Tuesday, 30 June 2020

Rednecked Peanutworm: New Guide Examines Management Options for Peanut Pest | Entomology Today

This post Rednecked Peanutworm: New Guide Examines Management Options for Peanut Pest appeared first on Entomology Today - Brought to you by the Entomological Society of America.

The rednecked peanutworm is the main lepidopteran pest in South and Central American peanut fields. A new profile in the open-access Journal of Integrated Pest Management shares biology, management options, and new research needed for the pest species.

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Monday, 29 June 2020

How Graduate Students Can Advocate for a Healthier Academic Culture | Entomology Today

This post How Graduate Students Can Advocate for a Healthier Academic Culture appeared first on Entomology Today - Brought to you by the Entomological Society of America.

In entomology and other STEM fields, graduate students face a demanding academic work culture that can become toxic in its "productivity at all costs" mentality. Here's how graduate students can advocate a healthier academic culture at their institutions.

The post How Graduate Students Can Advocate for a Healthier Academic Culture appeared first on Entomology Today.

Friday, 26 June 2020

Male Tulip-Tree Silkmoth

Subject:  Brown Moth
Geographic location of the bug:  Hide-A_Way Hills, Hocking Cty, OH 43107
Date: 06/18/2020
Time: 08:39 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Found this by our front door, June 16, 2020.  Could not find the exact same one online.  What is it?
How you want your letter signed:  Jan

Tulip Tree Silkmoth

Dear Jan,
This looks to us like a male Tulip Tree Silkmoth,
Callosamia angulifera, and it is pictured on BugGuide.  It is one of the Giant Silkmoths in the family Saturniidae.  Giant Silkmoths only live a few days, long enough to mate.  They do not feed as adults.

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Thursday, 25 June 2020

Female Dobsonfly from Arizona

Subject:  bug with armor plate shield and pincers
Geographic location of the bug:  Sedona Arizona
Date: 06/19/2020
Time: 03:16 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Spotted this bug on window trim behind a planter and thought it was a grasshopper, but at closer look saw this cool looking bug with what looks like an armor shield plate and silvery looking design across its head. Never seen anything like it. But what IS it?
How you want your letter signed:  Lea

Female Dobsonfly

Dear Lea,
This is a female Dobsonfly, and because of your location, we believe it is 
Corydalus texanus which is pictured on BugGuide.

The post Female Dobsonfly from Arizona appeared first on What's That Bug?.



Spiny Assassin Bug Nymph

Subject:  what’s this bug?
Geographic location of the bug:  wesley chapel florida
Date: 06/22/2020
Time: 07:13 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  just curious if this mantis is native to florida or the u.s. in general, if this is the adult or juvenile form it was tiny crawling in the sand where I was working amazing little creature.
How you want your letter signed:  ahardy

Spiny Assassin Bug Nymph

Dear ahardy,
This is not a Mantis, but your mistake is understandable as both Mantids and this Spiny Assassin Bug nymph from the genus
Sinea both have raptoreal front legs they use to grasp prey.  Handle with caution.  Assassin Bugs might bite if carelessly handled.

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Ichneumon or Braconid???

Subject:  Stumpstabber – Megarhyssa sp.
Geographic location of the bug:  Sierra Nevada range route 88
Date: 06/23/2020
Time: 01:40 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  My friend took this pic and because she knows my love of all things “bug” asked if I could find out anything about it.  Been doing some poking around and the  closest I could find was family Ichneunonidae Megarhyssa nortoni.  It’s quite striking in coloration.  Just wanted to share because I haven’t found a photo anywhere that matches
How you want your letter signed:  Terriann

Parasitic Wasp

Dear Terriann,
This is definitely a member of the superfamily Ichneumonoidea that includes the family Braconidae as well as the Ichneumon, and we believe this might be a Braconid, possibly in the genus
Atanycolus that is represented on BugGuide.  A definitive identification might not be possible as this is a huge superfamily with many unidentified members.  According to BugGuide:  “Next to impossible to identify this genus from images alone, however it is one of the more common genera in the subfamily. Identification of images on this guide page are NOT absolute! “

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Small Magpie Moth

Subject:  Moth ?
Geographic location of the bug:  Fremont , Michigan
Date: 06/19/2020
Time: 04:07 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I found this beauty on our siding. Wondering what it is.
How you want your letter signed:  Pam

Small Magpie

Dear Pam,
Your pretty little Crambid Moth,
Anania hortulata, is commonly called a Small Magpie, Anania hortulata (formerly Eurrhypara hortulata), and we confirmed its identity on BugGuide. According to BugGuide it is an introduced Eurasian species and: “Larvae feed mainly on nettle (Urtica spp.), but mint (Mentha spp.) and bindweed (Convolvulus spp.) are also used.”

The post Small Magpie Moth appeared first on What's That Bug?.



Open Entomology: Tips and Tools for Better Reproducibility in Your Research | Entomology Today

This post Open Entomology: Tips and Tools for Better Reproducibility in Your Research appeared first on Entomology Today - Brought to you by the Entomological Society of America.

Practicing open-science methods makes your research more transparent and reproducible, and it can make your own work easier, too. Check out these tips for incorporating open-science tools into your work, and see some examples in the new Open Entomology articles in the Journal of Insect Science.

The post Open Entomology: Tips and Tools for Better Reproducibility in Your Research appeared first on Entomology Today.

Wednesday, 24 June 2020

How a Molecular Biologist Found Her Way to Insect Science | Entomology Today

This post How a Molecular Biologist Found Her Way to Insect Science appeared first on Entomology Today - Brought to you by the Entomological Society of America.

Meet Priyanka Mittapelly, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate at USDA-APHIS, expert in molecular biology and plant-insect interactions, and subject of the next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series.

The post How a Molecular Biologist Found Her Way to Insect Science appeared first on Entomology Today.

Tuesday, 23 June 2020

Golden Buprestid

Subject:  Rainbow beetle
Geographic location of the bug:  Western Washington state
Date: 06/21/2020
Time: 06:16 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  What kind of bug is this ?
How you want your letter signed:  The Alvarados

Golden Buprestid

Dear Alvarados,
This beautiful beetle is a Golden Buprestid,
Buprestis aurulenta.  It is pictured on iNaturalist.

The post Golden Buprestid appeared first on What's That Bug?.



Red Headed Ash Borer

Subject:  Fast on foot and flies
Geographic location of the bug:  Eastern TN, US
Date: 06/21/2020
Time: 12:33 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hi!  Since moving to Eastern TN, we’ve found our new home to be teeming with all sorts of life.  Here is one that stood out and which I could not identify.  Maybe you can?
How you want your letter signed:  Keith

Red Headed Ash Borer

Dear Keith,
This is a Red Headed Ash Borer,
Neoclytus acuminatus, or a closely related species of Longhorned Borer Beetle.  All indications are that the color, markings and behavior of the Red Headed Ash Borer mimic that of a stinging wasp, which protects the harmless beetle from potential predators.  According to BugGuide:  “Larvae feed on the sapwood of ash and other hardwoods, and even occasionally on vines and shrubs. Larvae are common in downed timber with the bark left on.”

The post Red Headed Ash Borer appeared first on What's That Bug?.



Oculea Silkmoth

Subject:  Antheraea Oculea
Geographic location of the bug:  Edgewood, New Mexico
Date: 06/22/2020
Time: 01:14 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Oculea silk moth. Emerged under the English Oak in our back yard on June 21, 2020.
How you want your letter signed:  J. Bryan

Oculea Silkmoth

Dear J. Bryan,
Thanks so much for submitting your gorgeous image of an Oculea Silkmoth or Western Polyphemus Moth,
Antheraea oculea.  According to BugGuide:  “Adults are also similar to A. polyphemus, but darker and with more markings around the eye spots. ”

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White-Banded Fishing Spider

Subject:  Dolomedes (?) with odd markings?
Geographic location of the bug:  Hawthorne, Florida
Date: 06/22/2020
Time: 07:37 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Saw this large lady on the Hathorne trail, resting on a beam of a small bridge that crosses a tributary to Lake Lochloosa.  Looks like Dolomedes to me but can’t find any images with same striking combination of markings.  Maybe some odd form of D. albineus?  She is probably 5-6″ (8″ support beam she’s resting on), 20-June-2020.
How you want your letter signed:  Reuben

White-Banded Fishing Spider

Dear Reuben,
We agree that this is a Fishing Spider, and it is most likely
Dolomedes albineus.  Here is a very similar looking individual (also from Florida) pictured on BugGuide.

The post White-Banded Fishing Spider appeared first on What's That Bug?.



Red-Headed Pine Sawfly Larvae

Subject:  Strange caterpillar
Geographic location of the bug:  Eastern Virginia
Date: 06/14/2020
Time: 07:55 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hello! I spotted a strange caterpillar at Weyanoke Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary in Norfolk,and pointed it out to my father. I got my phone out and snapped a few pictures of it. I guess my phone hit one of the branches and about 3 of them put their head back and exposed their chest that I saw was covered in spikes (They may have been sharp legs, but I couldn’t tell). They stayed like that for a bit until I backed away. I tried to find them on google, and I looked on a few bug Identification websites, but I saw none that looked like it. I was wondering if you knew what it was!
How you want your letter signed:  Lydia Simon,age 13

Red Headed Pine Sawfly Larva

Dear Lydia,
Though they look very much like caterpillars, these are actually Red-Headed Pine Sawfly larvae,
Neodiprion lecontei.  Here is a BugGuide image for comparison.  Sawflies are non-stinging relatives of bees and wasps.  When larvae are numerous, they may defoliate trees.  According to Featured Creatures:  “After mating, female sawflies lay eggs in slits sawed in pine needles. Small larvae feed on outer needle tissues; larger larvae consume entire needles. Most species prefer older foliage, but all foliage is susceptible at end of growing season. Larval colonies may migrate from one tree to another, especially upon complete defoliation of the host tree or high feeding competition.”

Red Headed Pine Sawfly Larvae

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Virginia Ctenucha

Subject:  Identifying Black Moth(?) with Metallic Blue Markings
Geographic location of the bug:  Northern Indiana, USA
Date: 06/18/2020
Time: 11:36 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Dear Bugman,
I noticed what appears to be black moths flirting between tree leaves and circling the trees a few days ago. I’ve never seen these moths in my parents’ yard or anywhere else. They are several of them, 5-10, and they are flying around a weeping willow and an oak tree. They are landing and staying on the oak leaves even when approached. Thank you for you help in identifying this for me and my family!
How you want your letter signed:  Nicholas K. Sobecki

Virginia Ctenucha

Dear Nicholas,
Congratulations on identifying this Virginia Ctenucha as a moth.  It is a very effective wasp mimic.  Here is a BugGuide image.  According to BugGuide:  “Despite its name, this species is more commonly found in the northern United States and southern Canada than in Virginia, which represents the southern boundary of its range.”

The post Virginia Ctenucha appeared first on What's That Bug?.



Lunate Zale visits WTB? offices

Subject:  Lunate Zale
Geographic location of the bug:  Mount Washington, Los Angeles, California
Date: 06/22/2020
Time: 8:35 AM EDT
While working in the yard, Daniel couldn’t help but to notice this new species to the porch light, a Lunate Zale, Zale lunata, which we identified on BugGuide.  According to BugGuide:  “Adults – quite variable with both fore- and hindwings dark brown with shades of yellow, red brown and black, sometimes with white or silver marginal patches.”  The pronounced “shoulder pads” are not evident in most images, but The Natural History of Orange County includes images that reveal these unusual features.

