looking beatles skeletonizing our grape leaves. It isn’t anything like the pictures of Western skeletonizing bugs shown.
wlarson
Iowa

Japanese Beetles

Japanese Beetles

Hello wlarson,
These are mating Japanese Beetles, Popillia japonica , an invasive exotic species accidentally introduced to New Jersey in 1916. Since that time, the Japanese Beetles have spread throughout much of the eastern U.S. BugGuide does not list any sightings in Iowa, but there are reports from many surrounding states and the westernmost reports on BugGuide are from Kansas. Japanese Beetles feed on the leaves, flowers and fruits of countless ornamental plants, and they are most fond of roses. There are commercial traps available that lure the Japanese Beetles with bait and keep them from feeding on the plants.  Mom in Ohio says the Japanese Beetles make the leaves of her plants look like lace doilies.

Posted 07 July 2009 § Scarab Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Predatory Stink Bug eats Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Carnivorous Orange Beetle
Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 6:37 PM
My wife spotted this pair in the backyard. I don’t know the identity of either bug, but found the scene quite interesting. I’m just curious what was sucking the life out of what.
Dave
Beloit, WI

Predatory Stink Bug eats invasive Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Predatory Stink Bug eats invasive Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Hi Dave,
We located a nearly identical image on BugGuide, except that three Predatory Stink Bugs in the genus Apateticus are feeding on a Gypsy Moth Caterpillar.  Sadly, BugGuide does not provide any information on the genus and a nymph or immature insect, like the one in your photo, is often quite difficult to identify to the species level.  We can tell you that the Gypsy Moth Caterpillar, Lymantria dispar, is an introduced pest species.  BugGuide has this to say about the range of the Gypsy Moth:  “Native to Eurasia, introduced to North America at Boston, Massachusetts circa 1869 and has been spreading ever since ( US Forest Service ). Michigan, Pennsylvania, and all states to the north and east of these.  Also much of Wisconsin.  Also the northern parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.  Most of West Virginia is included in the insect’s range, as well as parts of Virginia and North Carolina.  The United States Forest Service estimates the moth’s range is spreading south and west at a rate of about 21 kilometers per year.  In Canada, the Gypsy Moth is present in British Columbia and in much of eastern Canada. “  BugGuide has the following comments with regards to food, life cycle and general remarks:  “Food Many hardwood species.  A very partial list includes Red Oak, Cherries, Willows, Hickories, and Pines.  Over 500 spp. of plants are known hosts.
Life Cycle In late summer females lay up to 1,000 eggs per egg mass.  The eggs overwinter and hatch in the Spring.  Larvae feed heavily and do considerable damage to forests.  Pupation typically occurs in mid-Summer.
Remarks Etienne Leopold Trouvelot, an amateur entomologist, brought Gypsy Moths into the United States to see if they could be successfully reared for silk culture.  Around 1869 some of Trouvelot’s charges escaped from his home near Boston.  Realizing the potential magnitude of the problem, he reported the escape but no action was taken until the infestation grew serious several years later. Trouvelot later became interested in astronomy and astronomical illustration, and eventually became a Harvard professor of Astronomy. ”

Predatory Stink Bug eats invasive Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Predatory Stink Bug eats invasive Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Posted 07 July 2009 § Stink Bugs and Shield Bugs § Tussock Moth Caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Lime Hawk Moth in Pennsylvania: Exotic Introduction or Hoax???

what kind of moth is this please
Thu, Jul 2, 2009 at 1:48 PM
We had this moth at work 2 days ago sitting on the concrete most of the day and then hanging on the building for most of the night, then it was gone.
curious
northwest pa

Lime Hawk Moth

Lime Hawk Moth

Dear Curious,
This sure looks like a Lime Hawk Moth, Mimas tiliae, to us. The problem with this identification is that the Lime Hawk Moth is a European species and this sighting could indicate an accidental introduction. We are copying Bill Oehlke who does comprehensive species data on the family Sphingidae, as well as the United States Department of Agriculture new pest advisory group at npag@aphis.usda.gov because the introduction of a new species to an area outside of its typical range can have significant environmental consequences and it should be treated seriously. The ease with which new species can be introduced by humans to distant locations can have dire impacts on local indigenous populations. Thanks for your cooperation in this potentially seriously matter.

