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Tag Archives: WTB? Down Under

Splendid Ghost Moth from Australia

Moth?
Location: Barrington Tops National Park, Australia
November 30, 2010 6:26 pm
Hello,
This insect was found in Gloucester Tops, Australia in November at 1200m. Is it a moth? It was about 50mm in length.
Regards
Signature: Lis

green moth australia lis 300x259 Splendid Ghost Moth from Australia

Splendid Ghost Moth

Dear Lis,
This certainly is a moth, but we would need to do some research to identify the species.  We are posting your letter just before going to bed and hopefully we will be able to provide an identification tomorrow.

Karl provides the Identification
Hi Daniel and Lis:
It’s a lovely moth with an appropriately lovely name. It looks like a male Splendid Ghost Moth, Aenetus ligniveren (Hepialidae). It ranges from southern Queensland to Tasmania.  You can also check out here and here for more photos and information. Regards.  Karl

Dear Daniel,
Thanks for your assistance in identifying the moth, you have a great site and a very useful facility.
Regards,
Lis

Posted 01 December 2010 § Ghost Moths ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Bristle Fly from Australia: Amphibolia vidua

Is this a bristle fly
Location: Healesville, Victoria Australia
November 29, 2010 2:53 pm
Hello Bugman, I believe this is a bristle fly going on the photos I’ve seen here. This is only the second of these flies I’ve ever seen here after 13 years of living in the area. It was seen in Healesville, Victoria, Australia on Nov 29th 2010, that’s just a couple of days before Summer.
Signature: Linda

bristle fly australia linda 300x259 Bristle Fly from Australia: Amphibolia vidua

Bristle Fly

Hi Linda,
The first time we posted a photo of this distinctive fly in 2007, we posted it as an unidentified Tachinid Fly.  In 2009, we posted another image, still unidentified, and we eventually learned it is Amphibolia vidua and the common name Bristle Fly is used for the family Tachinidae, the Tachinid Flies.  You are correct in calling your individual a Bristle Fly.

bristle fly australia linda 2 280x300 Bristle Fly from Australia: Amphibolia vidua

Bristle Fly

would you like some more photos for your files?  I tried to put them on yesterday but they were all too big.  I’m happy to email them to you if you want them.
Just to give you some more information-  I’ve seen one of these flies once before here, about 5 years ago, it was very sluggish and divebombed me, and in my panic I swatted and killed it.  The black shape on the rump (do flies have rumps?)  was very slightly different to this one, it was a perfect heart shape.  I assume they are the same type of fly and there’s just a bit of individual variation.
Thanks so much for getting back to me, your site is fantastic!
Linda Meerman

bristle fly linda australia 300x192 Bristle Fly from Australia: Amphibolia vidua

Bristle Fly

Thanks for the additional information and photos.

Posted 29 November 2010 § Tachinid Flies ‡ Comments (2) ° Also tagged:

Mystery: Phasmid Eggs in Australia hatch into two species.

Unknown insect
Location: Australia
November 29, 2010 4:39 am
This little guy has turned up in the enclosed container that our spiny stick insect eggs are in. It’s very different to the babies that have come fron the eggs.
Signature: Andrew

phasmid hatchling australia andrew 300x203 Mystery: Phasmid Eggs in Australia hatch into two species.

Hatchling Phasmid: Macleay's Spectre Stick Insect

Dear Andrew,
Your inquiry brings up numerous questions in our mind because the insect pictured is an immature Phasmid or Stick Insect.  We can’t help but wonder where your spiny stick insect eggs came from.  Did you collect them or purchase them?  Were they purchased from a supplier?  It might be possible that the supplier deals in numerous species, and a stray egg was included in your batch.  What did the other hatchlings look like?  Since Stick Insects are vegetarian, you can probably raise this guy with the others.

