Mystery Peruvian Beetle(Bug?) and a Neuropteran

It has been a while since I posted - yeah, been busy with medical school and all that.  Still keeping my eye out for new insects, and since we are in the middle of moving to a new apartment, we are going to go through our collection and tidy it up a bit.  Several new additions and insects that need to be keyed, but here are the more interesting of the lot.

I'm essentially positive this fellow is a Neuropteran, but whether he is a giant lacewing or an antlion is yet to be decided.  We already packed our Borror and Delong key to insects of North America, so it will have to wait until after the move to be classified.  Here is the picture as a teaser - if anyone wants to venture a guess or identify it for us in the meantime, you are more than welcome!

On another note, this one is out of our range for keying - it was brought back by a friend who visited the Peruvian rainforest.  I was thrown off by the fact that the scutellum (seen in order Hemiptera, usually a small plate directly beneath the thorax) is maximally enlarged and both sets of wings are hidden beneath it.  This is characteristic of its family - named Scutelleridae because of it's elongated scutellum - to the point where it starts to closely resemble a beetle (Coleoptera).

Hemiptera; Pentatomomorpha; Pentatomoidea; Scutelleridae; Pachycoris sp.

Common Name: (Carnival or Clown?) Shield Bug 

These were some of the better pictures - somehow the surface of the insect became really sticky, not sure exactly what happened there - it also became more luminous.  Upon looking up other members of Scutelleridae in North America, I must say this one from Peru is far larger and has more impressive colorations.  I'm glad it will be our first representative of this family.  There are 37 species in North America, and 450 species worldwide - many in South America and known as jewel or shield bugs.

Papillonidae

This specimen is the largest, best preserved butterfly I have managed to pin - they are difficult to preserve well because at each step along the way, catching-killing-pinning, there are endless ways to lose scales. Papilionidae is a family containing the subfamilies Parnassiinae and Papilioninae. Papilioninae is characterized by having one or more tail-like prolongations on the rear side of the hind wing (hence the name - swallow tails). Also, the radius in the fore wing is five branched. They tend to be black and yellow, some with striped patterns (zebra swallowtails) and some have red and blue markings as well. This subfamily is generally regarded as being one of the largest and most beautifully colored North American butterflies. The males and females tend to have different colorations, and this subfamily contains the largest butterflies in the world (the giant birdwings of Asia and Australia may reach wingspreads of 255 mm).

Lepidoptera; Papilionoidea; Papilionidae; Papilioninae; Papilio cresphontes
Common Name: Giant Swallowtail, Orangedog

The larvae are smooth-bodied, often have eye spots, and have an eversible scent gland or osmeterium - when the larva is disturbed, it emits a disagreeable odor. The larva forms a chrysalis, and it overwinters in that form, emerging as an adult in the spring. The above species, Papilio cresphontes, is a large, dark-colored butterfly whose larvae feed on citrus in the South and on prickly ash in the North. This specimen was found in San Diego, and is a female - the males have bolder reds and blues on the underside of the hind wings, with a black border. You can see from my hand that the butterfly is pretty large - roughly 4 inches across from wingtip to wingtip.

Limnephilidae

Here is the first caddisfly, order Trichoptera, which I have managed to identify, only the second one I've collected. General consensus is that it is a northern caddisfly of family Limnephilidae. Their characteristics include ocelli, head and wings with silky hairs, tan forewings with long silver stripes. Like other caddisflies, they construct cylindrical tubes, sometimes called "log cabin cases," with long, dead leaf pieces and twig fragments. Caddisflies also use small pebbles, dirt, and man-made items - some rear caddisflies so they will make unique jewelery, while others imitate them to make fly fishing lures (caddisflies are apparently very delicious to fish, as are mayflies, dragonflies, etc.).

