Currently viewing the tag: "Goldenrod Meadow"

Paper Wasps on Goldenrod

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Subject:  Late Season Paper Wasps on Goldenrod
Geographic location of the bug:  Campbell, Ohio
Date: 10/25/2021
Time: 02:22 PM EDT
Gentle Readers,
Daniel has been attempting to post as many of your identification requests as possible, but he has also been enjoying the mild October in Northeast Ohio where there has still not been a major frost.  The insects are still active, and the night sounds still serenade.  These two Paper Wasps in the genus Polistes were nectaring from late flowering Goldenrod.

Paper Wasps on Goldenrod

Paper Wasp on Goldenrod

Paper Wasp on Goldenrod

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Sand Wasp: Stizus brevipennis on Goldenrod

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Subject:  Which wasp is this?
Geographic location of the bug:  SW Missouri
Date: 09/23/2021
Time: 07:18 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I noticed this wasp in some goldenrod this past afternoon.  I did not recognize it.
Can you help identify it, please?
How you want your letter signed:  Dave

Sand Wasp: Stizus brevipennis

Dear Dave,
At first we mistook this for an Eastern Cicada Killer, but the white markings on the abdomen did not seem right.  Upon researching the Eastern Cicada Killer on the Missouri Department of Conservation site, we realized this was a similar looking Sand Wasp, Stizus brevipennis.  According to BugGuide which has a visual comparison between the two species:  “This species looks superficially quite like Sphecius speciosus (the eastern cicada-killer wasp), but the abdominal banding is much less ‘ornate’. These markings lack a hooked structure and are overall broader and smoother. The scutellum and postscutellum are also marked in yellow, unlike in S. speciosus.”  This is a new species for our humble website and for that we are grateful to you, however, considering how similar these two species look and considering the large number of Eastern Cicada Killer postings on our site, we suspect that one or more might actually be misidentified Stizus brevipennis.  Also, your individual is nectaring on goldenrod, a very important plant to many species of insects, and we are tagging it as Goldenrod Meadow as well.

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March Flies on Goldenrod

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Subject:  Many found on goldenrod
Geographic location of the bug:  Greenport, LI, NY  eastern end of Long Island ny
Date: 09/14/2019
Time: 07:59 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Photographed these today and cannot identify
How you want your letter signed:  Amy

March Flies

Dear Amy,
Based on this BugGuide image, these appear to be March Flies in the genus Dilophus.  There are numerous images of Dilophus spinipes on goldenrod on BugGuide.

Thank you so much!   I truly appreciate your help!
Amy

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Locust Borer on Goldenrod

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Subject:  Locust Borer
Geographic location of the bug:  Benton Harbor, MI
Date: 09/18/2018
Time: 05:25 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I know you already have a lot of locust borer pictures, but thought, since your description in one of the pictures starts with “Adult Locust Borers are often found on goldenrod in the autumn”, you would like to see this shot of one sitting in the goldenrod we spotted while we were out walking the dogs….
How you want your letter signed:  pat

Locust Borer

Dear Pat,
We love your image of a Locust Borer on goldenrod and we are thrilled to post it, especially as we just posted another image of a Locust Borer from Washington state, not part of its native range, an expansion made possible because of the cultivation of black locust trees for landscaping and other reasons.

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Scarab Hunter Wasp

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Subject:  Fly or wasp
Geographic location of the bug:  Allentown, pa
Date: 08/20/2018
Time: 06:42 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I saw three of these wasplike insects feeding today. They all had similar markings. What are they?
How you want your letter signed:  Tom in PA

Scarab Hunter Wasp

Dear Tom in PA,
The Scarab Hunter Wasp, Scolia dubia, is just one of the numerous wasp species that feed on Goldenrod.  They hunt Scarab Beetle larvae as food for their brood.

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Black Tachinid Flies on Goldenrod

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Subject:  fly wings be body
Geographic location of the bug:  Shade Gap, Pa
Date: 08/04/2018
Time: 04:53 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hello,
I always pay attention to the insect world and the pictures I have I will send to you hoping you know. I have lived in the mountains for a long time and the bug I am seeing on flowers has fly wings but a bee body. This is the first year I am seeing these
How you want your letter signed:  Eric J Mazzi

Black Tachinid Flies on Goldenrod

Dear Eric,
This turned out to be a very easy identification for us.  We had a general ID upon looking at your image of parasitoid Tachinid Flies, a group of insects that are important pollinators as adults, and with larvae that parasitize various groups of insects and arthropods.  Tachinid Flies are very host specific.  Some species will only prey upon caterpillars from a single family, genus or even species, while others are just as picky about preying upon Spiders.  We quickly identified your Black Tachinid Flies as members of the genus Leschenaultia thanks to this BugGuide image, and according to BugGuide:  “recorded hosts include various Arctiidae, Malacosoma (Lasiocampidae), Hemileuca (Saturniidae), and some other moths.”  Your image is also the first we have posted this year of goldenrod, so we are tagging it as a Goldenrod Meadow posting.

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