The "What is this bug?" thread

[JAG009]

Took this a few years ago and still have no idea what it is. Anyone know what this thing is?

Forest Shield-bug (Pentatoma rufipes)


Jason

 

[Harvestman]

Forest Shield-bug (Pentatoma rufipes)


Jason

I second this identification. Thanks for helping out, Jason.

For those that don't know, the Bugs are a particular goup of insects - in fact two groups - with sucking mouthparts. They include the shield bugs, as above, leafhoppers, aphids, and Cicadas. They are one of the largest groups of insects, after the beetles.

People just tend to call anything vaguely invertebrate 'a bug'. hence the title of this thread.

 

[ReamviThantos]

You can get rid of cockchafers by making sure your jeans are always dry.

I remember when these were quite rare in the late eighties/early nineties and that rarity threatened the survival of Horseshoe bats. You never saw cockchafers up here at all, but now they are really common all over the place. Good news.

i'm not quite sure if you're not joking with the first part of this post (ohh a double negative now i'm confused as to what i mean also).

Harvestman re the Trogloraptor any opinion on what the palps are coming out at right angles from its fangs are, male sperm sacks?

 

[Mad Mike]

This one took me ages to ID last year.

and just for scale as its not very big

Have a go before checking the picture lables

Mike

 

[Mad Mike]

Some species are inconveniently variable

Same species do you think?

Mike

 

[Harvestman]

Some species are inconveniently variable

Same species do you think?

Mike

Same species indeed. Common gargen spider, Araneus didematus.

of course, not so many years ago there was considerable debate among arachnologists as to whether this was in fact a complex of several very similar species, but in the end they decided it was still just one species,

That pale specimen is one of the most extreme examples that I have ever seen. Fantastic photographs. Thanks.

 

[shortymcsteve]

Thanks guys! Not saw one since actually. Every time i go into the woods i always seem to find something new & im always wondering what im looking at, haha, maybe i should take more pictures! It's pretty amazing really how many things even live in your own garden, nevermind the local woods.

 

[Harvestman]

This one took me ages to ID last year.

and just for scale as its not very big

Have a go before checking the picture lables

Mike

I haven't peeked, and moths, especially micro moths as that looks like, are way out of my field, but based on looking it up in my book, my first guess might be Pyrausta aurata. Not completely convinced though, as the forewings don't look quite right.

 

[daveO]

Not the best picture for ID I'm afraid but there seem to be a lot of these in my garden this year.

 

[Harvestman]

Metellina spp, probably Metellina segmentata, one of the False Orb-Weavers. very common, and exceptionally variable. When I try to teach spiders to people, the Metellinas (Meta sp. if you try to look it up in most books) are the ones people have the most trouble with, even after months and seeing loads of specimens. The one in the picture, which is excellent, looks like a juvenile to me.

If you look at the very centre of their orb web, there is a hole. True orb weavers fill this hole in.

 

[JonathanD]

Spotted this when I was herping yesterday...

 

[Harvestman]

That's a flower, Jon.

 

[HillBill]

What is it? Albino honey bee or something?

 

[JonathanD]

That's a flower, Jon.

Well, yes. I'll give you that. Well done you entomologically myopic moomin.

What is it? Albino honey bee or something?

Glad someone knows what they're looking at.

 

[HillBill]

Took me a good old look to see it at first. Easy when you know its there.

 

[JonathanD]

Damned difficult to photograph too. I must have chased it over an acre, through a ton of undergrowth, and taken at least 200 pictures of green blurry stuff. It wouldn't stop still. Looked like an albino Honey to me, but thought I'd post here for out entomological genius to confirm or deny. My first choice was to ask Bungle, but beggars can't be choosers.

 

[squishy]

Took this a few years ago and still have no idea what it is. Anyone know what this thing is?

I found one of these today outside on our recycling bin. mark said I was weird for letting it crawl up my arm when I won't even be in the same room as a spider if I can help it (evil things). I think these are quite cool though, although I like the prettier green ones with red spots better

 

[HillBill]

You discriminator you.

 

[Harvestman]

Shield bugs are sometimes called stink bugs, as they can give off a truly evil smell if handled.

Jon, white honeybees are known, sometimes lots of them within a single hive, since they are all genetically very similar indeed, but they tend not to do well, being visible to predators and so on. They also don't warm up quickly in cold weather, and so struggle accordingly.

 

[JonathanD]

Cool, cheers for that. I'd never seen one before. Plenty of melanistic examples, but never a white one.

Also saw one of my favourite insects. I was fascinated by these as a kid...