Fishing Spider
Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 8:56 PM
Hi Guys,
Got this lovely lady in my garden today. She is Dolomedes instabilis, in the Pisauridae family of fishing spiders, although many in the family never go near water but build nests amongst green leaves, as this one is doing on a chili plant. Have a merry Xmas and a Happy New Year all.
aussietrev
Queensland, Australia
Common Water Spider from Australia
Hi Trevor,
This is very exciting. We were not aware that Dolemedes Fishing Spiders were found in Australia. We are linking to the Brisbane Insect Web Site and another page on the same site that calls the species the Common Water Spider.
Orange/Black Beetle/Hornet ? NSW
Sat, Dec 13, 2008 at 3:57 PM
My husband found this bug under his sleeve driving it’s spike into his arm yesterday. It got 4 stings in before it wore a size 9 dunlop volley.
Apparently it packed quite a punch, his arm still red/swollen/itchy 24hrs later. Just curious what bug this is? Doesn’t appear to have wings! Looks like a cross between a hornet & a beetle type bug.
Newcastle NSW Australia
Shell
Newcastle NSW Australia
Ground Assassin Bug
Hi Shell,
A little bit of research revealed that this is a female Ground Assassin Bug, Ectomocoris decoratus, which we located on the Geocities Website of Brisbane Insects. Males of the species are winged and fly while the females are winged. Interestingly, we found some of the same photos and illustrations on a Brisbane Insects website with a different URL, but the species was listed as Ectomocoris patricius. We also found a PDF online that states: “Several other assassin bugs bite people in Queensland. … Ectomocoris decoratus, a fast-moving species with winged males and wingless females, is strikingly coloured in blue-black and orange. It occurs under loose bark and may be encountered when gardening or clearing vegetation. Because of its colour and speed, victims of this assassin bug often believe they were stung by a wasp.” We are not exactly sure what a size 9 dunlop volley is, but it sound like it contributed to the squashing evident in your photos. Assassin Bugs, except for a few blood sucking species, are thought of as beneficial predators, so we feel compelled to also tag your posting under Unnecessary Carnage.
Ground Assassin Bug
Black and Yellow Bug
Fri, Dec 12, 2008 at 1:43 PM
These beetles or bugs were found on two different acacia species about 25km east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. I have been unable to find any pictures on the web which remotely resemble them.
Dr David Hewitt
25 km east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
possibly Immature Parent Bugs
Dear Dr Hewitt,
We believe these are immature Stink Bugs, but we are having trouble identifying the species. Many times, immature Stink Bugs or nymphs look radically different from the adults. Hopefully one of our faithful Australian readers will be able to identify the exact species.
Possibly Parent Bug Nymphs
These bugs have similar markings to Cantao parentum nymphs, although the colour (yellow) is different from the orange of the Cantao parentum.
Grev
Thanks Grev,
If you are correct, and we believe you may be correct, then these immature Parent Bugs are actually Shield Bugs in the family Scutelliridae and not Stink Bugs in the family Pentatomidae. They are called Parent Bugs because unlike most insects, the female guards the young nymphs for several weeks. The original letter indicates they were found on Acacia, and a website we linked to indicates: “its food plant, Mallotus claoxyloides (Smell of the Bush) .” This general color pattern is one that is common on several species of Stink Bugs in North America. Another Australian Insect Website lists these food plants: “Found on the Red Kamala (Mallotus philippensis) and other such species from the family (M. claoxyloides, M. discolor) and also Araucaria cunninghammii ” but does not mention Acacia. This may still be an unidentified Stink Bug nymph.
Lynx Spider? First Encounter
Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 8:26 PM
Hi Guys,
Found this rather lovely lady in my vegetable patch. I guess its a lynx spider but not one I’ve seen before and I can’t find a match for the colour and patterns on any of my regular reference sites. Body size 8-10mm. Hopefully someone will know this one.
aussietrev
Queensland, Australia
Unknown Lynx Spider
Hi Trevor,
You have helped us with so many identifications in the past. We hope one of our readers can identify your beautiful hunting spider.
Looks an awful lot like an ant mimic in the family Corinnidae. For example (see link):A Corinnidae from Brisbane.
http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_spiders/images/wpeB5.jpg
See also the last for spiders at link:
http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_spiders/Corinnidae.htm
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Posted 12 December 2008
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Spiders
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Also tagged:
What eats that bug and what does that but eat
Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 12:41 AM
I am wondering whether Red back spiders have anything to do with my bug, especially if they eat red back spiders (will be very happy if they do) or if red back spiders eat my bug (will need information on getting rid of the bugs if that’s so).I would also like to know if they are native to Australia or not.
