Mole Cricket

Subject:  Unknown bug in NC
Geographic location of the bug:  Havelock, Eastern North Carolina
Date: 10/30/2021
Time: 12:40 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  This is the second time I’ve seen a bug like this. It looks scary. This was taken on my patio around October 26 at approximately 11am.
How you want your letter signed:  Creeped out in NC

Mole Cricket

Dear Creeded out in NC,
This is a harmless, subterranean Mole Cricket.

The post Mole Cricket appeared first on What's That Bug?.

The Bolivinitids

The Cretaceous was a period of significant innovation in the evolution of Foraminifera with a number of distinct new lineages making their appearance during this period. Among those, appearing in the latter part of the Cretaceous, were the first members of the modern family Bolivinitidae.

Bolivinita costifera, from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The Bolivinitidae are free-living benthic forams with a calcareous, hyaline (glassy) test. The overall shape of the test is elongate with chambers arranged in biserial coils (that is, there are two chambers per loop). The terminal aperture is usually loop-shaped with a surrounding lip. Inside the chamber, a tooth plate (an inner protrusion of the test) runs from the aperture to the opening of the previous chamber and may protrude through the aperture (Revets 1996).

Representatives of the Bolivinitidae are found in a wide range of depths, from the shallow waters of the ocean to the bathyal zone. They may be among the most abundant forams in areas of low oxygen concentrations and are commonly associated with sustained organic matter input (Erdem & Schönfeld 2017). In other words, these are muck-lovers. Individuals growing in low oxygen conditions tend to show less pronounced surface sculpture on the test than those where the oxygen levels are higher. Conversely, individuals at deeper levels tend to be larger overall than those in shallower waters (Brun et al. 1984). As such, bolivinitids have received their fair share of attention as potential indicators of changes in environmental condition over time.

REFERENCES

Brun, L., M. A. Chierici & M. Meijer. 1984. Evolution and morphological variations of the principal species of Bolivinitidae in the Tertiary of the Gulf of Guinea. Géologie Méditerranéenne 11 (1): 13–57.

Erdem, Z., & J. Schönfeld. 2017. Pleistocene to Holocene benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the Peruvian continental margin. Palaeontologica Electronica 20.2.35A: 1–32.

Revets, S. A. 1996. The generic revision of the Bolivinitidae Cushman, 1927. Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research Special Publication 34: 1–55.

source http://coo.fieldofscience.com/2021/10/the-bolivinitids.html

A Guide to Conducting Research on Commercial Farms: Advantages and Challenges | Entomology Today

This post A Guide to Conducting Research on Commercial Farms: Advantages and Challenges appeared first on Entomology Today - Brought to you by the Entomological Society of America.

Graduate students in entomology often conduct research on commercial farms during their degree programs. This experience can be valuable for a variety of career paths, both within and beyond agricultural settings. Here's a look at some of the benefits of conducting on-farm research and tips for overcoming challenges, as well.

The post A Guide to Conducting Research on Commercial Farms: Advantages and Challenges appeared first on Entomology Today.

Crossing the Busycon

I must admit that when I think about the biodiversity hotspots of the world, the eastern seabord of the United States would not be among the first regions to come to mind. But for this post, I'm looking at a dramatic and eye-catching radiation of molluscs for which this is their centre of distribution. I speak of the giant whelks of the Busyconidae.

Left-handed whelk or lightning whelk Sinistrofulgur sinistrum, copyright Andrea Westmoreland.

Busyconid whelks first appeared in the waters of eastern North America during the early Oligocene, about 32 million years ago, in what was then the Mississippi Sea and is now the Mississippi River Basin. As the oceans receded from the Mississippi, they spread into the Gulf of Mexico and are now found between Massachusetts in the north and the Yucatan Peninsula in the south. Except for an introduced population of the channeled whelk Busycotypus canaliculatus that has become established in San Francisco Bay in California since the 1930s, the family has never been found elsewhere. These are remarkably large snails: smaller examples are still more than five centimetres in length, and the largest of all get close to a foot (Petuch et al. 2015). Mature shells have a large body whorl, generally higher than the visible spire, with a long siphonal canal. SCulpture of the shell, if present, is dominated by spiral elements, and the shoulder of the whorls may be marked by prominent carinae and/or spines. As is standard for neogastropods, the classification of this group has shifted around a bit over the years, whether treated as their own family or as a subfamily Busyconinae of the related families Buccinidae or Melongenidae. In a recent review of the busyconids, Petuch et al. (2015) recognised fifteen living species in six genera. The number of fossil species that has been described is significantly larger (over one hundred); not surprisingly, these large solid shells have an excellent fossil record. However, it is worth noting that some of the living species may be remarkably variable in shell morphology and I don't know whether fossil representatives have been subject to the same systematic scrutiny.

