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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Bug of the Moth June 2017: Carpenterworm Moth

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Subject: unknown Sphinx moth
Location: Carrboro ,NC
May 31, 2017 8:53 pm
Found this large Sphinx moth on my front porch last night in Carrboro NC. My best thoughts were it might be a Rustic Sphinx moth.
Signature: Mary S

Carpenterworm Moth

Dear Mary,
Though it resembles a Sphinx Moth, this is actually a Carpenterworm Moth, Prionoxystus robiniae, in the family Cossidae, which we verified by matching your individual to this BugGuide image.  According to BugGuide:  “Larvae bore in wood of living deciduous trees: locust, oak, chestnut, poplar, willow, maple, and ash.”  BugGuide also notes:  “Large, might be mistaken for a sphinx moth. ”  We will be featuring your posting as our Bug of the Month for June 2017.

Carpenterworm Moth

Wow, Thanks! I wasn’t even thinking of any moth outside of a sphinx…this girl was big! Thanks so much Daniel.
Mary

Related posts:

Bug of the Month December 2016: Giant Wood Moth from Australia Bug of the Month February 2011: Mating Muskmares Bug of the Month March 2014: Polyphemus Moth Cocoon Bug of the Month May 2016: Elderberry Longhorn from British Columbia
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Bug of the Month May 2017: Grass Carrying Wasps found in Home

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Subject: Is this an ichneumon wasp?
Location: Austin, TX
April 30, 2017 8:49 am
What is this bug? Finding them inside the house this spring trying to get out…hanging around the windows…do they sting/bite? Any house structure damage concerns?
Signature: Stephen

Grass Carrying Wasp

Dear Stephen,
Based on BugGuide images, we are pretty confident that this is a Grass Carrying Wasp, Isodontia mexicana.  According to BugGuide:  “Taken from the Internet Reference below (Penn State): The adult wasps emerge from their cocoons in early summer, mate, and the females locate a suitable nest site. She collects blades of grass and grass and hay stems to line the nest cavity. The wasp can be seen flying through the air with the blades trailing beneath her. She lands at the hole and enters, pulling the blade in behind her. After the nest is prepared, she hunts for tree crickets (i.e., Oecanthus sp.), captures and paralyses them with her sting, and transports them to the nest. She deposits eggs in the nest and the emerging larvae will feed on the living, but immobile crickets. When the larvae reach the appropriate size (in 4–6 days at 70–75° F.), they spin a cocoon and pupate. The adult wasps emerge in 2–3 weeks. In Pennsylvania, Isodontia mexicana typically produce two generations per year.  Remarks These wasps commonly make their nest in the narrow track found above outer windows.”  We have many more images in our archives of the nests of Grass Carrying Wasps because they are so frequently found in window tracks.  Solitary wasps are generally not aggressive, and rarely sting humans, though that possibility does exist.  Since they are harmless, and since it appears one individual in the images you attached might be dead from unnatural causes, we are tagging this submission as Unnecessary Carnage.  Because Grass Carrying Wasps are emerging from nests formed in window tracks now that spring has arrived, and because we suspect other homemakers might be experiencing similar sightings, we are tagging this posting as the Bug of the Month for May 2017.

Grass Carrying Wasp

Related posts:

DEAD: Great Golden Digger Wasp Great Golden Digger Wasp Carnage Great Black Wasp: Unnecessary Carnage Great Black Wasp
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Bug of the Month April 2017: Six Spotted Fishing Spider

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Subject: Fishing spider?
Location: Southeast texas
April 1, 2017 8:01 am
Hi,
I have a backyard pool that we don’t clean or put chemicals in during the winter, so by the time spring comes the pool is full of life. After a storm came a trash bag flew into the pool and when I pulled it out it had this guy on it. From his (or her?) distinctive spots I assume it’s a 6 spotted fishing spider, but I’m not sure. The spider would have had its legs hanging a few mm off of a quarter if he had been standing on one. Around the edge of the pool I have been finding dried out dead spiders stuck on the side with a little bit of webbing. Could those be what this guy leaves behind? How big can these spiders get? Thanks!
Signature: Vikky

Six Spotted Fishing Spider

Dear Vikky,
We agree that this is a Six Spotted Fishing Spider, Dolomedes triton, a species that is generally found near a body of water, and it sounds like your dormant swimming pool has been a perfect environment for her.  Since it sounds like you are getting ready to clean the pool, we hope you are able to relocate this beauty so that she can live out her life and produce progeny.  The “dried out dead spiders” you describe might have been prey, or they might have been cast off exoskeletons left behind when this individual molted.  Since it is the first of the month, we will be selecting your submission as the Bug of the Month for April 2017.

