Tag: mystery insect (Page 1 of 3)

Bug of the Week: Mystery Caterpillar

This caterpillar has me stumped.

unknown caterpillarIt is resting on a vining milkweed plant, although it might have crawled to there from some other type of plant nearby.

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It looks like it has a single, spiky horn, which would be a sphinx moth of some sort. The head doesn’t look any sphinx moth I’ve seen.

Anyone have any ideas what it might be?

Bug of the Week: Insect Wings Answers

Now the answers from last week’s wing identification mystery:

1. These dark wings belong to a female carpenter bee, Xylocopa californica.  Bees, wasps and ants have a forewing larger than the hindwing.

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2. Flies have only one pair of wings. This is from a crane fly, Tipula sp.

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3. Yes, you can see most of the cicada’s back. This is a Diceroprocta sp.

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4. Moths and butterflies have veins in their wings under the covering of scales. This is a moth, but I don’t know the species.

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5. The true bugs have wings that are half leathery and half membranous. This is a shield or stink bug.

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6. The wings with many, many veins are from a dragonfly.

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Sara, you deserve a clapping of wings (and hands) for recognizing them all at least to order. Awesome!

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