# The insect picture thread



## Smokehound714 (Oct 19, 2013)

Post your insect pics!


_Poecilanthrax arethusa_






  Took me half an hour to snap a photo of this individual..  Almost seemed to be toying with me, only to finally "allow" me to snap a good shot 

_Melanoplus complanatipes_






   Very easy to photograph, they had absolutely no fear of humans.  I would pick them up, and they'd just hop back to where they were, and continued munching on that seepwillow.

_Polistes exclamans_






_Vanessa annabella_ larva






_Schistocerca nitens_






_Pieris rapae_






_Scudderia mexicana_ nymph






_Eupeodes volucris_






_Hyles lineata_






_Vanessa annabella_






_Calosoma semilaeve_






_Milichiidae sp_






_Cryptus albitarsus_






_Colletes simulans nevadensis_






_Short-tailed ichneumon_ (species uncertain, a positive ID would be great)






_Zelus renardii_

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## Smokehound714 (Oct 27, 2013)

_Microcentrum californicum_












 Very similar to the greater angle-winged katydid, which can also be found here, albeit far less common.

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## korg (Oct 27, 2013)

Nice pictures. I don't mean to take a photo thread off topic, but do you have any recommendations (in terms of books or other resources) for learning to ID southern Califronia bugs? You seem to be pretty good at it and I am interested in improving.


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## beetleman (Oct 27, 2013)

awesome pics ! awesome insects that calosoma is beautiful ofcourse.


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## Silberrücken (Oct 28, 2013)

Greater Angle-winged Katydid





---------- Post added 10-28-2013 at 12:28 AM ----------

_Acanalonia servillei_



PS ~ Not great at insect ID

Antlion Adult







_Xanthopastis timais_

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## Tenodera (Oct 29, 2013)

Schistocerca sp. nymph


Zelus longipes

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## Smokehound714 (Oct 30, 2013)

adult female _Stagmomantis californica_







 Ovipositing, taken with red light to prevent disturbance

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## Alltheworld601 (Nov 4, 2013)

oh, so much yes.

First, this dubia roach I posted in a different thread, cuz its handy right here:


_IGP9529 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr


_IGP9523 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

and one of the A. gigas millipedes I have cohabbing with the dubia "pets".


IMGP0904 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

Some kind of nymph, possibly a stink bug of some sort:


_IGP7355 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

Possibly the nymph stage of one of these:


DSCN0786 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

I have already forgotten the scientific name for this neat little guy:


285060_4256412601169_584692930_n by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

one of my favorite bugs ever, the crane fly:


306168_10150707627837844_507907843_9675938_71450762_n by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

A tent caterpillar from the bowels of heck


DSCN4388 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

A skipper


IMGP5681 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr


IMGP5682 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

This is how ladybugs molt from larvae...crazy!


IMGP6596 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

Common house flies are super pretty.


IMGP6606 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

I have no idea what the heck this is, but it has pretty eyelashes.


IMGP6780 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

Leaf hopper nymph:


IMGP6851 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

Some kind of sphynx caterpillar from St. Lucia, these crazy things were all over the place.


_IGP8027 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

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## Alltheworld601 (Nov 4, 2013)

also, sorry for the lack of scientific names.  I'm a stickler when it comes to tarantulas and scorpions, but my local insects I've got no clue.

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## papilio (Nov 4, 2013)

Really great images Jacqueline!!

Next Spring you really ought to start your own insects photo thread!   :biggrin:

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## les65 (Nov 10, 2013)

Here's a bee

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## les65 (Nov 10, 2013)

no idea what this is

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## Alltheworld601 (Jan 6, 2014)

ah, here it is!  I posted these in a separate thread but just to have them here with all the others, I'm re-posting them and bumping up the thread too 

Gyna caffrorum 


_IGP0599 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr


_IGP9689 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

Ergaula sp. Giant Black (with nymph fuzz)


_IGP0496 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr


_IGP0490 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr


_IGP0491 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

Ergaula male


_IGP9648 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

Wide horned hisser


_IGP0529 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

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## papilio (Jan 6, 2014)

Fantabulicious Jacqueline!!  :biggrin:

Liking the Raynox, I take it?  



btw, pretty nice DOF!  What f/x are you at?


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## Alltheworld601 (Jan 6, 2014)

I've got no idea, because the raynox is on my kit lens.  It won't fit my macro lens   I think last time I looked it was f/18.

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## papilio (Jan 6, 2014)

You might want to check eBay for a step-down ring so that you can mount it on your macro ... the magnification of the Raynox is proportional to the FL of the lens it's on.

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## asiletto (Jan 7, 2014)

Some of my ants:

_Polyrhachis dives_







_Paratopula sp._







_Monomorium destructor_







_Camponotus ligniperda_







_Solenopsis geminata_







_Camponotus sp._













_Iridomyrmex sp._

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## Smokehound714 (Jan 7, 2014)

asiletto said:


> Some of my ants:
> 
> _Polyrhachis dives_
> 
> ...


