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Tag Archives: Unidentified

Immature Grasshopper from Brazil

Grasshopper
November 19, 2011
Hi Buggy!
I found this beautyful Grasshopper. It was about the size of my nail and I think it’s immature. Any clue about it?
The Location is Jaraguá, São Paulo, Brazil.
Cesar Crash

grasshopper brazil cesar 300x218 Immature Grasshopper from Brazil

Grasshopper Nymph

Hi Cesar,
Please use our standard form for submissions in the future.  We apologize for the delay, but we have been busy.  We don’t know the species, but you are correct that this is a nymph.  Often nymphs change their coloration drastically as they mature.

grasshopper brazil cesar 2 300x206 Immature Grasshopper from Brazil

Grasshopper Nymph

I think my concept of delay is quite different from yours. It was so fast! And please do not apologize, I just have to thank you for everything I learned with you.
Muito Obrigado!

Identification Courtesy of Karl
Hi Daniel and Cesar:
I believe it is an immature Lubber Grasshopper (Romaleidae) in the genus Zoniopoda. It looks a lot like Z. omnicolor (see enlargement here), but apparently that species does not occur along the Atlantic coast of Brazil. Another possibility is Z. tarsata, which is more common and more widely distributed than Z. omnicolor. I was only able to find one online image identified as an immature Z. tarsata, on a site for the Reserva Natural Isla Martin Garcia (once you figure out how to navigate through the site it is the third last image).  (See adult Zoniopoda tarsata here.)  Regards. Karl

Thanks much Karl.  We now have to update the mating Heteropterans from Namibia.  We didn’t read your identification yet, but we did notice you sent it.


Posted 24 November 2011 § Grasshoppers ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Green Scarab Beetle from India is structurally coloured according to Wikipedia

ID pls
Location: Bannerghatta National park., Karnataka, south India
November 14, 2011 12:19 am
hi, i found this fellow in my place. place found was South India, Karantaka, Bangalore, Scrub forest Bannerghatta National park. pls can i know the common and scientific name of this fellow
Signature: rameshb belagere

green scarab india rameshb 300x228 Green Scarab Beetle from India is structurally coloured according to Wikipedia

Unknown Green Scarab Beetle

Dear rameshb belagere,
This is a Scarab Beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, but our initial search of the internet has not turned up a definitive species identification.  We believe it is the same species as this unidentified photo posted on vidarbha wildlife.  One of our readers may be able to assist in this identification.

Identification Courtesy of Karl
Hi Daniel and rameshb belagere:
I think you are right about the unidentified photo you linked to (on vidarbha wildlife). It looks like a Flower Chafer (Scarabeidae: Cetoniinae), probably Heterorrhina elegans. You can just make out the four black, raised bumps (calli, or singular callus) on the elytra that apparently are diagnostic for the species. Online images are scarce but a set of three appears on various sites, including Wikipedia. If you care to read a detailed description you can access an online version of the relevant volume (G. J. Arrow 1910) of “The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma”. The relevant text includes: “…the sutural margins of the elytra posteriorly and the apical calli black (generally also the humeral calli, but less distinctly.)” and “H. elegans is distinguishable from all other Indian species of the genus by its extremely glossy surface, as well as by the black spot near the end of each elytron.”  I can’t be absolutely certain, but I believe that is it. Regards. Karl

Thanks so much Karl.  We are fascinated by the Wikipedia claim that the coloration is not due to pigment, but to structure, or as it is more technically stated:  “The physics of the colouration of the cuticle is a subject of interest as the colours are entirely structural, not produced by pigments, and nearly 200 year old specimens show no degradation of the colours.[3] The underlying structures made up of nearly 50 microscopic double layers[4] have been studied in the search for structural paints that do not need pigments which are often environmentally toxic chemicals.”  The coloration of the Morpho is also due to structure and not pigment.

3.  Neville, AC & S Caveney (1969). “Scarabaeid beetle exocuticle as an optical analogue of cholesteric liquid crystals”. Biological Reviews 44 (4): 531–562. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.1969.tb00611.x. PMID 5308457.

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Posted 14 November 2011 § Scarab Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Mystery Metamorphosis from Brazil

Weird bug moulting
Location: Southeast Brazil
October 21, 2011 6:09 pm
I’ll be happy if anyone can tell me from which order does this bug belongs, I’ve found it during a nocturnal outing in a brazilian rainforest, seems to me like the emerging bug is a katydid nymph but the old skin looks like a lepidoptera!
Signature: João P. Burini

metamorphosis brazil joao 199x300 Mystery Metamorphosis from Brazil

Unknown Insect Metamorphosis

Dear João,
We apologize for the lengthy delay, but we just remembered seeing your submission previously and we didn’t have time to respond.  Then your email got buried in our unanswered email pile.  We haven’t a clue what this creature might be, but we will post it in the hopes that one of our readers can supply some information.

metamorphosis brazil joao 2 300x199 Mystery Metamorphosis from Brazil

Unknown Insect undergoes metamorphosis

 

 

Posted 12 November 2011 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Unknown Blister Beetle

Black Beetle
Location: 15 miles west of Eugene, Oregon
November 11, 2011 2:31 pm
Dear Mr. Bugman,
Could you help me identify this insect that is eating my zinnias (petals only, receptacles need not apply) with what I can only term as orgiastic abandon. Although they seem similar to blister beetles, I can handle them with no ill effects. Thank you for your input.
Yours entomologically
Signature: zekenzoey

black blister beetle zekenzoey 300x212 Unknown Blister Beetle

Blister Beetle

Dear zekensoey,
While we cannot be certain of the species, we are confident that this is a Blister Beetle in the family Meloidae.  There are several black Blister Beetles in the genus Epicauta including Epicauta pennsylvanica, the Black Blister Beetle, however, it is not reported on BugGuidefrom Oregon.  The elytra appear to be too smooth to be the Punctate Blister Beetle, Epicauta puncticollis, which ranges in Oregon according to BugGuide.

black blister beetle zekenzoey 2 300x206 Unknown Blister Beetle

Blister Beetle

  We will do additional research to see if we can determine a species.

black blister beetle zekenzoey 3 300x221 Unknown Blister Beetle

Blister Beetle

Eric Eaton responds to our identification request
Daniel:
No, I don’t, but Jacques Rifkind might.  I thought I had his e-mail but apparently not handy.  Give me another day or so?
Eric

 

Posted 12 November 2011 § Blister Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Tiger Moth from Tanzania

Mahale Mountains Moth
Location: Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania
November 10, 2011 9:00 am
Dear Daniel
I took this picture in February, in the morning, in Mahale Mountains National Park- Tanzania. I would love to know what genus (or species) this animal belongs to. This beautiful moth was rather slow moving.
kind regards
Teena
Signature: Teena

saturniid tanzania teena 300x212 Tiger Moth from Tanzania

Unknown Moth from Tanzania

Dear Teena,
We are going to seek some assistance from Bill Oehlke for this identification.  Your moth reminds us of the Royal Walnut Moth or Regal Moth, Citheronia regalis, from North America (see BugGuide), however, to the best of our knowledge, that genus and subfamily are not found in Africa.

HI Daniel thanks very much for trying, I thought maybe it was from the family Ctenuchinae, but that was as far as I could get and then I wasn’t really sure.  If it is possible I would love to know.  Warm regards Teena
Teena Payne
The Infinite Horizon

How large was this moth Teena?

Hi Daniel, I reckon about 2cm-ie wing/head length.  Kind regards Teena

Bill Oehlke provides a correction
November 11, 2011
HI Daniel,
A pretty moth but I do not know what it is. It is not a Saturniidae.
Bill Oehlke

Hi again Teena,
We are going to check with Arctiid expert Julian Donahue next to verify if this is a Tiger Moth as you suspected.  Julian may be exploring some exotic land right now, so his response may be delayed.