Knobbed whelk Busycon carica, copyright Matt Tillett.

All busyconids are predators on bivalves, particularly on burrowing clams. In general, the whelk envelops its victim in its muscular foot and then uses the edge of the shell lip to open the clam's shell, allowing the whelk to insert its radula and rasp out the clam's flesh. The preferred method of opening the shell depends on the species of whelk and may be classed as 'wedging' and 'chipping'. 'Wedging' is the most straightforward method and believed to be the more primitive; wedgers insert the shell lip into the gap between valves and directly force them apart and/or prevent the clam shell from closing. 'Chipping' is more involved and performed by members of the genera Busycon and Sinistrofulgur. In this method, the edge of the whelk shell is rhythmically pounded against the commissure between the clam shell valves, progressively wearing at the valve margins until enough of an opening has been made to insert the radula. The process may take multiple hours of patient hammering. Chipping requires more power and a heavier shell than wedging (chipping whelks may damage their own shell as well as the prey's) but also allows the whelk to attack thicker-shelled clams.

Though each species of busyconid will generally use one or the other method of opening prey, there are borderline examples. Larger individuals of Busycotypus canaliculatus, usually a wedger, may adopt a process like chipping though their attacks on the prey shell are usually less systematic than true chippers. And while I haven't found anywhere that says as much, I suspect that young chippers may spend the earlier parts of their life as wedgers untill they have developed the shell strength for chipping. Dietl (2004) suggested that chipping behaviour may have originated twice among busyconids, based on the fossil evidence of its traces left on clam shells. The modern chippers appear to derive from a single origin in the later Pliocene. However, evidence of an earlier and now seemingly extinct chipping lineage was also found in shells from the late Miocene. These earlier chippers seemingly did not belong to any of the modern chipping genera which are not known from the Miocene deposits in which chipped clams were found. Instead, Dietl proposed that the culprit was a large Busycotypus.

Channeled whelk Busycotypus canaliculatus laying a string of egg cases, copyright Eric Heupel.

Busyconid whelks have long been of significance to people living in areas where they are found. Not only are the shells eye-catching and ornamental objects in themselves, the animals are also harvested for food (though their meat is often sold under misleading names such as 'conch' or 'clam strips'). Archaeological examples have been found of busycon shells being used for tools; Petuch et al. (2015) illustrate an example of a left-handed whelk Sinistrofulgur sinistrum shell with holes drilled into it that would have allowed it to be attached to a stick and used as a shovel. These animals are truly an icon of North America's eastern seaboard.

REFERENCES

Dietl, G. P. 2004. Origins and circumstances of adaptive divergence in whelk feeding behavior. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 208: 279–291.

Petuch, E. J., R. F. Myers & D. P. Berschauer. 2015. The Living and Fossil Busycon Whelks: Iconic Mollusks of Eastern North America. San Diego Shell Club, Inc.

source http://coo.fieldofscience.com/2021/10/crossing-busycon.html

Entomology 2021: Attendees Share Early Favorites Among On-Demand Presentations, Posters | Entomology Today

This post Entomology 2021: Attendees Share Early Favorites Among On-Demand Presentations, Posters appeared first on Entomology Today - Brought to you by the Entomological Society of America.

Entomology 2021 opened on-demand virtual content last week, and Entomology Today asked some participants to share some of their favorite presentations and posters so far. Get a glimpse into the wealth of knowledge available at the ESA Annual Meeting, taking place in person October 31 - November 3, with virtual content available now through January 31, 2022.

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Gum Emperor Moth from New Zealand

Subject:  Empower Gun Moth
Geographic location of the bug:  Maramarua, TeAroha, Nz
Date: 10/26/2021
Time: 11:11 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I spotted this moth on the wall of Cafe 77 at Maramarua, near TeAroha, Tuesday 26th October 2021.
How you want your letter signed:  Jenny

Gum Emperor Moth

Dear Jenny,
We are thrilled to post your image of a living Gum Emperor Moth.  A few days ago we posted an image of one that was found dead in New Zealand.

