Cicadidae

I was fortunate to receive a few insect specimens from Kit's mom in Virginia - one of which is difficult to find on the west coast of the US: a cicada. Now, my text puts cicadas in a family in the order Hemiptera, but they used to be placed in their own order, Homoptera. Since my text does not key beyond the family (and in rare cases subfamilies for very diverse families), I had to look online to get a more accurate identification. Simply based on its size (body length ~37mm) it is a member of the genus Tibicen. The most famous cicadas, those that emerge after 13 or 17 year cycles, have bodies 19-33mm long, averaging 25mm - significantly smaller than the cicada pictured below.

Hemiptera; Auchenorrhyncha; Cicadoidea; Cicadidae; Cicadinae; Tibicen sp.
Common Name: Dog-Day Cicada, Harvestfly

Cicadas are usually recognized by their characteristic shape, large size, and three ocelli. This group contains some of the largest Hemiptera in the United states, particularly the genus Tibicen. There are 157 species in the US. The suborder Auchenorrhyncha are active insects, being good fliers or jumpers. They have short antennae and three-segmented tarsi. All produce sound, but Cicadidae is the only family to produce sounds audible to humans. The males of each species have a characteristic song and also produce different "protest" sounds when disturbed and "courtship" songs when a male is approaching a female. The specimen above is a male, and the sound organs (tympanum) are right beneath the large flaps (operculums) below the third pair of legs.

Tibicen species is the largest, and appear late in the summer around July and August. They are generally black insects with greenish markings. They are called "annual" cicadas because they are usually seen each year, but the actual life cycle may be up to 3 years long. Like periodical cicadas, the larvae are laid in the ground where they feed on tree roots, and then emerge to mate. To get a better idea of the kinds of cicadas that there are in the US, check out this page.

Reduviidae

This specimen is a member of the family Reduviidae, which includes assassin bugs, ambush bugs, and thread-legged bugs. They are predaceous bugs, and are fairly common. They are often blackish or brownish, but some are brightly colored. They have an elongate head, which is restricted behind the eyes. An important keying characteristic is that they have a three-segmented beak which fits into a groove in their chest (prosternum). The abdomen is also wide, and extends beyond the lateral wing margin.

Hemiptera; Heteroptera; Reduviidae; Rhynocoris ventralis
Common Name: Assassin Bug

Because they are powerful predators they can inflict painful bites if disturbed, but if they are preying on humans, their bites may be painless from the chemical they release as they feed. Within this family there is also the genus Triatoma, which are assassin bugs that feed on human blood. They are commonly known as "kissing bugs," or "Mexican bed bugs." In South America and Mexico, members of Triatoma are a vector for the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, which is responsible for Chagas disease. For more information, see my medschool blog. Kissing bugs can look similar to the above pictured Rhynocoris ventralis, but kissing bugs have a longer, narrower "nose," hence the name "cone noses" for Triatoma.

Lygaeidae

This insect is actually so common that it is the representative image in Borror and DeLong's text above the excerpt on the family Lygaeidae. This insect is the small milkweed bug, which is common in the United States and Canada. These insects are hemimetabolous, as are all Hemipterans, so they have incomplete stages of development. Their nymphs are commonly red. As the name would suggest, milkweed bugs feed on the milkweed plant and its seeds. Milkweed gains its name from the milky white sap produced when injured or pruned. The insects are brightly colored because, like Monarch butterflies, they feed on milkweed and so the bad tasting chemicals in milkweed are concentrated in their bodies. Rather than being a pest, these insects are important for regulating the population of milkweed, which is too toxic for other organisms to consume. There are a couple other species in this genus. One, Lygaeus turcicus, can be distinguished from Lygaeus kalmii by the "t" shaped red lines on the head, and extra red coloration on the back. Lygaeus turcicus also seems to lack the white spots and border at the wing apices.

Hemiptera; Heteroptera; Lygaeidae; Lygaeinae; Lygaeus kalmii
Common Name: Small Milkweed Bug

The family Lygaeidae is known to contain "seed bugs". The family used to contain many more subfamilies, but now only containes Lygaeinae, Orsillinae, and Ischnorthynchinae. Seed bugs feed almost exclusively on seeds, but may also feed on the plant tissue. There are about 75 species from this family in North America.

One Day's Foray

Well, went to a slightly different location to hunt than usual - same stream/canyon network, just a different part of it. I took a lot of live shots, and have at least 6 insects that are on the pinning board right now. One is definitely a new family for the collection, not too sure about the rest. The following are live shots of specimens I did not collect for one reason or another - usually because I already have pictures or a member of that family.

The above Hemipteran is a member of family Coreidae, or Leaffooted Bugs. This one was found on cacti, as were the other specimens I caught that are currently in the collection. It is highly likely it is Narnia snowi, a Leaffooted bug that feeds on Prickly Pear Cacti. The blue damselfly is likely the male version of the species that was common in the area, with the more drab colored female pictured below. They have been keyed to Coenagrionidae, but without a more detailed key it is difficult to distinguish them from other common blue damselflies.

The above show a ladybug larvae. I was hoping for better resolution thanks to natural lighting compared to the picture I posted before.

Finally, here is a larvae I chose to capture - I don't think I have the heart to pin him right after he hatches (mainly because I just have this one, whereas with the other caterpillars I have six, so if they all metamorphose I won't feel too bad keeping one). This caterpillar is the larvae of the Mourning Cloak, a common butterfly in Southern California. It was actually the first butterfly I had any experience with, when one formed a chrysalis on the gate at my house when I was about 5 years old. I will take plenty of pictures, since this specimen seems sufficiently large that he will form a chrysalis soon.

Lepidoptera; Papilionoidea; Nymphalidae; Nymphalinae; Nymphalis antiopa
Common Name (Larvae): Spiny Elm Caterpillar

Pentatomidae

Tomorrow I plan to unpin the two wasps, key, and photograph them. In the meantime, I obtained this specimen c/o my aunt who lives down here in San Diego. Just as a reminder, my personal key only goes down to family, but I refer to bugguide.net and other internet resources to refine my identification, so if there is suspicion that my ID of an insect is incorrect after the family level, do bring it to my attention. I can't afford a key for every insect family.

Hemiptera; Pentatomidae; Pentatominae; Halyini;

These insects are commonly called "stink bugs" because when disturbed, they may emit a pungent liquid. Most of the family Pentatomidae are herbivores, sucking plant juices, and are major pests. They are not known to bite, and the family comes in many colors such as green, beige, black and red, and mottled earthy colors. Here are a few more examples of which I may devote single entries to at a later time.

Ants and Scale Insects

I went out to grab a picture of a possible relationship between ants, most likely Argentine, and scale insects. I am not certain what plant they are on, but it is definitely some kind of chaparral bush, probably Baccharis sarothroides. If all goes well, I will be doing volunteer research studying Argentine ants and their relationship with cotton aphids. Ants are in family Formicidae, and the scale insects, if I am correct that they are soft scale insects, are in family Coccidae.

In addition, I took a few pictures of the hundreds of caterpillars roaming the area - it seems like these caterpillars are the dominant organism out there. I grabbed a total of 6 to rear and confirm my hypothesis that they are Painted Tiger Moth larvae, as well as document any that have been parasitized.