RE: Identification Request – Is this bug safe to let go?
Your submitted question: What is this bug? Is it safe to let go, or is it an invasive species?
Our Immediate Automated Response
On Wednesday, July 17, 2019 What’s That Bug? wrote: 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!
That bug laid eggs in the jar that I put it in. Why bother having a websight like this, if you can’t do the work? I needed to know if this beetle will kill the trees around my house, and you ended up being completely useless! So, I’ll just let it die in that jar! It’s death, and all those eggs, are on your head!
[email protected]
Ed. Note: We searched through all submitted requests since July 16, and we could not locate any requests from [email protected], nor could we find any requests with the subject line “Is this bug safe to let go?” We are well aware that our tiny editorial staff does not have the resources to respond to the hundreds of identification request we receive each week. We offer a free service on the internet and we do not punch in a timeclock. We are also gainfully employed and we do community activism, especially in matters of land use, so some days we cannot even devote ten minutes to responding, and most posts take approximately ten minutes to compose. We feel missk1963 is rude and demanding, but we acknowledge that she is welcome to her opinion that we are “completely useless.” Because of her rudeness, we are awarding missk1963 with our 14th Nasty Reader Award. We are also amazed at how the results of her own actions, the death of a living creature and its offspring, is being blamed on a third party, a childish justification to the lack of accountability that missk1963 has likely used in the past to make up for her own inadequacies and shortcomings.
UPDATE: July 21, 2019
It took me a bit longer, but I found that bug. It was most definitely a dangerous bud. It was a root borer beetle, and would have eventually killed the already, gypsy moth caterpillar damaged trees around my house. Sorry that you think I was rude, but I was actually trying not to kill that bug, if it was safe to let go. The trees in my area have been decimated by many invasive, and dangerous insects, so I needed to be careful. I believe ALL of nature is to be respected, but I will not allow the trees to be destoyed further. I sent the original email last evening, and felt I needed information quickly. Especially if the bug was safe to let go.
Thank you for letting us know. Responding to our automated response system does not allow us to track original submissions, which we tried to do upon reading your obviously desperate communique. As we stated, we could not locate a previous submission from you that included the image. We are happy to learn you were able to eventually identify your Root Borer, which we suspect was likely a female Broad Necked Root Borer, but without knowing your location, that might not be correct.
Awesome response. Your group is doing a tuff job. You are top notch in my book. Patience is a virtue, to forgive divine. Thank you for all that you do.
Jerry
Thanks Jerry.
to think that most entomology department from different university, local entomology groups, insect identification book at the library could have provided some answer too, it is a childish way to react.
When there is concern for the well being of plant, landscaping professional can even help to identify major threat to beloved garden trees and plant.
One person need to learn how and actively look for help and information instead of putting the blame on another person.
Sad to see it is the 14th award of the genre.