Identification courtesy of Karl
Hi Daniel and Andrew:
It looks like a Macleay’s Spectre Stick Insect (Extatosoma tiaratum), a native of the Australian east coast. Giant Prickly Stick Insect and Australian Spiny Stick Insect are also common names for this species. It appears to be quite popular among Phasmid fanciers so there is quite a lot of information on the internet.  The young nymphs are apparently ant mimics, and the adults are quite spectacular. Regards.  Karl

Update from Andrew
Dear Daniel,
Thanks very much for your help and quick response.
Quite strange as the eggs were all collected from the same spiny leaf female that we previously had.
This was the only one we’ve had so I’m puzzled by the different species.
A pic of one of the others is attached. This seems to have a similar body shape to our previous one.
Thanks again for your assistance.
Andrew

stick insect australia andrew 300x168 Mystery: Phasmid Eggs in Australia hatch into two species.

Stick Insect Hatchling, or Mantis????

Dear Andrew and Karl,
Now we are even more confused, and we believe this warrants tagging as a Mystery.  First to Karl, thanks for doing the research on the original image of the Phasmid hatchling and for providing us with links.  Now to Andrew, please clarify your species of spiny leaf female.  Is it the species that Karl has linked to, Extatosoma tiaratum, or is it some other species?  Was it a wild collected female? or Was it purchased?  The reason we are persisting in our questions is that the new image you have attached of the others actually looks more like a Mantis hatchling to us.  If it is in fact a Phasmid hatchling, we would like to identify it.  Thanks for any further information you are able to provide.

December 1, 2010
Hi Guys,
Once again thank you for your help.
The species that Karl has linked is the correct one. They look identical to the previous one we had.
I bought it from a pet shop and have kept about 100 of the eggs so i can wait and see what comes from the other eggs.
The smaller mantis looking one was the first to appear and we then put in some eucalyptus leaves to feed it. The larger one that you have identified as the stick insect then turned up.
My wife is convinced that the leaves were clean from foreign insects when she did this, as they were washed and wiped.
Thank you both for your help, i’m more than happy to keep you updated with photos.
Regards
Andrew

Posted 29 November 2010 § Walkingsticks ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Correction: Feather Legged Assassin Bug from Australia

what is it
Location: Perth Western Australia
November 24, 2010 7:51 pm
Found this bug in the office. none of us know what it is. It was about 1.5cm long and about 1cm wide. it was tapping its fury back things. Can you tell us what bug it is?
Signature: Victoria

coreid unknown australia victoria 300x239 Correction: Feather Legged Assassin Bug from Australia

Feather Legged Assassin Bug

Dear Victoria,
We believe it is a Leaf Footed Bug, but it has several features that are unlike any Leaf Footed Bug in the family Coreidae that we are familiar with.  First off, it has antennae that can be described as plumose (see BugGuide on Antennae Forms) and the BugGuide page on Plumose Antennae pictures some examples, but no True Bugs.  The enlarged portions of the tibiae also appear to be fringed.  We had no luck locating anything even remotely similar on the Brisbane Insect Coreid Page.  Meanwhile we are posting and featuring your unusual insect in the hope that either we or one of our readers will be able to provide an identification for you.

Correction: November 27, 2010
Thanks to a comment by lttlechkn, this fascinating anomaly has been identified as a Feather Legged Assassin Bug or Ant Assassin, Ptilocnemus lemur.  Our observations about the unusual morphology of this creature remain because the antennae and tibiae are highly unusual for Assassin Bugs as well as Coreid Bugs.  We apologize profusely to lttlechkn for falsely identifying this as a Leaf Footed Bug which prolonged the actual identification.

Posted 26 November 2010 § Assassin Bugs ‡ Comments (3) ° Also tagged:

Weevil from Australia

Is this some kind of Elephant Weevil?
Location: Robertson NSW Australia
November 23, 2010 1:07 am
Hi bugman, Recently I have gain a great interest in macro photography. I do try to identify all the bugs I photograph to gain a greater knowledge of my subjects.
I camera across this little guy, about 1.5-2cm in length. Is it some kind of Elephant Weevil?
Regards Richard

weevil australia richard 300x202 Weevil from Australia

Weevil

Hi Richard,
This is definitely a Weevil, but not an Elephant Weevil.  The angle is not ideal for identification, and Weevils can be difficult to identify.  We believe it is one of the Broad-Nosed Weevils in the family Adelognatha, and there are several on the Brisbane Insect Website including the Peanut Weevil.

