Subject: What’s That Bug
Location: Gabon
January 25, 2014 8:01 am
What’s That Bug ?
Taken May 16, 2012
Gabon Deep Forest
Signature: Oddfeel

Longicorn

Dear Oddfeel,
This is a stunning photograph of a gorgeous Longicorn or Longhorned Borer Beetle in the family Cerambycidae.  We will try to identify the species for you.

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Subject: What is this and how damaging is it to my garden
Location: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
January 26, 2014 6:24 pm
We live in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and I keep finding this beetle on the Corn. I have not seen them on any other plants so far. I am hoping it is not detrimental to our garden and would like to know how to get rid of them.
Signature: Julie Holl

Trachyderes succinctus on corn

Longhorned borer beetle in family Cerambycidae.  Too blurry to identify the species for certain.

Thank you. I will try to get a better photo, but I seem to have wasps hanging out in the corn also. Do they damage the corn?

Wasps might be hunting for caterpillars and we doubt they are damaging the corn.  We decided to take a second look at your Longicorn, and we found a posting in our archives of Trachyderes succinctus that shows the black and red striped antennae as well as the body markings that are shared with your individual.  A second posting in our archive of Trachyderes succinctus from the Virgin Islands includes this observation by the person who submitted the images:  “It likes rotting fruit but absolutely loves to go after young corn. It nibbles away at the base of the ear, leaving a blackish goo and killing the ear. It decimated my back yard corn crop a couple of years ago and I have not been able to replant successfully since.”

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Subject: strange beetle
Location: nhill, victoria
January 31, 2014 3:00 am
last night at around 11:00 this beetle flew in through an open window and landed on our cat (scaring the hell out of him). I put it in a bag to get a photo cos i didnt want it loose in the house or for a pet to eat it and it tried to chew its way out putting numerous holes in the bag. never seen one like this before and we’re all stumped as to what it is.
measurements
length-4cm
width-1.2cm
feeler things-2.5cm
Signature: nita

Banksia Longicorn

Hi Nita,
We believe your Root Borer in the subfamily Prioninae is a Banksia Longicorn, Paroplites australis.  There is a photo on Lochman Transparencies and on the Worldwide Cerambycidae Photo Gallery.  These Root Borers have very powerful mandibles and we are not surprised to learn it chewed several holes in a plastic bag.

Banksia Longicorn

yes that is it…thats the exact beetle..thanks so much now we can stop googling

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Subject: aussietrev tiny longicorn
Location: Queensland, Australia
February 3, 2014 9:17 pm
Hi guys,
Just came across this tiny guy, around 5/16″, while taking photos of a strange object (that I will send in another enquiry) on my cucumber vine. This guy was perched on a passionfruit leaf and it seems he might have been looking for a girlfriend. I think it is probably the Small Acacia Longicorn or a close relative, this guy seems to have much hairier antennae than those pictured on Brisbane Insects site.
http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_longicorns/SmallAcaciaLongicorn.htm
Signature: aussietrev

Small Acacia Longicorn

Hi Trevor,
The markings on the elytra or wing covers of your individual are not as pronounced as either of the Small Acacia Longicorn species in the genus Ancita in the tribe Ancitini that are pictured on the Brisbane Insect Website.  We wonder if you have yet a different species in the same genus, or perhaps in an entirely different genus.  It has long been the bane of the taxonomist that there is so much variation within some species that it is quite common to have different individuals from different locations identified as different species.  Sadly, we do not have the entomological skills necessary to make an exact species identification here.  According to BushCraftOz there is  “some variation.”  There are also some photos on Insects of Tasmania.

Small Acacia Longicorn

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Subject: Looking to identify beetle
Location: Alongside Canyon in Spring Valley -San Diego California
February 5, 2014 9:47 pm
Hello and thank you in advance for your assistance in identifying this beetle.
Found in seasoned Eucalyptus logs that we were cutting for firewood. A dozen or so Beetles and larva.
Signature: Linda Diaz De Leon

Eucalyptus Borer

Hi Linda,
Both the adult beetle and the larva are Eucalyptus Borers in the genus Phoracantha.  There are two similar looking species, and we are unable to tell one from the other.  Eucalyptus Borers are native to Australia, but they have been introduced to North America and they are relatively common in California due to the ubiquity of the Eucalyptus host trees.  In an effort to keep populations of Eucalyptus Borers from spreading, people should not transport firewood far from the source of the growing trees.  You can find an image of the larva on Forestry Images.

Larva of a Eucalyptus Borer

Thank you very much for your time expertise.
Linda

The post Eucalyptus Borer adult and larva appeared first on What's That Bug?.

Subject: What is this!?!?
Location: Pomona, CA
February 13, 2014 3:00 pm
Hello Bugman,
About a month or so ago, my roommates and I noticed these fairly large beetle-like bugs starting to appear in our living room. They have very long antennaes and are almost always either on the ceiling or on walls. We live in southern California, about 30 miles inland from downtown LA.
Some things to consider:
*The room they are most frequently in is an add-on to the house (probably not insulated properly)
*The beetles seem to appear in the middle of the night/early in the morning (after 2am)
*The beetle has wings and can fly
Please help us identify this beetle and find some sort of method to prevent them from continuing to scare us!
Thanks so much, can’t wait to hear back from you.
Samantha
Signature: ???

Eucalyptus Borer

Hi Samantha,
This is an invasive, exotic species commonly called a Eucalyptus Borer.  Do you have a wood burning stove or a fireplace?  Do you bring logs in to burn?  Did you bring eucalyptus logs into the house?  If the answer to those questions is yes, that explains the presence of the Eucalyptus Borers in your home.  If you do not burn wood, then perhaps there is an infested eucalyptus tree nearby and the Eucalyptus Borers are entering the room due to the poor insulation.

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Subject: Cyprus Longhorn Beetle Cerambycidae Certallum ebulinum ruficolle Fabricius…?
Location: Nicosia (Leftkoşa), Cyprus
February 22, 2014 5:10 am
Hello Daniel, I think I have this one pegged (so to speak). I was detoured by the tanbark borer but it was not quite right so I kept looking, finally coming up with Longhorn Beetle Cerambycidae Certallum ebulinum ruficolle Fabricius (but not sure all those designations are needed because I do not know what they all mean…).
Is this a Capricorn beetle? If so it would be even more nifty as the Mouflon is the moutain goat (ibex) that is featured on the Cypriot euro coins.
Thanks!
Signature: Curious Girl

Longicorn:  Certallum ebulinum ruficolle

Hi Curious Girl,
Using the name you provided, we found a nearly identical image on a Cyrillic language Coleoptera page and an image of a mating pair on Biolib.  Regarding the name, Cyrambycidae is the name for the family.  The next three words are the taxonomic name for the genus, species and subspecies.  Fabricius is the authority credited with first publishing the name, and that should be followed by a year, which in the case of this beetle is 1781.  Longicorns are often called Capricorns, but we personally generally reserve that for larger species.

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Subject: Large black bug in North Brazil
Location: North Brazil
February 24, 2014 5:19 am
Hello! I am really struggling to find out what species of beetle I have seen. It was very large (the size of my palm) but isn’t a titan beetle. It was black with very long antennae and sharp mandibles which the guide said was used to cut through wood, and it made a horrendous noise when it was picked up.
Here’s hoping you can help!
Signature: Poppy

blurry image of beetle: Longicorn

these images are too tiny and the detail is too poor to provide species information.  Do you have larger files?

Only the two attached I’m afraid – it’s really low res!
Sorry!
Poppy Riddle

Hey,
Might it be a type of root borer beetle? My friend has sent me some better res images of it!

Longicorn

Hi Again Poppy,
Thanks for sending the much better resolution images.  This is definitely a Longicorn in the family Cerambycidae, and we are also confident that it is in the subfamily Prioninae, the Root Borers.  We are creating a posting and we will attempt a species identification, however, this will need to wait until later as we must dash off to work.

Root Borer

Thank-you! I think the fact it was found in Northern Brazil keeps throwing me. I don’t know of any that look like that in that area?
Poppy

Hi again Poppy,
It looks like it might be a male Ctenoscelis acanthopus which is pictured on the Worldwide Cerambycidae Photo Gallery and on Insects and More.

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Subject: Straight out of a Tim Burton movie!
Location: Inland Empire, Southern Caifornia
March 23, 2014 12:24 pm
Ok, so i found this crazy looking bug one day. It was just sitting on the door of a store. It was late June of last year in Southern California. There are some fields close to this shop. Please help me identify this! It still haunts my nightmares!
Signature: Christy

Banded Alder Borer

Hi Christy,
The Banded Alder Borer, Rosalia funebris, is sometimes called the California Laurel Borer.

The post Banded Alder Borer appeared first on What's That Bug?.

Subject: Have never seen a beetle like this here before
Location: Shreveport, la
March 25, 2014 8:07 am
1 1/4″ body green with two yellow spots on back. Found this bug outside of my apartment in Louisiana.
Signature: J A Bendish

Banded Hickory Borer

Dear J A Bendish,
You have attached a photo of a Longhorned Borer Beetle or Longicorn in the family Cerambycidae, and we will attempt to identify the species for you.  Our confusion is that the brown beetle in the photo does not match your description of “body green with two yellow spots on back” and we are wondering if perhaps you attached the wrong image.

Eric Eaton provides an identification
Hi, Daniel:
Nice beetle!  It is probably the Banded Hickory Borer, Knulliana cincta, which sometimes lacks the “bands.”  Here’s more:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/6804
It emerges early, too, so that puts it at the top of the suspect list.
Eric

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Subject: What type of longhorn beetle is this
Location: Northern California
March 26, 2014 10:30 pm
Snapped this pic while feeding the horses. Near a creek with mostly cottonwoods and willows. Located about 80 miles North of Sacramento CA. No one around here seems to know what it is…I’ve never seen one either.
Signature: Susan

Synaphaeta guexi

Hi Susan,
Your Longicorn is Synaphaeta guexi, and we get one or two requests each year from California to identify this lovely beetle.

Thank you so much for your reply!  I too thought it very beautiful.
Susan

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Subject: Stripes & only 4 legs – what is it?
Location: South Orange, NJ
March 30, 2014 12:08 pm
Just found this guy crawling up my LR window & escorted him (or her) outside. The torso is about 1″.
Haven’t seen this before. Any idea what it is?
Signature: Thanks! Lory

Red Headed Ash Borer

Dear Lory,
This is a Red Headed Ash Borer, a beetle with a larva that bores in the wood of ash and other trees.  When we get reports of Red Headed Ash Borers indoors, especially in the winter, we ask if the querant has firewood indoors, as the adults will emerge prematurely from the wood infested with larvae if the indoor temperatures expedite the maturing process.  Red Headed Ash Borer have six legs like other insects, and you can see a fifth leg on the left side of your image near the head.  The sixth leg might be missing or just hidden from view.  Red Headed Ash Borers are thought to mimic stinging wasps as a form of protective mimicry since the beetles do not sting.

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Subject: Not a clue!
Location: Derbyshire, England
April 4, 2014 11:06 am
Hi,
Please could you help me identify this creature? I’ve been scrolling through photos for hours and had no luck. I’m afraid I’m completely ignorant with insects so I can’t even narrow my search.
I’ve found two of these in a Derbyshire bedroom at separate times over the last couple of weeks. I never seen them before, or anything similar, so I would like to know what they are if we’re sharing space.
I’m afraid I haven’t observed any useful behaviours, I just have this photo.
Thankyou for any help.
Signature: Rose

Longhorned Borer Beetle is Placosternus species

Hi Rose,
This is a Longhorned Borer Beetle in the family Cerambycidae, but we have not had any luck identifying the species.  It is not listed on Mark Telfer’s Longhorn Beetles page, nor on Eakring Birds.  Did you get any new furniture in the room where you have found the beetles?  We don’t want to be alarmist, but it is possible they emerged from the wood used in a new piece of furniture.  We will continue trying to identify the species.

Hi,
There is a wooden bowl my brother bought back from Belize. Looking at it I can see three holes, two have dust around them and one looks like there is something still in it.
As it’s likely these beetles are foreign to my ecosystem, is there some precaution I should take?
Thank you so much for your speedy reply!
Rose.

Hi again Daniel,
I’ve just been in touch with my brother and he says it is a rosewood bowl bought in Placencia Belize that we think it has come from. Hope that can help with the identification?
Thanks again for all your help.
Rose

Hi Rose,
We believe you probably found the source of the introduction of these Longhorned Borers with the discovery of the wooden bowl and its holes.  Many invasive species have been introduced in this manner to various parts of the world, however, we don’t think you need to fear that this tropical species will survive in your much colder English climate.  We will see if we can find a match among species from Belize, though nearby Costa Rica shares many of the same species and there is more comprehensive data on Costa Rican species on the internet because of the ecotourism.

Additional Information and Identification courtesy of Karl
Hi Daniel and Rose:
It looks like a species of Placosternus (Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Clytini) which includes the familiar Mesquite Borer (P. difficilis) that occurs as far north as the southern USA , and south to Honduras. There are four species of Placosternus altogether, all of which can be found in Belize, look very similar and include neotropical rosewoods as larval host plants. The adult coloration suggests that they may be wasp mimics. The commonly used rosewood species in Belize is the Honduras Rosewood (Dalbergia stevensoni). FYI, this species has long been a staple in the Belizian artisanal tourist industry (full disclosure – we also bought a few beautiful rosewood bowls in Belize a few years ago), but unfortunately, a massive increase in the harvest in recent years to feed Asian demand has caused concern and the Belizian government has recently implemented a ban on the harvest and export of rosewood. I am not sure if this includes the small-scale production and sale of carved products for the tourist trade. If so, this would be a serious and unfortunate hit on an important village-based income source. Regards. Karl

Thanks for doing this research Karl.  We did notice the resemblance to the Mesquite Borer when we wrote the original identification, and we tried searching its tribe in England to see if there were any relatives.

Hi Karl and Daniel,
Thank you very much for solving the mystery! Thanks for all your time and effort.
Kindest regards,
Rose

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Subject: Unknown Insect!
Location: Binnaguri,West Bengal
April 15, 2014 3:42 am
It was attracted to the lights……though i dn’t knw if it’s a beetle or something else!
Signature: Martin

Mango Stem Borer

Hi Martin,
This appears to be a Mango Stem Borer, Batocera rufomaculata, a species that is considered a serious agricultural pest of mangos, figs and several other commercially grown trees.  According to Carnivora, the hosts include:  “edible fig, mango, guava, jackfruit, pomegranate, apple, rubber, and walnut. In India recorded for more than 30 different host plants.”  When crops are grown commercially, there is not much diversity in the field, and when food supplies are plentiful, species that feed on those plants also proliferate.  In a forest where trees are rarely homogenous and where natural predators are also present, the balance of nature keeps things under control.  Modern agricultural methods, with large swathes of land devoted to growing a single crop, create an ecosystem that is out of balance.  This individual may have been attracted to the lights in your home.

Mango Stem Borer

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Subject: Black & Yellow 2 inch Bug
Location: Concord CA
April 20, 2014 9:19 pm
Should I be concerned about this bug? Or is it just a beetle? It is about two inches long with four inch antennae. The head is black. The body is mostly yellow from the head to the black band before getting to the yellow butt area. There are two symmetrically located black dots in the yellow area of its back. The legs and antennae appear to be brown.
I found this bug on an exterior garage wall under a light on Sunday, April 20, 2014. We live in Concord, CA, about 35 miles east of San Francisco. It is starting to stay warm throughout the day (average of 70′s to 80′s). The weather is cool at night with dew in the morning, and dry/not humid during the day.
The closest I could come to identifying it is calling an “Instable Longhorn beetle Judolia spp Family Cerambycidae” from the website address below:

http://share2.esd105.org/rsandelin/Fieldguide/Animalpages/Insects/Beetles.htm

The attached photo was taken with my iPhone and emailed to me as “Actual” size.
I’m not sure what to make of it. Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Raymond Winters
Signature: Ray W. of Concord CA

Eucalyptus Longhorn

Dear Ray,
While you have misidentified this Longhorn Borer Beetle, you did get the family correct.  This is actually a Eucalyptus Longhorned Borer and it is an invasive species in Southern California, but luckily, its host tree is also an introduced genus, the Eucalyptus trees, which are ubiquitous in Southern California.  More information on Eucalyptus Longhorned Borers can be found on the UC Davis Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program website.

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Subject: Green Longhorn Beetle from Barbados
Location: Barbados, Caribbean
April 21, 2014 9:50 pm
Hi, This green longhorn beetle (looks like Chlorida festiva) flew into my room to get its picture taken last night. First time I’m seeing one of these and it was about 4cm (body) long. I also noticed what looks to be mites on its ‘neck’ area, can you confirm this? Thought it would be a nice addition to your collection.
Signature: Niaz

Longicorn, Chlorida festiva, with Phoretic Mites

Hi Niaz,
We agree that you have correctly identified your Longicorn as Chlorida festiva, but in searching for an image online for a link, we stumbled upon this Superstock image of Chlorida festiva with Phoretic Mites identified as Histiogaster arborsignis.  Phoretic Mites do not prey upon the Longicorns, but rather use them to move from location to location.  Back to the Longicorn, according to American Insects:  “Linnaeus described this large and striking species in 1758. It can be found in the West Indies, and from Mexico south to Argentina.”  Your images are gorgeous.

Longicorn Chlorida festiva with Phoretic Mites

Longicorn Chlorida festiva with Phoretic Mites

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Subject: Weird bug in Central Texas
Location: Bastrop, Tx
May 2, 2014 11:59 am
Minding my own business outside the other day and this guy flies around me in a very peculiar fashion. Not quite a wasp, not quite a beetle. I followed him to my rose bush and took some pictures of him. After consulting the insect guides I have and of course, the all powerful Google, I am no closer to figuring it out. Hope you can help me out, I’d love to know what he was. Thanks!
Signature: A. Roberts

Flower Longhorn: Strangalia famelica

Dear A. Roberts,
It seems you were taken in by the mimicry often incorporated by Longhorn Beetles, many of which mimic stinging wasps.  This is a Flower Longhorn in the subfamily Lepturinae, and we believe we have correctly identified it as Strangalia famelica thanks to images posted to BugGuide.

Flower Longhorn: Strangalia famelica

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Subject: GOAT INSECT
Location: Encarnación, Paraguay
May 3, 2014 1:00 pm
Hi, my name is Clara Müller and I’m from Paraguay. One day, in February of this year I found this insect I’ve never seen before walking through my garden. So I wanted to know if anyone recognizes this kind of insect or knows the name of it. As you can see in the picture I took, it was light gray with little black dots with long horns and shiny eyes. It was like the size of a cockroach. It was wet and kind of hurt because of the rain. It looks like a “goat insect” to me. I’ve just seen it once and I’m curious.
I would be happy if you reply to this letter.
Thanks in advance!
Clara
Signature: Clara Müller

Capricorn Beetle

Hi Clara,
While we do not have the time right now to research the identity of your Goat Insect, we can tell you what we do know.  This is a Capricorn Beetle or Longhorned Borer Beetle in the family Cerambycidae, and we never really understood why they were called Capricorn Beetles until we received your request.  Capricorn is the zodiacal sign of the goat and your Capricorn Beetle really does resemble a goat, so we think Goat Insect is a perfectly acceptable common name for your particular species, which we hope to be able to identify after we return to the office.

Goat Insect is Capricorn Beetle

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Subject: ID help please
Location: Lake Catherine, Arkansas
May 9, 2014 4:02 am
I found this guy during vacation, June of 2012 at Lake Catherine in Arkansas.
He was on the side of the cabin late one night about 10-15 ft away from a light.
There were a lot of longhorn and borer beetles while I was there and I have been able to ID all but this one…
His body is about 3/4 inch long, not sure about the antenna.
Signature: Skeeter

Longicorn

Hi Skeeter,
We will post your images, but we cannot do the research at this time.  We will also contact Eric Eaton to see if he recognizes your Longicorn.  Perhaps one of our readers with some free time today will write in with a comment.

Longicorn

Eric Eaton Responds
Daniel:
That is Dorcaschema wildii, apparently no common name.  I believe they bore in mulberry trees.
Eric

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Subject: Asparagus Beetle
Location: Kent England
May 8, 2014 8:09 am
Hi
Could you tell me whether this is ask asparagus beetle. We think it came out of the shopping!
Many thanks
Signature: Simon

Black and Yellow Longhorn Beetle

Hi Simon,
This is not an Asparagus Beetle, but rather one of the Longhorn Borer Beetles in the family Cerambycidae.  We have identified it as a Black and Yellow Longhorn Beetle, Rutpela maculata, thanks to Ray Wilson’s Bird and Wildlife Photography website.  According to UK Safari:  “This species is nearly always spotted feeding on nectar on flower heads such as hogweed or cow parsley.  The larvae feed on rotting tree stumps, especially birch and pine.”

Hi Daniel
Thank you so much for your research and the time spent.
Best wishes
Simon

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