WHAT'S THAT BUG? DOES NOT ENDORSE EXTERMINATION
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We will be undergoing a Metamorphosis!!!
What's That Bug? will be changing our appearance and format in the future. We hope you will find our transformation easier to use and we hope it will make our lives easier. Watch for the new and improved What's That Bug? in the near future.

Spring has Sprung!!!
(05/06/2008) We are getting busier at work and more and more of your letters are arriving daily. We are literally overwhelmed and can only answer a fraction of your letters. With spring here, we are already seeing the numbers of letter increasing on a daily basis. Chances are quite good that the insect you want identified might already be in our archives. Please try our search engine or click the links on the left side of the homepage. Don't forget to scroll down to see our most recent postings and you can see the alphabetized archive of links on the lower left.

We got a great holiday present last year. One of our readers was sick and tired of not being able to look at bugs when she wanted wanted to. The whims of our server got the best of her and so she put us in touch with her husband who is WEB-SAVVY down in Florida. He hooked us up with plenty of bandwidth, so there should be NO MORE PROBLEMS and our readers are now free to browse the bugs whenever they feel the urge. THANK YOU Lisa and Daniel of SHIRTSOFBAMBOO.COM.

PLEASE VISIT OUR SPONSOR! SHIRTS OF BAMBOO TOOK PITY ON US AND OFFERED BANDWIDTH! HOW NICE ARE THEY?

Recent Letters to What's that Bug-
Before writing in, please browse our recent letters, use our search engine, and take a look at the list of bugs on the left side of the page to see if your beast has already been identified!

There are numerous other pages in the alphabatized list at the left. Please check out those pages first before writing to us to see if you can locate your mystery specimen. Then if your photo is better than one we have, please send it in with any relevant details. Because we are getting hundreds of letters a week, we are only able to post four per day. This is no indication of the quality or urgency of your query as the letters are chosen at random. If you have a question about a bug, please take the time to look at our alphabetized list of bugs on the left column before writing us. The most popular household intruders we get letters about are HOUSE CENTIPEDES and PANTRY BEETLES. Larger frightening creatures that are frequent letter topics include POTATO BUGS, DOBSONFLIES and TOE-BITERS. So please check out those sections if you see something creepy in your house or yard!

Not Much Help to the Helpless
(10/7/2003) HELP!!!
Help I have a spider and i want to idenify it! i need to know it's Family Scientfic name and its order!!
Please help1!!
helpless child

Dear Helpless,
Give me something to go on. Please send a photo attachment or a description and a location.

Editor's Note: Here at What's That Bug? we make every attempt to identify your mystery visitors, but we need information. In the event that you don't have a photo, please try to provide a description including where the creature was spotted, when, if it was on a specific plant, and please include your geographic location.


We do not offer extermination advice.


Bug of the Month: May 2008
Striped Morning Sphinx or White Lined Sphinx: adult and caterpillar
(04/27/2008) Question: Help! What is this bug?!
Dear Bugman,
Please help me identify this bug.  I have searched all the pages on the internet for moths and cannot locate a picture that looks like this one.  Thank you so much!
Julie



Hi Julie,
On our website, the Sphinx Moths, a large family, get their own pages separate from general moths. This is a White Lined Sphinx, Hyles lineata. It is one of the most common U.S. Sphinx Moths, and in desert areas the species go through cyclical population explosions. Because the California rains this season have been spread out rather than concentrated, there is lush native plant growth and we expect to continue to get reports of both the adult Striped Morning Sphinx moths and the caterpillars as well.


White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar
(03/26/2008) caterpillar picture attached
I saw this caterpillar in Anzo-Borrego Desert in southern California last week.  Curious if you know what it is. Pictures attached.
paul



Hi Paul,
With the desert wildflowers being so spectacular this year, there is plenty of food for plant eaters like caterpillars. We expect to get numerous queries regarding your species, the White Lined Sphinx or Striped Morning Sphinx, Hyles lineata. The caterpillars of this species are highly variable and become quite numerous at times. They were eaten by Native Americans and still are eaten by some adventuresome modern Americans as well.

