Questions tagged [entomology]

The scientific study of Insects. If the question is about some other group of arthropod use 'arthropod' tag.

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Do cochineals ("scale bugs") form aluminium complexes themselves? Where do they get such large quantities so quickly and how do they handle it safely?

Wikipedia's Carmine begins: Carmine (/ˈkɑːrmən, ˈkɑːrmaɪn/) – also called cochineal (for the insect from which it is extracted), cochineal extract, crimson lake, or carmine lake – is a pigment of a ...
uhoh's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
179 views

What is this spider? Found in garage during May in NY

Stands very flat with its legs very outstretched, doubles-up its front legs (first pic looks like it only has 6 legs). Brownish-dark gray, not quite black. It's alive, but it wasn't particular active ...
Busman's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
322 views

Are these little white fuzzy insects "scale"? What species and what is their lifecycle like?

These appeared on three small, similar houseplants I bought about a month earlier at a nursery. There were dozens. I physically removed a few and just pruned stems that had many, and put the clippings ...
uhoh's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
41 views

Is this an instar of the red fire bug?

While inspecting some yarrow that seemed to be having problems, I found a few of these bugs. I think they may be an instar of red firebug, but the photos of the nymphs that I found had only one row of ...
anongoodnurse's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
30 views

Do *Ambystoma macrodactylum* predate on *ceuthophilinaens* like the one I observed?

I observed this Ambystoma macrodactylum within half of a meter of this Ceuthophilinaen under an old board. I can imagine salamanders eating cricket-like things, but this question is far outside my ...
Galen's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
71 views

What is the name/type/species of this insect?

Facts: Found in a bathtub in western Washington (state) (the pacific northwest). 3/16-1/4" long, 1/8-3/16 thick. Gray colored. No elongated noise but two antennas. No pets in home, older 1969 ...
user289394's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
134 views

Is this bark beetle going to be a problem?

This little (around 3mm in length) beetle is one of many that infested a gingerbread heart in our house. It seems to be some kind of bark beetle. My question is what exact species it is likely to be ...
BlindKungFuMaster's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
46 views

ant ID montreal, qc canada

I'd like to know what type of ants this is. These appeared in my basement recently. I am thinking those are called "pavement ants" after comparing online. Please help me identify them. ( ...
A_V's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
118 views

Is it possible to identify a worm being carried by a depicted wasp?

Wikimedia has a picture of a Ancistrocerus trifasciatus / mason wasp carrying a kind of worm: Is it possible to tell what exactly kind of worm it is, based only on the above image, number of worm's ...
trejder's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
159 views

Is there a specific name for the feet of insects?

A friend and I were talking, and he asked me whether there was a name for insect feet (either in general or for specific insects). I think they are sometimes called tarsi, but I believe that's a more ...
Anonymous Bee's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
57 views

Insect Identification please

Location Kothrud, Pune This was found on Sonchafa plant.
S marathe's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
130 views

What insect in shell is this?

Location: INDIA(Tropical Monsoon) I found an insect (approx 7mm) (marked with red in image) in my bedroom hanging from the roof. It can spin some kind of thread, since it was hanging at the first ...
Asmit Karmakar's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
26 views

Habitat requirements of black ant Lasius niger

Does anyone know of any published information on the maximum slope angle and/or minimum soil depth on which the black ant Lasius niger will build its nests? I have read that they won't nest on "a ...
Fire_Fox's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
236 views

Identification of black-and-white striped jumping insect?

I noticed this small insect with long striped antennae and legs hanging out on my parsley. I'd be curious to find out what it is. When I got close to take a picture of it, it suddenly leapt, like a ...
user69924's user avatar
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0 answers
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What insect is this? (Switzerland) [duplicate]

I took these photos in June in Zurich, Switzerland. The insect struck me as fairly large; I'd say the body was probably 2-3 cm long unless my memory is playing tricks on me. It sat just like this on a ...
Sami Liedes's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
60 views

Bug on wall identification request [duplicate]

I've been finding a few of these on the same wall of my apartment the path month. Size is maybe 3-5 mm. I live in an apartment in Toronto Canada. Thanks in advance!
bird's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
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What is this small white insect on my plants?

Environment I have a large amount of plants in an old industrial loft apartment. I live in Rochester, New York. I ship plants in from across the US, often exotic ones. Observations A few months ago, I ...
Tim's user avatar
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12 votes
2 answers
3k views

Can mosquitoes be attracted by our voice?