The post Gum Emperor Moth from New Zealand appeared first on What's That Bug?.

Leaf Footed Bug Nymphs

Subject:  Unknown insect
Geographic location of the bug:  Princeton Jct., NJ
Date: 10/16/2021
Time: 05:26 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  On a tomato in my home garden, my photo 10/14/21.
Two stages of same, obviously.
How you want your letter signed:  Jan

Unidentified Leaf Footed Bug nymphs

Dear Jan,
We are relatively certain these are Leaf Footed Bug nymphs in the family Coreidae, but we are having difficulty nailing down the species. 

The post Leaf Footed Bug Nymphs appeared first on What's That Bug?.

Unidentified Longicorn from Bali

Subject:  Mystery beetle on my window in Bali
Geographic location of the bug:  Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
Date: 10/18/2021
Time: 10:47 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I saw this bug, it is maybe a longhorn beetle of some sort? I’ve never seen one before!
How you want your letter signed:  Tommy

Longicorn from Bali

Dear Tommy,
This is indeed a Longicorn in the family Cerambycidae, but we are uncertain of the species.  We will continue to research its identity.  The very long antennae seem to indicate this is a male.

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How One Entomologist’s Multidisciplinary Work Aims to Improve Bee Health | Entomology Today

This post How One Entomologist’s Multidisciplinary Work Aims to Improve Bee Health appeared first on Entomology Today - Brought to you by the Entomological Society of America.

Meet Priyadarshini Chakrabarti Basu, Ph.D., whose research to understand and mitigate stressors on bee health earned her a spot in the Early Career Professional Recognition Symposium at Entomology 2021. Learn more about Chakrabarti Basu and her work in the next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series.

The post How One Entomologist’s Multidisciplinary Work Aims to Improve Bee Health appeared first on Entomology Today.

Unknown Assassin Bug from Australia

Subject:  a solitary bug i never see before
Geographic location of the bug:  100kms North of Sydney..Coastal.
Date: 10/18/2021
Time: 12:30 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hi bugman
i am always curious about the natural world, as so many of us love it’s minds blowing divetsity and the adaptation of the countless living forms to their niche..
so perhaps you can help..
i never saw a bug like this in my backyard in Woy Woy..NSW. Australia
How you want your letter signed:  i don’t know what this means

Assassin Bug

This is a predatory Assassin Bug in the family Reduviidae.  We cannot identify the species, but there are some similar looking individuals on the Brisbane Insect website.

The post Unknown Assassin Bug from Australia appeared first on What's That Bug?.

Aphid Wolves Biting in Northern California

Subject:  Unknown bug
Geographic location of the bug:  Northern California
Date: 10/19/2021
Time: 12:08 PM EDT
Subject:  Unknown bug
Geographic location of the bug:  Northern California
Your letter to the bugman:  I keep finding these tiny bugs on my patio, they bite and cause itching, everything says silverfish or pincher bug , the pinchers are in front , it’s definitely not either of those , it’s the size of a flea , I blew up pics to see better, please tell me what these bugs are?
How you want your letter signed:  Thanks!

Aphid Wolf

This is a predatory Lacewing Larva.  They are often called Aphid Wolves because of the large numbers of Aphids they are able to consume in the garden.  We often get reports of bites from Lacewing Larvae.

 

The post Aphid Wolves Biting in Northern California appeared first on What's That Bug?.

Oil Beetle

Subject:  Maybe a beetle
Geographic location of the bug:  Southwest Washington state
Date: 10/19/2021
Time: 12:30 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Initially looks like a beetle but what looks to be wings aren’t shaped and only go down half the body
How you want your letter signed:  Doesn’t matter. Thanks for the identification

Oil Beetle

This is indeed a Beetle.  More specifically, it is a Blister Beetle in the genus Meloe, commonly called an Oil Beetle.

The post Oil Beetle appeared first on What's That Bug?.