Confirmation of Identification
Sat, Jul 4, 2009 at 4:52 AM
Daniel,
I agree that your id of the western PA moth is M. tiliae, and that it does not belong there.
Bill Oehlke

Ed. Note:
Now that Bill Oehlke, and expert in Sphingidae, has established that this is in fact a Lime Hawk Moth, there are several additional questions raised. First there is the possibility that this is a hoax. Though we like to believe that our readership is ethical, the possibility always exists that someone out there has “gone rogue” and is playing a joke. Once we establish that that is not the case here, the next question is whether this is an isolated individual that somehow got introduced, or if it is part of a brood or the beginning of an actual, viable introduction. More sightings would be necessary to establish that. Since the climate of northwest Pennsylvania is not dissimilar to that of the UK, and since the food tree, Linden, is grown ornamentally in northeast Ohio, and probably also in northwest Pennsylvania, the possibility exists that a population of Lime Hawk Moths may become established and spread in North America. We hope our friends at the USDA are checking their email during the holiday weekend since we just received a request to notify them of any suspected introductions. If you see a Lime Hawk Moth in the eastern portion of North America, please contact us immediately and put the name Lime Hawk Moth in the subject line of your email. More importantly, please contact the USDA at npag@aphis.usda.gov so the authorities will know of the sighting.

Update from Doug Yanega from the Entomology Research Museum at UC Riverside
Monday, July 13, 2009
Last Friday, while we were without a computer, Doug Yanega was kind enough to leave us a voice message regarding the Lime Hawk Moth sighting.  This is a paraphrase of the message he left:  The Lime Hawk Moth is already known from eastern canada so Pennsylvania is just the first time it has been sighted across the US border. Probably introduced carelessly or intentionally from someone has imported and was rearing Sphinx Moths from overseas.

Update from the USDA
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Hi again Daniel,
I just wanted you to know that we are still receiving emails concerning the Lime Hawk Moth and I’m enjoying how excited people are about this.
Can you post a short note that we at USDA need an actual specimen to submit it for official identification, not just a photo (although I have been enjoying the wonderful photos)? If someone is able to catch a specimen, they can email us at npag@aphis.usda.gov for the address to send it.
That would help us so much.
Stephanie Dubon
PS – have you squished all your Bagradas? I lost all my cucumbers to aphids this year :( little buggers!
npag@aphis.usda.gov

UPDATE: New Pest Advisory Group – Insects new to the United States
September 15, 2009
Hi Daniel,
I am once again hoping you can do one last update to the Mimas tiliae posting on your website (the one where it was found in Pennsylvania). I have finally been able to get ahold of someone in USDA that told me the official procedure:
If you have found a specimen (dead or still alive, any life stage, must be a specimen, not photos) the first step is to take the specimen to your state’s land grant university entomology department, cooperative extension office, or the state’s department of agriculture, who will then forward it to the appropriate authorities.
Can you please add this to your website? We are getting so many photos, but no one has found a specimen and now we know what the official procedure is if some are found.
Thanks so much and keep up the good work!
Stephanie M. Dubón
Coordinator and Pest Analyst
United States Department of Agriculture
1730 Varsity Dr Suite 300
Raleigh, NC  27606
Office: 919-855-7574
Fax: 919-855-7599

Posted 04 July 2009 § Hummingbird Moths, Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths ‡ Comments (4) ° Also tagged:

Eucalyptus Borer

Larger than normal for Berkeley
Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 4:39 PM
I’ve found the insects here in Berkeley to be generally fewer and less varied than where I grew up in rural Wisconsin. But a few weeks before I move back to the midwest this one turned up on my bedroom ceiling two nights ago. I’ve never before seen one in Berkeley. The body is 1 inch long and 0.25″ inch wide, and each antenna is 1.25″. I kept her occupied with a raisin during the photoshoot, which she seemed to appreciate. What is it?
Finally something large and not a crane fly
Berkeley, CA

Eucalyptus Borer

Eucalyptus Borer

Hi Finally,
This is a Eucalyptus Borer in the genus Phoracantha. There are two species with the same common name. Phoracantha recurva and Phoracantha semipunctata were both accidentally introduced from Australia. The two species are quite similar and we don’t feel qualified to determine which of the species you have found. The larvae bore in the wood of eucalyptus trees.

Update:
Thank you for the response!  Between those two, it seems to be clearly a Phoracantha semipunctata, based on the description and P. semipunctata photo here…
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7425.html
…and the P. recurva photo here…
http://www.barkbeetles.org/browse/subject.cfm?SUB=12355
– Finally

Posted 02 July 2009 § Longhorn Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Diaprepes Root Weevil

Beetle my friend photographed
Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 7:18 PM
Hello,
My friend posted a picture of this beetle she came across and was curious as to what kind it is. Found in their house in Orlando, FL.
James
Orlando, FL

Diaprepes Root Weevil

Diaprepes Root Weevil

Dear James,
Your friend has photographed the invasive exotic Diaprepes Root Weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus. Though it is beautiful, this Caribbean native has naturalized in Florida “where it has become a serious pest especially of citrus and woody ornamentals” according to BugGuide. BugGuide goes on to report: “The California Dept. of Food & Agriculture has issued a flyer containing the following information: ‘The weevil was accidentally introduced into Florida in the 1960s and caused extensive damage. It has been intercepted in shipments of plants to California.’ Said to feed on some 270 different plants, it’s described as ‘a significant threat to both urban and agricultural trees and plants.’”
“

Posted 14 June 2009 § Weevils ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

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