Trichoptera; Limnephilidae; Psychoglypha sp.
Common Name: Northern Caddisfly

It belongs to the genus Psychoglypha. It was found in North Lake Tahoe, Carnelian Bay, on a patch of snow at night. Per a source from bugguide, caddisfly adults can be found during the winter, and may be called "Snow Sedges" by northwestern fishermen. It is thought they emerge in the fall and overwinter as adults before laying eggs in the spring, often surviving through subzero temperatures.

Staphylinidae

Staphylinidae are rove beetles, which are slender, elongate beetles with very short elytra. The elytra give the insect almost a four-body-segment look, and resemble pincer-less earwigs. The hinds wings are well developed and at rest are folded under the short elytra. They are active insects that run or fly rapidly. They often raise the tip of the abdomen like a scorpion if they feel threatened and their mandibles are large enough that they can inflict a bite if handled. The largest reach 25mm in length, and most are black or brown. It is one of the two largest families of beetles - there are 4,153 species in North America. I would key it to genus, but the closest I can get is tribe - my volume of beetles unfortunately does not cover polyphaga...perhaps I will get the next volume for Christmas...

Coleoptera; Polyphaga; Staphylinoidea; Staphylinidae; Staphylininae; Staphylini; Ocypus sp.
Common Name: Large Rove Beetles

They were found at night, I only collected one. The other two I happened across during a night survey. The first one I ever found was by the beach, a lot of rove beetles can be found close to the shore. At any rate, there it is. Also, in one of the pictures, you can pretty clearly see the large mandibles. Three species of the genus include O. olens, O. nitens, and O. aeneocephalus, and the range of O. olens matches the location in which this specimen was found - so O. olens is the most likely candidate.

Ephemeroptera

For now, this page shall be only order, until I am able to fully key this mayfly - I fear that it had a final molt to go, since it only had one pair of wings visible and does not seem to fit into the families with absent hind wings so as a result, may be difficult to key. It also had fine hairs on the wing margins, indicative of subimagos. At any rate, here is some information about the order Ephemeroptera - Mayflies - and a few lovely pictures.

Mayflies are small-medium, elongate, soft-bodied insects with two or three thread-like tails. They are common near ponds and streams. They have membranous wings with dense venation and the front pair of wings is usually large and triangular while the hind wings are small or absent. They live most of their life as an aquatic nymph, with leaflike or plumose gills along the side of the abdomen. Most feed on algae and detritus, contrasted with the highly carnivorous dragonfly nymphs. They rise to the surface of the water, molt into a subimago, land in a safe location and wait for their final molt to the adult form. The subimagos have a pair of wings, but the margin has hairs, as do the caudal filaments (see below). The nymphs may take a year or two to develop, but the adults live only a couple days at most.

Rhaphidophoridae

After investigating the families of camel crickets a little further after that survey, I decided it was not so difficult to identify that it was worthy of an entry. Insects of the family Raphidophoridae are in the order Orthoptera (Crickets, Grasshoppers, Katydids), and are commonly called camel or cave crickets. They differ from other families of Orthoptera in that do not usually have wings, are hump-backed in appearance, and often live in caves, hollow trees, or other dark moist places. They have very long antennae, and most species belong to the genus Ceuthophilus.

Orthoptera; Ensifera; Rhaphidophoridae, Pristoceuthophilus sp.
Common Name: Camel Cricket

Information about this genus is rather sparse, with data from Washington, Oregon, and California. Other species include names such as P. arizonae, P. pacificus, and P. californiana, so they are somewhat widespread on the western coast of the US. This genus is relatively easy to distinguish from others, as the males have an obvious "crook" in their hind tibiae and a pronounced hind femoral tooth, both visible in one of the pictures above. The top image contains a female, and the bottom two images are of the same male. Also note the large spike coming from the apex of the female's abdomen - that is the ovipositor, with which she deposits her fertilized eggs.

