From the monthly archives: "January 2012"

Crane Flies Mating

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Identification help
Location: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Las Vegas NV
January 30, 2012 1:27 pm
Here are ’tipulids’ mating. I think the view of the wing venation is good enough to put it in the Phantom Crane Fly family (Ptychopteridae) as opposed to the Crane Fly family (Tipulidae). Whaddaya think?
Sorry, only one image.
Signature: Bruce Lund

Mating Crane Flies

Dear Bruce,
We are by no means experts on Crane Flies, but it is our opinion that these are not Phantom Crane Flies.  We will check with Chen Young, an expert in Crane Flies, to see if he can provide a species identification.

detail Mating Crane Flies

Daniel – Thanks for the update AND for forwarding my query onwards.  I
look forward to learning more.
Bruce

Chen Young identifies Crane Fly genus
Hi Daniel,
The most I can tell from the images is they are crane fly species in the genus Limnophila.
Chen

 

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Crane Flies: Mating Swarm Interrupted!!! Mating Crane Flies Mating Giant Crane Flies Mating Tiger Crane Flies

Bug of the Month February 2012: Mole Crickets from Slovenia and Australia

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creepy crawler unidentified
Location: Horjul, Slovenia, EU
January 31, 2012 8:21 am
Found this thing trying to eat my hardwood floor! The noise was so loud it woke me up – he was under my bed.
Signature: Creepy Crawler in Slovenia

Mole Cricket

Dear Creepy Crawler in Slovenia,
You had an encounter with a Mole Cricket, a harmless subterranean dweller that generally attracts attention when it surfaces.  Some species are capable of flying and they are attracted to lights, which might explain the presence in your home.  Since it is time for us to select a Bug of the Month for February, we are posting your letter and photo in that position.  Though we don’t get many identification requests from Slovenia, we do get identification requests for Mole Crickets from many parts of the planet, including Australia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.

Cool! Thanks. I came across your website years ago already but it was not until now that I found the pictures and so I sent them to you immediately so I wouldn’t forget again.
Best regards from Slovenia!
Daniel

Another Mole Cricket
Cockroach thing
Location: Newcastle, NSW, Australia
January 31, 2012 3:09 am
Hi,
I found this thing crawling across my floor the other day. It was about 2.5 inches long, thought it was a cockroach at first. I have no idea what it is. i have recently had a lot of those ants with wings appear in the kitchen when i got back from holiday, could this be the thing that lays those eggs? sorry if the picture is a bit blurry.
Signature: Justin

Mole Cricket

Hi Justin,
We just posted another letter from Slovenia of a Mole Cricket and we made it the Bug of the Month for February.  We are adding your letter and photo to that posting.  We get many Mole Cricket identification requests from Australia and you can see additional information on the Brisbane Insect website.

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Click Beetle from Nicaragua

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Jumping beetle
Location: Nicaragua, Managua, El Crucero ( 12° 3’45.68”N – 86°18’51.68”W)
January 30, 2012 5:49 pm
Dear Bugman,
This beetle emits a click sound when movin violently its head, the movement makes the beetle to jump a few centimeters high.
Signature: Sergiortc

Click Beetle

Dear Sergiotc,
The audible clicking sound this beetle makes has given rise to the common name Click Beetles for the members of the family Elateridae.  Click Beetles are able to flex their bodies at the joint between the thorax and abdomen if they ever find themselves on their backs.  The action propels them into the air and they generally land on their feet after the first attempt.

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Longicorn from Puerto Rico

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Garden Visitor
Location: Puerto Rico
January 31, 2012 1:30 am
All creepy crawlies are welcomed in my little garden, saw this little guy today and found him so bright and cute that I had to take a pic, would be great to know it’s name.
Signature: Nana JoGoFe

Unknown Longicorn

Dear Nana JoGoFe,
We can tell you that this is some species of Longicorn or Longhorned Borer Beetle in the family Cerambycidae, however, our initial internet search has not turned up any matching images from Puerto Rico.  Perhaps one of our readers will be able to assist in a species identification.  For now, a family will have to suffice.  The coloration is quite distinctive, and we don’t believe a proper identification will prove entirely elusive.

Unknown Longicorn

Identification courtesy of Karl
February 5, 2012
Hi Daniel and Nana JoGoFe:
It appears to be a longicorn in the genus Chlorida, probably C. festiva. It is a very wide-ranging species found from southern Florida to Argentina, including much of the Caribbean. Regards. Karl

Thanks Karl,
We suppose the genus name Chlorida refers to the green coloration.  We also found a nice image on American Insects.

 

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Pacific Green Sphinx

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Pacific Green Sphinx Moth
Location: Mariposa, California
January 30, 2012 11:27 pm
Dear Bugman,
I took these photos of this beautiful green moth last night, and I found this site while attempting to identify him. He was in the garage, on a damp towel I needed to launder, so I coaxed him onto my hand and took some photos.
Signature: Laura Pound

Pacific Green Sphinx

Dear Laura,
Thanks so much for sending your photos of a lovely Pacific Green Sphinx, Arctonotus lucidus, also known as the Bear Sphinx according to Bill Oehlke’s website, the Sphingidae of the Americas.  We are going to copy Bill on our response in the event he wants to include your sighting data in the comprehensive database he is keeping.  Winter sightings seem most common. 

Pacific Green Sphinx

 

Related posts:

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Huntsman Spider from Nicaragua

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Another unknown spider
Location: Nicaragua, Managua, El Crucero ( 12° 3’45.68”N – 86°18’51.68”W)
January 30, 2012 5:47 pm
Dear Bugman,
Can you tell me what’s that spider I found in mi kitchen?
Signature: Sergiortc

Huntsman Spider

Dear Sergiotc,
We believe this is a Giant Crab Spider in the family Sparassidae, a group sometimes called Huntsman Spiders.

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