object found in the desert
Location: Mojave Desert
December 7, 2011 9:53 pm
Hi,
I found this egg-shaped object in the high desert (Joshua Tree area). It’s about 1 inch long and looks like it’s made of sand, with openings on top and bottom. Somebody’s home?
Very curious, thank you.
Signature: Marianne
Desert Thing
Dear Marianne,
We aren’t exactly sure what this thing is, but we suspect is was created by some insect or other arthropod. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide an identification.
Desert Thing
Possibly bagworm, from Zambia
Location: Kasanka National Park, Zambia
December 11, 2011 10:52 am
Hello,
This creature was photographed in Kasanka National Park, Zambia. It was crawling on the hood of a stationary car, possibly fell down from an overhanging bush. Date: May 10, 2011.
Any idea, at least to genus? I’d be grateful. Thanks.
Signature: Monika Forner
Bagworm
Dear Monika,
That is sure one crazy looking Bagworm with its grassy bag. Bagworms generally create their bags from the foliage of the plants they feed upon. If you are able to identify the plant species it is feeding upon, it will facilitate a species identification for the Bagworm.
Bagworm
¶ Posted 12 December 2011 § Bagworm ‡ ° Also tagged: What is this mystery bug?
Location: New Mexico, not Colorado Springs
December 3, 2011 11:38 am
Hello there,
Please can you help me identify this?
Thanks,
Gillian
Thanks – by the way the bug was found in New Mexico, not Colorado as stated 
Fly Larvae, we believe
Hi Gillian,
Can you provide any additional information? What habitat were they discovered in? We believe these are some type of Fly Larva, but we would like to eventually provide a more specific identification.
1
¶ Posted 04 December 2011 § Maggots ‡ ° Also tagged: Caterpillar found in Africa
Subject: Caterpillar found in Africa
Location: Kenya, Africa
November 29, 2011 9:24 pm
I am wondering what kind of butterfly this would turn into, and what the species of caterpillar is.
Signature: Lauren
Beautiful Caterpillar from Kenya
Hi Lauren,
This is just about the most beautiful Caterpillar we have ever seen. We don’t know what it is but the head reminds us of a Skipper Caterpillar. Most Skipper Caterpillars we have seen have green bodies, though coloration has very little to do with genera classification. We actually prefer not to research this at the moment because we want to spend some time imagining what the butterfly (and we really believe this is a butterfly) would look like upon metamorphosis.
1
Colourful Colombian grasshoppers
Location: Las Tangaras Reserve, El Carmen, Colombia
November 25, 2011 1:39 pm
I photographed these grasshoppers in the Colombian chocó; Las Tangaras Reserve, El Carmen area, September 6th 2011.
I suppose number one is an adult individual and number two maybe a nymph?!
Possible to ID?’
Thanks!
Signature: Leif Gabrielsen
Grasshopper from Columbia
Hi Leif,
These two really are colorful Grasshoppers, but we are not convinced they are the same species. We are not even convinced that one is an adult because the wings do not extend to the end of the body. That is not always an indication that a Grasshopper is an adult because many species do not have fully developed wings capable of flight upon reaching maturity. We do agree that the second individual is a nymph. We are posting your photos as unidentified and we hope to either determine the correct identity or get some assistance from our readership.
Grasshopper Nymph from Columbia
giant red flying bug
Location: Andhra Pradesh, India
November 26, 2011 10:49 am
Hi – I’m in Andhra Pradesh, India in late November and this big red flying insect landed on my wall, the on the edge of my laptop. From the end of its back legs to the tips of its antennae it was about 5cm. It looked very bitey, so I caught it in a cup and released it outside.
Signature: Steve Sargent
Assassin Bug
Hi Steve,
This is an Assassin Bug in the family Reduviidae, though we need to try to research the species. Most Assassin Bugs prey upon insects and other arthropods, though a few do suck blood from warm blooded prey including humans. We hope our eventual identification will eliminate this brightly colored species as an insect that sucks human blood. Even species that do not prey upon warm blooded hosts are capable of biting if they are carelessly handled and the bite is reported to be quite painful.
Hi Daniel, many thanks for identifying the bug. It certainly did look potentially harmful, but beautiful, too. Good luck with your work!
Steve
1
Namibian Mantis
Location: Central Namibia
November 25, 2011 1:53 pm
Hi Daniel, I think this is the last unknown from our 2011 trip to Namibia. It was on the steps of our bungalow at Durstenbruck Guest Farm near Windhoek.
Signature: Roger Pinkney
Unknown Namibian Mantis
Hi Roger,
We are posting your photo before we attempt any identification. Many Mantids have developed excellent means of camouflage and this species is no exception. The wings and forelegs truly resemble dried leaves.
beetles
Location: Namibia, Southern Africa
November 20, 2011 2:39 pm
Can you please identify these beetles. Images 1 & 2 were taken around 9a.m. on 13th April 2010. in the gardens of Nunda Lodge near Divundu, in the Caprivi Strip, Namibia. The beetles were very abundant and we saw them again when we returned in April 2011.
Signature: Roger Pinkney
Unknown Blister Beetles from Namibia
Hi Roger,
These colorful creatures are Blister Beetles in the family Meloidae. The larvae often feed on Grasshopper Eggs or they parasitize the nests of Solitary Bees. Adults feed on vegetation. They have a complicated life cycle. Blister Beetles get their common name because they exude a substance called cantharidin that can cause blistering of skin, so they should be handled with care. We need to leave to get to Whole Foods to buy some cheese for Thanksgiving dinner, but we will try to find a species identification upon our return.
Blister Beetles
Update
While your individuals look very similar to this unidentified species from Namibia the distinctive red markings evident in your photo are absent.
Dear Daniel, Many thanks for another swift identification. Glad we didn’t touch these beetles. Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner. Kind regards, Roger.
Hi Daniel and Roger:
Your Blister Beetles probably belong to the genus Mylabris (Meloidae: Meloinae). It’s a very large genus (apparently over 200 species) so as usual I can’t be certain, but it looks very much like M. tricolor. The species probably occurs throughout Southern Africa as I also found references to it from Angola and Botswana, as well as images from Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa. None of these images look exactly the same as those in the submitted photos but all are very similar. Variability in appearance is quite common within insect species, particularly if the species has a wide distribution, so that may account for the small differences. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any additional information about the species. Regards. Karl
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