Correct Identification?
Location: Battle Ground, WA
April 17, 2011 10:06 pm
I just wanted to thank you for all the excellent resources you provide people with.
My kids captured this insect worried it was a Flying Termite. I used several of the ”Buglinks” and found the bug.
My question is why is the Dance Fly given different scientific names?
Dance Fly – Empis spectabilis and
Dance Fly – Rhamphomyia longicauda.
If the enclosed pictures are not the ”Dance Fly”, could you point me in the right path.
But if I am correct with the Identification,
could you add the picure to your excellent site?
referenced also:
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2007/06/05/unknown-dipteran-with-air-balloon-male-dance-fly/
Signature: daddyo
Dance Fly, we presume
Dear daddyo,
The first part of your question has a very easy answer. Dance Fly is a general name for a member of the family Empididae (see BugGuide) and within that family are many different species. Many of those species do not have unique common names, but they do have unique scientific binomial names. The two names you are questioning are species specific and the names include both genus and species indicators. We believe you are correct that this is a Dance Fly, though we eagerly welcome the input of a dipterist or other knowledgeable person regarding the matter. We are pleased to post your photos and inquiry, and we will also be creating a Dance Fly subcategory for our website.
Dance Fly we believe
is this a moth?
Location: central Nebraska
April 11, 2011 11:19 pm
I found this in my house. He was hanging on to the wall like a cicada, but he can run pretty quickly. Those look like immature wings, but I thought moths came out fully formed. It is the first week of April and this is one of the first insects I’ve seen this year.
Signature: Jerry
Unknown Flightless Female Moth
Hi Jerry,
Congratulations on correctly classifying this as a Moth. It is a flightless female Moth, though we need some time to attempt to identify the species. There are many moth species that have flightless females. Perhaps one of our readers can provide an identification while we are at work today. As an aside, we get very few identification requests from Nebraska. We wonder if it is perhaps the Winter Moth, Operophtera brumata, a species accidentally introduced to North America from Europe. Here is a photo of the Winter Moth on BugGuide.
Unknown Flightless Female Moth
Daniel
I tend to agree that there is a good possibility that this is a female “Winter Moth” but the question still remains is it the exotic “Winter Moth” Operophtera brumataor one of the native Geometrid “Winter Moths”. I know that here in the state of Michigan, we are on the look out for the exotic pest and maybe the good folks in Nebraska may be wondering of its establishment in their great state. Us humans have the ability to help move these exotic species around and this problematic species is established in several states. Puzzling though is that the adults are out and about from November to January but maybe this one was lucky to over winter indoors?
My Two Cents
Thanks
Brian
United States Department of Agriculture
White butterfly/moth in Chiapas, Mexico
Location: Just outside Tuxtla-Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico
April 11, 2011 3:48 pm
While there is only one in this picture (on a neighboring tree), there was a tree covered with hundreds of these guys. The owner of the property said they are always there. To illustrate, she hit the branch with a stick. They fluttered off, but most of them immediately landed again on the tree. She also pointed out that some just drifted to the ground because they were already dead and just stuck to the branch. Any idea what it is?
Signature: David
Unknown Hemipteran
Dear David,
It seems the morning has escaped us and we haven’t much time to research this little beauty at the moment. It is neither a butterfly nor a moth. It is a free-living Hemipteran, perhaps one of the Planthoppers in the superfamily Fulgoroidea. We will try to provide a species identification in the future, but for now we just want to get a few new postings online, so we are tagging your example as unidentified in the hope our readership will have some time to assist us and you.
Karl provides yet another identification
Hi Daniel and David:
It appears to be a Flatid Planthopper (Fulgoroidea: Flatidae) in the genus Poekilloptera. There are several similar looking species, but this one is a very close match to P. phalaenoides. The species ranges from Mexico, south to the northern half of South America as far as Bolivia. Regards. Karl
green hornworm in Lima, Peru, South America
Location: south america, Peru
April 8, 2011 12:03 pm
Well, my friend posteed this picture in facebook and said that this is a waxd moth caterpillar, but I think that this is impossible because waxed moth is onkly found in Norht America while this thing is in the south. I think that this is either an archemon sphinix or a satellite sphinix. could you tell me its real name? thanks.