Tasha Storey
Melboure Australia (my backyard in Cheltenham)
Unknown True Bug from Australia
Hi Tasha,
We are having a bit of difficulty identifying your species of True Bug. We are not even certain if the family is a Cotton Stainer in the family Pyrrhocoridae, a Largid Bug in the family Largidae, a Seed Bug in the family Lygaeidae, or possibly a Scentless Plant Bug in the family Rhopalidae. We will continue to research and hopefully a reader can provide an answer if we cannot. We are certain that it will not feed on Red Back Spiders and they have no relationship to the spiders except in coloration.
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Posted 12 December 2008
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True Bugs
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Also tagged:
beetle with orange feelers
Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 10:47 PM
I live in Sydney, Australia and found a bunch of these beetles in my orange tree today….
any ideas about what they are? and are they pests?
Cheers
Sydney, Australia
Bronze Orange Bug
Dear Cheerful,
Bronze Orange Bugs, Musgraveia sulciventris, are True Bugs and not Beetles. They are actually Stink Bugs. You may read more about them on the Geocities Brisbane Insects website.
Since they suck the sap from young plant shoots on citrus trees, they are not an advantageous species in the garden.
Mating Bronze Orange Bugs
Food Chain Meat ants v Scarab beetle
Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 9:37 PM
Our Australian meat ants, Iridomyrmex purpereus, are omnivorous and quite as happy eating the flowers off my zucchinis as any hapless critter that stays still long enough. Farmers will sometimes use a nest as a disposal system for animal carcasses. A nest may have around 85000 ants and they can reduce a full size cow to just bones in about three days. Their bite does not sting but they will chomp on you if you are in their way in bare feet.. This scarab beetle, Exochogenys nigripennisare, will be little more than a snack.
aussietrev
Queensland, Australia although widespread
Meat Ants devour Scarab Beetle in Australia
Wow Trevor,
Thanks for the exciting documentation of the Australian Meat Ants and the Scarab which you have identified as Exochogenys nigripennis.
Snail Parasite Fly
Fri, Dec 5, 2008 at 12:31 AM
Hi guys, me again,
Got this Snail Parasite Fly. Calliphoridae Amenia imperialis, in my backyard and thought you might like her. The larvae parasite snails amongst leaf litter. The male has eyes that are much closer together but apart from that they are very similar. Quite a beautiful critter really I think
aussietrev
Queensland, Australia
Amenia imperialis
Hi Trevor,
We wish we had a Snail Parasite Fly in Los Angeles. Thanks for keeping our Australian postings freshly stocked. Oz Animals has some nice images.
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Posted 05 December 2008
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Flies
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Also tagged:
Crested Tooth-grinder
Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 4:15 PM
Hi Guys,
Here is a strange one for you, a Crested Tooth-grinder, Ecphantus quadrilobus. This is a 4th instar nymph. While apparently widespread in Australia this is my first encounter with one. Here is a link http://140.247.119.138/albums/Album_1/source/10.html
with a bit more information. Hope you like this unusual guy.
aussietrev
Queensland, Australia
Crested Tooth-Grinder
Hi Trevor,
What an interesting looking Grasshopper you have sent us for our archives.
Guenee’s Emerald, Chlorocoma melocrossa
Thu, Nov 27, 2008 at 6:08 PM
Hi guys,
Have been having a bit of a problem tracking this guy down but near as I can find is Guenee’s Emerald, Chlorocoma melocrossa, one of the geometridae but unlike the examples I have seen on the net this one has no wing markings.
Taken in the Capricornia Region, Queensland
aussietrev
Capricornia Region, Queensland
Guenee's Emerald from Australia
Hi Trevor,
The Emeralds are a very distinctive group of Geometrid Moths. Thanks for allowing our readership to see what one of the Australian species looks like.
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Posted 28 November 2008
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Moths
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Also tagged:
Black & white spotted poka dot cockroach
Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 9:31 PM
Hi there I was just wondering what this bug is I was working in the Pilbara, In Western Australia it is about the size of a cockroach.
Felicity Packer
Tom Price Western Australia
Acacia Longicorn
Hi Felicity,
This is not a cockroach, but a Longhorned Borer Beetle in the family Cerambycidae. Your photo is extremely blurry, but we believe, based on the markings, that this may be an Acacia Longicorn, Penthea vermicularia which we located on the Geocities website of Brisbane Insects.
Yellow fiddler beetle, Victoria, Australia
Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 9:28 PM
I saw a very brightly coloured bug on my back step, and after going through your Australian bugs, I found it was a fiddler beetle. I thought it would be a good addition to your photo collection as it is bright yellow, where all the photos you have they are green. Unfortunately this is the only decent shot I managed to get.
Anthony ‘Timorg’ Cassidy
Victoria, Australia
Fiddler Beetle
Hi Anthony,
We know that winter is upon us in Los Angeles when the Fiddler Beetle photos from Australia start to arrive in our email inbox. Sure enough, your letter arrived just as our first major rain storm of the season fell.
