Very large mommy and babies (?) in Ocala FL area
Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 5:41 PM
Hello! Love your site!!
Last summer, we where driving across FL and stopped in Ocala at a large truck stop. This mommy and what I believe was a baby or siblings had a HUGE web built behind a BBQ stand. The biggest was about 6″ end to end and the smaller (in the second picture) was about 4″ long. Can you identify them (so we know if we should avoid them in the future) 
Or just take cools pics from afar.
Lauren in NPR FL
Ocala FL
Pair of Golden Silk Spiders
Hi Lauren,
Your assumption that this Golden Silk Spider was tending to her young is understandable, but incorrect. The large female Golden Silk Spider, Nephila clavipes, dwarfs her mate by being as much as 100 times his mass. Golden Silk Spiders are not dangerous, but we imagine that they might bite if threatened, but there would be no lasting effects of the bite beyond local pain and swelling.
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Posted 30 December 2008
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beetle with orange feelers
Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 10:47 PM
I live in Sydney, Australia and found a bunch of these beetles in my orange tree today….
any ideas about what they are? and are they pests?
Cheers
Sydney, Australia
Bronze Orange Bug
Dear Cheerful,
Bronze Orange Bugs, Musgraveia sulciventris, are True Bugs and not Beetles. They are actually Stink Bugs. You may read more about them on the Geocities Brisbane Insects website.
Since they suck the sap from young plant shoots on citrus trees, they are not an advantageous species in the garden.
Mating Bronze Orange Bugs
Bug Love Meets Where’s Waldo
Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 7:49 PM
My son Sam took this picture of what he thought was an assassin bug on a flower. Later when we looked back at it we noticed that it was actually two bugs mating. If you can zoom in it’s really a pretty amazing picture. We are wondering now if they are assassin bugs since they don’t seem much like the others on this site. In any case, it’s one for your Bug Love. Any ideas? Thanks, as always, for your great great site!
Sam and Daddy Jim
Suburban backyard, 35 miles west of Chicago
Mating Ambush Bugs
Hi Sam and Daddy Jim,
Though they are sometimes mistaken for Assassin Bugs, Ambush Bugs are in a different family, Phymatidae. Your pair are Jagged Ambush Bugs in the genus Phymata, and you can see more images on BugGuide.
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Posted 13 November 2008
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Hawk Moths-Do you know what kind. From Florida
Sat, Nov 8, 2008 at 2:00 PM
William Arney
Mating Fig Sphinxes
Hi William,
These are mating Fig Sphinxes, Pachylia ficus, and we are thrilled to post your photo.
Blue metallic Beetles mating
Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Hello Bugman,
I found a half dozen pairs of shiny, slow moving beetles in my friend’s
lawn late this summer. Any idea what these are or will become? They were about 1-1.5 inches long and a bit bigger around than an average Sharpie marker. Thanks!
Looking for bugs in NE
Oakland, Maine,northeastern United States
Mating Oil Beetles
Dear Looking,
These are mating Oil Beetles, Blister Beetles in the genus Meloe.
Mating Beetles / Northern Michigan
Sat, Nov 1, 2008 at 9:15 AM
These beetles were all over a small meadow next to our cottage in Maple City Michigan during the first week of August, 2008. Caught these two mating. Ooh la la… I have no idea what kind they are and haven’t been able to ID them on my own.
Your site is wonderful! Thanks!
Jeff
Maple City Michigan, USA
Mating Banded Longhorns
Hi Jeff,
Your mating beetles are Banded Longhorns, Typocerus velutinus, in the group known as Flower Longhorns. According to BugGuide: “Larvae feed on decaying hardwoods such as oak, hickory. Adults usually found in daytime, but do come to lights, so probably somewhat nocturnal. “
Mating Large Tolype
Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 4:18 AM
Thought you would like a picture of two Tolype mating. These were on the side of a large flower pot. I took this picture on 9/22/08. I live in Geetingsville, Indiana, located in central Indiana. I do not know what that is on the pot to the left of the Tolype. About a week later it was gone. Thanks, Diane Little
Diane
Geetingsville, IN. Central Indiana
Large Tolype Moths Mating
Hi Diane,
WE agree that this pair is more likely the Large Tolype, Tolype velleda, than the Small Tolype, Tolype notialis, based on the comments on BugGuide. The species is also called the Velleda Lappet Moth.
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Posted 27 October 2008
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Orb weaver nookie
Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Just wanted to share a picture of the two Orb weavers we shared our patio with this summer. We live in Charleston, SC. We named them Lilith and Frasier. Unfortunately, Lilith disappeared about a week after this photo was taken.
