| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Woolly Bear Caterpillar | 11/12/2009 |
Q: My daughter has a woolly friend. How do we over winter it so it doesn't die? It gets below zero here ...
A: Cher, Dandelions are fairly weather-resistant, there is almost always some leaves on them, as ...
|
| black caterpillar | 11/12/2009 |
Q: A student brought in a black, fuzzy caterpillar. We didn't see red bands on it (larvae of Giant ...
A: Gloria, Unfortunately, I'm not 100% sure what your larvae is. If you have a picture, I may be able ...
|
| Woolly Bear Caterpillar | 11/11/2009 |
Q: My daughter has a woolly friend. How do we over winter it so it doesn't die? It gets below zero here ...
A: Cher, What you can do is keep it in a jar with some Dandelion leaves, and keep the entire jar in a ...
|
| Eacles imperialis | 11/5/2009 |
Q: My students found a large green caterpillar (~4") on the playground that appears to be Eacles ...
A: Dixie, Sorry for the delay in response. If it is E. Imperialis (which would be unusual), I would ...
|
| Megalopyge Opercularis | 11/4/2009 |
Q: About 2 weeks ago I found a Megalopyge Opercularis larvae here in Texas. I brought him inside and ...
A: Carolyn, Megalopyge Opercularis has the potential to be a year-round species in southern Texas. If ...
|
| paper wasps | 11/3/2009 |
Q: I live in southwestern Idaho where paper wasps are prevelant outside but this fall I have seen about ...
A: Sheila, I highly doubt there will be an infestation in the spring. It sounds like they're either ...
|
| Giant Leopard Moth Caterpillar | 11/1/2009 |
Q: My son is a HUGE bug lover and he's always coming in from outside with something. A few weeks ago ...
A: Sheena, This species has overwintering larvae. What you want to do, is when they get large enough ...
|
| Pet Praying Mantis sickness | 10/25/2009 |
Q: I've read some information online, and I think that my praying mantis (I've had her for only about a ...
A: Alison, Mantids can be very fickle creatures. I'd stop feeding her canned foods immediately. Do you ...
|
| camel spiders | 10/25/2009 |
Q: I live in central california, Carmel Valley (the one by Monterey, not the one by San Diego), books ...
A: Phil, Those Wind Scorpions are harmless. All Wind Scorpions can bite, but the ones in the US are ...
|
| unidentified cocoon found | 10/17/2009 |
Q: My father found this brown, hard cocoon on the ground approximately 10 days ago, here in Ocean ...
A: Liz, The picture is a bit blurry, but it's probably a Giant Silkmoth Species (my guesses are C. ...
|
| Infected Monarch Chrysalis?? | 10/12/2009 |
Q: I've got a Monarch Chrysalis that has some Black on the top half but i'm starting to see the wing of ...
A: Kali, Sometimes the black is the butterfly forming. If it does have a disease, chances are it won't ...
|
| Emorpha Pandorus Larva | 10/9/2009 |
Q: A student of mine found a larva which I have identified as a Eumorpha Pandorus Larva. He brought it ...
A: Daniel, I'm always question Eumorpha Pandorus identifications as they come in 4 color forms and ...
|
| Never seen a moth like this before | 10/7/2009 |
Q: Yesterday I noticed a pretty moth in our kitchen. I'm used to seeing moths around here, however ...
A: Maria, The fuzzy things on the bottom are scent receptors. The picture is a little blurry so I ...
|
| Hawk Moth caterpillar | 10/5/2009 |
Q: I can't find info on how to take care of that caterpillar. Next door gave us this one (Hawk Moth) it ...
A: Jara, Leave the pupae alone until it turns brown. When it turns brown, wait another 3-5 days ...
|
| tiny black flies in my bathroom | 10/5/2009 |
Q: we recently turned our basement into an apartment incl kitchen & bathroom. Ever since we started ...
A: Jamilah, Those could be a number of different things. I'm going to assume they're drain flies. What ...
|
| geometrid moths | 10/3/2009 |
Q: Please answer these questions about the geometrid moth: Could you give a time line of the normal ...
A: Marianne, The normal lifespan of these moths varies greatly. Usually between 21 and 50 days during ...
|
| caterpillar/chrysalis | 10/2/2009 |
Q: We recently found a black fuzzy caterpillar. It had kind of yellow suction cup looking little feet, ...
A: Robin and Zevon, Not all caterpillars form cocoons/chrysalids from branches. Some bury underground ...
|
| Praying Mantis Concern | 10/2/2009 |
Q: Last Sunday, September 27th I found and caught a green Praying Mantis. We are keeping it in a metal ...
A: Robin and Zevon, The eating pattern seems normal. It's possible it's very old and is coming to the ...
|
| Follow-up on bald faced hornets. | 10/1/2009 |
Q: The nest has gotten to an impressive size. With the recent cold weather, there is minimal if any ...
A: Michael, The nest can actually fall apart if it gets too cold. Because it is made out of a paper ...
|
| Wasp killing mating bees | 9/29/2009 |
Q: I live in Birmingham, England and saw two Honey Bees Mating but strangely there was a normal sized ...
A: Calvin, I'm not sure what to tell you as to what was happening. Honey Bees, like most other bees, ...
|
| cattipillar | 9/29/2009 |
Q: Do you know what this is? It's at least three inches long and has been feasting on my green bell ...
A: Ann, That's a Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca Sexta). They will eat your peppers, tomatoes, and other ...
|
| caterpillars and eggs | 9/20/2009 |
Q: i found a caterpillar on my wall about 3cm long, lying on top of yellow capsule shaped eggs ...
A: Annette, My guess is that the moth that laid the eggs, either thought your curtain was a tree, or ...
|
| American Dagger Moth | 9/19/2009 |
Q: This morning we found an American Dagger Moth (acronicta americana) on our back deck. We live in ...
A: Julie, The caterpillar will eat, turn into a cocoon, and then eclose as a moth in the Spring. If ...
|
| Dark brown or black worm with white pods | 9/17/2009 |
Q: These worms have fallen from a tree with long bean pods. They are about 1-1/2 to 2 inches. Dark ...
A: Carolyn, Those eggs sound like a parasite. They attack caterpillars and other insect larvae. They ...
|
| Luna moth cocoon eclosion | 9/17/2009 |
Q: I live in Southern NJ, and was lucky to stumble on a Luna Moth caterpillar. I put it on my porch, ...
A: Scotty, Usually a good rule of thumb with figuring out generations is this: if it's above 70 ...
|
| Luna moth cocoon eclosion | 9/16/2009 |
Q: I live in Southern NJ, and was lucky to stumble on a Luna Moth caterpillar. I put it on my porch, ...
A: Scotty, Luna Moths, and other Saturniid Moths in the north and for the most part in the south, are ...
|
| goldrim chrysalis disease? | 9/1/2009 |
Q: My daughter is raising goldrim caterpillars (and chrysalids)indoors in a mesh cylander. Recently,we ...
A: Rus, Sorry for the delay in response. When I say "sleeved on a plant outdoors", you simply place ...
|
| hormworm/moth | 8/31/2009 |
Q: My 5th grade daughter has raised a hornworm larva to the pupa stage. It has been at the pupa stage ...
A: Julie, If it's Manduca Quinquemaculata or Manduca Sexta (both are sometimes called Tomato ...
|
| goldrim chrysalis disease? | 8/31/2009 |
Q: My daughter is raising goldrim caterpillars (and chrysalids)indoors in a mesh cylander. Recently,we ...
A: Rus, Battus Polydamas can be very difficult when it comes to rearing them indoors. Where did you ...
|
| Scorpion Sting | 8/30/2009 |
Q: We live in South Texas near Corpus Christi. My son spent the night with his cousin and was stung on ...
A: April, That doesn't sound like a venomous scorpion. However, if he develops a fever, take him to a ...
|
| Bug bites | 8/29/2009 |
Q: I am aware you may not be able to answer this question, but I don't know who to ask!! Everyone in ...
A: Kayla, I don't know how much of an assistance I will be, but I'll try. That sounds like it's a type ...
|
| hormworm/moth | 8/27/2009 |
Q: My 5th grade daughter has raised a hornworm larva to the pupa stage. It has been at the pupa stage ...
A: Julie, Do you know what type of Hornworm it is? If you have an image of it, I can ID it for you as ...
|
| Caterpillar Identification | 8/26/2009 |
Q: I live in San Diego and recently found a number of green caterpillars eating up my mint plant. I ...