In the dark, mosquitoes use CO2 to find blood host like us. However, 1) they are known to have excellent auditory organs (ref1, ref2) and 2) sound can be heard from any directions, contrary to odors ...
Noil's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
119 views

Weird spiky bug found in northern Spain

Does anyone know what this bug is? We're located in the north of Spain. Around 5mm long with spikes in its back. First image is belly up, second one the bug is walking.
Alfergon's user avatar
  • 219
6 votes
1 answer
973 views

What is this large long-legged orange and black insect?

Around and inch long. 6 legs, bigger than a wasp, and orange and black. Found near the coast in the woods in South Carolina.
Carson D's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
124 views

What are these little insects in that I found in my greenhouse?

I found these little (3-4mm) insects in my indoor greenhouse where I propagate Begonia from leaf cuttings. They are slowly walking around on the soil and don't seem to be particularly interested in ...
ert22's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
93 views

How can I decrease the generation time of Drosophila melanogaster?

I have a gene deletion strain of Drosophila melanogaster made with CRIPR/Cas9, and now I have to clean the background of this strain (TM6C balancer background) by making backcrosses with wild type. ...
WiKC's user avatar
  • 11
5 votes
1 answer
598 views

Bug Identification: Black Insect with Red/Orange dot on back

I lifted the cover off my push bike today and discovered 15-20 of these insects all along one of my brake cables. A few were tending to "egg" like structures that were stuck to the cable and ...
James's user avatar
  • 153
2 votes
1 answer
214 views

What are these bugs eating my lumber?

Duplicate of this question. I found bugs in wood that I've had air drying for the last few years. What are they? I had a tree cut down a few years ago and some of the wood milled in to slabs. However, ...
Elros's user avatar
  • 121
2 votes
0 answers
298 views

Exoskeleton Bug Identification

I found these bug shells / exoskeletons / casings in the corner of my room and I am wondering what they could be. They are about 1-2 cm long. The light colored spots on the floor are likely related. I ...
Celia's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
70 views

Does a brown Pieris brassicae chrysalis indicate it is dead?

I have been breeding Pieris brassicae larvae in a glass tank indoors for my own personal observation. One of them, after the fifth instar, has moulted into a chrysalis. After 5 days of development in ...
Algae's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
37 views

What insect is this? I spotted it on a wall in a bedroom [duplicate]

This is the closest distance & the best photo resolution I could get from my handphone. I discovered it on a wall in my bedroom. Could anyone identify what insect is it? Why the insect is in the ...
hunterex's user avatar
  • 101
1 vote
0 answers
71 views

Identify grasshopper species

I found this grasshopper on a house door in central Italy. It did not move for the whole day. I can tell it's a grasshopper, however I am unable to determine the exact species. Size: ca. 6cm Feel free ...
Algae's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
32 views

Is it possible to "triangulate" the location of a termite colony in a horizontal space using light sources as attractive bases?

So we have termites and I noticed that one of the can lights in our subfloor (the 1.5 foot vertical space between our first and 2nd floor) was a lift off point for many swarms. I put some tape over ...
LeanMan's user avatar
  • 101
4 votes
1 answer
112 views

Is this tailed butterfly a coral hairstreak?

I spotted this butterfly feeding on some lantana in Fort Worth, Texas. It looks exactly like a coral hairstreak, but it has these two tails (?) on its hind wing, whereas I thought coral hairstreaks ...
LSpice's user avatar
  • 225
6 votes
1 answer
487 views

What insect eggs are these?

There are only 3 eggs. A pink colour with stripes on it. Is it possible to identify the species? Found right below a window, on the wood. I'm in Bangalore, India.
Mehr Sinha's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
62 views

What species of insect is this, spotted south-east of Berlin? Habitat: forest near lake shore, Size: body 40mm, w/o antennas and ovipositor

This insect has been spotted south-east of Berlin (2021-10-31).
Volker Otto's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
80 views

What butterfly species is represented on this painting?

I am wondering if the butterflies represented on this painting correspond to a real species. Do you know if this is the case and if yes, what species they belong to? Or at least, what species could ...
Kjian's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
36 views

Can someone identify this insect species

I found a dozen of these insects on my wooden floorboards in the city of Athens, Greece (Mediterranean climate) (altitude 200m, 10 km from nearest shore). Currently it's Autumn. Size is about 0.5cm (...
Anne Mary's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
169 views

Why is this bumblebee attracted to a methane leak?