Lunate Zale

 

The post Lunate Zale visits WTB? offices appeared first on What's That Bug?.



Monday, 22 June 2020

Algal Intrafamilial Strife

Most of you are probably familiar with the old adage that one should keep one's friends close and one's enemies closer. From a phylogenetic perspective, the red algal genus Plocamium has certainly achieved the latter.

Plocamium species growing on the coast of South Africa, copyright Derek Keats.


Plocamiaceae is a cosmopolitan family of marine red algae found mostly in temperate waters. They may grow in a variety of habitats from sheltered to exposed. Phylogenetic analyses have indicated that the family is somewhat distantly related to other red algal families, such that it is currently classified in its own order (Saunders & Kraft 1994). The great majority of the forty-odd known species of Plocamiaceae are currently placed in the genus Plocamium. These are reasonably sized seaweeds with erect or decumbent thalli that can grow about half a metre in length/height. They have flattened, complanately branched axes (that is, the branches are in the same plane as the axis they branch from). Branching is pectinate (comb-like) with each axis producing usually between two and six branchlets. The lower branchlets in a series are usually unbranched but higher ones will produce their own series of side-branchlets. In particular, the last branchlet will generally grow and overtop the axis it arose from to effectively replace it (as a result, the axis of the algal thallus will appear at first glance to have many more side branches than mentioned previously but can be seen on close inspection to have something of a zig-zag appearance representing the successive axes). The comb-like pattern of the branching is particularly evident in terminal branches of the thallus. In section, the axes have a disorganised cortex surrounding the central axial cells. Plocamiaceae have the standard triphasic red algal life cycle with gametophytes and sporophytes similar in outward appearance. Cystocarps appear to be more or less globular and borne along axial margins. Tetrasporangia are borne on the underside of modified branchlets called stichidia in a manner reminiscent of the sporangia of ferns (Gabrielson & Scagel 1989).

Close-up on terminal brachlets of Plocamium coccineum, copyright Fernan Federici. Some tetrasporangia-bearing stichidia are visible in the lower part of the image.


Only a few species have been described to date of the other genus of Plocamiaceae, Plocamiocolax. Though its reproductive anatomy demonstrates its relationship to Plocamium, Plocamiocolax is very different in its superficial appearance. It is a parasite, specifically a parasite of its sister genus. As such, they exhibit greatly reduced thalli and coloration. They grow on the host Plocamium as wartlike cushions, up to about five millimetres in diameter. As the cushion grows, it produces short, flattened projections that may be simple or forked. Tetrasporophytes may bear tetrasporangia on greatly reduced stichidia or on partially endophytic, verrucose patches.

Plocamiocolax pulvinata growing on Plocamium, copyright Michael Hawkes.


Parasitic forms that are closely related to the species they infect are referred to as 'adelphoparasites', meaning 'sister-parasites'. Adelphoparasitism is remarkably common among red algae: of over sixty known genera of parasitic red algae, about 90% are adelphoparasites (Salomaki & Lane 2014). One of the very first posts I ever wrote on this site was about red algal adelphoparasites, way back in...(gosh, really?...doesn't time fly when you're marching unceasingly towards oblivion...) It is possible that the regularity of this phenomenon is related to a distinctive feature of red algal development: the ability to open connections between adjacent cells allowing the passage of cytoplasm and organelles. Though the primary function of this process is presumably to facilitate the transfer of cellular products between cells of a single individual, it is not difficult to imagine a scenario where one individual hijacks another. The more closely related the adjacent cells, the greater the chance of an illicit connection succeeding. And succeeding multiple times. Though treated as a distinct genus, 'Plocamiocolax' lineages have apparently arisen within Plocamium multiple times (Goff et al. 1996). In some cases, a Plocamiocolax species proves to be the direct derivative of the Plocamium species they are found infesting. In others, a Plocamiocolax has arisen on one host species but later made the switch to another. Children are supposed to become independent and find their own way in the world, but sometimes the blighters just won't leave.