A: Jason, Well, it's probably the Silvery Moth Caterpillar. It sounds like the ones with the white ...
|
| moth pheromones for traps | 8/25/2009 |
Q: I'm currently doing a thesis on mountain pygmy possums who prey on bogong moths. As part of my field ...
A: Hayley, Pheromone traps are useful for certain species. These species are pests that you may find ...
|
| bald faced hornets | 8/22/2009 |
Q: The nest in the front yard is getting bigger and there are more hornets. Do the hornets get more ...
A: Michael, Hornets are unpredictable. I've seen HUGE nests that are docile, and tiny nests that will ...
|
| Need help identify Brown Recluse that bit me | 8/19/2009 |
Q: The doctor says there are no Brown Recluse Spiders in Colorado and I need an identification on these ...
A: Cheryl, That doesn't look like a Recluse as it doesn't have the three clearly distinguished eyes. I ...
|
| green caterpillar/inchworm bug with spike | 8/18/2009 |
Q: My cat brought home a bug that looks like a giant green inchworm (about 3-4 inches long, 1/2 inch ...
A: Ellen, That's a Hornworm of some sort. They are the caterpillars of Sphinx moths. The end with the ...
|
| Blue Dragonfly | 8/18/2009 |
Q: I was kayaking on a local lake in Southeaster PA and saw the prettiest dainty little flying insect ...
A: Dawn, That was most likely a Damselfly. The image I'm giving you is just of a blue Damselfly. I'm ...
|
| What Bug is this? | 8/15/2009 |
Q: ummm, i have a question. Ok, i think this was like two nights ago. My mom was cleaning the kitchen ...
A: Elizabeth, I gave you the wrong scientific name for the Cicada, those are native to Australia. If ...
|
| bug bite | 8/12/2009 |
Q: I have a question regarding a bug bite I received a couple of weeks ago. I was bit by a very small, ...
A: Mary, I would check with a doctor. It's strange that the bug bite would "travel" from your hand to ...
|
| Black Swallowtail Caterpillars | 8/12/2009 |
Q: I have been luck enough to have many eggs of the Black swallowtail caterpillars but for some reason ...
A: Rachel, The problem could also be the foodplant. Black Swallowtails prefer Parsley, Dill, Fennel, ...
|
| Strange little orange bugs..... | 8/11/2009 |
Q: Hey there, Thanks for your time in advance. I live in Philadelphia's surrounding suburbs & I pot ...
A: Chrissy, Those are most likely a type of aphid. In order to get rid of them, add their predator. ...
|
| ??? | 8/10/2009 |
Q: found a furry caterpillar in my front garden when I first found it its body was about 1 and a half ...
A: Rosie, That could be a Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar. They can be irritating to the skin, however ...
|
| Sphinx or Hawksbill moth... | 8/10/2009 |
Q: I found a giant caterpillar in my yard in San Antonio, TX. I saved him from a pack of birds and now ...
A: Shannon, If it's black, it's dead. Normally, they would remain about the same color. The color ...
|
| Scorpion Babies! | 8/10/2009 |
Q: Basically, my Emperor Scorpion just had a slew of babies about 10-15. I was just wondering if there ...
A: Justin, For the babies, you need to up the temperature to 80-90 degrees, and up the humidity. The ...
|
| Black Swallowtail Caterpillars | 8/10/2009 |
Q: I have been luck enough to have many eggs of the Black swallowtail caterpillars but for some reason ...
A: Rachel, What are you feeding them? Usually this happens when the foodplant has been sprayed with a ...
|
| Dirt dobber | 8/9/2009 |
Q: I was working on a tanning bed testing the lights and a dirt dobber (wasp) flew apox. 4 ft over the ...
A: John, This is not typical of Daubers. More likely than not, the electro-magetic waves emanating ...
|
| Sphinx or Hawksbill moth... | 8/7/2009 |
Q: I found a giant caterpillar in my yard in San Antonio, TX. I saved him from a pack of birds and now ...
A: Shannon, It's hard to tell from the top, but it looks like a Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca Sexta). If ...
|
| Cremaster of Monarch Larva | 8/7/2009 |
Q: Over the past couple of days I have photographed 3 Monarch larva pupating. I have yet to figure out ...
A: Eleanor, Sorry it took me a long time to respond, I was looking for text books that may have ...
|
| What do I feed It? | 8/6/2009 |
Q: Do you know anything about Wheel Bugs? They are a kind of Assassin Bug. Today I caught a Wheel bug, ...
A: George, They eat soft-bodied insects. At this age, feed it aphids. When it grows older, Inchworms, ...
|
| Sphinx or Hawksbill moth... | 8/6/2009 |
Q: I found a giant caterpillar in my yard in San Antonio, TX. I saved him from a pack of birds and now ...
A: Shannon, If you can send me a picture, I can ID it for you. If it is turning pink, it is most ...
|
| Saw a cocoon today at camp- my kids are begging for an ID! | 8/5/2009 |
Q: We were on a hike today at a camp I work at in Central Maryland (at the Howard County Nature ...
A: Katie, If they are both chrysalids (plural of chrysalis), then the one with the red tail was ...
|
| butterflies | 8/3/2009 |
Q: I have been using Roundup low to the ground in a butterfly garden to control grasses and weeds. ...
A: Jeanne, Sorry it took me so long to get back. I had to look up what was in Roundup and then compare ...
|
| Monarch Cocoon | 7/29/2009 |
Q: Why are there gold dots around the top of every monarch cocoon? Or what causes the dots to become ...
A: Alex, The gold dots on the top of the chrysalis are just part of the chrysalis. All Monarch ...
|
| Can you help identify this butterfly? | 7/29/2009 |
Q: Any help is appreciated!! I have looked everywhere and can't seem to figure this one out... Thanks ...
A: Curtis, That's probably some butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Do you have a picture with the ...
|
| swarm of caterpillars? | 7/29/2009 |
Q: I found a swarm of what I think are caterpillars on a tree today. Gross looking. It looked like a ...
A: Debra, The picture you sent is very blurry, can you possibly send a clearer one? Or even isolate ...
|
| Mysterious wasp behavior | 7/28/2009 |
Q: (See http://xenogere.com/2009/07/28/a-most-bizarre-encounter/ for reference photos and discussion.) ...
A: Jason, Chances are the Paper Wasp was either defending it's nest, or the walking stick made off ...
|
| blue mud daubers | 7/23/2009 |
Q: I'm having a problem with blue mud daubers in South Louisiana. My daughter cannot go anywhere near ...
A: Josh, When they seem to disappear, try checking under the slide. There may be nests or other things ...
|
| vinegarones | 7/22/2009 |
Q: do they bite and are they poisonous?
A: Trina, Vinegarroons, can't bite, they can only whip with their long tail. They are not venomous or ...
|
| Huge Caterpillar | 7/22/2009 |
Q: We have a huge (caterpillar I believe) clinging to a sweet potato vine in a hanging basket. It is ...
A: Kelly, That is the larvae of a Sphinx Moth. It looks to me like Manduca Qunquemaculata or the ...
|
| Mason or Potter Wasp | 7/20/2009 |
Q: I live in NW IL and my neighbor just brought me a wasp in a jar. His wife found it hanging on her ...
A: Pam, It could be a Mud Dauber or another type of Dauber. They make mud nests but are usually 2-3.5" ...
|
| moth | 7/18/2009 |
Q: My mom found a moth in her car but its unlike any weve ever seen here in wyoming. it looks like a ...
A: Aryn, That sounds like it could be something in either the Noctuiid Family, Underwing Family, or ...
|
| owww | 7/17/2009 |
Q: I live in New Windsor New York.I was on my porch and I had some guests coming.They came through the ...
A: Giana, Those are probably paper wasps or bald-face. Either way, they shouldn't present any issues ...
|
| One winged butterfly | 7/16/2009 |
Q: My 16 year old has found a one-winged butterfly. She has it in a jar with grass and a flower right ...
A: Laura, Can you send me a picture of the butterfly? That will help me tell you the best way to care ...
|
| giant yellow moth | 7/15/2009 |
Q: i have this giant yellow moth,it seems to be laying eggs in it's terriam(?)and on my living room ...
A: Mary, They will mature before winter. The moths will not hatch until the next spring though. When ...
|
| is this an earwig bite? | 7/12/2009 |
Q: we've had lots of rain this summer in denver, co. and with this rain, i've seen an earwig or 2 in ...
