A Bug for Dan

[Dan From Smithville]

Heteronychus arator, African Black Beetle. We used to get thousands of them but they haven't been so bad the last few years. Found this one deceased on the road while walking the dog.

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Now you are talking about my favorite group. Not what I was thinking of at all. The Ataenius I mentioned is tiny by comparison to H. arator.

I'm familiar with this species only through the literature.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

I think this one is a paper wasp. It would only land in the shade.

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Looks like a paper wasp to me.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

These are cool and seem to be a different colour everytime you look at them. Maybe a type of Austrosciapus?

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Other than fly, I have no idea. Looks a little similar to members of the family Dolichopodidae--long-legged flies.

 

[John53]

A number of aquatic species of beetles and true bugs have massive dispersal flights. Sometimes of mixed groups of species. This is probably the result of one of those.

I'm looking up black lawn beetle. Haven't found anything yet, but I am familiar with a species of Ataenius (Scarabeaidae) that is a turf pest in the US. These are small, black beetles that infest lawns and can get to pest levels damaging the turf.

I stuffed up with black lawn beetle, I only found out they're African Black Beetles when I discovered the dead one. Actually I learnt 2 things, I thought the black beetles were native and they're not, and I thought paper wasps were introduced but they're native and an important pollinator. I used to destroy their nests when I found them, I shall cease doing that.

 

[John53]

I think so. It is a large group and there are many rather tiny species in it.

I found out it's a Yellow-shouldered Ladybird, Apolinus lividigaster.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

I stuffed up with black lawn beetle, I only found out they're African Black Beetles when I discovered the dead one. Actually I learnt 2 things, I thought the black beetles were native and they're not, and I thought paper wasps were introduced but they're native and an important pollinator. I used to destroy their nests when I found them, I shall cease doing that.

A friend considers paper wasp grubs to be excellent trout bait. The downside is that you have to get at the nests without resorting to poisons to deal with the adults.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

I found out it's a Yellow-shouldered Ladybird, Apolinus lividigaster.

You are getting good at this. It is nice to have so much information available so quickly and with pictures these days.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

I stuffed up with black lawn beetle, I only found out they're African Black Beetles when I discovered the dead one. Actually I learnt 2 things, I thought the black beetles were native and they're not, and I thought paper wasps were introduced but they're native and an important pollinator. I used to destroy their nests when I found them, I shall cease doing that.

I don't have any of those beetles in my collection. Fortunately, not found in the US. Yet.

 

[John53]

These live on the opposite side of the country to me but the colouring of the one I saw on facebook has me fascinated. I can find very little information about them.

Species: Eupoecila inscripta

 

[John53]

A number of aquatic species of beetles and true bugs have massive dispersal flights. Sometimes of mixed groups of species. This is probably the result of one of those.

I'm looking up black lawn beetle. Haven't found anything yet, but I am familiar with a species of Ataenius (Scarabeaidae) that is a turf pest in the US. These are small, black beetles that infest lawns and can get to pest levels damaging the turf.

There was a reasonably heavy dew again this morning and there was one on my bin lid. I could see the trails where others had been flopping about. It was bin night and while walking the dog I noticed most bins had the trails. Now here's the interesting part (well to me, probably no one else), only the red bin lids had the trails, none on the yellow recycle bin lids. Here's my theory... in the dark they mistake the red for a pool of water.

Edit: I just went to water the garden and was expecting dozens in the bird bath again but not a one.

 

[John53]

Tried photographing blue wasps again today with not much success. I didn't realise there was a cicada shell on the tree until I got home. Sorry about the quality, my camera isn't great at fast shutter speeds. I had it set at 1/2000th which is plenty fast enough for most birds but not even close for the wasp.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

These live on the opposite side of the country to me but the colouring of the one I saw on facebook has me fascinated. I can find very little information about them.

Species: Eupoecila inscripta

Those are awesome!

As a general rule we know a lot about a very few species of insects and very little about the vast majority. It isn't always that way, but it is often that way.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

There was a reasonably heavy dew again this morning and there was one on my bin lid. I could see the trails where others had been flopping about. It was bin night and while walking the dog I noticed most bins had the trails. Now here's the interesting part (well to me, probably no one else), only the red bin lids had the trails, none on the yellow recycle bin lids. Here's my theory... in the dark they mistake the red for a pool of water.

Edit: I just went to water the garden and was expecting dozens in the bird bath again but not a one.

I think you are onto something. You may find this article interesting.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1634927/pdf/rspb20063500.pdf

When I was in grad school a friend was doing her research on egg laying of moths on different colored flagging in corn fields. As an undergrad, she worked for some professors studying corn. She happened to notice that certain colors of flags seemed to have many more eggs on them than others. She also noticed that flag height seemed to matter too. So she did her thesis research to find out if her observations had any validity. They did. It has been too long ago and I don't remember which colors worked with moths, but I do remember that she found significant differences in egg laying by color and height.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Tried photographing blue wasps again today with not much success. I didn't realise there was a cicada shell on the tree until I got home. Sorry about the quality, my camera isn't great at fast shutter speeds. I had it set at 1/2000th which is plenty fast enough for most birds but not even close for the wasp.

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There's always the catch, cool off and photograph technique.

Or you could put a bunch of peas on the ground. When the wasps come out to take a pea, you get their picture.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

I have been trying to find it, but it was told to me too long ago and I don't remember the source. When I took insect systematics the instructor was an hemipterist and worked with aquatic Hemiptera. He told us about an incident where water boatmen, I seem to recall, were on a mass dispersal flight and suddenly dropped out of the air to land on a large parking lot full of cars. The reflection off the cars and the lot apparently looked like water and the insects all went for it in a mass. Apparently, caused a brief, but exciting ruckus for all the shoppers leaving and returning to their cars as tens of thousands of insects dropped on them.

 

[John53]

I think you are onto something. You may find this article interesting.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1634927/pdf/rspb20063500.pdf

When I was in grad school a friend was doing her research on egg laying of moths on different colored flagging in corn fields. As an undergrad, she worked for some professors studying corn. She happened to notice that certain colors of flags seemed to have many more eggs on them than others. She also noticed that flag height seemed to matter too. So she did her thesis research to find out if her observations had any validity. They did. It has been too long ago and I don't remember which colors worked with moths, but I do remember that she found significant differences in egg laying by color and height.

Interesting and kind of comforting to know I'm not the only person who thinks about things like that.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

Interesting and kind of comforting to know I'm not the only person who thinks about things like that.

It does illustrate the value of anecdotal evidence as a starting point for systematic research.

You should see if there is any citizen science going on in your area. They could use people that think about things like that.

 

[John53]

It does illustrate the value of anecdotal evidence as a starting point for systematic research.

You should see if there is any citizen science going on in your area. They could use people that think about things like that.

I just googled citizen science for my area and I didn't realise I already participate in a project. It's doing 20 minute bird counts. I'll try and find out what else is out there.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

I just googled citizen science for my area and I didn't realise I already participate in a project. It's doing 20 minute bird counts. I'll try and find out what else is out there.

Cool. There should be opportunities out there to expand interests old and new. I'm a big fan of citizen science.

 

[John53]

@Dan From Smithville I am confused by this one, I thought it was some kind of moth but it doesn't appear to have an antennae. Maybe some kind of leafhopper? Between 10-15mm long.

Edit: https://idtools.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/fulgor/eurybrachidae/index.html