Forficulidae

I think I'm starting to get lazy - when I realize I happen to have a picture of an insect which I have already identified and haven't yet done an entry about, I just pick that one to write about instead of getting out the scope and keying one of the ones I have on my pinning board. For this entry, I have chosen Forficula auricularia, or the European Earwig. Earwigs are very interesting insects, which most everyone has come across at one time or another, and in the US that type is almost always the European Earwig. Earwigs make up the order Dermaptera, and consist of slender, elongate, somwhat flattened insects that have forceps-like cerci (apical extensions from the abdomen). Adults may be winged or wingless, most have short, leathery, veinless wings that do not reach very far down the abdomen. They are hemimetabolous, meaning the immature earwigs look like miniature adults, though they have fewer antennal segments. They also have male abdomen characteristics (10 segments) and female cerci characteristics (straight forceps, not curved). The forceps are the easiest way to determine gender in mature earwigs.

Dermaptera; Forficulidae; Forficula auricularia
Common Name: European Earwig

Earwigs are generaly nocturnal and hide during the day in cracks, crevices, under bark, in flowers, in debris, etc. They mostly feed on dead and decaying vegetable matter, but some feed on living plants and a few are predaceous - both of the earwigs pictured above are male, based on the forceps, and the lower male is feasting on a small insect. Earwigs, like the Orthopterans and Mantids, are capable of emitting a foul-smelling fluid, which some are able to squirt for a distance of 1 cm. Earwigs do not bite, but are capable of pinching with their forceps when handled; it does not often break the skin. Unlike their name, they do not enter people's ears. Earwigs overwinter as adults, and the females exhibit maternal behavior - they guard their eggs until they hatch, and even then they look after the nymphs until they are ready to take care of themselves.

The family Forficulidae includes European and Spine-tailed Earwigs. The European earwig is the most common - it is a brownish-black insect 15-20 mm long and is distributed across North America. It can cause significant damage to crops and ornamental plants.

Stenopelmatidae

Apologies for the hiatus - I have been trapped by medical school obligations and it's hard to find a spare thought for other concerns. I will upload a picture as soon as the specimen is done drying (probably a week from now), but since it was an easy identification, I thought I would make a preview post. A common, large insect in California is the Jerusalem Cricket, family Stenopelmatidae. There are only two genera within the family: Ammopelmatus, which is critically endangered and only found in California in the Kelso Dunes of the Mojave Desert and coastal Point Conception, and Stenopelmatus, which is widespread. The insects are approximately 1.5-2 inches in length, with an awkward gait. They are wingless, have long antennae on a large head, and a black-banded abdomen.

Orthoptera; Ensifera; Stenopelmatidae; Stenopelmatus
Common Name: Jerusalem Cricket, Potato Bug

This family is unique in Orthoptera, for lacking wings, overdeveloped hind femurs, and auditory organs. They communicate with one another by producing vibrations on the ground with their abdomen, in place of rubbing their wings together as do most true crickets. Jerusalem crickets feed on decaying plant matter and some small insects, and are capable of burrowing into soft ground. They also emit a pungent smell, particularly upon death. The scent is similar to that produced by mantises and other insects. They are mostly nocturnal, so they are often encountered when gardening, lifting up logs and rocks, or when cleaning out pool filters.

Theraphosidae

My family annually goes to see the Bay Area Blonde Tarantulas making their way across the Mt. Diablo in Contra Costa County, CA. You can usually see at least three crossing the road on your way up the mountain. Two times previously we collected and mounted specimens, totaling two - not for academic collection per se, but more for display purposes. Anyway, this year we decided we'd take one of the males to a spot we knew had female burrows and see if we could help him get lucky. As luck would have it, we found an unmated female's burrow and placed him in optimal position to enter. He was taking his sweet time, so we left before he dared to signal her or enter the burrow, but fingers crossed! In the first picture below, you can see two of the female's legs in the burrow if you look closely.

