|
|
Pleasing Fungus Beetle from Costa Rica
(06/10/2007) Costa Rican Fungus Beetle?
Is this a fungus beetle? It looks a lot like Gibbifer
californicus, but lacks the patch of black in the middle of
the abdomen that I've seen in every photo of the Pleasing
Fungus Beetle. This beetle also seems to have a lighter
blue color and has a black patch on the posteriormost tip.
Could it be a relative? It was found at about 1000m
elevation on the Pedregal Hill of the Cacao Volcano within
the Área de Conservación Guanacaste, northwestern
Costa Rica.
Scully
Hi Scully
According to BugGuide, Gibbifer californicus, one of the Pleasing Fungus Beetles, ranges into Mexico. Chances are good that it ignores the international borders and can be found in Costa Rica as well. If this is not the same species, it is at least the correct genus. There are often individual variations between the coloration of individuals and even more so in isolated populations.
Eyed Elater
(06/09/2007) Eyed Elator
I found this one on my back porch last Friday (June 1st) I
found your sight and it looks like the Eyed Elator. I have
NEVER seen it before and was wondering if it was uncommon
for it to be in Massachusetts? Thanx for the sight it
is really great.
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
Most of our reports of Eyed Elaters are from the South, but
BugGuide
lists submissions from New England and as far norht as Canada.
Eyed Elater
(06/07/2007) Eyed Elator
Hi There,
I thought you might be interested in this guy! I found
a relative on your web site, but noticed it said that these
guys were usually found in the south west... Well, we found
this one in the North East, haha. It flew into a light
pole and fell to the ground at our local park. This Eyed Elator
was found in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania which is located about
60 miles north of Philadelphia.
Dan Harrier
Hi Dan,
Thanks for sending in your great photo of an Eyed Elater with
scale reference.
Rose Chafers
(06/07/2007) Rose bush bug?
I was hoping you might be able to I.D. this bug for me
... it appears to be some type of beetle. It appears on my
rose bush in late May and stays pretty much to this one bush
till it sucks the flowers dry ( dosn't seem interested in
the leaves .. just flower buds/ peddles ect. ) I have
rarly seen it on my other roses ( Florabundas and Grandafloras,
and a few Hybrid Tea's ... I have however seen them on my
snow ball bush once . Once it destroys the flowers on
the bush it just disappears till the next year . Do
these bugs hatch from the ground ?? If so would planting garlic
or chives help to discourage them ?
Thanks for any info you can give me!
Denise Dafoe
Tweed , Ontario , Canada
 
Hi Denise,
You have an infestation of Rose Chafer Beetles, Macrodactylus
subspinosus. According to BugGuide:
"Adults contain cantharadin, can poison chickens, other birds.
"
Carrion Beetle
(06/07/2007) Your Photos
Hi,
My mom sent me these pictures, and asked me to ID this insect.
I guess she thinks because I'm in veterinary school that I
know everything! :) Can you help? She said it was approximately
an inch long. Location: Central New Jersey, USA,
near the Jersey Shore. I assume she found it this past
week. She would like to know if it is a "good or
bad bug". Thanks
Linda Schoenfeld
Hi Linda,
This is a Carrion Beetle. It is a beneficial beetle that feeds
on rotting flesh, helping to eliminate decomposing carcasses
and consequently returning necessary minerals to the soil.
Last week we posted an image of several Carrion Beetles feeding
on a Stinkhorn fungus.
White Spotted Sawyer
(06/05/2007) Cool beetle in Northern California
We found this very cool, and quite large, beetle on the front
porch of our cabin in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Northern
California. Elevation approx 5000 ft, on the western slope,
about halfway between Tahoe and Yosemite (Dorrington, CA).
After checking out your site, it looked a if this could be
a "Banded Alder Borer"...however, the body coloration
does not match, nor does the (seemingly) blue legs. Curious
if you have any idea who he might be? We have been in
this location for over 5 years, and this is the first we've
seen of this bug. Hoping it does not represent an invasive/non-native
bug which could pose harm to the trees found in this part
of the mountains? Thanks
Diane (and Chris)
Hi Diane and Chris,
This is a native species, the White Spotted Sawyer, Monochamus
scutellatus. Larvae bore in the wood of conifers, especially
after fire or storm damage.
Stag
Beetle
(06/04/2007) Any idea how we can find out what this is?
Hope you can help' THANKYOU There were a few of them in the
garden on Friday evening after dark - scarily big about 8
cm long and 3 to 4 cm wide. Big reddish clas on
the front........ They have wings and fly in like
bombers, land on the lilac tree and then leave again.
We had a few last year but didn't realize just how nasty they
were as we never got up close.....
Angela
Any views expressed in this message are those of the sender.
Hi Angela,
We couldn't help but to be amused at your company's disclaimer.
Nasty appearance is definitely the view of the sender and
not our view. This magnificent beetle is a male Reddish Brown
Stag Beetle, Lucanus capreolus. If you have frequent sitings
over a period of years, there must be a good supply of rotting
logs and trees nearby to provide a food source for the larvae.
There are probably many collectors worldwide who are envious
at your population of desireable beetles, both for collections
and to raise in captivity.
Cottonwood Borer
(06/03/2007) Insect Identity
Greetings,
I found this particular insect in my garage this evening and
I'm not sure what it is. Can you help me identify it?
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Glenn Weber
San Antonio, TX
Hi Glenn,
This magnificent beetle is a Cottonwood Borer, Plectrodera
scalator. Its unique appearance assures that once identified,
it will not be confused with any other North American insect.
The larvae of the Cottonwood Borer bore into the wood of poplars
and willows, generally near the base. Adult beetles eat young
shoots from the host tree.
Clavate Tortoise Beetle
(06/01/2007) Tortoise beetle
Hi Daniel and Lisa,
My son rescued a tortoise beetle from our pool the other day.
I was able to get some good shots in while it dried its wings.
Please ignore my wrinkled finger… I promise I’ll
get some better moisturizer : )
Yvonne
Barrie, Ontario
Hi again Yvonne,
Nice to hear from you again. We can always depend upon you
to send us a great photo. Though we just posted some photos
of a Clavate Tortoise Beetle, your photo shows the scale nicely.
Carrion Beetles feeding on Stinkhorn Fungus
(06/01/2007) Carrion beetles on Stinkhorn
Hello, bugman. I hope my email gets through the flood! I recently
found an awesome fungus, an elegant stinkhorn, that was absolutely
crawling with carrion beetles. There were quite a few flies,
too. Unfortunately, when I approached to take a picture, the
flies flew away, and many of the beetles dropped to the ground!
I can certainly see why they would like the fungus, though...
it reeked like rotting flesh! Best regards,
Emily
 
Hi Emily,
Thanks for sending us your photo of American Carrion Beetles,
Necrophila americana.
Rosemary Beetle
(06/01/2007) Whats This one?
I enclose two pictures of a beetle which we found 4-5 of in
a Russian Sage (Perovskia). They were iridescent gold with
green stripes. Any Idea what they were? Regards
Thok
Hi Thok,
In addition to Russian Sage, the Rosemary Beetle feeds on
its namesake rosemary as well as lavendar, thyme and sage.
The beetle, though its scientific name is Chrysolina americana,
is native to southern Europe and has extended its range to
Britain, but we do not know from where you are writing. Here
is a link
with more information.
Mating
Emerald Ash Borers
(05/31/2007) Emerald Ash Borer
Dear Bugman
Thanks for making Emerald Ash Borer the bug of the month.
This will help folks learn more about this pest and maybe
discover new sites where it has become established and report
them. Attached is an old photo of them mating and a good close
up shot. Remember-Don't Move Infested Wood! Keep up the good
work
Brian Sullivan
Plant Health Safeguarding Specialist
Hi again Brian,
Thanks for sending us another wonderful image to better help
our readers identify the Emerald Ash Borers.
Pleasing
Fungus Beetle
(05/31/2007) Fungus Beetles
You guys have a great site! I found a dead tree while hiking
near Colorado Springs today that had 50-100 of these beetles
on it. Many of them were copulating (sorry I didn't get pics
for your insect sex page). I've seen them before and wondered
what they were. After looking through 6 pages of beetle pics
I finally found it. Thanks so much! Further research seems
to say that the scientific name has changed to Gibbifer californicus,
but it is definitely the right beetle. I'm attaching a picture
even though the one you have is probably better.
Heidi
Hi Heidi,
Thank you for taking the time to forward your photo of a Pleasing
Fungus Beetle. We think is is quite good.
Dogbane
Beetle
(05/31/2007) Unknown beetle
Dear Sir,
My mom says this is a Japanese beetle, which would be a bad
thing. The Japanese Beetles I have seen on the internet seem
to have brown wings, and mine was more green all over, but
with iridescent wings. Can you tell me what this is? Thank
you! Sincerely,
Melora Campbell
Hi Melora,
You are correct. This is not a Japanese Beetle. It is a Dogbane
Beetle, Chrysochus auratus. Unlike the Japanese Beetle which
will eat leaves and blossoms from countless 1000s of plants,
the Dogbane Beetle feeds exclusively on the leaves of plants
in the Dogbane family Apocynaceae.
Clavate Tortoise Beetle
(05/28/2007) What is this?
Dear Bugman,
Found this bug on my pepper and tomato plants, I was wondering
if you could tell me what it is? It is small, like the size
of a lady bug, with a hard shell. It has wings, but didn't
appear to fly. I only noticed them when it tried to flip itself
over. I looked online, and the closest thing I could find
was something like the scale insect, but that doesn't seem
like a perfect match. Do you have any idea what this is? I
guess my biggest concern is whether or not they are harmful
to my vegetable garden plants. If it helps, I live in northern
New Jersey. Please let me know if you can't open the images,
I will send them in another format. Thanks,
Chuck
 
Hi Chuck,
This is a Clavate Tortoise Beetle, Plagiometriona clavata,
one of the leaf beetles. It feeds on the leaves of tomato
plants and other solanaceous plants. There is more information
on BugGuide.
Rainbow Scarab
(05/26/2007) What is this bug?
We found this bug in my yard in North Carolina, and have had
no luck identifying it on the internet. It is a green metallic
with a green metallic underbelly... What is it (a miniature
metallic stegosaurus?!?), and will it damage my yard? Thank
you!
Courtney
Hi Courtney,
This male Rainbow Scarab, Phaneus vindex, one of the Dung
Beetles, will not damage your yard. As a matter of fact, it
might clean up after your dog. The larval food is animal dung
which a pair of beetles will roll into a ball and bury after
laying an egg.
Glowworm
(05/23/2007) A lovely Larva
Hey Bug Man:
Found this larva tonight by the edge of the driveway partially
hidden by vegetation. Upon closer inspection I realized it
was a firefly still in the larva stage as I could see the
bioluminescence. I took it inside and made a thirty second
time exposure with the camera mounted on a small table top
tripod. Voila! The inset picture is the appearance under normal
room light with the smaller end being the head. I realeased
it back outside under some heavier vegetation so that hopefully
in another month or so it will soon be flying over all the
corn fields here in souther Wisconsin creating a wonderful
summer night spectacle. Nature is an endless source of wonder!
Thanks for a great website and for all your hard work keeping
as such.
m
 
WOW M!!!,
What a gorgeous image of a glowing Glowworm, probably the
best we have ever received. Glowworms are a separate family
from Fireflies, Phengodidae as opposed to Lampyridae. Both
Glowworms and Fireflies are Beetles.
Eyed Elater
(05/22/2007)
Hi, Can you tell me what type of beetle this is?
Thanks,
Kim
Hi Kim,
This gorgeous beetle is known as the Eyed Elater. It is one
of the click beetles.
Six Spotted Tiger Beetle
(05/20/2007) Tiger Beetle?
Hi,
I found this gorgeous little beetle sunning himself on my
walkway in NE Illinois. He was about 3/4" long. It looks
like a tiger beetle, but I thought you might be able to use
another one for your archives. Thanks,
Christina
Hi Christina,
This is indeed a Six Spotted Tiger Beetle, which can have
more than six spots or even no spots.
Granulated Ground Beetle
(05/19/2007) A further identification for you
Hey there! Love the site. I noticed on your main page that
Cheryl from British Columbia sent you images of lace bugs
and a mystery ground beetle.
Her beetle looks remarkably to me like a specimen I snapped
a shot of last week on the other side of the country, just
north of Toronto, Ontario. I think her mystery beetle is Carabus
granulatus, an introduced species from Europe. Here's a link
to my picture as posted on bugguide.net: http://bugguide.net/node/view/109257
Dave Kleiman Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the correction and also thank you for providing
an image of a living specimen of the Granulated Ground Beetle.
Flea Beetle
(05/18/2007) Beetles on my raspberry bush
Hello,
These past few days I have noticed a swarm of these tiny,
shiny, green beetles on my raspberry bush. The images are
when one landed on my leg. I am located in Houston, Texas.
I thought they might be Japanese Beetles or Flea Beetles,
but I am really not sure. Thanks in advance,
Michael B. Schoen
Hi Michael,
Your guess that this might be a Flea Beetle is correct. Flea
Beetles are in the Tribe Alticini, and subfamily Galerucinae,
the Skeletonizing Leaf Beetles. We are not sure of the species.
European Stag Beetle
(05/16/2007) beetle found in Hungary
Hello,
Do hope you can help us, we found this huge beetle on the
wall of our in house in western Hungary. All dark in colour,
and very aggresive. Approx. 3.5 inches in length and quite
heavy. Attached is a photo. We have many hardwood trees and
dense forestation almost everywhere in this area. Look forward
to hearing from you, many thanks,
Pam Blackhall
Hi Pam,
Though fierce looking, the European Stag Beetle, Lucanus cervus,
is quite harmless. There is a Biodiversity
Plan in Sussex posted online that states: "Here in Great
Britain, as early as 1941 it was realised that this enigmatic
insect held a restricted and discontinuous range, and explanations
were being sought. Since that time it has been consistently
been listed as a national rarity, although its status as a
rarity has been questioned recently. The stag beetle's distribution
in the UK is concentrated in the south-east." The plan also
indicates: "L. cervus is widespread on the continent, and
in most countries this insect is protected by statute. However,
the beetle is under no immediate threat on the European mainland,
although the stag beetle has almost disappeared from a few
northern states."
Tamamushi:
Japanese Metallic Wood Boring Beetle
(05/15/2007) Tamamushi
I just found out about your site, and thought for sure I could
stump you. I browsed through pages 1, 2, 3... 11 of beetles,
and just when I thought I was home free, there it was on page
12. Wish I had found your site a few months sooner. Well,
here's another picture of a Tamamushi, found in Aichi prefecture,
Japan. It was laying on the side of the road, deceased I believe.
You can make out an ant sitting on top of it. Keep up the
good work,
Steven
Hi Steven,
It is actually quite easy to stump us, but thankfully we have
several certified experts to assist us when we are in a bind.
Your Japanese Buprestid, or Metallic Wood Boring Beetle, is
quite beautiful. Despite being dead, the Tamamushi is still
a stunning specimen.
Red Lily Beetles Mating
(05/12/2007) red lily beetle?
Is this a Red Lily Beetle? I found a ton of them on my lilies
this week. If so, what is a good way to stop them from eating
my lilies? If not, what is it? Can't wait to show my daughter
you site..........very cool!
These sure are Red
Lily Beetles, Lilioceris lilii, and they are mating.
Dung Beetles in Kuwait
(05/10/2007)Dung Beetles (group) in Kuwait
Hi,
I was out in the desert this morning and came across this
group of dung beetles during a mid morning meal. Thought you
might like the picture for your site.
Chris in Kuwait
 
Hi Chris,
Thank you so much for sending us your wonderful images of
Dung Beetles, the source of inspiration of the iconic Egyptian
scarab carvings.
Stages in the Cottonwood Leaf Beetle Metamorphosis
(05/11/2007) Another Bug ID
Hello again,
The attached photo shows, (new to me), creatures on a Willow
here in the Central California Coastal area. I presume they
are various stages of the same insect. Any thoughts?
John
Hi John,
This is a Cottonwood Leaf Beetle, Chrysomela scripta, which
we identified thanks to BugGuide.
This species is found throughout North America. In addition
to Cottonwood, they feed on Willows and Poplars. BugGuide
states: "Adults and larvae found on willow-- Salix , poplar--
Populus sp. , and cottonwood-- Populus deltoides, etc. Yellow
or reddish eggs laid on clusters on underside of leaves. Black
larvae skeletonize leaves, while adults attack only midrib
and large veins. There are up to five broods per year." Thanks
for sending us your montage that includes the various stages
of this beetle's metamorphosis, including larvae and pupae.
Ladybird Beetle Larva
(05/06/2007) new bee?
Hi Bugman,
I don't like bugs, I think they are scary. So forgive me for
not browsing through previously identified bugs. Last week
I've found this bug as he came crawling out of my keyboard.
I've asked everyone I know, but nobody knows what this could
be. It didn't scare me that much, I think this dude's quite
cool. He looks like an ant wearing a bee costume. I hope you
can help me so I can rest knowing the name of this guy. Thank
you for your reply!
Joy
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Hi Joy,
People are often very surprised to hear that those "Alligator
Bugs" are actually immature Ladybird Beetles, or Ladybugs.
Tiger Beetle
(05/06/2007) ID help on beetle?
Bugman,
I'm a birdwatcher so bugs are not my forte, but when I spotted
this shiny-green beetle with whitish spots and I had my camera
with macro lens handy I had to take a shot...and now I want
to know what it is...can you help?
Thanks,
Corey Finger
Albany, NY
Hi Corey,
This is a Tiger Beetle. More specifically, it seems to be
a Six Spotted Tiger Beetle, Cicindela sexguttata. We are not
sure why it is called the Six Spotted Tiger Beetle as most
specimens appear to have 8 spots, and some have none.
Horned
Powder-Post Beetle from Baja
(04/30/2007) Hi Bugman,
Here's another Baja Bug for your expert ID. Two horns on the
hiney! What is that thing?
This looks like one of the Horned Powderpost Beetles in
the family Bostrichidae.
We will see if Eric Eaton has any additional comments.
Six Spotted Tiger Beetle
(04/29/2007) Metallic Green Beetle
Hi:
I found many of these under the bark of a fallen and decaying
pine tree. I was looking for skinks, and found these bugs.
I've never seen them before. They seem to be present wherever
there were termites. They were about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch
long, moved quickly, and took off like a fly when you got
to close. Any ideas? BTW, these are from southeastern Virginia.
Rowland Parks
Newport News, VA
Hi Rowland,
This is a Six Spotted Tiger Beetle, a predatory species. We
are not certain if the termite colony is a food source, or
if the beetles were there for another reason.
Ironclad Beetle
(04/28/2007) Picture from Microsoft Picture It!
We live in Mission Viejo, Ca. Our 3 yer old found this beetle
and has been living in his bug house for over 2 weeks. Do
you know what it is and what it eats? He just found another
so now it has company. Our son LOVES insects. His favorite
thing to watch is our 4 tape series called Insectia with George
Brossard. Thanks for any information you have to offer.
Janet
Hi Janet,
This is an Ironclad Beetle. Hogue identifies a species that
looks very much like this as Phloeodes pustulosus. They are
thought to eat fungus laden wood.
(04/29/2007) Ironclad Beetle of 4-28-07
In regards to the Ironclad Beetle photo and response of 4-28-07....
I'm surprised you didn't tell the woman not to let her three
year old son live in a bug house. First, how did he fit in
it? Second, couldn't the child catch some horrible disease
or something? After all, bugs don't shower and they have a
lot of anonymous sex.... I fell in love with your website
last summer when after a partial hysterectomy ("kept the girls,
got rid of the junk" I like to say) I could not sleep and
spent my evenings in the front yard with a LED flashlight
and my trusty camera. Wow! Talk about screwed up sleep cycles!
But I digress.... I sure hope to get some good photos for
you this year and God! Am I looking forward to the cyclical
cicadas this year. (I live near Chicago.) I'm sure you will
get a ton of "What the hell is this?" emails so I'll keep
you all in my thoughts and prayers. Pure hell I imagine, to
open your inbox and see 45,763 emails with the subject "What
IS this???" and crappy photos. I'll try to send you a few
awesome pix. I'm a professional drinker...er, I mean /photographer,/
and because of your web site I have fallen in love with photographing
bugs 'n' stuff. I have a lovely tree cricket photo I'll send
in soon. My Canon camera (my "peashooter" as I lovingly call
it) has a super-macro setting which focuses from 0 to 1.5
inches so all I have to do to get a good close up is remind
myself that the chances of this bug actually killing me is
slim to none. Warmest regards,
Joanne M. Pleskovich
Darien, IL
ps....I mention your website to my patients when they start
freaking out about bugs or spiders etc. I'll link to you when
I get my site up and running, too. You guys (and/or gals)
rock my world!
Hi Joanne,
We try not to give too much parenting advice on our website.
In the past, we have raised the hackles on our readership
several times due to our wry senses of humor. We look forward
to any submissions you send our way in the future, though
sadly, our image receiving ability is currently severely impacted.
Daniel and Lisa Anne
Japanese Burprestid
(04/24/2007) Bug from Japan
Dear bug guys,
I simply adore the site, nice work! I am an English teacher
in Fukushima, Japan (a few hours north of Tokyo) and have
been fond of insects since infancy. I have made quite a hobby
of photographing them over the years. Although colorful and
interesting bugs are few and far between here on the island
of Honshu, I was lucky enough to spot this little guy on the
fringes of a fruit tree orchard on my walk to work last September.
It took some detective work to find its official name on the
Internet, but I'm pretty sure it's a Chrysochroa fulgidissima.
The Japanese call it a "Tamamushi" and I'm told
they are hard to find. My fellow teachers were impressed I
got a photo of one. Since you're having trouble with attachments,
here are links to the two pictures I took, as well as a link
to the Japanese article about the bug. Enjoy, and keep up
the good work!
(the) Brian Adler
Hi Brian,
Thank you for thinking to send your gorgeous image of this
Japanese Buprestid, one the the Metallic Wood Boring Beetles,
as a link and not an attachment. Tamamushi is a beatiful specimen.
Ironclad
Beetle
(04/23/2007) Please identify the beetle in the image
Hi, first off, great site! I appreciate your efforts. Three
of us hiking near Hamilton Pool, outside of Austin, Texas
found this beetle. It was rather big and had distinctive black
and white colors. I have tried searching on the internet and
your site but could not identify the beetle. Please help out
and tell us what we saw? Was it rare? We'd never seen anything
like it before. Thanks!
Matt
Hi Matt,
Nice photo of an Ironclad Beetle, Zopherus nodulosus.
Dung
Beetle
(04/22/2007) Unknown beetle
My husband and I found this interesting beetle flying around
our porch light this evening in south central Alabama. It
is about an inch long, and nearly as wide. I looked on all
12 pages of beetle pictures on your website, and couldn't
find one like it. It looks somewhat similar to the Colorado
Potato Beetle, but the stripe pattern is a bit different,
and the head is solid black. Any ideas what this bad boy might
be??
Avery and Lance Garner
Hi Avery and Lance,
We believe this is some species of Earth-Boring Dung Beetle
in the family Geotrupidae, but we can't tell which. BugGuide
has quite a few species listed. We will see if Eric Eaton
can at least narrow it down to genus level. It must have taken
you some time to go through all 12 of our beetle pages.
Daniel: The dung beetle (4/22) is an actual scarab, Dichotomius
carolinus. Apparently they are pretty common, but I've only
collected one specimen in the eastern U.S. myself. They bury
dung balls, but don't roll them as Canthon dung beetles do.
Eric
Oil Beetle
(04/22/2007) big black one in Wyoming
Dear Bugman,
I saw this amazing, tireless creature on the my front porch,
and delayed her so I could take some pictures. Our house is
on 12 acres outside Cheyenne, Wyoming, and we have Aspen and
Blue Spruce in our yard, although most of the land around
us is grassy prairie. The bug was about 1.5 inches long and
leathery. It looked like a very tough, very big, very pregnant
ant to me. Thanks for your assistance in identifying it.
Ellen Davis
 
Hi Ellen,
These could well be the finest photos of an Oil Beetle, Meloe
angusticollis, one of the Blister Beetles, that we have ever
received.
Caterpillar
Hunter
(04/22/2007) Cool Looking Beetle
Hi,
I found his little guy in my store the other night and took
him home to show my kids. It gave the girls a good squeal.
They loved it, the next morning we let it go. They wanted
to keep it and wanted to know what it eats, but if it's a
Caterpillar Hunter (Calosoma Scrutator) I'm not feeding it!
Is that what it is? Love Those Critters
Oklahoma
P.S Love your site!
Hi Oklahoma,
You are correct. This is a Caterpillar Hunter and it is a
beautiful specimen.
Cerambycid Borer Beetle
(04/21/2007) what is it?
These are swarming a new stack of wood beside our house. I've
never seen them before. Do you know what it is? I forgot to
mention, we live in west Michigan
Thanks,
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
This is a Long Horned Borer Beetle possibly in the genus Clytus.
BugGuide lists two species in the genus, and Clytus
marginicollis seems to be the closer fit. The larvae are
the wood boring stage of the insect, and the food is dead
wood from hard pines. The adults fly from March to July. Perhaps
the adult insects found a rich food source for the larvae
and decended upon your wood pile, or possibly the pile included
some wood that was already occupied by the larvae which emerged
together as adults.
Hey Guys :
Not being picky here ... but the cerambycid beetle on 21 April
from West Michigan looks closer to Neoclytus
caprea, than anything else. A slightly beter photo would
seal it. N. caprea emerges in early Spring and is found most
commonly depositing its eggs on logs of ash trees, although
they will utilize oak, and elm. The individual in the photograph
appears to in fact be a female, and she looks like she might
just be trying to lay some eggs on that cut wood. Cool !
Ian Swift
Placerita Canyon Nature Center.
Soldier
Beetle from Australia
(04/20/2007) Help me Identify my bug!
Whilst visiting an area of bushland about an hour outside
Perth Western Australia i spotted this little fellow climbing
back and forth over a large rock and took a number of photos
(Im a keen photographer!).I wondered if you could help me
identify him? I've looked through insect books and various
web sites and think he is a member of the Cerambycidae family
(?Long-Horned Beetle) but cannot find an exact match. Regards
Jenny Bretland
 
Hi Jenny,
Based on the soft body, coloration and antennae, we believe
this is a Soldier Beetle in the family Cantharidae, most probably
in the genus Chauliognathus as evidenced in the Geocities
Website.
Blister Beetle NOT Checkered Beetle from Arizona
(04/20/2007) Entomology Student Needs Help!
Bugman,
I'm taking an entomology course at Arizona State University
and collected something that has stumped everyone. This beetle
was found on a burnt log in the Brown's Peak Wilderness of
the Superstition Mountains, AZ at an altidude of 1933 meters.
Coordinates where found are [ 33°41'41.92"N, 111°19'59.42"W
]. Between two Coleoptera keys, the enormous ASU insect collection/museum,
a graduate student and a professor of entomology, we could
not key this to the *family* level. Possibilities we could
key to are *Oedemeridae*, *Meloidae*, and *Cleroidea* - however
nothing was definite key wise and going by gestalt using the
reference collection we could not find anything similar. For
reference, this beetle is 10mm in length. I have attached
a couple pictures and have more on my website at: http://corneveaux.com/gallery2/v/Insects/Mystery/
Any ideas? THANKS!!
Jason
 
Hi Jason,
We like this for one of the Checkered Beetles in the family
Cleridae.
We will check with Eric Eaton to see if he can verify.
Daniel:
Just checked your site from my workplace. The beetle has ME
stumped, too. The habitat and behavior (searching dead wood)
really does fit for Cleridae, but the shape of the thing says
Meloidae. It will likely be one of those two. Clerids tend
to be very fast-moving, whereas blister beetles mostly polk
along. Too bad we don't know how this one behaved....If I
get any more ideas or, um CLARification (pardon the pun),
I'll let you know.
Eric
Ed. Note: (04/23/2007) Eric Eaton just forwarded
us these two identifications:
Eric
Great pics. This beast is Tricrania stansburyi, the western
species of Tricrania. The species in the eastern US is Tricrania
sanguinipennis. Andy Cline, CA Dept. Ag. and myself are
doing a revision of this genus.
Jeffrey P. Huether
That's a bee-parasitic Meloid, Tricrania. Not very common.
Doug Yanega
Dept. of Entomology: Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California - Riverside,
Riverside, CA
Bess Beetle from Thailand
(04/19/2007) Ceruchus???
Dear Bugman...
I found this big guy (around 4cm long) in rotten wood, in
tropical forest (around 1000m elev, Thailand)... Is it a Ceruchus?
Thank you in advance for your help and website, great idea!
Gilles
Hi Gilles,
This looks to us to be a species of Bess Beetle in the family
Passalidae.
Bess Beetles or Bessbugs are interesing beetles. They have
a semi-social structure with adults and larvae living together
in rotten wood. The adults feed the larvae pre-chewed wood.
Both adults and larvae are capable of stridulation, or making
sounds.
Tiger Beetle
(04/16/2007) Brilliant green beetle
Dear Bugman,
You have helped me out in the past, here's one more. Green
beetle is maybe 3/4 inch long. Same size as a common ground
beetle. Flies ,hops and skitters along. This bug will be shown
on our SPACE website, so the answer will reach many people.
SPACE is The Spartanburg Area Conservancy, a small not for
profit land trust in SC. thanks,
Fred
Hi Fred,
This is a Tiger Beetle, probably a Six Spotted Tiger Beetle,
sans spots. Tiger Beetles are closely related to Ground Beetles
and are fierce predators.
Burying Beetle with Mites: Phoresy
(04/14/2007) Burying Beetle: babies or parasites?
I found this swimming around in the cat's water dish one morning
in West Tennessee. I forgot to get a photo with a size reference,
but it was about an inch long. I believe it might be a burying
beetle? Although its markings differ from the other photos
on your site. The freaky part, though, was the swarm of little
bugs on its back. They were running around, trying to stay
dry. I think they might have eight legs; mites, maybe? At
any rate, I put the whole shebang outdoors to continue playing
out its drama. I love the site. I saw my first cicada killer
last summer, and you guys helped me identify it. Thanks!
D
Hi D,
These are neither babies nor parasites. They are Mites, but
they are not parasitic on the beetle. The young beetle larvae
eat rotting carrion, so anything that shares the same diet
becomes a threat to the survival of the next generation of
Burying Beetles or Sexton Beetles. Maggots, the immature form
of flies, are competitors for this food source. The Mites
eat fly eggs and freshly hatched maggots. The Mites do not
fly and have no means of getting to their next meal once they
have eaten all the maggots on a corpse. The Burying Beetle
flies from food source to food source. The Mites are just
hitching a ride on the Beetle. This is a mutually advantageous
or symbiotic relationship. The Mites get a new food source,
and they devour the competitors for the young beetles' food
supply. Burying Beetles carrying large quantities of Mites
have a better chance of producing offspring. Phoresy is the
proper term for one organism hitching a ride on a more mobile
organism. We have seen photos of some Burying Beetles so laden
with Mites, it is a wonder they can fly.
