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Giant Snowball Mealybug from Australia

On · Category: Aphids, Scale Insects, Leafhoppers, and Tree Hoppers Tagged With: · Add Comment

Subject: Found at work
Location: Victoria, Melbourne
May 22, 2013 8:39 pm
Hi, just wondering if anyone knows what this is please?
Signature: Kim

Snowball Large Mealybug

Giant Snowball Mealybug

Hi Kim,
The first time we received a photo of a Snowball Large Mealybug in the genus Monophlebulus, we had no idea what it was as it looked so very primitive, and Eric Eaton eventually identified it as a Giant Scale Insect.  Several years later when we received another photo, we learned that the Snow Ball Large Mealybug in the genus Monophlebulus at which time Karl who frequently contributes to our site did some wonderful research.  There is a nice photo on Life Unseen and the Brisbane Insect Website has some marvelous photo of members of this genus with the white cottony covering found on so immature Hemipterans.  We have taken the liberty of making the grammatically confusing common name more acceptable by using the compound word and moving the adjective in front of the noun:  Giant Snowball Mealybug has a much better ring to it.  As Karl noted in the previous posting, Ground Pearl is a name for the encysted nymph that is noted on the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Department of Entomology Ornamentals and Turf page.  

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Blistered Grasshopper from Australia

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Subject: Grasshoppers
Location: Emerald, Queensland, Australia, Southern Hemisphere
May 15, 2013 4:44 am
Hello bugman!
This week we have found these grasshoppers in our garden and we haven’t been able to find any images on line to identify what they are. Can you please let us know what we have found??
Thank you
Signature: Sharon Wilkins

Blistered Grasshopper

Blistered Grasshopper

Dear Sharon,
We quickly identified your Blistered Grasshopper, Monistria pustulifera, thanks to the Australian Insects website.  It is also called the Arid Inland Painted Grasshopper, and Australian Insects states:  “The blistered grasshopper (or pyrgomorph) belongs to the family Pyrgomorphidae. This family has some of the smallest and some of the largest grasshoppers in Australia. The pustulifera species can grow up to 65mm in length.  This short horned grasshopper has a mottled body, with orange-yellow spots all over.”  The Blistered Grasshopper is also pictured on Gaia Guide.

Blistered Grasshopper

Blistered Grasshopper

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

From Australia: Ghost Moth, Wood Moth or other???

On · Category: Ghost Moths and Wood Moths Tagged With: · Add Comment

Subject: Moth – Cossidae?
Location: Armidale, NSW
April 21, 2013 1:53 am
Hi,
Are you able to identify the family of this moth? I originally thought it was Cossidae but then it also looks like it could be Hepialidae or Notodontidae or something else. It was found in Armidale, NSW, in Australia, in March (Autumn).
Thanks.
Signature: Sarah

Ghost Moth or Wood Moth?

Ghost Moth or Wood Moth?

Dear Sarah,
For years we have been mixing up Hepialidae and Cossidae, and we have them lumped together in our archive under Ghost Moths and Wood Moths.  This is a beautifully mounted specimen and we imagine getting the correct identification is especially important to you.  We would recommend that you contact a local natural history museum for assistance.  Please get back to us if you get a proper identification.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Swift Moth from Australia

On · Category: Ghost Moths and Wood Moths Tagged With: · Add Comment

Subject: MOTH
Location: Westdale Western Australia
April 19, 2013 5:46 am
Hi
We found this large grey moth on the ground at our property in Westdale. It was about 12cm long. Just wondering if you could please tell me what it is. Much appreciated.
Signature: Thanks Michelle

