hey what is this bug??
i found it in my back yard in brier Washington. im going to collage to become an entomologist!!!!! thank you so much, i hope you can tell me what i found!!!!!!!
blake oswold
Hi Blake,
This is an Ichneumon. We are inclined to guess that it is a Megarhyssa species, but it does not match any specimens on BugGuide. In 2004, we received a nearly identical specimen that Eric Eaton identified as Megarhyssa nortoni. The specimens pictured on BugGuide are brown and yellow, not black and white, which has us puzzled. There is also a photo posted on an Australian website where Megarhyssa nortoni has been introduced as a biological control agent for the European Wood Wasp, Sirex noctilio. Eric Eaton quickly wrote back with this comment: “Hi, Daniel: Well, I’m wondering now if the ichneumons are even in the GENUS Megarhyssa! I can’t be absolutely positive. I know there are sizable ichneumons in other genera that closely resemble Megarhyssa, especially in the western U.S. Eric”
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Posted 15 July 2007
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An Australian Red & Yellow Spide
Hi There,
I saw this pretty spider while walking through the Atherton Tablelands in Northern Australia. I’ve been searching the internet and trying to find out what it is! A friend suggested that I check your site out and ask. I know you’re swamped but if you’ve a moment, please help and thanks in advance! Cheers,
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
This spider looked enough like one of the Crablike Spiny Orbweavers in the genus Gasteracantha that we tried a web search. We quickly found a photo of Gasteracantha fornicata on Wikipedia, and it appears to be a perfect match to your spider.
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Posted 02 July 2007
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Shiny green spider
My husband took a video of this gorgeous little thing and it jumped right onto the camera lens! The closest picture I’ve found online is a Cosmophasis (specifically the picture labelled Cosmophasis ZZ059 on the page http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw /australian/salticidae/Saltici dae.html) …but Wikipedia claims that "some species occur in Africa, while most are found in Southeast Asia, down to Australia." This spider was filmed and photographed in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 
Regrettably, most attempts to look up a shiny green jumping spider on the web come up with…well, the "Green Jumping Spider", Lyssomanes viridis, which this puppy -clearly- isn’t. Thanks for any help you can give me. We just moved here from Dallas two months ago, and rented a house in a semi-rural setting, and we’re very much enjoying getting to know all the wildlife. We have cows, deer, and every kind of spider known to Arkansas!
Ro Windwalker
Hi there Ro,
Clearly you are a detail oriented person, and you will probably not content yourself with the general answer we are going to give you. This is a Jumping Spider in the Family Salticidae. Most Jumping Spiders, and there are many, do not have common names. BugGuide shows four pages of subfamilies and each of those have additional genus and species identifications. The folks associated with BugGuide are far more organized and technical than we can ever hope to be. We really don’t have the time to sift through all of the photos to provide you with an exact identification, but perhaps you might be curious. Just follow the link we have posted on our site and start to look through images. This is how we do most of our identifications. If you get the answer, please write back and we will post it.
Update: (06/30/2007)
ID of “shiny green spider” from 6/28/07 I believe I’ve found the shiny green spider submitted by Ro on 6/28/07. Here’s a link from the University of Kentucky Entomology website for you to look at and see if you agree. http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterF iles/casefile/spiders/jumping/ jumping.htm#para The spider is the Paraphidippus aurantius. Cheers!
Stefanie Graves
Watercolors by Stefanie Graves
http://stefaniegraves.cowango .com/index.html
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Posted 28 June 2007
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Phalaenoides glycinae?
Greetings! This past weekend, I found two of these caterpillars munching on my backyard grapevine leaves. I captured them and took them inside to observe. When I returned from running errands, both had escaped from captivity and where toodling around on the kitchen floor! So, back outside they went to fend for themselves… I have looked at all 9 (!) of the caterpillar pages on your WONDERFUL site to no avail! The closest match I could find on the internet is the Grapevine Moth, Phalaenoides glycinae, from Australia. But I don’t live anywhere near Oz, we are about 40 miles north of Philadelphia, PA. Any ideas? I have attached 2 photos, a side view and a top view, I hope they are satisfactory for a positive ID!! Thanks for maintaining such a cool site!!
Laura
Hi Laura,
This looks to us like the caterpillar of the Eight Spotted Forrester Moth, Alypia octomaculata. According to BugGuide, Grape is a food plant.