Wool Sower Gall
(05/10/2008) Cocoon on Oak Tree Branch?
Hi -- I found your website through Google.  I live in central Missouri and found this "weird growth" on a branch of one of the oak trees in my yard.  I've tried researching the web, but I still can't identify if it's a plant fungus, or a gall, or a bird nest, or a cocoon, or something else!  Do you have any idea?  It's about the size of a ping-pong ball, white with pink spots, and it's "perched" on top of the branch.  Very strange.  Thanks!
Susan Foster



Hi Susan,
In the true sense of the word, this is not a cocoon though adult insects will emerge. You have a Wool Sower Gall which is produced by a tiny wasp, Callirhytis seminator. Galls are growths on various parts of plants, usually caused by a Gall Wasp or a type of mite. There are many species of Gall Wasps, and each has a specific host plant. The Wool Sower Gall used the oak tree as a host. Here is a site with additional information.

  Giant Leopard Moth
(05/10/2008) butterfly?
Hi,
I think this is a butterfly, not really sure since I've never seen anything like this before.  It's about an inch and a half long, has black antennae and black legs with white spots from looking at it from underneath and behind without disturbing it, it looks like the abdomen may be black and orange patterned.  I found it today in southwest Mississippi at couple of blocks from the Mississippi River.  Hope you can tell me what it is! Thanks,
Sharon



Hi Sharon,
This is not a butterfly. It is a Tiger Moth in the family Arctiidae. More specifically, it is a Giant Leopard Moth, Hypercompe scribonia.

Imperial Jezebel from Australia
(05/10/2008) Imperial Jezebel from East Coast Australia
Hi Daniel,
I see you are both very busy at the moment, but thought you might like to have a couple of photos of the Black Jezebel, Delias nigrina, found mostly on the East Coast of Australia. During the past month there have been quite a few of these butterflies in our yard, flying in and then dying. So, the  two photos are of a dead Jezebel, female according to my butterfly reference book. The upper view is grey-white and black, the under view is beautifully coloured.  Apparently they feed on misteltoe. Regards,
Grev



Hi Grev,
As we respond to our students when they ask if we are busy: "Never too busy for you!" Thanks so much for sending us your photos of the mysteriously deceased Imperial Jezebel. It surely is a lovely butterfly.

Unknown Ichneumon Wasp: Possible Male Megarhyssa species
(05/10/2008) Another question
Dear Bugman,
First of all, you guys are awesome.  I've sent photos of several different insects and arachnids your way and you always help out the best you can when it comes to identification.  I commend you for always being courteous and prompt (when you can be).  Now that I've done my quota of kissing butt, here are some more photos of critters I could use some help with.  I only publish amateur photos on my website, so most of the time the species of creature is in question.  Don't get me wrong, I can tell an arachnid from an insect and an amphibian from a reptile, but whenever possible I prefer to positively identify a critter's species.  If you can even just point me in the right direction "order"-wise, I can probably find it.  If you can give me the actual species...even better.  Thanks in advance,
Stefan Bowers



Hi Stefan,
Most importantly, where are you located? This is some species of Ichenumon. We believe it may be a male Giant Ichneumon in the genus Megarhyssa. Your moth is one of the Sphinx Moths, but we need to research what species. We are posting yout two insects separately as putting different orders in one posting complicates our already disorganized archives.

Cottonwood Borer
905/09/2008) Here's a beauty for you.
Found this pretty beetle on the garden hose rack at my house. It was so big and bold. It is also a good model.....who sat for several pictures. Enjoy!
Pamela
League City, TX



Hi Pamela,
We have just spent the last two hours playing "catch-up" posting images that were sent yesterday, and we really need to do other things today. We could not resist the temptation to post just one more though. Your photo appeals to us on so many levels. The Cottonwood Borer, Plectrodera scalator, is truly a regal insect that is not easily confused with any other. We also love the fact that it was photographed on a garden hose. Our favorite photos tend to be the kind that would never find their way into legitimate entomological books because they are slightly quirky. Thanks for your beautiful submission of a beautiful beetle.

Cockchafer from UK
(05/09/2008) made me late to work today
Brown wings underneath. I'm in Eversly, UK on business I threw it outside after taking a couple of pics.  What was it?



We have to confess that posting letters to our site has made us late for work on more than one occasion. Glad to hear it has the same effect on our readership. This is a Cockchafer, also known as a Billy Witch. Read more on Wikipedia.

Checkered Beetle
(05/09/2008) Insect identification
Hey, sorry to bother you, but I was trying to figure out what type of insect this is and haven't been having a lot of luck figuring it out.  I'm doing a series of insect photos as my blog theme this week, and wanted to use this image for tomorrow's entry.Any help would be greatly appreciated. Best,
Mike Thompson
Mike Thompson Photography & Design
Orinda  CA



Hi Mike,
This is a Checkered Beetle in the family Cleridae, probably the genus Trichodes as pictured on BugGuide. We are not certain of the species, but perhaps Eric Eaton can assist with that.

Two Spotted Ladybird Beetle: unusual color form
(05/09/2008) Here's a ladybird?? I found today
I'm so curious ...I had never seen this bug in my garden before and I am assuming it's a ladybird of some sort.  I just released a couple of cartons of ladybirds about 2 weeks ago in my garden but none looked like this. Thanks in advance for taking a peek at this one
Sandra



hi Sandra,
This greatly resembles a photo we found on BugGuide listed as an "unusual colour form" of Adalia bipunctata, the Two Spotted Ladybird Beetle.

Harvestman
(05/09/2008) What the heck is this?
I love your website. I have learned SO much while searching for this beetle/spider/tick looking thing. I took pictures the best I could. I'm sorry if they aren't as clear as they could be. This little guy was determined to get back under the rock. We live in Arkansas, up on top of a mountain, and it is very rocky up here. My husband was clearing some of the bigger rocks out of the back yard when he found one of these yesterday. He didn't get back to it in time to take a picture so he went back out there today and was able to find another. He was approximately 1 1/2" total, legs and all. His body looks like a tick with no visible head that we could find. It appears to have eyes up on top of the front of his body. I could even make out a smiley face when I looked at him upside down :) Yes, I have spent WAY too much time looking at the pictures of this thing. I have scoured your website trying to find what he/she is but haven't found him yet. Can someone please help me identify it?  I know you are extremely busy so thank you so much for any help that you might be able to give us. Thank you for the awesome resource you are providing!
Damon & Kristi Whitener
P.S. We didn't kill him :)



Hi Damon and Kristi,
This is a harmless Harvestman. We believe we have found a match on BugGuide. It looks to us like Vonones ornata. You should submit your photos to BugGuide as they have not received any reports from Arkansas, though images of this genus have been submitted from surrounding states.

Elm Sphinx
(05/09/2008) Elm sphinx. very pretty moth in my opinion.
hey bugman,
I found this very pretty elm sphinx (identified by moth guy on bugguide) today and thought i would share a photo with you. this is the first one ive seen, and hopefully not the last. Are they pretty common? anyway, hope you enjoy the photo. I love your website.
Michael D.



Hi Michael,
We needed to go to your BugGuide posting to find out your Elm Sphinx, Ceratomia amyntor, was sighted in Tennessee. We rotated your photo to maximize its size on our website. We found a compilation website that has is sighting map with an extensive range.

Eastern Tailed Blue
(05/08/2008) pretty little blue butterfly.
sorry i forgot to attach the photo. this butterfly was found in Cades Cove here in east Tennessee.  I think its one of the blues but im not sure. i would love to identify the species. anyway hope you enjoy the photo. i love your website.
Michael D.



Hi Michael,
This sure looks to us like an Eastern Tailed Blue, Cupido comyntas.

Desert Cockroaches
(05/08/2008) What bug is this?
I live in the southern San Joaquin Valley in California, and I found these bugs under metal barrels and logs.  They are about a half inch long.  I've seen them crawl and "hop".  After looking at your website, it seems to be a cockroach, but I haven't been able to identify it for sure.  Thanks for your help!
Kelvin Furgerson



hi Kelvin,
These are Desert Cockroaches in the genus Arenivaga according to images on BugGuide.

Polyphemus Moth
(05/08/2008) Bug Man
Hello! I found this little guy on my back porch. I've never seen anything like it! It looks like a spider and a moth mated! Please help me I've been racking my brain! Thanks
Natasha



Hi Natasha,
In the past few weeks, we have received countless images of Polyphemus Moths. We have so many images in our archives, that we have opted to take our limited time to post other species instead. Thanks for sending such an interesting angle of view and we love your observations on imagined possible inter-species hybridization.

Eastern Tent Caterpillar
(05/08/2008) Eastern Tent Caterpillars
Here is a picture I took while hiking along the C&O canal in Maryland. These things are EVERYWHERE and until I took a look at your site, I thought they were Gypsy Moth Caterpillars. My 4 year old son and I were at the National Zoo the other day and while the elephants couldn't hold his attention, he was facinated by these caterpillars inching along all over the place. He then collected several and gently placed them on his shirt and then proceeded to strut around the zoo covered in them like some caterpillar tamer on Animal Planet. Alas, I did not have my camera with me that day. Thanks for the great site!
Tracy



Hi Tracy,
Thanks for your touching story. We have recently received several images of individual Eastern Tent Caterpillars, Malacosoma americanum, but we have not posted them. Your photo is a textbook example for identification purposes.

Luna Moth
(05/05/2008) Luna moth
Thought I would give you my image of a Luna Moth. This guy stayed around most of the day on one of my many bonsai. Could not help but take a photos of her. Your welcome if you like to add this to your website. Michael McCoy Maumelle Ar.
Michael McCoy



Hi Michael,
Thanks for sending us your Luna Moth photo. We are amused that you called it a flying manta ray.

Pseudoscorpion Killed Unnecessarily
(05/05/2008) Tiny Crab Like Bug
I was sitting at my computer when i noticed this little thing crawling across my desk. It has long crab like pinchers, and 6 little legs, teardrop shaped body that was extremely flat with stripes brown in color. Sorry my first instinct was eww bug kill it. I did take a picture after its death. Its next to one of my hairs to show relation to size. What is it? Do I need to worry? Thank You
Matthew



Hi Matthew,
We are so busy right now that we can only answer and post a small fraction of the numerous letters we are sent. Were it not for your very descriptive letter with good search terms including crab-like and your wonder image with the open claws on your Pseudoscorpion, it might have gone unanswered. Pseudoscorpions are quite harmless, but they are fierce predators if the prey is small enough for them to capture. They are known to catch and eat house flies much larger than themselves. We also hope the next Pseudoscorpion that crosses you path will continue unharmed as this is truly unnecessary carnage.

Third Recipient: Nasty Reader Award
(05/04/2008) (no subject)
thanks for nothing asshole
Jen Cifone
babygunit20012003@yahoo.com

(05/03/2008) (no subject)
i was wondering if u could tell me what this bug is i looked online and couldnt find it the pics arent very good because the bugs would not stop moveing im not sure if its a worm or laravae but i was hopeing maby you could help they keep crawling up our drain and into our  bathtube and we would really like to know what we are dealing with if you could reply as soon as possible that would be great thank you.
jen cifone
babygunit20012003@yahoo.com



Ed. Note: We seriously believe that Jen Cifone has a bet going that she could win the Nasty Reader Award. We can't imagine anyone composing her original letter with such blatant disregard for the English language nor anyone with half a brain thinking they could get that blurry photo identified.

Toe-Biter from Iraq
(05/03/2008) Toe Biter
Here are the picture of the toe-biter we found in our building one morning. I wrote you a week or so ago, but didn't have the photos that we took. It looked like someone had stepped on him :-(. He was very awkward and slow. But it sounds like that is typical for this little guy. I'm not sure what he was doing so far from a water source, there is a river around here, but maybe 5 miles away. Thanks for having such a great site, you see a lot of strange critters in Iraq, and your website is very helpful. We actually saw a camel spider today, he was probably 4 inches long, and very fast! I have sent the video along as well in a separate email, the guys at work were having some fun with him, but he escaped under the port a potty. Have a good day!
Patricia Winn



Hi Patricia,
Thanks for sending us your Toe-Biter image. We get numerous images of Toe-Biters, also called Giant Water Bugs or Electric Light Bugs, from around the world, including the U.S. Please return home safely and soon.

Solpugid
(04/26/2008) Can you name this insect for me...?
I recently moved to Phelan,  California back in January. This area is considered a High Desert. Just in the last couple days we have been seeing a lot of these guys. They seem to be really smart and look like they are ready for a fight...lol. They use their two large front "arms", for lack of a better word, to climb, no more like scale a vertical wall. If you could give me a clue to what they are and if they are poisonous. I appreciate your help. Thanks...
Ty
Attached are a few photos I took in the bath tub before releasing him back into the desert.



Hello Ty,
The Solpugid is not an insect, it is an arachnid. It is related to spiders and scorpions, hence its common names Sun Spider or Wind Scorpion. In some places they are called Sand Puppies, but they are not related to dogs. Unlike Spiders and Scorpions, Solpugids do not have venom. They are harmless unless you are small enough to be considered food, in which case gram per gram, they might be the fiercest predators on the planet. We are lucky they don't weigh 150 pounds. They will eat anything they can catch, which is a benefit in the desert.

House Centipede
(04/18/2008) 2nd try, I forgot to attach
OK, I did not kill it, I would never kill a bug What is this guy? I just moved across country and know nothing of bugs here. He was big.. he was cool. I let him go in the yard after his photo shoot hehe. Is he dangerous to my kids/pets? TY, I love you guys and use you more then you know!
Robin Lewis



Hi Robin,
Because of the frequency of queries, and because of the nearly worldwide distribution, we always keep a photo of a harmless House Centipede on our homepage. Actually, more than harmless, they are beneficial predators. Thanks for doing a good deed and releasing it.

Potato Bug
(04/15/2008) My first potatobug encounter
I encountered this critter the other day whilst digging in my sorry excuse for a garden.  It's the biggest bug I've ever seen- even after spending my childhood chasing after various bugs. The part I really wanted to mention though: I've told more than a few people my favorite bug was the potatobug because I thought they were cute and I always played with them when I was little.  This has never failed to illicit looks of disgust and I never understood why.  -Now- I know why, thanks to your website... it was woodlice I liked.  Not potatobugs.  I'm a city gal, can you blame me? Enjoy the juicy pic.  I swear it was probably a 5-pounder. 
Angela



Hi Angela,
We are afraid to ask what the "wtf" title of your photo stands for since we strive (sometimes unsucessfully) to be a G-rated site. Thanks for your interesting Potato Bug anecdote.

Bug of the Month: April 2008
Carpet Beetle
(03/08/2008) bug on windowsill
In the last week (first week of March), we have seen several of these tiny beetle-like bugs on our windowsill.  We’re concerned that they might be from possible dampness in the wall – or are they from a house plant.  It’s too cold here yet, so you windows have not been open for fresh air and bugs! Thanks for helping us identify this tiny bug.  It’s about 2 millimetres long.
Lauren



Hi Lauren,
This is an Anthrenus Carpet Beetle. It and its siblings have probably been living all winter in your home as fuzzy larvae, feeding on wool, feathers or fur, or some other animal product. Carpet Beetle infestations can do major damage to your valuables and are considered one of the most serious threats to natural history museum collections. Adult Carpet Beetles emerge in the spring and are attracted to windows. They feed on pollen as adults and are trying to get outside to feed.

Ed. Note: (04/04/2008)
It seems that daily we have been receiving multiple requests for the identification of Anthrenus Carpet Beetles, hence our decision to make them the Bug of the Month for April. These Carpet Beetles can be extremely destructive to museum collections as well as to natural fibers in the home. The larvae are fuzzy and are the destructive stage of the insect.


Carpet Beetle Larva
(04/13/2008) Carpet beetle larva from MN
Hello Daniel and Lisa. 
Thanks to your site, which I visit almost daily now, I was able to identify a carpet beetle larva when I first saw it last year crawling up the wall in my room.  Now I found another one this year in the same place and time, and now I have a better camera for getting a decent picture of it.  I noticed that you made it the Bug of the Month for April, and the picture you have up there is a little blurry, so I thought you might like some clearer images.  I'm still not sure of the species of this one though.  I live in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Joel



Hi Joel,
Thanks for providing us with a sharper and more current image of a Carpet Beetle Larva. We scoured the archives for the one we originally posted in the Bug of the Month for April 2008 posting.