Swift Moth

Swift Moth

Dear Michelle,
This appears to us to be a Swift Moth or Ghost Moth in the family Hepialidae.  The Csiro website has photos that indicate it might be
Avantiades labyrinthicus or a closely related species.  Photos on Dave’s Garden and the Morwell National Park website support that ID.  Though BugGuide is dedicated to North American species, these remarks about the family Hepialidae should also pertain to your moth:  “Explanation of Names Ghost Moth – to attract females, the male hovers over open ground, sometimes slowly rising and falling [like a ghost] (wikipedia.org)  Swift Moth – adults are rapid fliers” and “Early instar larvae feed on plant detritus, decaying wood, or fungi; later instars bore into roots or stems of woody plants, or feed on moss, and the leaves of grasses and other herbaceous plants.
Some adults cannot feed because they lack mouthparts.”  BugGuide also notes:  “Considered a ‘primitive’ moth because of a combination of adult and larval characters. Adult moths lack a strong wing coupling mechanism and instead use a “jugum”, which is a thumb like projection between fore- and hindwings. Wings do not remain coupled while in flight. While present in other primitive lepidoptera, the exact function remains speculative. This feature is often strongly, and best, developed in the Hepialidae. Adults also have reduced or sometimes absent mouthparts.”  Finally, the Strathbogie Ranges Nature View website has a very nice posting on the Swift Moth including a link to this wonderful old article from a 1947 edition of The Tasmanian Naturalist.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Spider Wasp with Wolf Spider in Australia

On · Category: spider wasps, Wolf Spiders Tagged With: , · Add Comment

Subject: Cryptocheilus bicolor and …
Location: Perth, Western Australia
March 28, 2013 2:42 am
Dear Bugman
Recently captured few images and recognised the wasp from your site as Cryptocheilus bicolor (I think). Was interested to know what kind of spider it was. The picture were taken in Perth, Western Australia.

Spider Wasp battles with Wolf Spider

Spider Wasp battles with Wolf Spider

At first the wasp was the victim, and being dragged by the spider (yesterday). Wasp managed to get a sting in to ”seemingly” paralyse the spider, as it was still alive the following day (today).

Spider Wasp paralyzes Wolf Spider

Spider Wasp paralyzes Wolf Spider

The wasp has been dragging the spider around and attempted to get it to it’s nest in the roof… was a bit of a struggle and continually dropped it as it reached ceiling height, only to pick it up and drag it up the wall again! It now lies abandoned on the ground… seems to still have a little bit of life left in it! I think the wasp will be back for it… (?)
Signature: Marlise Nel

Wolf Spider Eyes

Wolf Spider Eyes

Hi Marlise,
Thank you for sending us your wonderful photos and your detailed observations of this Food Chain drama.  The Orange Spider Wasp, Cryptocheilus bicolor, feeds on both Huntsman Spiders and Wolf Spiders according to the Brisbane Insect Website.  We typically get photos of them feeding on Huntsman Spider and we believe this is the first example we have received of a Wolf Spider as the prey.  In your second photo, the face of the spider is perfectly facing the camera, so it was easy to make out the eye arrangement and match it to the eye arrangement of the Wolf Spiders.  Spider Eye Arrangements are posted to BugGuide.  One correction we would like to make on your observations is your mention of a rooftop nest.  Spider Wasps burrow underground, and this spider was intended not as food for the female wasp that hunted it, but rather for her brood.  Since it would be nearly impossible for the Spider Wasp to gain altitude from the ground while transporting such a large spider, it is common to see the wasps climb to a height and glide to the nest with the prey in tow.  Since we will be away from the office during the holiday, we are postdating your submission to go live early next week.

Spider Wasp dragging Wolf Spider up a wall

Spider Wasp dragging Wolf Spider up a wall

Dear Daniel
Delighted to hear from you!  Thank you so much for going to the trouble of replying with such detailed information.
Have since seen the videos of her dragging her prey underground :-)   Horribly cruel, yet resourceful execution…
Best
Marlise

 

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Fuscus Swallowtail Caterpillar from Australia

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Subject: Caterpillar
Location: Cairns Queensland Australia
March 24, 2013 6:36 am
Hi,
I would love if you could identify this caterpillar for me. It was found on my Kafir Lime Tree in Cairns, Tropical North Queensland, Australia. It is currently the end if the Wet Season, or the beginning of the Sourhern Hemisphere Autumn.
Signature: Scott Duncan