Signature: shi chen
Unknown Hornworm
Dear shi chen,
We have not had any luck identifying this Hornworm, however, your best resource will probably be the Sphingidae of the Americas Peru webpage. We do not believe it is either the Achemon Sphinx nor the Satellite Sphinx. Can you provide the name of the food plant?
Update
April 15, 2011
An update: my friend told me that he had found three of these kinds of hornworm. Unluckly, 2 of them was gone after he returned few days later and so he only have that worm picture. He did mentioned that the other 2 have white stripes opn them. Also these worms are resting on :an olive tree, a cherimoya tree, and an unkonw green shrub (probably another fruit tree). He also mentioned that the the picture of the wormhorm that I had sent you has faded white stripes. This can be told when the contrast of the picture is risen, which that’s how he did it. This probably means that this some of pillar’s white stripes had faded away after growing to certain size. This is my upadated information. Hope you have luck in identifying the caterpillar. Thanks.
Shi Chen
¶ Posted 10 April 2011 § Hornworms ‡ ° Also tagged: Caterpillar Mystery
Location: Central Texas (Ft. Hood)
April 9, 2011 8:34 pm
Hello,
I found this caterpillar on a low growing oak species in central Texas.
Any idea what it could be?
Thanks!
Signature: writerwren
Unidentified Caterpillar
Dear writerwren,
We are not having any luck trying to identify this caterpillar. It appears that it may have stinging spines. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide an identification.
Caterpillar
Hi I’d like ot know what kind of caterpillar this is… (Please see attached)
Thanks in advanced!
I live in Daytona Beach, Florida, USA
Nick’s Photography & Video to bugman
Unknown Caterpillars from Florida
Hi Nick,
We have spent considerable time unsuccessfully trying to identify these Caterpillars. Can you provide any additional information on the sighting, including the plant they were feeding upon or observations on their behavior?
Well I can send u a picture of the tree they are feeding on… there are all over coming down and also dropping out of the tree… they also seem to be using around the truck of the tree as a sleeping haven also even all branches … Also we have a link for you to click on to view what ever talking about…
also the fresh leave are falling from the tree they are half chewed away and they also i c like the stem of the leaves so i have alot of fresh leave from every minute from the tree…They walk very fast!!!
http://homepage.mac.com/nicksphotovideo/Caterpillars/
Thanks
Nick
Daytona Beach, Florida
p.s. I will be also contacting the news on Monday….
Thanks for the additional information Nick. Having more photos to consider is wonderful. We suspected that this must be an unusual sighting due to the number of Caterpillars in your photo.
Unknown Caterpillar #2
Location: Gilbert, AZ 85233
April 2, 2011 3:04 am
Hi,
I also found this caterpillar on small flowers in my garden, I’m not sure the flower’s name, and I found it March 30. Gilbert, AZ.
Signature: Lindsey
Unknown Caterpillar
Dear Lindsey,
Try though we might, we have been unable to identify this Caterpillar. Perhaps one of our readers will have more luck. Knowing the food plant might make a difference in our ability to provide a proper identification.
Not in Insects of LA Book
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
April 1, 2011 9:48 am
Hi,
I’ve seen a small (~ 3mm long x 1 mm wide) bug on a plant in my garden that I can’t identify. It’s been on a Lion’s Mane plant in the Los Angeles, CA area in March of this year (temps between 50-80 F). No picture seems to match it in Hogue’s ”Insects of the LA Basin”, my favorite local reference. A couple of pictures are attached. Thanks for your help.
Signature: TO-photo
Leafhopper Nymph
Dear TO-photo,
We opened your email yesterday, and we knew we wanted to post your photos, but our own garden was calling to us. We thought about your letter as we were pulling weeds and taking in the wealth of insects that were enjoying the warm sunny conditions, and we waxed poetically about the awesome author Charles Hogue, whose book you mentioned. The Insects of the Los Angeles Basin is our standard for attempting to identify unknown creatures we encounter, but like you, we are sometimes forced to search other venues. Perhaps the world is ready for MORE Insects of the Los Angeles Basin because no volume is ever truly complete. This is an immature Leafhopper, and Hogue’s book only lists two species on page 124. Immature insects can often be quite difficult to identify to the species level. We did a quick search of Leafhoppers in the family Cicidellidae on BugGuide, but we were unable to confirm a conclusive match, so we hope you are satisfied with a family identification. If there are any adult specimens, identification may be much easier. The quality of your photos is excellent.
Leafhopper Nymph
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