A: Lisa, Earwigs can't really bite. They can pinch with their "pincers" but they can't leave a mark. ...
|
| giant yellow moth | 7/10/2009 |
Q: i have this giant yellow moth,it seems to be laying eggs in it's terriam(?)and on my living room ...
A: Mary, Good guess with the moth. It's actually related Eacles Imperialis. The Imperal Moth, you have ...
|
| photo of beetle/dragonfly | 7/9/2009 |
Q: I found no way to attach a photo. Please advise.
A: Susan, At the bottom of each question fill-in there is a purple/blue link that says "attach an ...
|
| Monarch cats dying! | 7/9/2009 |
Q: ...recently we had a cat explosion on our plants...we had about 40 of them on four plants, with ...
A: Christy, That sounds like there are pesticides on the plants. Probably BT. What you can do, is take ...
|
| BLUE MUD DAUBER | 7/6/2009 |
Q: I discovered a blue mud dauber creating a nest on a slat of a set of blinds hanging in my kitchen ...
A: Julie, It may come back, but usually it will move on. If it does come back, you can safely leave ...
|
| help! | 7/5/2009 |
Q: I live in a suburb in indiana, just about 30mn south of chicago. i have come across an insect that i ...
A: Emily, That's most likely either a Stag Beetle or a Ground Beetle. Although the mandibles (pincers) ...
|
| Shimmering blue, ants/wasp | 7/5/2009 |
Q: Hell, I am from rochester NY. And I've been coming across these massive shiny blue(looks black from ...
A: Charles, Those are most likely Steel Blue Cricket Hunters. They're relatively harmless. They can ...
|
| bugs in Georgia | 7/5/2009 |
Q: I currently live in AZ where we definitely have scorpions. Are there scorpions in Atlanta, GA, ...
A: Christie, I only know of one species of scorpion in Georgia. They do occasionally show up in homes. ...
|
| Ant food | 7/3/2009 |
Q: I understand ants are not your specialty but there was no one else i could ask. i would love some ...
A: David, Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. What you've been doing so far sounds pretty good. Red ...
|
| Cinnabar catterpillar? | 6/30/2009 |
Q: we came across this interesting looking caterpillar in the back garden, and after researching it ...
A: Lewis, Most of your research is correct. That is a Cinnabar Caterpillar. They are actually found in ...
|
| spider | 6/28/2009 |
Q: This giant spider has moved into our shed - he is very creepy and I am wondering if he is dangerous. ...
A: Megan and Catherine, I don't know what type he is. However, if you live in the USA, I can tell you ...
|
| Wasp-like thing | 6/24/2009 |
Q: Last night I was stung in bed by something I have never seen before. It jolted me out of sleep and ...
A: Jacob, It's difficult to ID without a photo, if you get a chance and can send me one that would be ...
|
| Un-known Scorpion | 6/23/2009 |
Q: Good Afternoon Teddy, I work in a well known English supermarket chain. On Monday morning we ...
A: Darren, I'm going to have to give it the tentative ID of Tityus Bahiensis. I looked at the photo ...
|
| Five spotted hawkmoth wing repair? | 6/23/2009 |
Q: I've raised hawkmoth from the larval stage off of a tomato plant. It got out of it's container, ...
A: Laura, Don't be too upset as that happens in the wild naturally. With Moths, repair is much more ...
|
| taking care of a white-lined sphinx moth catarpillar | 6/23/2009 |
Q: How do I take care of a white-lined sphinx moth caterpillar? What's their favorite food?
A: Miranda, They eat a variety of plants. They have local preferences. I'd try: Apple, Elm, Purslane, ...
|
| luna moth | 6/18/2009 |
Q: I am pretty sure the caterpillar I have found is a luna moth. Its really weird. I have a book cd ...
A: Stephanie, If it's really a Luna Moth, and you're anywhere vaguely north, it won't hatch until next ...
|
| Interesting moth | 6/16/2009 |
Q: Teddy -- I was wondering if you could tell me anything about this very striking moth(??) that I ...
A: Judy, That is called a Pandorus Sphinx Moth (Eumorpha Pandorus). They are beautiful moths that fly ...
|
| Bees | 6/15/2009 |
Q: Do honeybees die after biting someone? If so, why?
A: Abhishek, Honeybees actually don't bite, they sting. They die after doing so because their stinger ...
|
| Large Flying Moth | 6/15/2009 |
Q: While I was standing on my apartment patio tonight a large flying insect began to fly around me. In ...
A: Nate, That's a sphinx moth. They're very large and actually will sip nectar from plants. I've ...
|
| moth/bee with stinger | 6/14/2009 |
Q: I live in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This morning I saw an unusual Bee but it had wings like a moth. ...
A: Ciaran, The things I can think of are a Horntail Wasp or a Hummingbird Clearwing moth. The moth ...
|
| Unidentified Moth | 6/9/2009 |
Q: Can you tell me what kind of Moth this is. One has shown up the past 2 springs...I thought it was a ...
A: Ben, That's very unusual. All the large Silk Moths do not have any mouth parts (or they are too ...
|
| Unidentified Moth | 6/9/2009 |
Q: Can you tell me what kind of Moth this is. One has shown up the past 2 springs...I thought it was a ...
A: Ben, That's an Imperial Moth. Does the moth itself like to snack on the figs? Because they have no ...
|
| Black Swallowtail Disease | 6/9/2009 |
Q: I love raising black swallowtail butterflies, and a couple weeks ago I found a black swallowtail ...
A: Lela, That sounds to me like a bacterial infection of some sort. Or even mold. When raising ...
|
| long-tailed flying insect | 6/7/2009 |
Q: I was sitting on my 7th floor terrace in Madison WI and saw an insect that was probably 1 1/2-2" ...
A: Livia, That sounds to me like an Ichneumon wasp. If it's not, can you either text or email the ...
|
| caterpillar, black swallowtail | 6/6/2009 |
Q: We have two, one is in its chrysalis, and the other attached itself to the stick yesterday. This ...
A: Vania, To be safe, I'd move the healthy chrysalis to another container. I wouldn't be concerned ...
|
| European Hornets | 6/3/2009 |
Q: I have noticed some european hornets (brown hornets?) going into a hole next to my garden. They are ...
A: Gin, If they are European Hornets, which is possible, then it should be fine to work there. I'd ...
|
| scorpions | 6/1/2009 |
Q: I live in southern california and have been finding very small clear scorpions in my garage and ...
A: Kristi, They sound like baby scorpions to me. I'm fairly certain that CA is free of any venomous ...
|
| Wasps? | 6/1/2009 |
Q: The past few days, I've seen on 3 occasions on my screened-in front porch and adjoining living room ...
A: A, Well, both species you mentioned have clearly visible wings. It's very possible you saw two ...
|
| Caterpillar Growing | 6/1/2009 |
Q: I'm a kid and have a cute little catterpillar.He is so small.I give him lots of new leaves everyday ...
A: Gigi, Hmm, that may be even harder to identify. So, I probably won't be able to until it hatches. ...
|
| Small red insect/bug during spring/summer in Florida | 5/31/2009 |
Q: This is my 2nd year of noticing these bugs/insects in Orlando, Fl. I'm not sure abt categorizing ...
A: Priti, I looked at the photo and immediately thought it was a cockroach. Then upon further ...
|
| huge cocoon in urban patio-garden | 5/30/2009 |
Q: We found this cocoon hanging in our Camelia. You can guess the size by my wife's hand in the ...
A: Jan, It isn't a moth cocoon. I'm not 100% sure exactly what it is, but, if you aren't too ...
|
| Caterpillar Growing | 5/29/2009 |
Q: I'm a kid and have a cute little catterpillar.He is so small.I give him lots of new leaves everyday ...
A: Gigi, That may be a little hard to tell you the exact species, but I don't think it's an Eastern ...
|
| Painted Lady Butterflies | 5/29/2009 |
Q: Our hatching of our butterflies in our kindergarden class has been successful. Our question is: ...
A: Felice, Painted Lady Butterflies are part of an extensive family of "Brush Footed Butterflies" ...
|
| Caterpillar Growing | 5/28/2009 |
Q: I'm a kid and have a cute little catterpillar.He is so small.I give him lots of new leaves everyday ...
A: Gigi, Well, some caterpillars don't grow very big. Do you have a picture of it? I can tell you what ...
|
| Flying insect | 5/28/2009 |
Q: In the distant past, in Southern Arizona, early summer, I once saw a VERY large, yellow-orange ...
A: Dave, I've searched through my databases, and even gone on to some more google searches, I'm fairly ...
|
| bug identification | 5/27/2009 |
Q: We live in Tennessee. This bug looks like a long tailed wasp. The tail is about 3 inches long. The ...
A: Molly, May Flies are much smaller than ichneumon and actually have shorter tails. They also have ...
|
| our cocoon | 5/27/2009 |
Q: We have this cocoon growing in our bush in the front of our house ...
A: Katherine, Baby mantids will sometimes eat each other. Totally harmless to humans. I would leave it ...
|
| our cocoon | 5/26/2009 |
Q: We have this cocoon growing in our bush in the front of our house ...
A: Katherine, That's actually not a cocoon. That is an egg case of a Praying Mantis. I don't know ...
|
| bug identification | 5/24/2009 |
Q: We live in Tennessee. This bug looks like a long tailed wasp. The tail is about 3 inches long. The ...
A: Molly, That sounds to me like an Ichneumon wasp. I attached links to two of the possible species. ...
|
| glow-in-the-dark caterpillar? | 5/24/2009 |
Q: I live in the midwest, and was coming home in the dark when I noticed something glowing in the dark ...
A: Cassie, The only thing that came to mind is a Glow Worm. They don't have stripes that light up but ...
|
| emperor scorpion | 5/23/2009 |
Q: i just got a emperor scorpion and i've been keeping it at room temp. i put a wet paper towel in the ...
A: Ellis, The only thing I would improve on your set up is simply by getting a heat lamp and raising ...
|
| butterflies and moths | 5/4/2009 |
Q: My son loves and catches bugs of all kinds. Currently we have a caterpillar (avgerage size, Black, ...
A: Paula, This depends on the species. Some moths will stay in hibernation for 6-10 months. The ...
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| Black butterflies ID | 5/3/2009 |
Q: I had someone ask me about a migration of black butterflies they had seen on the Atlantic side of ...
A: Midge, I spent a while looking through my personal research and through google to see if I could ...
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| Strange flying insect | 5/3/2009 |
Q: While hiking today in Congaree National Park, a protected swamp near Columbia, SC, I saw a strange ...
A: April, That sounds to me like an Ichneumon wasp of some sort. I would be unable to tell you the ...
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| Bee behavior at night | 4/29/2009 |
Q: Teddy, A swarm of bees appeared one evening in a tree close to the front door. Will they stay there ...
A: Brian, They could potentially be making a nest. If this is the case, I wouldn't worry. Honeybees ...
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| Scorpions | 4/27/2009 |
Q: I was told that there is a mild variety of scorpion that lives in Colorado (in the area of Canon ...
A: Arlen, I changed this to public as this could benefit other readers. There are indeed scorpions in ...
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| Wasps and yellow jackets | 4/27/2009 |
Q: I am being invaded by wasps and yellow jackets to the point of being afraid to go outside. What ...
A: Nisha, You may be unintentionally be aggravating them. Wasps and Yellow Jackets have nests ...
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| white sphinx caterpillar | 4/24/2009 |
Q: it's me again. Had to ask a knew question because i had too many follow ups. I did as you told me ...
A: Celeste, He is probably pupating. What I would do, is wait until about May 1st then you can search ...
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| night insects attracted to light or heat | 4/23/2009 |
Q: what percentage would you say night insects are attracted to light vs heat? Also, can you give me a ...
A: Patrice, I would say most are attracted to light. It's hard to give you a percentage, but I would ...
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| Honeybees -whole hive died | 4/23/2009 |
Q: We live in Los Angeles. About 2 weeks ago, we noticed that a population of honeybees had moved into ...
A: Kiersten, It's hard to say exactly what the disease came from, but most likely I would say the ...
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| Caterpillar | 4/22/2009 |
Q: We found this caterpillar on a plant that's similar to the shadow dancer with like dark pink ...
A: Celeste, It is totally fine if he raises the caterpillar. They are quite fun to raise indoors. ...
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| Caterpillar | 4/22/2009 |
Q: We found this caterpillar on a plant that's similar to the shadow dancer with like dark pink ...
A: Celeste, That is the caterpillar of the White-Lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles Lineata). They are totally ...
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| Scorpion | 4/20/2009 |
Q: I have an adult emperor scorpion and just recently started acting strangely. I had to move the ...
A: Daniel, The two things I would first check for are temperature and humidity. Make sure the ...
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| Honeybees -whole hive died | 4/19/2009 |
Q: We live in Los Angeles. About 2 weeks ago, we noticed that a population of honeybees had moved into ...
A: Kiersten, That sounds like a disease affected the young hive. The bees are sort of defenseless ...
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| Moth? | 4/10/2009 |
Q: I saw this outside on my honeysuckle vines going from flower to flower doing what appeared to be ...
A: Jeff, That is indeed a moth. It is called a White-Lined Sphinx moth (Hyles Lineata). They do indeed ...
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| Giant Moth | 4/8/2009 |
Q: I found a Beautiful Moth with a reddish body & white rings around neck area. Its markings are just ...
A: M. Warner, That is a male Cecropia Moth (Hylaphora Cecropia). He is a type of saturniid moth and ...
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| Giant Moth | 4/8/2009 |
Q: I found a Beautiful Moth with a reddish body & white rings around neck area. Its markings are just ...
A: M. Warner, The wings do not repair themselves. With moths, I wouldn't recommend doing anything ...
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| grey cocoon | 4/5/2009 |
Q: I found these cocoons hanging in some trees when cleaning along our property line. These trees had ...
A: Matt, Those aren't Tent Caterpillars (Western or Eastern variety), they could be a number of other ...
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| can't identify bee | 4/5/2009 |
Q: I am sending you a picture i took in Mexico of some very large bees. I hope you can tell me what ...
A: Christine, I don't know the exact species, but it looks to me like a Bumble Bee. My other thought ...
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| Moths | 4/3/2009 |
Q: This is just a curiosity question. I live in a 20 story apartment building. We have maintenance so ...
A: Debbie, I changed this to public because a lot of people ask this question. If the screen has a ...
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| can you identify this beautiful living thing | 3/23/2009 |
Q: Both my husband and I saw this on our deck about midnight one warm July night a few years ago. I've ...
A: Deb, The only thing that has really struck my mind is a walking stick bug of some form. I can't ...
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| Mysterious larvae/cocoon found | 3/22/2009 |
Q: I was digging in the yard today & found this interesting creature. Would love to know what it is, if ...
A: Lynn, Do you happen to have a photo? Even if it's with a camera phone or something that can be very ...
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| can you identify this beautiful living thing | 3/20/2009 |
Q: Both my husband and I saw this on our deck about midnight one warm July night a few years ago. I've ...
A: Deb, The first thing that came to mind is a Luna Moth (Actias Luna), I doubt this is it because it ...
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| UNKNOWN BUTTERFLY/MOTH | 3/19/2009 |
Q: DALLAS, TX I OBSERVED a LARGE BODIED (ABDOMEN) TAN BUTTERFLY/MOTH? FEEDING ON AN AZALEA BUSH. (The ...
A: Ellen, That is probably a sphinx moth of some sort. My best guess is a White Lined Sphinx or Hyles ...
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| bees in pool | 3/17/2009 |
Q: I live in southern CA and get lots of bees in my pool during the summer. Is it possible to find a ...
A: Laura, Bees generally can't survive very long in water. So, yes, depending on when you find it. If ...
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| bees in pool | 3/16/2009 |
Q: I live in southern CA and get lots of bees in my pool during the summer. Is it possible to find a ...
A: Laura, If there are bees out in the early fall, then it is possible to find them in your pool. You ...
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| Suspected flour moth larvae | 3/10/2009 |
Q: I live in Gauteng, SA. I woke up this morning to find quite a few white, approximately one cm long ...
A: Tania, Those could be a number of things. Try looking at "Indian Meal Moths", "Drain Flies", or ...
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| gold coccoon | 3/10/2009 |
Q: We have found in our backyard (North Qld - Australia)a gold coccoon. It is quite hard and very ...
A: Judy, I believe what you have is called a "Common Crow" or Eupole Core. The adult butterfly is ...
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| Proper "Hatching" Conditions for a Moth Pupa? | 3/8/2009 |
Q: I read somewhere that sphinx moth larvae usually pupate before winter, then stay in the same stat ...
A: Mark, This all depends on the kind of sphinx moth you have. If you do not know, and you have ...
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| Annoying Bugs | 3/7/2009 |
Q: I live in Cincinnati, Ohio and we have a 2 story house that we've lived in for about 7 years. The ...
A: April, These are called Box Elder Bugs. They aren't generally a pest but can just be aggravating. ...
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| Cocoon | 3/1/2009 |
Q: I got this image from friends who live near Charters Towers in North Queensland. From her ...
A: Vincent, From looking at it, it looks way to big to be a cocoon. It is actually a caterpillar ...
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| Hive Behaviors continued... | 2/25/2009 |
Q: I hope I am not bothering you for I am at a loss as to where to turn. Unfortunately I do not know ...
A: Jessica, Sorry about the delay, I never got the "you have a question" email. I have some websites ...
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| Hive behaviors | 2/24/2009 |
Q: defects, or illnesses within a hive? Do the other insects let them be, or are they terminated ...
A: Jessica, This really depends on the type of infection. I am assuming you are talking about bees. If ...
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| camping buddy | 2/20/2009 |
Q: found this critter on my sleeping bag while packing up camp in northeast Indiana, my children and I ...
A: Scott, What you have found is a Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar. Keep him warm, and feed him Tulip ...
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| What kind of cocoon is this? | 2/9/2009 |
Q: I was out in my garden and I found this cocoon hanging in my River Birch tree. I was wondering ...
A: Patti, That is a Bagworm. They are a type of caterpillar that makes those nests. The adult moth ...
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| Small black bee looking bugs in my house | 2/8/2009 |
Q: I have recently noticed quite a few of these in my house, they are about 1/8" long, and look like a ...
A: Kevin, I can only give you half an answer so I apologize. My guess would be carpet beetles or some ...
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| cocoon of a witch moth | 2/7/2009 |
Q: I am emailing from the Abacos. I found a caterpiller of a witch (money they call it here)moth. It ...
A: Martha, Before I begin, I am just clarifying the type of moth: Black Witch Moth or Money Moth. If ...
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| scorpions | 2/2/2009 |
Q: I found a tiny bug crawling very slowly out of my cuboard last night and after i pressed it on to a ...
A: Carole, They very likely are either baby scorpions or a very small breed. Scorpions look pretty ...
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| Carpet Beetles | 1/31/2009 |
Q: The other night I looked down on the floor, hanging out on a white piece of paper I noticed a few ...
A: Jen, I found a website that may help you. http://www.extermine.com/carpet_beetles.html Here is ...
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| Painted Ladies | 1/28/2009 |
Q: I right now have 5 Painted Lady Butterflies in a pretty big aviary in my bedroom which takes up just ...
A: Nicholas, Painted Lady Butterflies don't live too long. About 2 weeks, I have had some very ...
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| the future of interior planting... bugs? | 1/27/2009 |
Q: im currently studying garden design at falmouth university, cornwall, uk, and im writing an 8000word ...
A: Samantha, Try these topics: The effect on house pests due to plants (look up pests such as: flies, ...
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| MOTHS. | 1/23/2009 |
Q: I am writing to you to see if you can help me with a problem that I've been having for the last few ...
A: Sam, The larvae could be in just about anything. Bread, oatmeal, cereal, anything grainy. Basically ...
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| MOTHS. | 1/21/2009 |
Q: I am writing to you to see if you can help me with a problem that I've been having for the last few ...
A: Sam, I changed this to public because other people ask this question a lot. Indian Meal Moth ...
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| Un-identified Cocoon | 1/20/2009 |
Q: I was wondering if you could identify this cocoon I found on the ground in rural Colorado. When I ...
A: Fred, I can tell you it is something in the Sphinx Moth family (the picture was a little blurred so ...
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| Scorpion | 1/19/2009 |
Q: I came home this morning after being out last night, to find my emperor scorpion completely still. I ...
A: Justin, I found a website for you: http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/P-imperator.html It says ...
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| Scorpion | 1/18/2009 |
Q: I came home this morning after being out last night, to find my emperor scorpion completely still. I ...
A: Justin, It could be he is molting. If he doesn't move for a while (3 days) he probably isn't ...
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| Identification | 1/17/2009 |
Q: I’m Ahalya,studing Agriculture at University of Jaffna,Srilanka.I have some photos of insects that I ...
A: Ahalya, I have two questions before I can give you a positive ID. The first, when you say related ...
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| flies | 1/14/2009 |
Q: !! i was wondering if there is a frequency that flys don't like? if so would i be able to put that ...
A: Ben, Unfortunately, there isn't to my knowledge. Flies are not my strong point but I did some ...
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| Moths/butterflies | 1/14/2009 |
Q: I heard a story about a boy who helped a moth get out of its cocoon. It never was able to fly and ...
A: Obadiah, Moths in particular are really sensitive about their wings. If they don't get out of the ...
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| indentify insect | 1/11/2009 |
Q: live in south Florida as my dad was taking some equipment out his truck when he saw a fuzzy light ...
A: Thania, The symptoms your dad is having is completely common with Puss Moth Caterpillars. They ...
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| Butterflies | 1/10/2009 |
Q: My partner wants to plant milkweed to attract butterflies. I know that Monarch larvae eat milkweed ...
A: Mary, The thing with Monarch butterflies in general, is that there is a disease that affects them ...
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| spider ID | 1/10/2009 |
Q: I was visiting northern Thailand and met this fellow. The web has an X in the centre and the spider ...
A: Michael, I am not that great with spiders, but I can tell you that it is an Orb Web Weaver of some ...
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| Butterflies | 1/9/2009 |
Q: My partner wants to plant milkweed to attract butterflies. I know that Monarch larvae eat milkweed ...
A: Mary, Milkweed is really only harmful if ingested. Monarch larvae eat the leaves and absorb the ...
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| question about an insect my niece found | 1/8/2009 |
Q: looks like a cocoon or chrysalis… But this thing is huge, much larger than any cocoon plus it ...
A: Autumn, From the photo, I can tell you it is one of two families of moth. It is either a Regal ...
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| Caterpillar identification | 12/14/2008 |
Q: Teddy, Can you identify this caterpillar? (See picture) It was immense, around 3-4 inches long. ...
A: Bob, I probably should have mentioned this before in my reply. All Hawkmoth caterpillars vary ...
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| little red bugs | 12/13/2008 |
Q: A couple of weeks ago I bought some poinsetta's for the house. Since that time I have noticed ...
A: Michelle, Those sound to me like Red Mites. I'm not an expert on getting rid of the mites, but try ...
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| Please help identify a insect | 12/1/2008 |
Q: in the Northwest a town called Rustenburg.I found a insect that sortoff looks like a fly. It's about ...
A: Yolandi, I can't really answer your question fully... do you have a photo? That would be really ...
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| bathroom bugs | 11/24/2008 |
Q: I stay in a condo on the ground floor and outside is a pond, which I don't believe has anything to ...
A: Stephanie, They are most likely House Centipedes. If they aren't, probably Silverfish or ...
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| Are night bugs attracted to lamps because of heat, or light? | 11/21/2008 |
Q: Hey My name is Shain, Im doing a science fair project on night bugs. Are they attracted to heat or ...
A: Shain, This question has been answered already, but it is buried pretty deep so I will answer it ...
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| Tarantula and Scorpion | 11/20/2008 |
Q: "I have a Mexican Red Knee Tarantula and a Emperor Scorpion how many times a week do I feed them and ...
A: Thomas, I would feed both one cricket a day, two to three times a week (Monday, Thursday, ...
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| cocoon identification | 11/19/2008 |
Q: The cocoon was like a Snake skin casing(paper like- creamy beige with hits of darker brown color ) , ...
A: Christopher, I can tell you that it is a moth. It could be anything from a Eastern Tent Moth to a ...
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| Please help identify this bug | 11/17/2008 |
Q: my name is Kaitlyn and I have a question about a bug, obviously. So I found the particular bug that ...
A: Kaitlyn, I sat in front of my collection of random insects for hours looking at them after feeding ...
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| Black Swallowtail | 11/11/2008 |
Q: I have a similar situation as the one listed. We found our caterpillar and fed it parsley and put a ...
A: Jen, It is doubtful that it has been killed, you can tell if you lift it, if it feels light and ...
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| Black Swallowtail | 11/10/2008 |
Q: I have a similar situation as the one listed. We found our caterpillar and fed it parsley and put a ...
A: Jen, DO NOT MOVE THE CHRYSALIS TO THE GARAGE! You can leave it indoors just near a window so it ...
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| unidentified bug/cocoon | 11/6/2008 |
Q: I recently went to a home to identify what the caller said were "worms in mud?" I visited the home ...
A: Brian, If you can send me a photo with the following statistics that would be great: length (cm), ...
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| spreading butterflies | 11/6/2008 |
Q: If I wanted to spread butterflies is it possible to put them in the freezer. If so how long would I ...
A: Sammy, That may be difficult. If you can carefully move their wings and it's not solid, stick it in ...
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| spreading butterflies | 11/5/2008 |
Q: If I wanted to spread butterflies is it possible to put them in the freezer. If so how long would I ...
A: Sammy, You can put them in the freezer. Actually you should. The difficult thing is, if you had ...
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| moths | 11/5/2008 |
Q: I live in San Diego, CA, and I saw the most beautiful moth I've ever seen, on or about 28 October ...
A: Cid, That sounds very similar to a Salt Marsh Moth or Acrea Moth. I can't figure out why it was ...
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| Solifugids | 11/4/2008 |
Q: I was wondering if you can answer some questions for solifugids? 1. How much do they eat? Do I ...
A: Thomas, If you have the Egyptian Banded Solifugid or Camel Spider, they are very difficult to ...
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| Potato Bug | 10/31/2008 |
Q: Are potato bugs poisenous? I heard that they like to gnaw on people is that true? I'm terrified ...
A: Monica, They are not poisonous or venomous. I have never heard of one gnawing on people. They are ...
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| Caterpillar | 10/26/2008 |
Q: Okay, I spotted a caterpillar today. It was fuzzy, more like a cream color. It's short. It has ...
A: Zackk, The caterpillar you saw is most likely a Banded Tussock Moth. The setae (hairs) look very ...
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| what will this ceterpillar turn into? | 10/25/2008 |
Q: i found three caterpillars on my lavender the other day so i put them in a 2 gallon fish tank with ...
A: Ginger, Unless you have a photo that you can take (doesn't need to be great) it's going to be ...
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| Nocturnal bugs | 10/23/2008 |
Q: My name is Mark.My class is doing a science project. I would like to know, Are bugs attracted to ...
A: Mark, This really depends on the bug. Moths and a few others are attracted to light as they use the ...
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| petal covered small worm/catepillar | 10/16/2008 |
Q: We have a local garden bouquet in our office of the short about 1.5inch diameter muticolored (yellow ...
A: Ellen, You have found the infamous Camouflage Looper. These caterpillars I find on a lot of cut ...
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| Strange black grub / caterpillar? | 10/13/2008 |
Q: Came across a cluster of black caterpillars (I think) with colored legs. They were quite creepy at ...
A: Veronica, Do you happen to have a photo of these insects? I am not an expert on Australian ...
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| Bug identification | 10/12/2008 |
Q: I live near Miami Florida. Recently all my begonias died in my front flower garden and my nearby ...
A: BJ, What you are finding are the larvae of Japanese Beetles (commonly called grubs). These larvae ...
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| bug ID - looks like a caterpillar | 10/12/2008 |
Q: I received this message from a friend who lives in Key West, Florida: Besides snails being rampant, ...
A: Joyce, The millipedes will go just about anywhere. Once inside the house, they will eat organic ...
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| Black Caterpillar | 10/8/2008 |
Q: Over the weekend I saw a uniue caterpillar and was wondering if you might offer some suggestions as ...
A: Pat, The caterpillar you described is very strange. This late in the season, the only thing I can ...
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| insect metamorphosis | 10/8/2008 |
Q: Hey, how do i increase the rate of insect metamorphosis? I'm doing a biology project on it and ...
A: Sarah, I usually keep half of the meal worms in darkness and half in light. This then allows you to ...
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| sphinx caterpillar | 10/5/2008 |
Q: Recently a friend of mine found a caterpillar while hiking in Nova Scotia. The photo I saw of it led ...
A: You do indeed have a type of Sphinx. Now, unless the photo was taken in early to mid-September, it ...
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| caterpillar | 10/2/2008 |
Q: I have found a horned caterpillar. I have looked at all of the North American ones. For I reside in ...
A: Mark, This caterpillar is a type of Hornworm. The species is most likely Hyles lineata (White-Lined ...
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| Caterpillar | 10/2/2008 |
Q: Just wondering if you can identify this caterpillar. It was walking on the wall behind my house. I ...
A: Kelley, I looked at my answer again, and realized that I answered the wrong question. The ...
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| coccoon | 9/30/2008 |
Q: I am an elementary school teacher in Western Pennsylvania. We have been studying the Painted Lady ...
A: Sarah, Those cocoons (if they are large) could be from a Saturniid Moth. If there are really a lot ...
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| swallowtail butterfly | 9/28/2008 |
Q: I live in western PA and my sons and I found a swallowtail catapillar last week. They have a mesh ...
A: Daria, No, the light should just be on from the morning to the night. When it hatches, you do have ...
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| most dangerous states for hornets, spiders, etc.! | 9/27/2008 |
Q: I am doing a land search. Would you know of which states are the worst for dangerous bugs, flying ...
A: Suzanne, I can tell you that Arizona is the most dangerous for reptiles. For insects, I can't ...
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| swallowtail butterfly | 9/27/2008 |
Q: I live in western PA and my sons and I found a swallowtail catapillar last week. They have a mesh ...
A: Daria, If it is a Black Swallowtail (if it ate Parsley, Fennel, Rue, Dill... then it is)You can ...
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| swallowtail butterfly | 9/26/2008 |
Q: I live in western PA and my sons and I found a swallowtail catapillar last week. They have a mesh ...
A: Daria, If you know what type of swallowtail butterfly it is that would be wonderful. Most types ...
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| honeybees | 9/26/2008 |
Q: Sir, I am a gifted teacher and one of my students asked the population of honeybees. Can you help? ...
A: Diane, I personally can't give you a number purely because the number changes from location to ...
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| honeybees | 9/25/2008 |
Q: Sir, I am a gifted teacher and one of my students asked the population of honeybees. Can you help? ...
A: Diane, Well, I did indeed find that they did have a major decrease this year. The numbers I found ...
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| honeybees | 9/23/2008 |
Q: Sir, I am a gifted teacher and one of my students asked the population of honeybees. Can you help? ...
A: Diane, I am not quite sure what you want to know about the population of honeybees. To my ...
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| cecropia moth | 9/23/2008 |
Q: I am a 6th grade science teacher in East Tennessee. A student brought in a cecropia moth cocoon and ...
A: Amy, Actually what he did won't hurt the pupae at all. I have a Cecropia Cocoon and I took out the ...
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| tiger swallowtail caterpillar | 9/22/2008 |
Q: My 4th grade son is doing a report and needs to know the answer to this question? Is the Tiger ...
A: Merrie, The answer is neither. The Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar feeds on many broad-leaf trees but ...
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| Could you please identify | 9/22/2008 |
Q: We live in Central Virginia and found this odd little guy in our backyard after a storm. The ...
A: Valerie, That is called a Saddleback Caterpillar. The spines on the ends are very painful to touch. ...
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| Is it too late to raise black swallowtails? | 9/19/2008 |
Q: I live in the DFW area. I have raised several black swallowtails this summer. One of the last ones ...
A: Christine, The chrysalis you have in your house could indeed be hibernating. If you pick it up and ...
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| Is it too late to raise black swallowtails? | 9/17/2008 |
Q: I live in the DFW area. I have raised several black swallowtails this summer. One of the last ones ...
A: Christine, Well... yes and no. If you plan to keep them indoors for their entire life, then it is ...
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| velvet ant | 9/15/2008 |
Q: My nephew was stung by a velvet ant a few minutes ago. What to put on it to help with pain? Do we ...
A: Tami, Stay calm, the worst thing for any child is to have people around him freaking out. Apply a ...
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| yellowjackets | 9/15/2008 |
Q: we discovered a yellowjacket nest in our closet wall that had hundreds of yellowjackets. We were ...
A: Robert, That is really weird. The only thing I can think of besides luck is if it was really cold ...
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| catepillars | 9/14/2008 |
Q: What do caterpillars eat, I have one in the house and placed it in a gallon jar w/milkweed plant. ...
A: Karla, This depends on the type of caterpillar. If it is a Monarch/Queen/Soldier or a Milkweed ...
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| Wasps and our willow tree | 9/14/2008 |
Q: We have a good sized willow tree in our back yard, and during the late summer of two of the past ...
A: Michael, I honestly can't tell you what attracts them to the tree, I can suggest something to try ...
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| black furry australian catapilar | 9/13/2008 |
Q: is this poisonous, as i have 30 or so in my back yard and worried that my little dog will get more ...
A: Mark, Probably not. I can't really give you an Identification without a photo (if you did send one ...
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| Milkweed bug invasion | 9/12/2008 |
Q: I raise monarch butterflies. I have a large patch of milkweed and for the past several years it has ...
A: Bonnie, I would use jumping spiders, garden spiders, orb web weavers, anything along those lines. ...
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| Insect collection | 9/12/2008 |
Q: My son has been collecting insects since he was five years old. He is now 19. He had two enormous ...
A: Kimberly, The best sites to go to are Ebay. They have a lot of insects from different places and ...
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| Fireflies | 9/12/2008 |
Q: I have just returned from a small village on the Volga River about 200 kilometers north of Moscow, ...
A: Mel, I haven't been able to find any information regarding Native Fireflies to Russia. The only ...
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| Fireflies | 9/11/2008 |
Q: I have just returned from a small village on the Volga River about 200 kilometers north of Moscow, ...
A: Mel, Unfortunately, it is illegal to transport any live insect overseas. If one accidentally gets ...
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| antennae | 9/11/2008 |
Q: Do ALL known butterflies have the wide/club ends on their antennae?
A: Robin, The truthful answer, is no. There are very very few exceptions. But they are out there. ...
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| Moths in the cubboard | 9/10/2008 |
Q: I seem to have these moths in my cubboard. They are a greyish color with the top of their backs ...
A: Donna, Yes, there are many different varieties and in those forms, you can get different colors. ...
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| Milkweed bug invasion | 9/9/2008 |
Q: I raise monarch butterflies. I have a large patch of milkweed and for the past several years it has ...
A: Bonnie, I really want to help you. I've had the exact same problem with my milkweed. If you are ...
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| BST Caterpillars are dying :( | 8/31/2008 |
Q: I live in St. Louis, and I'm raising BSTs and Monarchs. I have raised BSTs before with no problems, ...
A: Wendy, I have been having the same problem with Monarch's actually. I can't seem to identifiy the ...
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| Head lice | 8/30/2008 |
Q: My god-sister got head lice twice while at her cheerleading gym because of the mats. She was told to ...
A: Jessica, I would just because it does help, and it looks great too! The chemicals they put in your ...
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| luna moth infection | 8/30/2008 |
Q: I have a dead luna moth that appears to have been infected with either another insect or a fungus. ...
A: Chalisa, I have never seen something like that. It does sound like a fungal infection though. The ...
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| unidentified caterpillar | 8/29/2008 |
Q: My students have found a caterpillar and were hoping that it would turn into a butterfly. Do all ...
A: Megan, It sounds like a moth caterpillar, although it could be a Black Swallowtail caterpillar. Do ...
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| caterpillar in corn | 8/29/2008 |
Q: My daughters (age 4 and 6) and I found two caterpillars in our sweet corn! They would like to keep ...
A: Lana, Well, I can already tell you they will turn into moths. Butterflies are very specific in ...
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| Swarm of caterpillars in Houston | 8/29/2008 |
Q: We found literally HUNDREDS of caterpillars in and around our pool last night. Can you tell us ...
A: Jennifer, What you have are not caterpillars. They are called Sawflies. They come and go in ...
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| query about insects living on human body | 8/28/2008 |
Q: sir some kind of insect of less than a milli meter size(could not find the photo in the internet) is ...
A: Karthik, The only thing unfortunatly you can do for lice, is see a doctor. There is nothing I can ...
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| biting invisible gnats | 8/27/2008 |
Q: Regarding the biting insects that I believe to be no-see-ums or biting gnats, will the bugs in my ...
A: Cynthia, What it sounds like to me, is not a gnat of any sort. I would go to a doctor and see if ...
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| Mud daubers | 8/27/2008 |
Q: Is there any way to keep Mud daubers away from an open carport area? Thanks,
A: Thomas, The best thing I recommend, is Bounty Original Scent dryer sheets. I can't give you a ...
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| query about insects living on human body | 8/26/2008 |
Q: sir some kind of insect of less than a milli meter size(could not find the photo in the internet) is ...
A: Karthik, This is going to sound quite odd, but it works. The best way to get rid of them, is to ...
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| skinny black wasp looking insect | 8/26/2008 |
Q: On my way home from college at about 9:45am i was sitting at a red light when a strange wasp-like ...
A: Travis, You probably saw a Giant Black Ichneumon. It may not be a female and the males do have a ...
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| small, tan-colored moth | 8/25/2008 |
Q: In my horse barn, earlier this summer, there were a mess of small moths. They were on my hay that ...
A: Janette, They are called Indian Meal Moths. There larvae are tiny so you probably did miss them. ...
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| biting invisible insect | 8/25/2008 |
Q: I live in an apartment in NYC, and have been plagued by invisible biting gnats for the past 3 ...
A: Cynthia, Honestly, I'm not sure what to tell you. I can only say, try fumigating, or one of those ...
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| BIG water bug found..... | 8/23/2008 |
Q: my son has a large (around 3-4 inches long)water bug found in the neighbors pool....brown, big ...
A: Pauline, I believe it is a species of Giant Water Beetle. They are very hard to tell apart as the ...
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| Wasp Question | 8/22/2008 |
Q: This summer I've noticed a new type of wasp on the North side of Chicago. The wasp is 3 inches long ...
A: Asha, What you have is probably a type of Mud or Potter wasp. It could very likely be a Cicada ...
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| is it a moth? | 8/22/2008 |
Q: My friend who is serving with the armed forces in Afghanistan found this insect in his bed. We have ...
A: Tracy, I can't tell you the exact species, but it seems to be a type of Cave Cricket (also known as ...
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| strange bug | 8/21/2008 |
Q: When I first saw this bug it appeared to be a baby ruby throated humming bird. It was sucking nectar ...
A: Rachel, I'm very glad you enjoy these moths! These moths fluctuate from year to year. My research ...
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| wasps | 8/21/2008 |
Q: I am wondering if this was built by wasps, and if so, what kind? I have never seen anything like ...
A: Trish, Those nests were built by Mud Wasps. They are harmless unless provoked. The nests aren't ...
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| Yellow caterpillar with l4 large bumps on its back | 8/20/2008 |
Q: We found a yellow fuzzy caterpillar in our back yard. (Maryland, United States) This caterpillar has ...
A: Patrick, What you have found is probably a pretty beat-up Definite Marked Tussock Moth. It will ...
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| Black Bees | 8/19/2008 |
Q: I have these black bees with orange legs and they are very cute. I can not seem to find what kind of ...
A: Natalie, Sorry it took me so long to respond. I think I finally have an answer for you. The black ...
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| biting invisible insect | 8/14/2008 |
Q: I live in an apartment in NYC, and have been plagued by invisible biting gnats for the past 3 ...
A: Cynthia, Their life cycle is generally about 24-36 hours. They are probably breeding in fruit, ...
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| poppy seed-like bugs | 8/14/2008 |
Q: I have an infestation of very tiny spherical black bugs on my outdoor doorstep that look like poppy ...
A: Carolyn, Insecticide is not as great as advertised. It gets rid of most bugs (spiders, ...
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| strange bug | 8/13/2008 |
Q: When I first saw this bug it appeared to be a baby ruby throated humming bird. It was sucking nectar ...
A: Rachel, What you have there is something called a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. What you described ...
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| insect larvae | 8/13/2008 |
Q: I found a little nest of insect larvae on a porch screen today. They are extremely tiny and hard to ...
A: Jen, Those are little baby caterpillars. They look like they just hatched out of the egg and ...
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| cloth moths and cloth larvae | 8/12/2008 |
Q: Recently I've had some cloth moths and cloth moth larvae appear in my room. The moths as well as ...
A: Leah, The only thing I can suggest, is moth balls. what they will do is repel the adults so they ...
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| Bumblebee nest | 8/11/2008 |
Q: Two nights ago I secured duct tape over a 1/8 inch crack in our picture frame window perimeter wood, ...
A: Tom, I would say it is indeed safe. If they are indeed Bumblebees, and not Honey Bees or Wasps, ...
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| poppy seed-like bugs | 8/9/2008 |
Q: I have an infestation of very tiny spherical black bugs on my outdoor doorstep that look like poppy ...
A: Carolyn, They look to me like a tiny black beetle. I can't tell you an exact species because there ...
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| Strange giant flying insect | 8/9/2008 |
Q: I Live in SW Missouri. Last August I was in Omaha, NE and saw this large bug. It was 2-3 inches ...
A: Sarah, At this point, I don't. If you could reply telling me: Did it have wings? What was the ...
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| Caterpillar? | 8/8/2008 |
Q: Today in my kitchen , I found a caterpillar I've never sen before. It is a hairy/furry one that is ...
A: Danielle, I believe you have something called a Sycamore Tussock Moth. As the name suggests, it ...
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| lint covered small caterpillar on wall | 8/8/2008 |
Q: Greetings--- I have found a small, lint or fuzz covered small caterpillar or worm on the same ...
A: Wendy, What you have is probably a caterpillar. I can't tell you exactly what it is because they ...
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| Sphex pensylvanicus | 8/5/2008 |
Q: I have these wasps nesting around the rocks and sand around our pool. We have 3 small children and ...
A: Sheila, What I have been recommending is placing original scent Bounty dryer sheets nearby. That ...
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| Catapillar find in Amazon | 8/5/2008 |
Q: I took a photo of an unusual caterpillar in the Amazon river basin. it is approximately 2 1/2 inches ...
A: Russ, That sounds suspiciously like a Morpho caterpillar, but a picture would be wonderful. If it ...
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| Same "weird find" | 8/4/2008 |
Q: I had a very similar experience to this person's from last November: "Expert: Walter Hintz Date: ...
A: Brandy, I personally wouldn't worry about it all that much. They probably are little caterpillars ...
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| unknown garden spider | 8/4/2008 |
Q: ok, this is the weirdest spider i've ever seen, it has redish legs and most of the body as well, the ...
A: Alejandro, I found one last piece of research I had stuck to the bottom of the drawer. It could be ...
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| unknown garden spider | 8/3/2008 |
Q: ok, this is the weirdest spider i've ever seen, it has redish legs and most of the body as well, the ...
A: Alejandro, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's called an Orb Web Weaver. If that ...
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| Large Bees | 8/3/2008 |
Q: I live in Florida. For the past two summers our yard, particularly around the pool area, has been ...
A: Donna, Well, I am not quite sure the exact species, but it is definitely a wasp. The best way to ...
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| giant flying bug | 8/2/2008 |
Q: I have 3 big flying insect in my front planter They have burrowed under the plants themselves an ...
A: Travis, What you have sounds very similar to the Orange Potter Wasp. They do tend to dig in plant ...
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| Unknown bug -- a bee of some kind? | 8/2/2008 |
Q: We have a stone patio with stonedust between the stones. Over the past couple of weeks we've noticed ...
A: Carla, First off, thank you very much for that detailed description! Second, no, it is not a cicada ...
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| unknown garden spider | 8/2/2008 |
Q: ok, this is the weirdest spider i've ever seen, it has redish legs and most of the body as well, the ...
A: Alejandro, Before I can give you a 100% accurate answer, I need to know two things. The first, is ...
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| paper wasps | 8/1/2008 |
Q: since the natural enemies cannot be encouraged, is there an enemies specific sound i can use to ...
A: Linda, There are a few things you can do. The first, is hang original scent Bounty dryer sheets on ...
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| I think they are a type of wasp. | 7/31/2008 |
Q: I live in Vermont about 6 miles from the Canadian border. We have a reddish Brown Wasp/Bee that has ...
A: Nikki, What you have is either a mud wasp, or a paper wasp. I have heard of paper wasps making ...
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| Fuzzy Orange Flying Insect | 7/31/2008 |
Q: This critter was at our dock a few weeks ago. Unfortunately the photos don't show how vivid its ...
A: Marcia, What you have there is called a Spiny Oakworm Moth. They are really amazing colors and it's ...
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| Huge Mystery Bug | 7/31/2008 |
Q: I went outside to go to work this morning and discovered a huge bug on my car above my door. He(or ...
A: Angela, Does the bug have a tail? Or two? Are the wings above it's body or laid out flat? My best ...
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| ID larva/pupa | 7/28/2008 |
Q: I live in East Texas and recently found a large, black, caterpillar, approx 3" long with very long ...
A: What you have is called a Buck Moth. It will take some time to develop into the moth and hopefully ...
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| Bees at night. | 7/28/2008 |
Q: This summer I have found two hives in my yard and had my brother in law ( a former Bug Man) kill ...
A: Katie, It is quite possible that you have another hive. Bees generally do not like lights so that ...
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| I think it is a wasp | 7/28/2008 |
Q: I have a new camera so I am lurking about in my yard in southwest Virginia. Do you know what this ...
A: Deborah, You have seen a wonderful wasp called "The Great Black Wasp". Now, do not let the name ...
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| random nest thing | 7/26/2008 |
Q: On holiday in portugal, we found a random insect nesting in our window shutter. it looked to have ...
A: Vicki, That could've been a number of things. It could be a type of spider, a caterpillar forming a ...
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| strange larvae | 7/26/2008 |
Q: recently I have been finding strange very small about 1cm or a little less, skinny larvae (furry ...
A: Paddy, That looks very similar to the Common Clothes Moth. So, I take back what I said. It is ...
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| insect bites | 7/26/2008 |
Q: I am at Poughkeepsie NY and do have a large back yard. I have been stung 3 different body locations ...
A: Sule, What you need to do is feel the bite, if you feel two distinct bite marks (like fangs) you ...
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| IDENTIFICATION NEEDED!!!! | 7/26/2008 |
Q: I live in Lincoln, NE and I was with my family at my brother's baseball game July 24th at 7:30 p.m. ...
A: Alyssa, That sounds like a Carpenter Bee. They can be black, yellow, blueish, or in some very rare ...
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| Dino bugs | 7/25/2008 |
Q: I live in Fruita Co, and there is a long dragonfly/dinobug. It has a hard greenish brown shell. And ...
A: James, It sounds to me like it is a praying mantis of some sort. A picture could be really helpful. ...
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| catapillars | 7/24/2008 |
Q: We found a bright green catapillar on our tomatoe plant. I think it is a tiger swallowtail ...
A: Lisa, What you found is called a Tomato Hornworm (it can also be called Tobacco Hornworm. The ...
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| bee I.D. | 7/24/2008 |
Q: I work in Winston-Salem,NC. I was working at a tobacco warehouse and there were alot of these huge ...
A: Randy, The bee you described could be a Carpenter bee or it could possibly (but unlikely) be a type ...
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| Largest Wasp I've ever seen | 7/24/2008 |
Q: While I was swimming I saw a wasp-like insect that was larger than small birds. It was reddish in ...
A: Max, Hmmm, that sounds very odd. It could very possibly be a female red-legged wasp. They can get ...
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| What Insect is this? | 7/23/2008 |
Q: Photo taken in Portugal, Europe http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd171/ValterJacinto/DSC00825.jpg ...
A: The photo you sent me is not a living insect, but it is a shell. The Mayfly, which is quite common ...
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| strange larvae | 7/23/2008 |
Q: recently I have been finding strange very small about 1cm or a little less, skinny larvae (furry ...
A: It doesn't sound at all like a moth to me. If you can get a photo I would be able to help you a ...
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| What is this???? | 7/23/2008 |
Q: Canada. I am attaching a image of some kind of hornet, wasp? I found it in my back yard on my tree. ...
A: That does indeed look like a hornet. It could very possibly be just about any species, I wouldn't ...
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| scorpion care | 7/22/2008 |
Q: can you help me? i was swimming in my pool and i noticed a little scorpion drowning. I love bugs and ...
A: Inspectora, Exactly how large is your Scorpion? If he is really little (under an inch)feed him ...
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| blackwidow | 7/21/2008 |
Q: who buys the blackwidows for there venom for medicince
A: Melissa, Usually, only very specialized laboratories harvest the venom and use it to make the ...
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