From the monthly archives: "October 2008"

Owlet Moth from Australia

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Grammodes ocellata
Hi Guys,
Just did a search on your site but didn’t come up with any result for Grammodes ocellata so thought I would send through this pic. Looks a very cat like false face I feel. Taken today on my property, hope you like it.
aussietrev
Northern Burnett region, Queensland Australia.

Australian Owlet Moth

Australian Owlet Moth

Hi Trev,
Were it not for your numerous contributions, our Australian selections would be considerably less. Thanks for adding Grammodes ocellata, one of your lovely Owlet Moths, to our archives.

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Folding Door Spider

On · Category: Tarantulas and Trapdoor Spiders · 3 Comments

Secretive nocturnal spider from Vancouver island
Hello, I’ve been waiting for your site to be back up to ask you what this spider is. I love spiders and researching them and am slightly embarrassed I have no idea what this is. I found him running full tilt across a sidewalk from a hedge towards a main road about 2 am in the morning in Victoria, vancouver island BC. He froze and posed for a picture (a couple since I couldn’t fix the macro on my camera) I’d say that he was about the size of a quarter around, he was easy to spot in the dark because he was so big, like bulky. I went through every spider picture on your site, is it a trapdoor spider? I realize I should have got a better picture of the eye arrangement.
Holly
Victoria, British Columbia

Folding Door Spider

Folding Door Spider

Hi Holly,
We believe we have matched your spider to a Folding Door Spider in the genus Antrodiaetus that is posted on BugGuide.

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Immature Unknown Treehopper

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

Second attempt: please help!
Hello bugman,
Love the new site layout. Great job!
This is my second attempt at identifying this bug. I have searched and searched, and can not find it anywhere, including other websites. I found this bug while pulling weeds in a mulched landscape bed in Wichita, Kansas back in June ’08.
My guess is that it is some kind of juvenile or nymph, but I have no clue as to what kind. It was very thin bodied, and had kind of reddish colored eyes.
I have video of it walking around in case you’re interested.
Thanks in advance,
Brandon Clark
Wichita, KS

Unknown Treehopper Nymph

Unknown Treehopper Nymph

Hi Brandon,
This is an immature Treehopper in the family Membracidae. We went through the submissions on BugGuide, but did not see a match. Perhaps someone will recognize your specimen and write in with a comment.

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Question Mark Butterfly

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Leaf-Like Moth?
Hi,
I found this creature on a piling of my beach house on the Jersey Shore in September on a warm day. I didn’t disturb it at all, just took a photo. I only see 4 legs so I’m not even sure it’s a bug. It appears to have an eye and teeth but they are just markings. Cool, huh? Can you identify?
Paul from NJ and CT
Northeast, coastal south New Jersey

Question Mark Butterfly

Question Mark Butterfly

Hi Paul,  
This is actually a Question Mark Butterfly, Polygonia interrogationis.  The Question Mark is one of the Anglewing Butterflies, a genus of Nymphalida, the Brush Footed Butterfly Family.  This family is known as Brushfooted Butterflies because the first pair of legs is modified into brushlike appendages not used for walking, so only four legs are visible.  Your letter mentions this observation, and photo illustrate it. Your photo also nicely illustrates the silver Question Mark on the underside of the lower wings.

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Huntsman Spider in China

On · Category: Spiders · Add Comment

Spider – Possibly Huntsman
Hey,
So I found a very large spider on the wall in my apartment. It is probably the size of average palm. When spooked it ran very quickly, not jumping much but moving sideways some. I am just wondering if it really is a huntsman or something else.
Rae S.
SE China

Huntsman Spider in China

Huntsman Spider in China

Hi Rae,
This is most certainly a Huntsman Spider.  It looks like a male Heteropoda venatoria, also known as a Banana Spider.

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