Arachnida; Araneae; Mygalomorphae; Theraphosidae; Aphonopelma smithi
Common Name: Bay Area Blonde Tarantula

Tarantulas such as these are mostly nocturnal, and hide in burrows until a tasty meal comes within pouncing distance. They do not possess significant venom, as their size is more than enough to aid in catching prey, so their bites are more equivalent to bee stings. They are fragile, awkward spiders, and rarely venture far from their burrows. When the males reach maturity, which may be by their 7th year, they venture out of their burrows and begin walking across the land, hoping to come across the burrow of a female. When they find an open burrow, they enter and the male transfers his sperm pouch from his forelimb to the female. Once she accepts the packet, she may eat the male, though it is not uncommon for the male to escape. Once they leave their burrow in search of a female, they live only a few weeks. After the female has mated with the male, she spins a cover over her den, to prevent other male spiders from entering to mate. When we were searching for "available" females, we were looking for dens that did not have that web covering - surprisingly, most of the dens were covered, and after about 6 dens we found one that was open. There are more photos available in my Picasa album, but they are rather large, so I only put up a few.

Cerambycidae

I have already done two entries on Cerambycidae, but felt like making an entry about a particular beetle appearing all around the house lately. It looks slightly atypical for a cerambycid because the antennae are not as distinctly long as others of the family, and their bodies are not as slender. These beetles are in the subfamily Aseminae, which some place in the subfamily Spondylidinae. The next time I find a live specimen I will take a picture. Also, the creases on the thorax are from inadvertently crushing it while collecting.

Coleoptera; Polyphaga; Chrysomeloidea; Cerambycidae; Aseminae
Common Name: In the family of Longhorned beetles

These longhorned beetles of family Aseminae are most commonly found in coniferous forests, and the larvae feed on conifer trees. The adults are primarily nocturnal, and feed on their host plants. There is little noticeable difference between males and females, and the adults hide under bark during the day or when resting.

Mantidae (part 2)

Thanks to Student Doctor Inna, I now have the female counterpart of the European Mantis. I thought I would post the photos in comparison, as well as provide more information about this species. The female is more drab colored, a golden brown/olive green almost - most likely for better camouflage. Also, she is about twice the size of the male mantis. I waited a day before preparing her for pinning, and the jar became coated with a slick pungent liquid - possibly pheromones. This is the first non-Lepidopteran I am pinning using the spreading board, so hopefully she will come out looking fantastic!

Mantodea; Mantidae; Mantis religiosa (female)
Common Name: European Mantis

M. religiosa originated in southern Europe, hence the common name. It was accidentally introduced to North America on nursery stock. They are now found across the United States, and are most easily identified by a dark spot on the inner side of their fore coxae. The female's spot is entirely black, but the male's has a white spot with a black outline. M. religiosa is the state insect of Connecticut. It is also good to note that when in Europe, it is simply called a praying mantis, in the same way that Brazil nuts in Brazil are simply called nuts.

Noctuidae

Even though I have never posted about Noctuidae, I have several specimens - and this is the newest. Turns out it is a rather distinct, easily identifiable specimen - its copper-pink-orange hind wings are diagnostic of one or two Copper Underwing species. There is some disagreement. Many sources identify a second Copper Underwing as A. berbera. A. berbera and A. pyramidoides are very similar in appearance, but A. pyramidoides is found primarily on the east coasts of the US whereas A. berbera is common on the west coast. Also, A. berbera has a more uniform color on the hindwing, while A. pyramidoides has a dark margin. and a pale center The subfamily Amphipyrinae is not extremely diverse, containing only one genus Amphipyra, and four or five species: A. berbera (?), A. brunneoatra, A. glabella, A. pyramidoides, and A. tragoponiginis. It used to be a larger subfamily, but the other genera were transferred to Hadeninae and Noctuinae. The genus Amphipyra feeds on leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs, including Sycamore Maple, Oak, and Willow. It is most commonly seen at night from July-September.

Lepidoptera; Noctuoidea; Noctuidae; Amphipyrinae; Amphipyra berbera / Amphipyra pyramidoides
Common Name: Svensson's Copper Underwing

The family Noctuidae, or Owlet Moths, are medium-sized, bulky moths with mottled brown-gray colorations. They are common across the US and are the largest family of Lepidoptera, with at least 4,200 genera. The adults feed on nectar and sugary compounds, flying mostly at night. The larvae inhabit a variety of environments. Some, the "cutworms" inhabit soil and feed on plant roots, proving to be pests. Others are unusual in their ability to feed on plants containing normally toxic chemicals, like Solanaceae, the family of flowering plants that includes nightshade, tomatoes, and tobacco.