Related posts:

Bug of the Month June 2010: Fishing Spider, probably Dolomedes scriptus Bug of the Month March 2012: House Centipede Bug of the Month January 2014: Ladybird Beetle Metamorphosis on Barbados Fishing Spider
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Bug of the Month March 2017: Diaprepes Root Weevil

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Subject: Can anyone identify this beetle?
Location: Tampa/Lutz
March 1, 2017 7:41 am
Hello,
If you know the common name and species name of this beetle please let me know! Photo taken in the Tampa/Lutz area in Florida
Signature: Francis Pinciotti at Learning Gate Community School

Diaprepes Root Weevil

Dear Francis,
This is a Diaprepes Root Weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus, a species “Native to the Caribbean, adventive and established in so. US: so. & central FL (1964), so. TX (Cameron & Hidalgo Cos 2000, Corpus Christi 2005, Houston 2009; map), so. CA (2005), LA (2008); further north in greenhouses” according to BugGuide, which also notes “color highly variable (from gray to yellow to orange to black).”  The Diaprepes Root Weevil is a significant agricultural pest, and according to BugGuide:  “Major pest of citrus crops: larvae often girdle the taproot, which may kill the plant and provide an avenue for Phythophora infections. A single larva can kill young hosts while several larvae can cause serious decline of older, established hosts.”  According to Featured Creatures:  “Diaprepes abbreviatus has a wide host range, attacking about 270 different plants including citrus, sugarcane, vegetables, potatoes, strawberries, woody field-grown ornamentals, sweet potatoes, papaya, guava, mahogany, containerized ornamentals, and non-cultivated wild plants.”  Since it is the first of the month, we will be featuring your submission as the Bug of the Month for March, 2017.

Diaprepes Root Weevil

Daniel,
I greatly appreciate your response and am honored that this photo will be the feature of the month! We’ll be sending more photos to share from Learning Gate Community School.
Best,
Francis

 

Related posts:

Diaprepes Root Weevil Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil Bug of the Month July 2010: Japanese Beetles Bug of the Month September 2016: Ant Mimic Jumping Spider
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Bug of the Month February 2017: Fiddler Beetle from Australia

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Subject: Can you please help.
Location: Canberra Australia
January 31, 2017 2:09 am
Hello thank you for taking the time to help me out I am wondering if you can help me identify this bug? I’m in Canberra Australia and right now it’s summer thank you
Signature: Andy

Fiddler Beetle

Dear Andy,
Normally, we do not like to repeat our Bug of the Month designations, but submissions in January and February are at their lowest, and we just realized it is the Ten Year Anniversary of the Fiddler Beetle, Eupoecila australasiae, from Australia being designated as the Bug of the Month on our site in February 2007.  According to the Australian Museum:  “Female Fiddler Beetles lay their eggs in rotting logs or in the damp soil under logs. The grubs feed on rotting timber and build cocoons of soil and debris in which they pupate.”  According to Museums Victoria:  “The adult beetles emerge in early summer. They are strong fliers and fly between eucalypt and other trees to feed on nectar. They are found in all states except for Western Australia and are harmless to humans.”  According to Climate Watch:  “It buzzes loudly while flying.”  The markings on the Fiddler Beetle can be green or yellow.

Fiddler Beetle

Related posts:

Meat Ants devour Scarab Beetle in Australia Bug of the Month July 2010: Japanese Beetles Scarab Beetles from Australia Christmas Beetle from Australia
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Bug of the Month January 2017: Rain Beetle

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Ed. Note:  Bug of the Month
Since we just returned from our holiday, we need to select a Bug of the Moth.  Rain Beetles in Southern California have been experiencing some nice December rainfalls, so they seem a likely candidate to be featured this month.

Subject: Pleocoma octopagina
Location: Wrightwood , Burn Area Dirt Road Turnouts, San Bernardino County, California, USA
January 1, 2017 9:39 am
This December 22, 23,and 24, 2016 ,I drove down from Lake Tahoe south to the Wrightwood Burn area roads just north of San Bernardino in Southern California and back thru rain and snow storms . Meeting up with Mr.Garin Woo for the first morning , we set out our Home made Black lights and Mercury Vapor lite in high hopes of getting some hard to get Pleocoma octopagina Robertson 1970 male Rain Beetles . They have the most Antennae laminae segments or fans of the Male Pleocoma which is 8 . And we were not disappointed !! The rain flights started at 5 am and were intermittent until 6 am and then became steady until 7am and ended. Some were seen still flying around in the growing morning sun lite. We received a very nice series of Flying Large Newly Hatched Male Pleocoma octopagina . Precise Lengths of males were 22 mm to 36 mm with metal calipers . They come out in limited numbers and were quite Large and robust this year . I stayed out a couple more mornings solo . This was even in a completely and totally Burned out ( this August 2016 ) area …..” Truly Toasted “. There is strong evidence to me that the majority of this area’s Bush’s ( highly resistant somewhat to fire ) are still alive under ground and can provide food for the Pleocoma grubs . I have have photo evidence that in adjacent past fires we have clear regrowth coming out of Completely burned terrain / Bushs . The laminae are extremely Thick and robust with their prominent ” 8 fan segments ” . They are very large and strong flyers for Pleocoma males and they came in to Garin’s Mercury Vapor lite the strongest . I spent some time looking for females to no avail .On the way home in the Snow Storm I had to have it in four wheel drive from Bishop all the way home to Tahoe at 20 to 45 MPH ! Cheers ! Gene St. Denis Sierra Nevada Research
Signature: Gene St. Denis

Rain Beetle

Rain Beetle

Dear Gene,
Our editorial staff was away for the recent southern California rains, but we are thrilled that you were able to continue to supply us with Rain Beetle sighting information.

Rain Beetle

Rain Beetle

Rain Beetle Habitat

Rain Beetle Habitat

Related posts:

Bug of the Month: May 2007 – Valley Carpenter Bees. From the Archives: a pair of Carpenter Bees from Texas Bug of the Month: December 2007 – Gulf Fritillary Metamorphosis Bug of the Month: September 2006 – Hickory Horned Devil: first of the season!!! Bug of the Month #2 August 2011: RARE Bee Killing Robber Fly eats Honey Bee
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination