Coccinellidae

I had been wanting to do a mini-life cycle entry about holometabolous insects, particularly lady bugs, because I have in my possession a few lady bug specimens and one of their pupa. Today I captured a live lady bug larvae, which I photographed and then released into the garden. To preface, holometabolous insects include the major orders of insects, such as Diptera (flies), Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Hymenoptera (wasps, bees, ants), and Coleoptera (beetles). Holometabolous means that they undergo a complete transformation from a larval form to an adult form, with no intermediate forms. So, a caterpillar stays a caterpillar for a while, forms a cocoon, and emerges with wings and different body structures. Often the larvae and the adults have different diets and habitats, allowing the insect to exploit various environments. This is in contrast to hemimetabolous insects, which go through several progressive molts, gradually assuming the adult form. This can be seen in Orthoptera (grasshoppers, katydids, crickets).

Coleoptera; Polyphaga; Cucujoidea; Coccinellidae; Coccinella septempunctata
Common Name: Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle

Coleoptera; Polyphaga; Cucujoidea; Coccinellidae; Harmonia axyridis
Common Name: Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle

The first image is the larvae of the lady beetle. Approximately 6 mm long, they have the same diet as the adult - aphids and other small leaf-sucking insects. The larvae of different lady beetle species mostly vary in their black and orange coloration. Eventually they form a pupa, and emerge as an adult lady beetle. The first image is the seven-spotted lady beetle, which usually is a brighter orange than a dull red, but I suspect freezing affected a change in the color. The second image is the multicolored Asian lady beetle, which was artificially introduced into North America for the purpose of controlling aphids (1916). It was introduced several more times, and is the variety often purchased from gardening stores. This insect is one of the first, and most successful (while remaining beneficial), introduced biological control agents. What marks the success of an introduced species is whether its numbers remain at a reasonable level, the insect does not harm beneficial native species, and remains specific for the pest it was originally introduced with the purpose of controlling. In some places they can be a nuisance simply because they are in large numbers, but they do not carry disease or damage property. The adults are capable of biting if handled, but do not break the skin, and release an strong smelling orange fluid to deter predators.

Pieridae

I have not had the chance to collect more insects, and I am somewhat sick right now so more new insects will not be for a while - however, I feel I must bring attention to the California state butterfly. Most people would assume it is one of the more commonly known butterflies, such as a Monarch, a Swallowtail, or a Painted Lady. Many states have the Monarch as their state butterfly, but California chose the Southern or California dogface butterfly. It is so named because on the males' fore wings, the silhouette resembles a dog, like a poodle or terrier. The larvae feed on false indigo.

Lepidoptera; Pieridae; Coliadinae; Coliadini; Zerene eurydice
Common name: California Dogface Butterfly

It is an interesting choice for a state butterfly, especially considering most people have never seen one. The females are very different looking, with the dorsal view of their wings being entirely yellow with a single dark eye spot on each fore wing.

In other news, it seems all the caterpillars have now molted their definite second time, and they are approximately 30 days old. Again, my estimates are on the small side because I did not catch them immediately after hatching. I need to collect more grass for them today - they're eating a lot faster and caterpillars are pretty picky eaters, as in they refuse to eat old food.

Apidae

I went to Coyote Hills preserve with the family today, and caught a large bumble bee - however, since I already have a bumble bee specimen, and bumble bees are becoming threatened species, I decided to let him go. Before I released him, I took a few nice photographs and was able to identify him based on these photographs.

Hymenoptera; Aculeata; Apoidea; Apidae; Apinae; Bombini; Bombus vosnesenskii
Common Name: Yellow-faced Bumble Bee

This specimen is approximately 1.5 inches long, with two yellow stripes and a yellow face. Not much is known about bumble bees. They form colonies with usually 50 members, not as organized or specialized as honey bee or ant colonies. Because the founder female has to make or choose a burrow, it is not very large or she settles in a vacant burrow made by a ground animal. The area in which this specimen was caught was covered with ground squirrel burrows, so it is likely that one of those burrows contains the nest. In the first picture above, the bee is cleaning its face (cute, I think). Their populations are threatened by habitat destruction, diseases from commercially raised bumble bee populations, and invasive social insects such as the Pennsylvania Yellow Jacket, which is able to forage more nectar and compete for space.

I also snapped a photograph of this fly, which looks like a Tachinid fly, but could easily be a different family, as many similar looking flies are members of different families.

Acrididae

Here are a couple grasshoppers common in California. An unfortunate side effect of preserving grasshoppers is that they tend to discolor and become more orange than they were when first caught. For newly collected insects, I will try to photograph them while they are still alive, to preserve their color. The same goes for Katydids, who become a duller green after they are collected.