Amy
Charleston, SC
Golden Silk Spider Courtship
Hi Amy,
What an amazing photo of a pair of Golden Silk Spiders, Nephila clavipes. We are not sure who was named Lilith, but the larger of the pair is the female. We would think that it would have been the smaller male that vanished.
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Posted 26 October 2008
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Mating blister beetles
Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Hey fellows, love the new website design! Here are the mating blister beetles from Shilo, Manitoba, Canada
Sherry
Shilo, Manitoba, Canada
Mating Blister Beetles
Hi Sherry,
WE have received images of these Blister Beetles from Canada in the past, and we have not had any success with identifying the species. We have matched the images to the genus Lytta on BugGuide, though the indication is that the species might be Lytta nutalli or Lytta cyanipennis.
Mating Blister Beetles
Greasy Sex Picture
Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 9:19 PM
Probably got your attention now :-), out bird watching and came across these mating Big Greasy Butterflies. Only had the 400mm telephoto on so not as detailed as I would have liked but thought you might like it for the bug love pages. Do many butterflies mate in this face to face position?
Regards the Moths of Australia website, Don is one of my inspirations in the bug world and I emailed him for an ID of the plume moth. He liked the picture so much he asked if he could add it to his page
aussietrev
Queensland, Australia
Big Greasy Butterflies Mating
Hi again Trevor,
This is a beautiful photo of mating Big Greasy Butterflies, Cressida cressida. While the common name is somewhat offputting, it is nonetheless a lovely butterfly. The Big Greasy is also known by the more attractive name Clearwing Swallowtail.
some kind of beatle?
Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 3:12 PM
found these two having a romantic evening as the sun set on Oct 12, 2008.
very prehistoric looking. thank you,
Genesis
South St. Louis area of Missouri USA
Mating Wheel Bugs
Hi Genesis,
Prehistoric is a word that we often hear in conjunction with Wheel Bugs. Your mating Wheel Bugs are Assassin Bugs, not beetles.
Neither pair of wheel bugs is mating, just coupled. Mating means they would by coupled, the male off to the side, not directly on top.
Eric Eaton
What in the world is this?
Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 1:35 PM
This bug was found walking around on our back porch. It apparently looks like it was trying to make more too! Thanks for any help you can provide.
TS
Troy, Ohio USA
Mating Wheel Bugs
Hi TS,
Wow, what a wonderful image of mating Wheel Bugs. Wheel Bugs are predatory Assassin Bugs and they are quite beneficial in the garden. Interestingly, we got two photos today of mating Wheel Bugs and we will post them both.
Neither pair of wheel bugs is mating, just coupled. Mating means they would by coupled, the male off to the side, not directly on top.
Eric Eaton
who knows bug
Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 2:57 PM
These two have been hanging around for days. Wondering what they are. They look ancient. They are very small. Smaller than my little fingernail.
Christy
Southern New Mexico
Mating Broad-Nosed Weevils
Hi Christy,
These are mating Broad Nosed Weevils, most probably in the genus Ophryastes which are found in desert climates in the American Southwest. We located images of this genus on BugGuide.
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Posted 08 October 2008
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mating yellow jackets?
Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 10:10 AM
At first, I thought this cluster was chowing down on some hapless insect, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, does it?
Not more than half a mile away, while walking the dog, we wandered too close to a nest and Jester got his butt stung by another one — I guess it’s just that time of year!
Yellowjacket Mating Frenzy
Hi Pat,
Since you had our email address from before our site migration, you did not submit this letter with the new form that requires that a location be provided for identification purposes. We wish you had included your location in your letter. We will contact Eric Eaton to see if he can provide any information on this mating frenzy of Yellowjackets.
oops, sorry. We’re located in Southwest Michigan, just about a mile from the Lake Michigan.
October 7, 2008
Daniel:
Yes, these are male “southern yellowjackets,” Vespula squamosa, mobbing a new queen. This species is somewhat unique in that it is a facultative (as opposed to “obligatory”) social parasite of other yellowjackets. In the spring, if nesting sites are scarce, a queen southern yellowjacket may attack the queen of another species and kill her. The workers of the host species then raise the offspring of the southern queen. Most colonies of the host species have small numbers of workers when this happens, and it may not happen with a high degree of frequency.
Eric
Mating Griffin’s Sheepmoths
Bugman, your WTB & Bug Love sites are truly unique and fascinating. Thanks for creating and maintaining these to help us ID what we find in the field. We found a mating pair of Hemileuca griffini while hiking on Pollywog Bench above Lake Powell, UT on the east side of the Escalante River confluence. The photos submitted show the moths embraced around a small dry grass shoot held by someone (finger at bottom). We found the fine amber head hairs and fillary antanni quite beautiful. They remained clutched in spite of our interference. Date taken - 09/23/2008.
•How you want your letter signed
n8urnut
Southern Utah
Griffin
Dear n8urnut,
Thanks so much for sending us your photo of mating Griffin’s Sheepmoths. We will link to the Butterflies and Moths of North America to provide additional information on the species.
Butterfly love & more!
I thought you would enjoy having these butterfly photos I took while on vacation in Pennsylvania. Attached are photos of (what I believe to be) mating Silver-spotted Skippers, a Great Spangled Fritillary and a Zebra Heliconian. Enjoy! If I mis-classified them…my apologies. Thanks for the great site!
Kristin
Mechanicsburg area, PA
Silver Spotted Skippers Mating
Hi Kristin,
Your identifications are all correct, and we are very happy to post your images of the mating Silver Spotted Skippers and the Zebra Longwing. Please explain the Zebra sighting. This species is found in Florida and the southern states, and to the best of our knowledge, it does not stray north. Perhaps it caught a ride on Hurricane Ike. Please write back and verify that the Zebra Longwing was spotted in Pennsylvania, and clarify that it was in the wild and not in a butterfly exhibit.
Zebra Longwing: In Pennsylvania?????
Hi Daniel!
I’m sorry, I should have specified that! The Skippers & Fritillary were photographed in the wild and the Zebra Heliconian was photographed in the butterfly pavilion exhibit at Hershey Gardens in Hershey, PA. I also have a pic of a Common Buckeye that I photographed in the butterfly pavilion. I went ahead and attached it, in case you wanted to post that for others’ identification purposes.
Thanks again and have a great week,
Kristin
Bug Love Frenzy! And a Little Hitchhiker!
I just went out again to check on the bumblebees and a number of others have joined in the fun!
Can you let me know what the little hitchhiker is on the highest bumblebee?
Thanks,
Roberta
Andover, MA
Bumble Bee mating frenzy
Bumblebee Love
I thought you would enjoy this picture of the “bumblebee love gathering” in my garden. I always thought bees mated in the air so I was very surprised to see this in my garden today
Roberta
Andover, MA
Bumble Bees Mating
Hi Roberta,
After sifting through all the Bumble Bees in the genus Bombus posted on BugGuide, and all the identification drawings on the Bumblebees of North America website, we don’t feel confident enough to give you an exact species identification. Perhaps one of our readers can assist in this matter. We are curious about this group mating behavior. The detail on your photo is not sufficient for us to identify the small fly hitch-hiking on the top Bee.
Daniel:
The bumble bee mating behavior is typical of many ground-nesting bees. Virgin queens are a hot commodity, so males flock to them and compete for an opportunity to mate.
I can’t make out what the fly is, either, but it might be a “no-see-um,” family Ceratopogonidae, most species of which do not feed on people, but suck the blood of other insects.
Eric Eaton
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Posted 29 September 2008
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is it some sort of mantis?
I was out shooting fall color and some insects when I came across this very small insect feeding on another insect. I didn’t really give it much thought until I was editing photos and noticed the mantis like front legs.
Jerry
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Mating Ambush Bugs
Hi Jerry,
While we have heard of many foods as being described as being “better than sex” in the case of your photograph, it seems the male Ambush Bug would rather procreate than eat. Ambush Bugs in the genus Phymata are typically found on blossoms where they wait to ambush insects attracted to the nectar and pollen.
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Posted 28 September 2008
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Limax copulation
I just wanted to share this image and these Youtube links of a pair of Limax maximus copulating on my toolshed. I took these images in mid-September 2008 in Brunswick, Maryland (Frederick County).
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=k6Jh6zmoH1o
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=cutUEYHozpM
love your site - i visit regularly and recommend you to my friends
wayneO
Brunswick, Frederick County, Maryland
Mating Spotted Leopard Slugs
Hi Wayne,
Several years ago when we posted a response that mentioned that all snails and slugs are Hermaphrodites, so all pairings are same sex, we incurred the wrath of a particularly sensitive reader. The facts have not changed on this issue, and slugs are still hermaphrodites. This species is commonly called the Spotted Leopard Slug, the Tiger Slug, or the Great Grey Slug. More can be read on this Oregon State University website.
Walking stick species???
We saw this in our back yard today. It has a baby on its back. The bug is wingless and has 6 legs. It looks like some kind of small fat walking stick It is certainly adapted for living in trees with its coloring. We live in Southern Ky. (East Bernstadt).’m sending in 2 pics to help you ID it…Can’t wait to find out!! Thanks…this is a really cool site by the way
Ed and daughter Scarlett
Souther, Ky
Mating Walkingsticks
Hi Ed and Scarlett,
Your insects are mating Walkingsticks. We thought they might be Muskmares, but we also thought you were too far north for this species. We believe this is a closely related species in the same genus, Anisomorpha ferruginea, which we located on Bugguide.