(5/21/03)How can one get rid of crickets that have found their way into the house?

Catch them and release them.


Check out Eric Eaton's new Book!!!
Our Readership is constantly inquiring about a great field guide for insect identification. Eric Eaton's new book, Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America is now in its second printing. Look for it at your local bookstore or buy directly from Amazon.


Bug Love Poster
View Poster
(09/12/2006) Ed. Note
Recently, Dave, who worked on the radio transmitter project to track the migration of Anax junius, the Green Darner Dragonfly, proposed selling his awesome Retro posters of Bug Love on our site. A percentage of the proceeds goes to insect conservation. What's That Bug? fully endorses this ad and these beautiful posters and we are not making any profit off of the sales. So, contact Dave via his email... and tell him What's That Bug? sent you.
Read Dave's entire letter on our Fanmail 2 page.


Help! I have these bugs that are invading my home! My husband and I find at LEAST 5 every morning. Eww! They are the "pincher bugs". Something else we've discovered in our house are these dark brown spiders that love to just hang out on the top of our ceiling. Our newly purchased home in Southern California is crawling with creatures who've roamed free in the unattended soil for 50 years. What is the best way to get rid of insects? We have some yellow jackets that fly around along with mosquitoes. In our ground though we have pincher bugs by the thousands and also pill bugs. We are in the process of ripping out plants, trees and
shrubbery to replant the entire yard. How do we kill off all the insects!?
Any suggestions would be MOST appreciated!
Thank you!
Rebecca


Dear Rebecca,
Nothing short of a nuclear bomb will rid your property of all your dreaded insects, but considering the current political climate, you just might get your wish. In the event that that doesn't happen, you just might have to learn to live together. We at What's that Bug? do not advocate getting rid of all insects since we would be out of business.


(08/27/2005) Hi Daniel and Lisa Anne!
JAW DROP!!!!!
WOW!!!!!!!!!!
I just had to write you two, your site is the best bug site I have ever seen! Your main page helped me identify a bug that was posted at our forum, and I must admit that some of the pictures submitted to your site are so absolutely beautiful that I had to capture them for my screen saver! In exchange I wish to offer some photos of my own, taken in my yard in Santa Ana California. I have included 10 photos that I took with my digital camera, you may use them as you see fit I would also like to reply to Rebecca from Southern California who wishes to know how to get rid of all of her bugs, if a reply is allowed.
Hi Rebecca!
I live in Southern California too, and I have all the things you described in my yard as well. If they are getting into your house, then you probably have openings around windows and doors that should be attended to. You do not want to kill the bugs in your yard, they provide very necessary functions to keep your yard healthy. Ants are your cleaning crew, they dispose of dead things. Earthworms are what make the earth that your garden grows in, and their castings contain an enzyme that repels white flies. Wasps are your predators, they eat the caterpillars that eat your plants. Caterpillars are your butterflies and moths, and they pollinate your flowers so they bloom again next year. Robber flies are your wasp controllers, they keep wasp populations down. Potato bugs, pill bugs, earwigs and click beetles are your compost engineers, they recycle leaf litter and break it down so the earthworms can turn it into healthy soil. Possums are your snail controllers. Garden snails are not native and have no other predator than possums here in California. Spiders are your general insect controllers, you should capture and take outside any that wander into your house. There are many other insects that you will find in your yard as well, but they are all pretty harmless and will avoid you if you just give them time to move out of your way. Your yard is its own ecosystem, with its own checks and balances. Learn to love your bugs, explore them, research them, discover the benefits they give to you and the beauty of your yard. If you get stung by a wasp or bee, or bitten by a mosquito, simply dissolve a real aspirin in your hand with a few drops of water and apply directly to the site, the pain and itch will be gone within a matter of seconds. If you want to help control your mosquitoes, simply place a container of water under a bush which is easily accessible to you and leave it there, check it every day, when you see the larvae swimming around just dump the entire container of water on the ground. The larvae will die. Refill the container. Insure that there is no other standing water on your property. Keep an eye out for Black Widows, they are the only bugs in your yard that can actually harm you. Hope this helps :)
Sincerely,
Cathy :)
Thank you Daniel and Lisa, for such a wonderful site! I have it bookmarked and will be back here often!


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