Slater Spider in New Zealand

Subject:  What kind of spider?
Geographic location of the bug:  Auckland, New Zealand
Date: 10/24/2021
Time: 03:57 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hi, appreciate if you could please identify this. Thank you, Mahesh
How you want your letter signed:  Sincerely

Slater Spider

Dear Mahesh,
This is a Sow Bug Hunter, Dysdera crocata.  According to BugGuide, a North American insect identification site:  “Introduced to North America and widely distributed in the Nearctic. Originally from the Mediterranean area.”  According to The Spruce:  “this spider is very common throughout the U.S., primarily in the East from New England down to Georgia, then west to California. Outside the U.S., it is common in Australia, northern Europe, and England. Although it lives outside to hunt its prey, it may come indoors in the fall for shelter.”  We suspect it may have been introduced to New Zealand from Australia.  According to the Museum of New Zealand, it is called a Slater Spider and “While this spider is capable of capturing other prey, it has earned its common name because of accounts documenting its feeding on the common slater (also known as the common woodlouse), Porcellio scaber. It doesn’t build a web to capture its prey. Rather, it seizes its victim in its very large chelicerae.”  The site also indicates:  “With its large fangs, this species is capable of delivering a sharp bite. Symptoms include local swelling and pain. However, bites are rare, and only a handful of bites by this species have been recorded from New Zealand even though these spiders are very common.”

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Unknown Flies found on the tail of a Kangaroo in Australia

Subject:  Insect Identification REquest
Geographic location of the bug:  Erowal Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Date: 10/25/2021
Time: 09:42 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I photographed these insects on a fully grown adult Eastern Grey Kangaroo’s tail, in February, 2020. Do you have any idea what they are, please?
How you want your letter signed:  Nick

Unknown Flies found on Kangaroo’s tail

Hi Nick,
Other than believing that these are Flies in the order Diptera, we have not had any luck with further identifications, but we can’t resist posting your adorable image of a group of Eastern Grey Kangaroos.  We hope to investigate this further.

Eastern Grey Kangaroos

The post Unknown Flies found on the tail of a Kangaroo in Australia appeared first on What's That Bug?.

Bee Fly

Subject:  Bee Fly?
Geographic location of the bug:  Casa Grande, AZ
Date: 10/25/2021
Time: 01:48 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I found this little bug on the screen outside my indoor plants. Between 1 to 1.5 cm. in size. I’ve never seen anything like it before. I’ve looked through all kinds of sites, but little true info is out online. I can’t identify any that look quite like this.
Please help?
How you want your letter signed:  Chris in Casa Grande

Bee Fly

Update:  I just sent photos of a little bee fly id been unable to identify. Looked through this site as well as BugGuide.net. Just after sending my request, I believe I found it – gray bee fly – Anastoechus melanohalteralis. Sorry for the unneeded request. Still love this site!

Dear Chris,
This is indeed a Bee Fly in the family Bombyliidae.  We are uncertain of the exact species.

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

Oil Beetle

Subject:  What is this!?
Geographic location of the bug:  Trenton, Ontario, Canada
Date: 10/25/2021
Time: 09:33 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  While out with my kids at the park we found a few of these bugs and have no idea what they could be !
How you want your letter signed:  The bug man

Oil Beetle

This is a Blister Beetle in the genus Meloe, a group commonly called Oil Beetles.  We are posting this on the seventh anniversary of this previous Oil Beetle posting from Ontario. 

The post Oil Beetle appeared first on What's That Bug?.

Paper Wasps on Goldenrod

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

Paper Wasps on Goldenrod

Paper Wasp on Goldenrod

Paper Wasp on Goldenrod

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Saddle-Backed Bush Cricket from Bulgaria

Subject:  Bush Cricket in Bulgaria
Geographic location of the bug:  Central Bulgaria/ Stara Planina
Date: 10/25/2021
Time: 10:15 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Dear whoever is reading this,
Today I have found a bush cricket in Bulgaria but I don’t know which type it is. It is in my garden in the mountains near the town of troyan. Hopefully you can identify what type it is.
How you want your letter signed:  George

Saddle-Backed Bush Cricket

Dear George,
We are relatively certain this is a Saddle-Backed Bush Cricket, Ephippiger ephippiger.  The species has both green and brown forms.  The long ovipositor indicates this is a female.

Saddle-Backed Bush Cricket

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Why Augmentative Biological Control Holds Promise for Advancing Agriculture in Developing Countries | Entomology Today

This post Why Augmentative Biological Control Holds Promise for Advancing Agriculture in Developing Countries appeared first on Entomology Today - Brought to you by the Entomological Society of America.

Numerous examples show the success of augmentative biological control efforts. With adequate support and capacity building in place, the approach can be economical and make agricultural systems more sustainable and improve the human and institutional capacity of developing countries.

The post Why Augmentative Biological Control Holds Promise for Advancing Agriculture in Developing Countries appeared first on Entomology Today.