REFERENCES

Gabrielson, P. W., & R. F. Scagel. 1989. The marine algae of British Columbia, northern Washington, and southeast Alaska: division Rhodophyta (red algae), class Rhodophyceae, order Gigartinales, families Caulacanthaceae and Plocamiaceae. Canadian Journal of Botany 67: 1221–1234.

Goff, L. J., D. A. Moon, P. Nyvall, B. Stache, K. Mangin & G. Zuccarello. 1996. The evolution of parasitism in the red algae: molecular comparisons of adelphoparasites and their hosts. Journal of Phycology 32: 297–312.

Salomaki, E. D., & C. E. Lane. 2014. Are all red algal parasites cut from the same cloth? Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 83 (4): 369–375.

Saunders, G. W., & G. T. Kraft. 1994. Small-subunit rRNA gene sequences from representatives of selected families of the Gigartinales and Rhodymeniales (Rhodophyta). 1. Evidence for the Plocamiales ord.nov. Canadian Journal of Botany 72: 1250–1263.

source http://coo.fieldofscience.com/2020/06/algal-intrafamilial-strife.html

Thursday, 18 June 2020

Insects, DNA, and Pathogen Extracts Available to Borrow From NEON Biorepository | Entomology Today

This post Insects, DNA, and Pathogen Extracts Available to Borrow From NEON Biorepository appeared first on Entomology Today - Brought to you by the Entomological Society of America.

The Biorepository created by the National Ecological Observatory Network program is a treasure trove for entomologists and others interested in insects, arthropods, and vector-borne diseases. Learn more about what's available and how it could enhance your research.

The post Insects, DNA, and Pathogen Extracts Available to Borrow From NEON Biorepository appeared first on Entomology Today.

Wednesday, 17 June 2020

Male Woolcarder Bee

Subject:  Agressive towards honeybees
Geographic location of the bug:  Sonoma, California
Date: 06/09/2020
Time: 12:07 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  In my aunts garden the statchys is blooming. There are so many different pollinators, including many honeybees. This insect caught our eye. It hovers, has drone-like flight. It is visiting the flowers but it is very attentive to the competitors. It’s spends about as much time attacking honeybees as it does visiting flowers. When it attacks it seems like it bites. We see many honeybees on the ground with half of a wing, in apparent suffering- It seems they have been hurt or intoxicated
How you want your letter signed:  Mollyanne

Woolcarder Bee

Dear Mollyanne,
This is a male, non-native Woolcarder Bee, a species native to Europe but present in North America since the mid 1960s.  According to BugGuide:  “Males defend their territory very aggressively not only against other males but also against other flower visitors” which explains the behavior towards Honey Bees that you witnessed.

Woolcarder Bee

The post Male Woolcarder Bee appeared first on What's That Bug?.



Tick Surveillance and Control Lagging in U.S., Study Shows | Entomology Today

This post Tick Surveillance and Control Lagging in U.S., Study Shows appeared first on Entomology Today - Brought to you by the Entomological Society of America.

The first-ever survey of the nation's tick-management programs reveals an inconsistent and often under-supported patchwork of programs across the country.

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Immature Mantis on my Woody Plant

Subject:  Immature Mantis Patrolling my 2020 Crop
Geographic location of the bug:  Mount Washington, Los Angeles, California
Date: 06/16/2020
Time: 12:35 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Welcome Back Bugman
I really missed you during the early days of COVID-19 and I’m glad you have returned to making postings.  I don’t have an identification.  I just wanted you to see the young Mantis I recently discovered patrolling for prey on one of my 2020 plants, Purple Jane
How you want your letter signe:  Constant Gardener

Young Mantis on Young Cannabis

Dear Constant Gardener,
We are happy to be back as well.  That Mantis is really well camouflaged on your healthy looking plant.

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