Desert Spider Beetle
(04/12/2007) Desert Spider Beetle
Hi,
You had a posting at the end of march 07 from a lady that
lives in Las Cruces, NM. I too live in Las Cruces, and yesterday
came across the same beetle she is talking about. I took some
pictures. I was taking my dog out just now, and found two
of the, a big one and a small one. I believe the larger is
a female and the smaller is a male. I captured them in the
act. I am attaching the pics that I took. I have sized them
down to a small email size pic because I have a few. If you
want me to email you a larger pic, let me know, and I will.
I hope these pics will do some wonderful justice to the beautiful
beetle that seems to be prominant in Las Cruces. The majority
of these larger pics show the smaller male attached to the
back of the much larger female.
Heather, Las Cruces NM
Hi Heather,
Thanks for sending us your wonderful image of mating Spider
Beetles.
Net-Winged Beetles
(04/11/2007) Mystery Red Beetle
I found this beetle in Alpine Texas. I've searched all my
bug books and can't identify it. Can you help me out?
I love your website! Thanks,
Karen Nakakihara
 
Hi Karen,
These beauties are Net-Winged Beetles, Lycus sanguineus. Net-Winged
Beetles are related to Fireflies.
Darkling Beetle from Australia
(Easter Sunday 2007) Darkling Beetles?
Hi,
I live in Ceduna, South Australia. We moved here at the start
of the year and since then have been fascinated by these bugs.
Everyone here calls them "stinky bugs" and, apparently,
they do let off a bit of an odour when crushed. Anyhow, I'd
been trying to find out what they were and so was very glad
to stumble upon your site. Can you confirm that they are Darkling
Beetles? I found a picture of one on your site that looked
like a match. I've been told they come originally from India.
Do you know if this is true? Cheers,
Adam
Hi Adam,
Yes, this is a Darkling beetle, and it does resemble the Stink
Beetles in the genus Eleodes that are found in the American
Southwest. In the limited time we spent researching your questions,
we cannot confirm nor deny, nor do we know what species this
is.
False Bombadier Beetle
(Easter Sunday 2007) What is this bug???
Hi Bugman:
I found this bug on the floor of the ground level inside our
home last week. Can you please identify and provide some info.
We live in Western PA. Thank you.
Marc
Hi Marc,
This is a beneficial predatory ground beetle known as a False
Bombadier Beetle, Galerita
bicolor.
Fire
Beetle from Costa Rica
(04/07/2007) Real beauties.
HI, I know your swamped but appreciate ID on these as soon
as you can. I can put credits to your site and link on my
webpages if you can do this real soon. ALL photos taken in
Costa Rica. Lanterns on its sides...with another light on
its belly Thanks
Eric
Hi Eric,
Sadly, time will not permit us to identify all of the dozen
or so images you have sent our way, but we can help with one
beetle. The Fire Beetle is in the genus Pyrophorus. There
are species found in the American Southwest and in Florida,
but this genus is very well represented in the tropics. Tropical
specimens can reach 2 inches in length and are known as Cucujos.
Because of the bioluminance, these beetles are often worn
as decorations by locals. Larger specimens can provide enough
light to read a newspaper in the dark if they are kept close
to the print.
Painted
Hickory Borer
(04/07/2007) beetle id
My son found this beautiful specimen in the yard. I can't
seem to find an ID anywhere on the web. I think it is a type
of borer but not sure which. Please identify, I'm sure it's
a realitively common species. Thanks,
Chris B.
Hi Chris,
There are two species of Wood Boring Beetles in the genus
Megacyllene that look nearly identical. The Locust Borer,
Megacyllene robiniae, appears in the fall and is often found
feeding on pollen and nectar on goldenrod. The Painted Hickory
Borer, Megacyllene caryae, appears in the spring. Based on
that information, we are relatively certain that this is a
Painted Hickory Borer, but the affects of global warming are
affecting the life cycles of many plants and animals. Insect
emergence patterns as well as their ranges are changing due
to these climactic changes.
Oil Beetle
(04/07/2007) Can you help us identify this bug before science
fair!!! See pic
My 7 year old son is doing a bug collection for his school's
science fair. We have identified most of our bugs on your
site ( we love it!) but this one we couldn't find. This bug
was found on our doorstep.. Please help
Dear Unnamed Parental Assistant,
This is a type of Blister Beetle known as an Oil Beetle.
Calligraphy
Beetle
(04/05/2007)
This bug(Beetle?) was found on the southern oregon coast.
I had been walking on a grassy trail that goes to the beach.
When I came home I found this bug in my hair .I have never
seen a bug like this before. It is the same in size as a ladybug
,also has wings and flies like a ladybug .the legs are a light
brownish red and seemed sticky or clingy. The body is a silvery/pale
green color with black patterns on it. I took several photo's
of the bug and let it go in my garden. I can't wait to show
these pictures to my grandson. He is fascinated by insects.