Fuscus Swallowtail Caterpillar

Fuscus Swallowtail Caterpillar

Hi Scott,
Initially we thought this was an Orchard Swallowtail Caterpillar, but your individual lacks the fleshy bumps characteristic of the Orchard Swallowtail Caterpillar, so we did some additional research and found the Fuscus Swallowtail, Papilio fuscus, pictured on Butterfly House website where it is described as:  “green or brown, mottled with orange, green, yellow, and white, and has a white line along each side. The thoracic and the final abdominal segment each have a pair of conical lumps. The thorax is humped.”  Butterfly House also indicates:  “The species occurs in the tropical coastal areas of Australia, as several races” with the Queensland subspecies being Papilio fuscus capaneus.  It appears this is a new species for our site, so were curious if perhaps we had some individuals misidentified as Orchard Swallowtail Caterpillars, but in checking, we have no other Fuscus Swallowtail Caterpillars on our site.  Only the adult and not the caterpillar is pictured on the Brisbane Insect Website.  The red horns pictured in your photo is a scent organ, normally concealed, known as the osmeterium.  When the caterpillar is disturbed, it reveals the organ that produces a scent thought to repel predators.  The organ might also give the caterpillar the appearance of a snake which could startle a bird into fleeing, rather than trying to eat the caterpillar.  Many Swallowtail and Birdwing species have caterpillars that possess an osmeterium.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Another Spider Wasp with Huntsman prey from Australia

On · Category: Uncategorized Tagged With: , · 1 Comment

Subject: Bug eats bigger spider in Sydney
Location: Sydney, Australia
March 20, 2013 2:20 am
Hi,
We were sitting in out courtyard in central Sydney this weekend when we noticed an insect trying to drag a much bigger spider into a corner to make a meal out of him. The spider wasn’t moving so we assume he was already dead. We accidentally scared the bug off trying to get some photos but he flew around for a few minutes then came back.
We would love to know what the insect is and also the spider as we are new to Australia and partly freaked and partly fascinated by all the different insects and spiders here.
Thanks,
Signature: S & J

Spider Wasp with Huntsman Spider

Spider Wasp with Huntsman Spider

Dear S & J,
Just moments ago, we posted another version of this food chain drama of a female Spider Wasp, Cryptocheilus bicolor, with her Huntsman Spider prey.  You can read more about this in our archives.  Your photos are awesome.

Spider Wasp with Huntsman Spider

Spider Wasp with Huntsman Spider


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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Spider Wasp with Huntsman prey from Australia

On · Category: Huntsman Spiders and Giant Crab Spiders, spider wasps Tagged With: , · Add Comment

Subject: Unkown flying insect dragging a dead spider
Location: South-Eastern suburbs of Melbourne Vic. Aust.
March 20, 2013 4:38 am
Hi
I found this page while trying to identify this insect on the various bug sites and having no success, so am hoping that you can identify this insect.
I have never seen one before and was astonished to see it dragging a dead spider up the brickwork next to my front door.
The bricks are 8cm deep and this insect had to be 3.5cm long. It moved very fast and was also able to fly short distances with the dead spider in tow.
The shot was taken in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne at 5.45pm on the 20 March 2013. The weather today was 29c and humidity at about 40%. We have recently had a very dry hot spell of weather with a heavy down pour a few days earlier, so don’t know if this has any bearing on the presence of this insect.
The first photo is the sharpest, but I have included the others even if they are a bit blurred as you can get a side view of the insect .
The insect has a black body and yellow/orange wings, legs and head and it looks like from the 3rd very blurred photo that the rear end tip of the insect is also yellow/orange.
I am really hoping that you can identify it, as everyone I have showed these photos to has never seen anything like it and also has no idea what sort of flying insect it is.
Cheers and Thanks
Signature: Anne

Spider Wasp with Huntsman Spider

Spider Wasp with Huntsman Spider

Hi Anne,
We could have made your identification by your subject line alone considering the time of year.  Each year at this time (winter in our Los Angeles offices but summer in Australia) we receive several submissions of Spider Wasps, often your species which is Cryptocheilus bicolor, dragging Huntsman Spiders in Australia.  The spider is actually paralyzed and not dead.  The wasp is a female and she will provision her nest with paralyzed spiders to feed her brood.  When the eggs hatch, the young larvae will feed upon the nonvital organs first as the helpless spider is eaten alive.  Thanks for sending such a wonderful photograph since the ones we posted earlier in the month are blurry.

Spider Wasp with Huntsman Spider

Spider Wasp with Huntsman Spider

Wow, Thank you for replying so promptly.  A Spider Wasp, amazing, unfortunately, she lost her prey when she tried to drag it through an outdoor blind, so hopefully the spider recovered.
Anne

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination