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Category: beetles (Page 11 of 14)

Bug of the Week: Long-horned beetle

November 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

The locust borer from a few weeks back belongs to the group of beetles known as long-horned beetles, family Cerambycidae.

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Today we have another example. The Cerambycidae are named for their long antennae, often much longer than the insect’s body.

good-long-horned-beetle

I’m pretty sure this is the striped longhorn or double-banded bycid, Sphaenothecus bivittatus. The larvae feed on mesquite and there was a mesquite tree about three feet away from where this photograph was taken.

The next week I went back out to look again, but the flowers had quit blooming so I didn’t have any luck finding more. Shows that sometimes you just have to be at the right place at the right time.

 

Bug of the Week: Locust Borer

November 6, 2013 / / 0 Comments

This insect is trying to pretend it is a bee or wasp.

mystery-insect-123

Sara wasn’t fooled, however. It is actually a beetle called the locust borer, Megacyllene robiniae.The adults are very commonly found feeding on goldenrod in the fall where black locusts grow.

The adult beetles lay their eggs in the wood of the black locust tree. The larvae tunnel through the wood, eating it.

Note:  If you see a beetle that looks like this in the spring, it just might be a hickory borer instead.

Bug of the Week: Thistle Tortoise Beetle

July 3, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Our featured insect can be quite difficult to spot on a plant.

thistle-tortoise-beetle-1

Do you see the insect? I’ll give you a hint: The head is covered.

You can see why it is called a tortoise beetle. In fact, it is the thistle tortoise beetle, Cassida rubiginosa.

thistle-tortoise-beetle-2

The thistle tortoise beetle has an interesting history. It was introduced into North America because it feeds on a weed that was accidentally introduced earlier, the “Canada” thistle. By the way, the “Canada” thistle is actually from Europe, where it is called the creeping thistle. Shows you how misleading common names can be! In any case, the thistle tortoise beetle is an insect that was purposely brought in for weed control.

The larvae of this species (see BugGuide) carry debris and feces on their backs to discourage predators. Wish I had found one of those.

These photographs were taken in western New York.

Have you ever seen a tortoise beetle? Was it green like this one?

 

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