Mantidae

Finally I have a member of the order Mantodea! There are only two North American families: Mantidae, which contains the majority of the species, and Mantoididae with one species, Mantoidea maya - a small mantid (15-17mm long) with a square-like pronotum; it is only found in southern Florida in the United States. Needless to say, this specimen, found in California and exceeding 40mm, is a member of Mantidae. Also, there are only 16 species within Mantidae, in North America, so identification to the species level was rather simple. Based on its size, color, location, the time of year, and the distinct black and white circular marking on the inside of its frontal femur, it is Mantis religiosa. I also suspect it is a male because it seemed to be carrying a spermatophore, a protein/carbohydrate rich gift that some crickets, katydids, mantids, and other insects present to a female as a nuptial gift. Unfortunately for male mantids, females do not stop at the spermatophore...

Mantodea; Mantidae; Mantinae; Melieae; Mantis religiosa
Common Name: European Mantis (male)

Mantids are large, elongate, rather slow-moving insects that have distinct, modified front legs. Their fore femurs are raptorial, modified so as to facilitate hunting. The head is very mobile, and they prey on any insects they can catch. The larger species have even been known to stake out hummingbird feeders to catch the small birds when they come to feed. Mantids overwinter in the egg stage and the eggs are deposited in an egg case on twigs or grass stems; it may contain over 200 eggs. If confined, the nymphs will consume one another unless there is ample food. The female also consumes the male after or during mating. Mantids have been used as biological pest control, but it is not recommended because mantids do not discriminate between useful and harmful insects. They have also been known to stake out beehives and consume bees going to and from the hive.

Vespidae

I haven't had a chance to do much collecting, what with medical school starting and all, so I'll pull one out of the old collection box. On campus, there are a seemingly endless number of paper wasps of some kind, so I shall do an entry about the family of which they are a member. Paper wasps, in this case Polistes dominula, are members of Vespidae, which includes paper wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, mason wasps, and potter wasps. These insects are very common and well-known, most being black and yellow. The social vespids, such as the paper wasp, build a nest out of a papery material that results from the chewed up wood and foliage of the insect. They feed the larvae on insects and other carrion that is scavanged.

Hymenoptera; Vespoidea; Vespidae; Polistinae; Polistes dominula
Common Name: European Paper Wasp

The subfamily Polistinae contains eusocial vespids including paper wasps. The three genera are Polistes, Mischocyttaris, and Brachygastra. Some literature describes two other genera: Polybia and Ropalidiini. One method of identifying the European Paper Wasp is by its largely orange antennae, distinct among Vespidae. Also, to differentiate it from the familiar yellow jackets (genus Vespula) by its longer legs which hang noticeably when it flies.

Elateridae part 2

I already did an entry about the family Elateridae, but I received a very recognizable click beetle from Kit's mom in Virginia. It is the species Alaus oculatus, or the Eyed Click Beetle. Unlike the tiny brown click-beetles we find here on the west coast, which are barely 1/2 inch long, the Eyed Click Beetle is 25-45mm long, and is decorated by white specks and eye spots: large black circles outlined in white. It is commonly found in deciduous forests and woodlands. It can be found most of the year, but most commonly in the spring and summer. The larvae are predatory, feeding on the larvae of other insects, particularly boring beetles like Cerambycids. The adults may feed on nectar and plant juices, are winged, and are attracted to lights.

Coleoptera; Polyphaga; Elateroidea; Elateridae; Agrypninae; Alaus oculatus
Common Names: (Eastern) Eyed Click Beetle, Eyed Elater

I always liked click beetles as a kid - they were harmless, flicked their bodies interestingly...I had never imagined they could get as large as this. It truly is a remarkable insect. The one pictured above is approximately 40mm long, and is actually the largest species of click beetle. Most elaterids are mottled-gray/brown/black and reach lengths of 12-30mm.

