March 2014 - What's That Bug?

From the monthly archives: "March 2014"

Cicada from San Jose, California

On March 31, 2014 · Category: Cicadas · 2 Comments

Subject: Flying Bug
Location: San Jose, California
March 30, 2014 10:59 pm
We found this bug on our car in San Jose Ca. On March 19th 2014 around mid day. It stayed on our car as we drove to the store. It finally left our car after we drove to another store. It did not move as we opened and closed the door it was on.
Any info would be great. Thank you.
Mike
Signature: Mike

Cicada

Hi Mike,
This is a Cicada, a member of a family of insects that are often mistaken for large flies. Though your images are all out of focus and lacking in critical detail, we believe your Cicada is in the genus Platypedia based on this photo posted to BugGuide.

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Bug of the Month April 2014: Whitelined Sphinx

On March 31, 2014 · Category: Hummingbird Moths, Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths Tagged With: bug of the month · Add Comment

Subject: large moth
Location: southern nevada
March 31, 2014 7:07 am
the last few months these big moths have been everywhere and my little brother is dying to know what they are. i’d say it’s bigger than a quarter at least
Signature: curious

Whitelined Sphinx

Dear curious,
We have been getting in increasing number of requests to identify Whitelined Sphinxes, the moth species in your image, and we have decided to make your submission the Bug of the Month for April 2014. We suspect there might be a significant annual Whitelined Sphinx population this spring, and we also got a Wanted Poster from University of Entomology PhD candidate Cristina Francois to report significant sightings of masses of Whitelined Sphinx Caterpillars. During favorable years, the Caterpillars, which can be eaten, are found in great numbers. We are currently observing Whitelined Sphinx Moths very regularly as they are attracted to the porch light.

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Bristletail from Singapore

On March 31, 2014 · Category: Silverfish, Bristletails and Firebrats · 1 Comment

Subject: Singapore prawn-like insect
Location: Singapore
March 30, 2014 9:49 pm
Hi Daniel
If we ever needed proof that all life on earth originated from the sea then this insect surely must be it. I found it in a wooded area far away from any water source. It looks more like a prawn than an insect. Would you have any idea what it is ? It was about an inch in length and moved quite fast. It was sitting on a leaf as you can see from the photo.
Signature: David

Bristletail

Hi David,
This is a primitive insect in the order Microcoryphia, and the members are commonly called Bristletails. Compare your individual to this Rock Bristletail pictured on BugGuide. According to BugGuide, Bristletails are: “wingless; body cylindrical, brownish or yellowish with darker mottling or irregular pattern; thorax arched dorsally; tip of abdomen with 1 long medial filament and 2 shorter lateral cerci; long thread-like antennae with many segments; eyes large and meet in middle; mandibles articulate at one point only; short lateral styli (rudimentary appendages) on abdominal segments 2-9; able to jump up to 10 cm by snapping abdomen against ground” and they inhabit “outdoor grassy or wooded environments: under bark, in leaf litter, rock crevices, or under stones; not normally found in homes, does not breed indoors, and not considered a pest.”

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Eyed Elater

On March 30, 2014 · Category: Metallic Borer Beetles · Add Comment

Subject: Big borer
Location: West of Pensacola, FL
March 30, 2014 6:04 pm
This guy may work for the NSA. Look at his huge eyes. He makes a very audible tick sound when he moves. He’s about the size of the last two joints on my little finger. I discovered him while taking a few wacks at a dead and diseased southern maple with an axe. His hole is not far from the rotted center base of the tree. He has skinny legs. The location is about a mile north of theNaval Air Station near Pensacola.
Signature: Bob

Eyed Elater

Dear Bob,
This is an Eyed Elater, one of the Click Beetles that is capable of righting itself when it finds itself on its back, by snapping its body at the joint between the thorax and the abdomen, producing an audible “click”. We are especially happy to receive your photo of the hole of an Eyed Elater.

Hole of an Emerged Eyed Elater

Well, thank you Daniel. You guys are amazing! I submitted my photos at 6PM Sunday night and you answered by 1AM. Those creepy crawlies must keep you up all night. Your website is what they must have envisioned when they invented the internet. Thanks, Bob

Thanks for your kind comment Bob. We just posted one final posting prior to going to sleep, and that was your submission. We are several hours earlier in California, so we were not up all night responding to the increasing number of requests we are getting now that spring is upon us.

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Variegated Meadowhawk

On March 30, 2014 · Category: Dragonflies and Damselflies · Add Comment

Subject: Dragonfly
Location: Central Oklahoma USA
March 30, 2014 9:26 am
I cant find this one anywhere Can you help to ID. this one?
Signature: name

Variegated Meadowhawk

Our Automated Response
Thank you for submitting your identification request.
Please understand that we have a very small staff that does this as a labor of love. We cannot answer all submissions (not by a long shot). But we’ll do the best we can!

I am thinking a Variegated Meadowlark

Male Variegated Meadowhawk

Hi name,
We agree that this is a male Variegated Meadowhawk, and you can compare your individual to this image posted to BugGuide.

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Wolf Spider

On March 30, 2014 · Category: Wolf Spiders · Add Comment

Subject: Massive wolf spider?
Location: Bloomington, Indiana
March 30, 2014 1:45 pm
Hello! I found this massive spider back in October of 2007, in Bloomington, Indiana. I thought it was a plastic Halloween toy at first because it was so huge, but when my dog stepped on it (hence the missing leg) it ran, and I realized it was the biggest spider I’d ever seen in person. I tried to identify it, but couldn’t find a spider that had both an orange stripe and banded legs. My pictures are a little grainy since they were taken on an old cell phone camera, but the head-on one seems to show at least one huge eye. Also, for size reference, my shoes were a size 8! Thanks for reading and I hope you can identify this spider I’ve been wondering about for years.
Signature: Marina

Wolf Spider

Dear Marina,
We believe your Wolf Spider might be in the genus Hogna, which include the largest North American Wolf Spiders. See BugGuide for images from the genus Hogna. We will try to get the opinion of Spider expert Mandy Howe.

Wolf Spider

Immediate Update
Continued searching led us to this image of Tigrosa aspersa on Bugguide, and we believe it is a perfect match. According to BugGuide: ” Hogna(Tigrosa) aspersa females are 18 to 25 millimeters in length, and the males are 16 to 18 millimeters. They are similar to H. carolinensis in body color but have a distinct narrow line of yellow hairs on the carapace in the vicinity of the eyes. The legs are banded with a lighter brown color at the joints. The males are much lighter in color than the females, and only their third and fourth pairs of legs are banded with a lighter color.”

Wolf Spider

5:07 PM (2 hours ago)
Thank you!
Looking around on BugGuide, I think it might be in the Tigrosa family (maybe Tigrosa aspersa?) which used to be a part of Hogna, from what I can tell. This looks very much like it.
~Marina

Ah, looks like our emails crossed paths! Yes, I think that’s exactly it. Thank you so much! It’s great to know what it (she?) finally is.
~Marina

Based on what we have read on BugGuide, we believe this is a female spider as they are considerably larger than the males of the species.

Confirmation from Mandy Howe
Hi Daniel, sorry about the late reply again — but yep, I think Tigrosa aspersa is spot on for that female wolf spider. 🙂

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Bug Info

Cicada from San Jose, California

Bug of the Month April 2014: Whitelined Sphinx

Bristletail from Singapore

Eyed Elater

Variegated Meadowhawk

Wolf Spider

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Cicada from San Jose, California

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Bug of the Month April 2014: Whitelined Sphinx

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Bristletail from Singapore

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Eyed Elater

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Variegated Meadowhawk

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Wolf Spider

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