The punctured tiger beetle, Cicindela punctulata, is common throughout North America and is primarily recognized by the twin lines of indentations on either side of its midline. It is also known as the sidewalk tiger beetle. Tiger beetles are a group of more than 2,600 known species and subspecies living all over the world. They…
Tag: insect
Leafcutter Ants
A column of leafcutter ants (could be Atta sp., could be Acromyrmex sp.) — possibly the coolest thing I saw in Costa Maya, Mexico. They formed a column a foot wide and more than a hundred feet long, something I’d seen in a thousand documentaries and never in person. I could hear David Attenborough narrating…
Sumac Flea Beetle
The best way to really get an understanding of how many beetle species there are in the world is to try to identify one. Behold, the sumac flea beetle (Blepharida rhois), whose Wikipedia article consists of four entire sentences. This was a BUGGER (pardon the pun) to identify.
Greenhouse Millipede
A greenhouse millipede (Oxidus gracilis). (Centipedes have a lot of extra, flaily spikes all over their front and back regions, and generally look much more pointy.) About 3/4 of an inch long; eats decaying plant matter.
Saltmarsh Moth Caterpillar
This little fellow is (very probably) a Saltmarsh Moth caterpillar (Estigmene acrea), but again this is one of those “identifications” wherein this could also be any one of a number of closely related species. Below, an earlier instar salt marsh moth caterpillar does an amazing yoga pose: The just-hatched caterpillars are mostly yellow, with little…
Milkweed Assassin Bug
A handsome milkweed assassin bug (Zelus longipes), wandering along one of the tombs in St. Louis Cemetery No 1 in New Orleans. These brightly-colored, long-legged insects are ambush hunters, believe it or not, which stroll idly along foliage, reaching out to grasp prey with their front legs. Most species of Zelus seem to be cryptically…
Burrowing Mayfly
One of New Orleans, Louisiana’s many mayflies — this one is perched on the Cafe du Monde.
Broad-tipped Conehead Katydid
Slender, untapered antennae and nearly round eyes distinguish this broad-tipped conehead katydid (Neoconocephalus triops) from some very similar-looking toothpick grasshoppers. About three inches long, and apparently they make some pretty funky noises. This is very probably a male; the ovipositors on the females are very distinct. That top photo was taken with my little mirrorless…
Eastern Lubber Grasshopper
Almost four inches long, these massive insects come in a variety of colors from light yellow to almost black. Photos taken at Oakland Nature Preserve, Florida.
Air Potato Leaf Beetle
The air potato beetle, Lilioceris cheni. This dainty beast is used to help control toxic air potato vines (Dioscorea bulbifera), which are invasive in Florida.
Dark Flower Scarab
A plain little beetle with a beautiful name — meet Euphoria sepulcralis, the dark flower scarab beetle. Common throughout Florida and the east coast; an occasional pest if enough of them get together. This one is about 14mm long.