Sesiidae

I received a clearwing sphinx moth from Kit's mom in Virginia and felt like doing a post about a similar-looking family of moths - the clearwing sesiid moth. The first moth pictured below is of the family sphingidae, of which I have already done an entry. The second moth is of the family sesiidae. Both moths are similar in that they have areas of their wings which are devoid of scales. The way one differentiates a sesiid moth from other moths with clear spots on their wings is that in sesiids, the front wings are long and narrow, at least four times as wide, and they appear wasp-like (mimics).

Lepidoptera; Bombycoidea; Sphingidae; Macroglossinae; Dilophonotini; Hemaris thysbe
Common Name: Clearwing Hummingbird Moth



Lepidoptera; Sesiidae; Sesiinae; Synanthedonini; Synanthedon resplendens (?)
Common Name: Clearwing Sycamore Borer

As for the family itself, sesiidae have a wing-coupling mechanism similar to Hymenoptera, with extra hooks along the wing margins to keep the wings together. Many species are brightly colored, and virtually all are diurnal. The two sexes are usually different colors, and the larvae bore into the roots, stems, canes, or trunks of plants or trees. Some serious pests are the peach tree borer, Synanthedon exitiosa, and the squash vine borer, Melittia cucurbitae. Sesiid sex pheromones have been synthesized to help capture males of sesiid pests, and they are capable of attracting almost all male sesiids. They often mimic wasps and bees, and their tail is described as lobster-like. The sesiid above lost a fair few scales in the pinning, so it is not in its prime condition.

Formicidae

The following are ants of the genus Camponotus: Carpenter ants. Some distinguishing characteristics include the smooth profile of the thorax towards the abdomen, lack of the metapleural gland orifice, antennae arising above the dorsal edge of the clypeus, and the absence of guard setae. One is a soldier ant, which is larger than worker ants, and the other is a winged alate, or reproductive individual. The soldiers are responsible for defense of the nest and the colony's territory. When mating season arrives, the male and female winged alates take to the air to mate. After mating, the male ant dies while the female ant discards her wings and burrows to found a new colony.

Hymenoptera; Aculeata; Vespoidea; Formicidae; Formicinae; Camponotus
Common Name: Carpenter Ant

A useful key to the genera of Formicinae can be found here. The family containing ants is named "Formicidae" from the Latin name for ant (Formica). Methanoic acid is most commonly found in ant venom/stings, giving the acid the common name "Formic Acid." Ant societies are fascinating, and I highly recommend checking out books written or videos narrated by Edward O. Wilson, the leading expert on Formicidae. Here is one to get you started. Tip from gardening societies: To eliminate an ant colony in an environmentally friendly way, pour boiling water into the nest.

Cerambycidae (Unusual Elytra)

The typical Cerambycid is a beetle with long antennae, slightly enlarged femurs, and long elytra. In the case of this Cerambycid, the elytra have been reduced to nub-like coverings on the thorax, with the wings almost completely exposed. I have another entry about a Cerambycid of the subfamily Lepturinae, or flower longhorns. The common characteristic they share is the general trend of the elytra narrowing near the end of the abdomen, creating a shouldered look. When I first saw these insects, I almost mistook them for wasps, since they did not have easily visible elytra. There were quite a few darting among the flowers in Carmel.

Coleoptera; Polyphaga; Chrysomeloidea; Cerambycidae; Lepturinae; Necydalini; Necydalis laevicollis
Common Name: Flower Longhorn (Lepturinae)

The tribe Necydalini comprises of longhorn beetles with very short elytra that expose the abdomen and long flat wings with three veins in the post-cubital region. There is some debate whether they belong in Lepturinae or Molorchinae; however, it is generally agreed that the larvae, wing venation, and adult mouthparts most resemble those in the subfamily Lepturinae.