In this video from Bloomburg Quicktake, the reporters discover at a methane well (Skip to 14:21) a GHG leak that has attracted bumblebees. Does natural gas smell sweet to bees? Why would the bees be ...
Gabriel Fair's user avatar
  • 4,509
1 vote
0 answers
57 views

What species is this fly? Look like mosquito with unusually long legs

I found this in Bangalore, India. It looks exactly like a mosquito but with extremely long legs, first I confused it with long legged spider (which are common here) but it's not, Can someone tell me ...
Manoj's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
1 answer
80 views

What is the name of this mosquito-like insect?

While I was studying, this insect fell down from the ceiling. It was alone and not in a swarm. It looked much like a mosquito but is quite larger compared to a mosquito.. I live in the Indian ...
An Alien's user avatar
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7 votes
0 answers
105 views

Grasshopper vs Tarantula?

This past weekend (October 2021) while hiking west of the VLA in New Mexico (near Datil, NM, ~2200m elevation) my wife and I came across a strange sight. A small (5cm long), likely immature, ...
Jon Custer's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
111 views

Identification of butterfly from its caterpillar stage

Today I visited Bannerghatta national park's butterfly park situated in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. I snapped a picture of a caterpillar in butterfly park. I inquired to caretakers over there for the ...
biologist_Jaishree's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
145 views

For which wing characteristic are Plecoptera (stoneflies) named for?

I'm coming across variable etymological meanings for the order Plecoptera (stoneflies). Some sources indicate the meaning is "wicker/braided-winged", while others suggest "folded/...
theforestecologist's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
82 views

Identifying unknown biting insect

Pattaya (Thailand). Unknown insect (similar to a beetle) that bite: long 2 mm, large 1 mm. It has 2 front claws. Pictures attached. Probably it lost some legs when killed (I felt the bite and I ...
Massimiliano Rubino's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

Kansas Insect (Black Bee/Wasp?) Identification

I live in Kansas (Pottawatomie County), and I found a bee-like insect in my bedroom. The creature looked like this: The insect about 5 cm long in size (as you can compare it with the window blind), ...
T. G.'s user avatar
  • 145
3 votes
1 answer
572 views

What is this water animal in my swimming pool?

I have had a swimming pool (which is salt) for few months. 2 weeks ago I saw this: I made a quick gif of a video: Today, I found 4 more of this animal: All of them that are living I found in the ...
Elikill58's user avatar
  • 143
4 votes
0 answers
82 views

Identification of huge larva in South Tyrol

On a sunny autumn day (19.09.2021) i saw a huge green larva crossing the street facing a wineyard. The picture was taken near Bozen, South Tyrol (22 °C that day). It is at least 14 cm long and 2 cm ...
CoDa's user avatar
  • 103
3 votes
1 answer
135 views

Do you know what kind of bug this is?

I have tried to find a similar picture online, but can’t seem to find any. Does anyone know what kind of bug this is? It has been on a penstemon plant for about 3 days. I am located just outside of ...
Carah 's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
0 answers
25 views

Can someone identify this male Zygaenidae (subfamily Procridinae)?

Photo taken in 2018, Near Berlinchen, Germany. The immediate vincinity is Calluna on sands. The area has a an interesting vegetation with heather and broom, species-rich grasslands on poor and ...
aae's user avatar
  • 374
0 votes
1 answer
211 views

What insect is featured in this picture?

At the end of the summer, we've been finding these insects in our apartment complex in Baltimore, MD. What are they and do they bite? The length is about the size of a US nickel (We've had mysterious ...
NY97's user avatar
  • 1
5 votes
1 answer
162 views

Identifying insect in Sri Lanka

I saw this one in our garden in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It seemed to be hiding from the harsh sunlight that was there. I have never seen this bug before. Anyone know what bug this could be?
Nethmi V's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
92 views

Would it be possible to create logical circuits out of insects?

Could one organise ants, bees or any insects to do addition using logical gates: AND, OR, NOT, XOR. As inputs/signals one could imagine for example that 1 would be food and 0 would be no food.
Athos's user avatar
  • 39
1 vote
1 answer
190 views

Identify bug found eating wood table

This bug came out of a hole in a wood table. I'm in south-west France but since we bought that table one year ago, it was most probably in the table when we bought it so it could be from anywhere. I'd ...
Jérôme's user avatar
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