I would love to find out the name of this beetle so when my
grandson asks me what it is I will be able to tell him. my
sincere thanks, your help is much appreciated.
D.L.Halse
Hi D.L.
This beetle is in the genus Calligrapha and is one of the
Leaf Beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. There are some images
on BugGuide.
We don't know the species, but want to take the liberty, based
on the scientific name, of calling this genus the Calligraphy
Beetles.
Leaf Beetles: Mating Striped Cucumber Beetles and
Unknown Family Member
(04/04/2007) Beetle
Can you please tell me what these bugs are? The yellow one
was found on our squash plants, and the other in the grass.
We live in the Baton Rouge, La. area.
Thanks,
Jeanette Murray
 |
 |
| Striped
Cucumber Beetles |
Unknown
Leaf Beetle |
Hi Jeanette,
These are both Leaf Beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. The
ones mating on the squash plant are Striped Cucumber Beetles,
Acalymma vittata. The other beetle is also one of the Leaf
Beetles, but we are not sure of the species.
Blister Beetles Mating
(03/30/2007) Tiger Beetle in Sunol Regional Wilderness
We found these 2 tiger beetles yesterday (3/29/07) in the
Sunol Regional Wilderness
park; that's northern CA, East Bay, but I'm not sure which
county. It's definitely not the 6 spotted tiger beetle. I
hope you can identify it. Or, after further searching your
site, maybe it is: Cicindela_sexguttata, as I see that they
can come without spots and they must be quite common. thank
you,
Katherine Suri
back yard naturalist
Hi Katherine,
Tiger Beetles are carnivorous predators and your Blister Beetles
were at some point feeding on the blossom in the photo. These
Blister Beetles match an image on BugGuide
of Lytta stygica, but a comment posted by Joyce Gross
claims: "There is another beetle, Lytta chloris , which looks
very much the same as Lytta stygica . But according to specimens
I looked at, Lytta chloris occurs a bit further north, and
more specifically, according to John Pinto, Lytta chloris
doesn't occur south of the Tehachapi Mountains." We are concluding
that your specimen is probably Lytta chloris unless Lytta
stygica occurs further North in addition to its Southern California
range. Since we brought up the carnivorous versus phytophagous
or plant eating diets, Blister Beetles are quite a rarity
in the beetle world. Though diets of immature and adult insects
tend to include different foods, carvivorous larvae usually
grow into carnivorous adults and phytophagous larvae grow
into phytophagous adults. Many larval Blister Beetles are
flesh eating, with grasshopper eggs being a choice food, while
the adults feed on leaves and blossoms.
Desert
Spider Beetle
(03/30/2007) blue beetles in New Mexico
Hi bugman,
I just moved to Las Cruces NM from Australia. My husband,
6 week old puppy and I were walking in one of the local arroyos
yesterday and we saw what we thought were jewels on the ground.
Closer inspection revealed two beetles. One large and one
small....roundish like a grape with brilliant iridescent blue
spots on their backs. They moved very fast once we took an
interest in them. As my husband held back the puppy I used
his cell phone to attempt a picture. I am not use to his phone
and the glare was pretty bad at that time of the afternoon
so the photos were dismal..but this one sort of captures the
larger beetle in flight from us. My husband has previously
lived in this area for a number of years and has never come
across these beetles. I have started a search through Google
and your site (I am up to page 6 of the beetles) but as the
6 week old puppy keeps wanting attention I am a bit distracted
from the task! I hope that you can help us with an identification.
Thanks,
Kate
Hi Kate,
Your photo is quite blurry, but we are nearly certain this
is a type of Blister Beetle in the genus Cysteodemus known
as the Desert Spider Beetles. There is one blurry photo on
BugGuide
that matches your image, and it is identified as Cysteodemus
wislizeni.
Emerald Ash Borer
(03/29/2007) Emerald Ash Borer
Dear bugman,
This is in response to the folks from Ohio that sent in a
photo of the 6 Spotted Tiger Beetle. I'm glad Bruce does recognize
its not EAB but I have attached photos I took in the past
that might help people ID Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)
if they think they have found it. Note the D shaped exit hole.They
will be emerging in early June and ending about mid July.
Your readers may find the attached website of use and report
these pests if found in new areas.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/emerald_ash_borer/emerald_ash_borer.shtml
Keep up the good work
Brian
 
Hi Brian,
Thank you ever so much for providing us with a photo and information.
We will try to remember to repost your letter on our homepage
in June.
Six Spotted Tiger Beetle
(03/27/2007) Help me identify this little green beetle
Up here in Ohio everyone is watching out for the emerald ash
borer. Several friends have brought this little devil to my
attention. I've assured them it's not the emerald ash but
I expect it is in the borer family since it is often seen
on fallen trees. Spotted this fella today when I was cutting
wood. We've had four days in the 70's so he probably just
hatched. Please help me name this fella so I can tell my friends,
I would estimate he's just under an inch long. His green is
very irridescent.
Bruce
Montgomery County Ohio Pic Taken 3-27-07 Fuji 9000
 
Hi Bruce,
We hope harmless predators like your lovely Six Spotted Tiger
Beetle are not being squished, smashed and swatted in a case
of mistaken identity. Tiger Beetles are highly prized by collectors
for their beauty. They are fierce hunters that run and fly
quite well.
|
|