Posted 24 November 2010 § Weevils ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Mole Cricket from Australia

Freaky bug
Location: Sydney, Australia
November 24, 2010 2:50 am
Hi! Could you please help to identify this freaky looking bug that got stuck in my fish bowl outside? It has 4 main legs and 2 short upper legs, no wings. This one is only 4cm long but we have seen one that is about 7cm long.
Thanks!
Cheryl
Signature: CL

mole cricket australia cheryl 300x206 Mole Cricket from Australia

Mole Cricket

Hi Cheryl,
We are certainly curious about how this Mole Cricket got stuck in your fish bowl with what appears to be an artificial koi.  Mole Crickets are common insects that can be found in many places around the world.  It is one of our most frequent identification requests from military troops stationed in Afghanistan and other places in the Middle East.  Mole Crickets live underground, but many species are capable of flying and they are sometimes attracted to lights.

Posted 24 November 2010 § Crickets, Camel Crickets and Mole Crickets ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Green Grocer Cicada is First Australian Cicada of the season!!!

Ed. Note: December 1, 2010
Since summer is approaching in the Southern Hemisphere, we are beginning to get more identification requests from Australia.  There are many different species of Cicadas in Australia and they are given very unusual common names.  We hope that we receive numerous photographs of Australian Cicadas this year and hopefully, making this Green Grocer that was sent in about a week ago the Bug of the Moth will encourage other submissions of Cicadas.

Large Green Flying Insect
Location: Ascot Vale, Melbourne
November 22, 2010 11:49 pm
Hello
Can you please help me identify this fly found in my sister’s garden? It was bigger than my thumb and quite fat.
Signature: LC

green grocer australia lc 300x240 Green Grocer Cicada is First Australian Cicada of the season!!!

Green Grocer Cicada

Dear LC,
You have netted a Green Grocer Cicada, Cyclochila australasiae, one of many species of Cicada found in Australia that have fascinating and colorful common names.  According to Oz Animals:  “The Green Grocer Cicada is a common cicada along eastern Australia. It has a loud high pitched call and is one of the loudest insects in the world. The most common form is green, and another fairly common form is the yellow form (the Yellow Monday). Less common colour variations are dark tan (Chocolate Soldier) and turquoise blue (Blue Moon). Most forms have red eyes, although the Blue Form has purple blue eyes. The Masked Devil is an orange brown form with a black mask across the eyes that is more common at higher altitudes.“  Now that winter is fast approaching in North America, our northern hemisphere identification requests are tapering off, but each year at this time, we get numerous requests from Australia and other southern hemisphere locations.  Your letter is the first Cicada image from Australia this season.

Posted 23 November 2010 § Cicadas ‡ Comments (2) ° Also tagged:

Hangingfly Captures True Bug in Australia

Scorpionfly in active hunting sequence

hanging fly hunting montage australia trevor 1 300x100 Hangingfly Captures True Bug in Australia

Hangingfly captures Bug

Scorpionfly in active hunting sequence
November 22, 2010
Location:  Australia
Hi Daniel,
Because of the file size and the hassles I am having with my net connection lately I thought I would email this sequence to you rather than try and use the form. Yesterday I spotted a male trying to wrestle a large moth free of its grip but by the time I got the camera the moth had escaped it. Today I found this one making strenuous efforts to get this true bug nymph free from its grip on a grass stem. It took a while but eventually it managed to pry all its feet loose and fly off with it. I didn’t realise they were active hunters as well as ambush predators.
Feel free to slice up the image or use it whole if you want.
regards,
Trevor

hanging fly hunting montage australia trevor 2 300x101 Hangingfly Captures True Bug in Australia

Hangingfly Captures Bug

Hi Trevor,
Thanks for your continued documentation of this Australian species of Scorpionfly, known as a Hangingfly, as it hunts and mates.  For size consideration, we did split up your montage, and six parts might have been preferable to three parts, but we were interested in the time constraint that would entail.  Clicking on the image will produce an enlarged version.

hanging fly hunting montage australia trevor 3 300x99 Hangingfly Captures True Bug in Australia

Hangingfly Captures Bug

Posted 22 November 2010 § Scorpionflies ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

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