Orthoptera; Caelifera; Acrididae; Oedipodinae; Trimerotropis pallidipennis
Common Name: Pallid-Winged Grasshopper

These grasshoppers are of the family Acrididae, or Short-Horned Grasshoppers, which includes the swarming locust variety. They are a distinct family for having relatively short antennae and tympana (or sound organ) on the side of the first abdominal segment. They are extremely common in California, and tend to have a mottled, variable color - some are extremely dark, others extremely light. These two specimens are approximately 1.5 to 2 inches long, found in San Diego. The subfamily, Oedipodinae, refers to "band-winged grasshoppers," based on the color bands on the wings. The distinguishing characteristic for the genus, Trimerotropis, is that the front wings have dark markings, and the ridge on the posterior half of the thorax is faint or absent.

Tettigoniidae

The following are two species of Katydid - the medium-sized one I thought was an instar of the larger one, but apparently they are different species. Each is about 3 inches long, wingspan about 4 or 5 inches. The largest and smallest specimens were caught in the San Diego area, and the medium specimen was caught in La Verne.

Orthoptera; Tettigoniidae; Phaneropterinae; Microcentrum rhombifolium
Common Name: Greater Angle-Wing Katydid



Orthoptera; Tettigoniidae; Phaneropterinae; Scudderia mexicana
Common Name: Mexican Bush Katydid



Orthoptera; Tettigoniidae; Phaneropterinae;
Unknown nymph - possibly Scudderia mexicana, Microcentrum retinerve (Lesser Angle-Wing Katydid), or Microcentrum rhombifolium.

Katydids communicate through song, and the subfamily Phaneropterinae is commonly called "False Katydids." They can vary in color from brown, to pink, to green, and often mimic leaves. The Greater Angle-Wing Katydid is differentiated from the Lesser Angle-Wing Katydid by a small tooth on the dorsal, frontal edge of the thorax - that part of the Lesser Angle-Wing Katydid is smooth. The Greater Angle-Wing Katydid is common in Southern California. They eat plant material and develop through several molts called instars, the final instar being winged. As a mating ritual, the male brings the female a nuptial meal, a spermatophylax, which is a gelatinous blob of carbohydrates, protein, and water. The male mates with the female while she is consuming the spermatophylax. As a result, the larger the meal, the longer it takes the female to consume it, and the longer time the male has to inseminate her, thereby producing more offspring.

As for the Mexican Bush Katydid, it is a member of the Scudderia genus, or Bush Katydids. Bush Katydids do not fly often, but glide from bush to bush and their forewing is noticeably shorter than the hind wing, with an elongate, narrow appearance relative to other genera. The species are mostly differentiated through male genitalia, and I did not key this specimen to species - I merely suspect it is Scudderia mexicana. The nymph may be a member of Scudderia because its femur is smooth, compared to Microcentrum which has spines on the femur.

Tenebrionidae

This specimen was collected in La Verne, CA of Los Angeles County. I was hoping it was a new family for the collection, but it ended up being part of Tenebrionidae, of which I already have one specimen - coincidentally, also of genus Eleodes. Most members of Tenebrionidae do not have hairs, but this specimen and one other of genus Eleodes appear to be covered in setae. This specimen is approximately 15 mm long, and 5 mm wide.

Coleoptera; Polyphaga; Tenebrionoidea; Tenebrionidae; Opatrinae; Eleodes osculans
Common Name: Woolly Darkling Beetle

This specimen is a member of Tenebrionidae, or Darkling beetles. Mealworms are a common larvae for Darkling beetles. Characteristic keying features include 5-5-4 tarsomere configuration and 11-segmented non-clubbed antennae. These insects have sealed elytra and so are incapable of flight, eat decaying and live plant flesh, are not known to bite, and may emit pungent odors. Many have an awkward gait and some lift their pointed abdomen in the air when threatened. This is an extremely common insect family and genus in California.

Second Molt

Well, it appears that the caterpillars are doing all right - it is now at least 22 days since they hatched, and we have a second confirmed molt, which is at least their third molt. Two of the caterpillars appear to be bigger than the other four. I really wish I knew exactly when they hatched, but I guess this is just the estimate I have to go with. The recently pinned insects are still on the pinning board - I will probably remove and key the beetle tomorrow, but the grasshopper and katydid will have to wait until they are completely set in place. Wouldn't like their legs to droop. Without further ado, here is the second confirmed molt.