Julian Donahue provides some taxonomy
November 14, 2011
Nice moth! Formerly placed in the mostly African family Thyretidae, but this group has recently been considered a part of the subfamily Syntominae of the Arctiidae (or the tribe Syntomini of the subfamily Arctiinae of the family Noctuidae, if you follow the recent extreme lumping of the tiger moths with the “millers”).
The moth appears to belong to the genus Balacra or the genus Metarctia, both of which have several species recorded from Tanzania. Some of those species are relatively recently described, and I do not have at hand any of the pertinent references to key out a specimen (if indeed I had a specimen in hand).
Sorry I couldn’t be any more specific.
Julian

Dear Daniel and Julian… many thanks for your efforts…I wish I had taken more pictures of this animal- especially since it was very compliant! In all the time I was in Mahale this was the only one I ever saw.  kind regards Teena

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Posted 10 November 2011 § Tiger Moths and Arctiids ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Possibly Owlet Caterpillar from Mexico

caterpillar ID
Location: MEXICO, YUCATAN, Chichén Itzá
November 7, 2011 8:36 am
Hi bugman, a friend who is staying in the Yucatan, Mexico sent me a picture of a caterpillar he would like IDed for his weekly newsletter, I’ve searched everywhere I can think of for an ID, including your website, but haven’t been able to find not even a clue. He says: ”It’s a hornworm but its horn is just a stub. I suspect it’s been bitten off by something and once was a regular hornworm horn.”
I hope you can help!
Thanks for any you help you can provide!
Signature: Bea

caterpillar mexico bea 300x218 Possibly Owlet Caterpillar from Mexico

Mexican Caterpillar might be Owlet Caterpillar

Dear Bea,
We disagree that this is a Hornworm.  It looks to us like an Owlet Moth Caterpillar in the family Noctuidae and it has markings similar to species in the genus Cuculia known as the Hooded Owlet Moths, many of which are very brightly colored.  See BugGuide for some North American examples.

Posted 07 November 2011 § Cutworms and Owlet Caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Wattle Goat Moth from Australia, not Hawkmoth

moth
Location: Bermagui NSW
November 6, 2011 5:40 pm
Can you please ID this moth. She came in on Nov 1st, laid her eggs on the back of my chair then stayed till she died 5 days later, sad.But what is she?
Signature: Sue

sphinx australia sue 300x285 Wattle Goat Moth from Australia, not Hawkmoth

Hawkmoth from Australia

Hi Sue.
We strongly feel this is a Hawkmoth in the family Spingidae, however a species identification is eluding us.  We started searching Butterfly House, and the two best candidates there are the Australian Privet Hawkmoth, Psilogramma casuarinae, and Synoecha marmorata.  The former has the dark markings on the thorax, and the latter has closer wing markings.  Csiro has this image of the latter.  The Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic website has this to say about Psilogramma increta:  “Reliably recorded from northeastern China, Japan and Korea, south and east through China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Peninsular Malaysia, to the Greater Sunda Islands; then west through Burma/Myanmar, Nepal and India to Kashmir. It is possible that P. increta extends much further east through the Malay Archipelago and may even reach Australia and the Pacific islands. However, in these latter areas, the features of adult wing colour and pattern that farther west differentiate P. increta from the closely related species, P. menephron, break down and it becomes impossible to reliably distinguish them on this basis. The two species are also identical in genital structure. Mell (1922b) described diagnostic features of larvae and pupae but these have yet to be investigated in eastern populations of Psilogramma.”  Perhaps one of our readers will be able to assist in this difficult identification.

Update and Correction
Thanks to a comment from Ryan, we now realize this Hawkmoth imposter is actually a Wattle Goat Moth, one of the Wood Moths in the family COSSIDAE.

Posted 06 November 2011 § Wood Moths ‡ Comments (2) ° Also tagged:

Immature Stink Bug from the Congo

Identify Bug
Location: Kakanda, DRC
November 5, 2011 3:11 am
Hi there,
I am working in Kakanda, DRC and I found this bug outside in our camp… I thought it was dead but it is still moving slightly. It is approximately 30 mm long and 20 mm wide.
I hope you can help me to identify it. I’m really interested to know what it is.
Signature: Lindi Richer

stink bug congo linda 274x300 Immature Stink Bug from the Congo

Immature Stink Bug

Hi Linda,
We are nearly certain that this is a Stink Bug in the family Pentatomidae, but it might be a closely related Shield Bug or other member of the superfamily Pentatomoidea.  It is an immature specimen as evidenced by the lack of wings.

stink bug congo linda 2 300x266 Immature Stink Bug from the Congo

Immature Stink Bug

Thanks for submitting three different angles.  This should help in the eventual species identification.

stink bug congo linda 3 258x300 Immature Stink Bug from the Congo

Immature Stink Bug

 

 

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Posted 05 November 2011 § Stink Bugs and Shield Bugs ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

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