Citrus or Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly
Hi Bugman,
Hope you like this pic of female Citrus Swallowtail Butterfly feeding on Bouganvillea flowers. Taken April 5 2007 Gold Coast Queensland Australia keep up the good work guys, really appreciate your site, its a great source of information.
Trevor Jinks
Australia
Hi again Trevor,
Thank you so much for your latest photo addition to our site.
Golden Orb Weaver
Hi Bugman,
Hope you like this Golden Orb Weaver female from Queensland Australia.
Trevor Jinks
Gold Coast, Queensland. April 29 2007
Hi again Trevor,
The common name, Golden Orb Weaver, will probably get us in trouble as a very different spider has that common name stateside. Your spider is in the genus Nephila, though, since Australia has several representatives from the genus, we are not sure of the species. It is possibly Nephila edulis.
Dear Bugman,
Indeed you are correct with your ID of the genus of the Australian Golden Orb Weaver. A bunch of information is available here http://www.usq.edu.au/spider/find/spiders/116.htm Thanks again for your great site.
Trevor Jinks Queenslanmd Ausrtralia
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Posted 29 April 2007
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Hi
I am an American living in Japan. I recently spent some time in Queensland, Australia and took this photo of a spiny leaf insect. This was the most spectacular insect I’ve ever seen.
Melody McFarland
Hi Melody,
Thanks for sending us your great image of a Spiny Leaf Insect, Extatasoma tiaratum. This is a type of Walking Stick.
Help me Identify my bug!
Whilst visiting an area of bushland about an hour outside Perth Western Australia i spotted this little fellow climbing back and forth over a large rock and took a number of photos (Im a keen photographer!).I wondered if you could help me identify him? I’ve looked through insect books and various web sites and think he is a member of the Cerambycidae family (?Long-Horned Beetle) but cannot find an exact match. Regards
Jenny Bretland
Hi Jenny,
Based on the soft body, coloration and antennae, we believe this is a Soldier Beetle in the family Cantharidae, most probably in the genus Chauliognathus as evidenced in the Geocities Website.
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Posted 20 April 2007
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We found it in the pool
We found this in the pool in Muswellbrook in the Hunter Valley in NSW, Australia – I have never seen one before and hope to never again.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for sending us you most awesome photo of a Water Scorpion in the genus Nepa. We often get photos of their relatives, Water Scorpions in the genue Ranatra as well as Giant Water Bugs known as Toe Biters, but we rarely get these broader Water Scorpions in the genus Nepa. They are not deadly, but the bite is quite painful.
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Posted 17 April 2007
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Food Chain Pic
Hi Bugman,
This is a Yellow Lynx spider, Oxyopes variabilis, dining on a mosquito. These guys stalk their food and then pounce like a cat, hence their name. Thought it might make an interesting addition to the food chain pages. Taken April 14, in Queensland Australia.Thanks,
Trevor Jinks
Australia
Hi again Trevor,
We have a similar Green Lynx Spider. Thanks for your great Food Chain addition.
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Posted 14 April 2007
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Darkling Beetles?
Hi,
I live in Ceduna, South Australia. We moved here at the start of the year and since then have been fascinated by these bugs. Everyone here calls them “stinky bugs” and, apparently, they do let off a bit of an odour when crushed. Anyhow, I’d been trying to find out what they were and so was very glad to stumble upon your site. Can you confirm that they are Darkling Beetles? I found a picture of one on your site that looked like a match. I’ve been told they come originally from India. Do you know if this is true? Cheers,
Adam
Hi Adam,
Yes, this is a Darkling beetle, and it does resemble the Stink Beetles in the genus Eleodes that are found in the American Southwest. In the limited time we spent researching your questions, we cannot confirm nor deny, nor do we know what species this is.
Promachus rufipes with a Mantidfly Lunch
Hi Bugman,
Thanks for posting my pic of the Swallowtail caterpillar. Hope you like this one of Promachus rufipes with a Mantidfly Lunch Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. April 2007
Trevor Jinks
Hi Again Trevor,
Your photos are very nice, and additionally, they are small files. We are still having problems getting large images. This image of a large Robber Fly will also be a nice addition in our Food Chain section.
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Posted 09 April 2007
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