  Awesome!  Dont see this too often.  I gotta warn ya, though.. dont let those monos escape!  They are like the WORST pest on earth.  We had a huge infestation of em and they made it impossible to keep pets..  We got lucky and they suffered a sharp decline, my guess is the native black monomorium eradicated them, those prefer to live outdoors, thank god.

  I especially like your Polyrhachis.. nice beautiful brass sheen.

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## dociledragons (Jan 19, 2014)

Smokehound714 said:


> Awesome!  Dont see this too often.  I gotta warn ya, though.. dont let those monos escape!  They are like the WORST pest on earth.  We had a huge infestation of em and they made it impossible to keep pets..  We got lucky and they suffered a sharp decline, my guess is the native black monomorium eradicated them, those prefer to live outdoors, thank god.
> 
> I especially like your Polyrhachis.. nice beautiful brass sheen.


smoke.... Do you have the black ant W/ queen ava by chance?


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## Alltheworld601 (Feb 11, 2014)

_IGP1195 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

Ergaula sp. "Giant Black" (not very giant, nor very black)


_IGP1187 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

Good ol' dubia.


_IGP1183 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

A. gigas milli


_IGP1174 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

Thai rainbow


_IGP1166 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

New guy, possible Orthoporus sp, but no official ID as of yet

---------- Post added 02-11-2014 at 09:37 PM ----------

I should have made that thread over on the other forum.  Loving the ant photos above these, by the way.

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## papilio (Feb 11, 2014)

Really great images here Jacqueline!



Alltheworld601 said:


> Loving the ant photos above these, by the way.


Agreed, they're wonderful!


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## Smokehound714 (Feb 14, 2014)

35mm female Eleodes dentipes







 Interesting stenopelmatus sp 







 Mahogany Jerusalem cricket, you can see how different they look.







 Tiny 10mm juvenile likely the same species as the first jerusalem cricket..  all in the same area.







  Diabolical ironclad beetle  (What a name, haha)

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## asiletto (Feb 14, 2014)

Not a photo but a video, my L3 _Sphodromanthis cfr. lineola_ eating his first mealworm.

[video=youtube;ZiW8oOyDGOk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiW8oOyDGOk[/video]

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## Spepper (Feb 14, 2014)

asiletto said:


> Not a photo but a video, my L3 _Sphodromanthis cfr. lineola_ eating his first mealworm.
> 
> [video=youtube;ZiW8oOyDGOk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiW8oOyDGOk[/video]


Very cool, I especially love the time lapse at the end!  It reminded me of someone eating a popsicle actually. xD


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## Alltheworld601 (Feb 14, 2014)

Man I love plain old regular bugs.

That armored beetle is amazing.  I want one.  Or 50.


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## Smokehound714 (Feb 16, 2014)

Alltheworld601 said:


> Man I love plain old regular bugs.
> 
> That armored beetle is amazing.  I want one.  Or 50.


Id like to breed these, they live long, and im sure i could get a few hundred from one female, alone.  ..well, provided I succeed in rearing the young, and stage adequate breeding conditions.  They're kinda boring, but good additions for a communal setting, would be a good anti-fungal crew.  I might actually try growing mushrooms myself for teneb food.


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## zonbonzovi (Mar 11, 2014)

No need for this thread to disappear...

Carabus nemoralis with personal hygienist







Scaphinotus angusticollis larvae(?)







Porcellio scaber...this flavor keeps replicating itself in my colony





A few tideland isopods of whom I'm not too familiar with just yet







Tidal planarian



Caffeine fueled video:

[video]http://s604.photobucket.com/user/zonbonzovi/media/P1110964_zps2e2be080.mp4.html[/video]

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## beetleman (Mar 12, 2014)

wow! awesome stuff and the beetles?........well you know  great photos.

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## pannaking22 (Mar 13, 2014)

Old photos from the last couple years taken with a variety of cameras

_Cicindella sexguttata_ - six-spotted tiger beetle



Wasp with spider prey



Dragonfly (drawing a blank on name right now)



_Calopteryx maculata_ - ebony jewelwing



Few more photos to come once I take them off my T3

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## pannaking22 (Mar 15, 2014)

A few macro shots

Diabolical ironclad beetle - _Phloeodes diabolicus_



Blue death feigning beetle - _Asbolus verrucosus_






_A. verrucosus_ elytra



Black death feigning beetle - _Cryptoglossa variolosa_, with sand on its face


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## asiletto (Mar 16, 2014)

_Polistes sp._

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## artchic528 (Mar 16, 2014)

If anyone is interested in some beetle pictures, I have a colony of _Odontotaenius disjunctus_ (more commonly known as either Patent Leather Beetles or Jerusalem Beetles) living in an old rotting pile of logs in my backyard. I'll have to wait for a dryer day, as its kind of wet and rainy and of course, wet and cameras don't really mix well.

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## Smokehound714 (Mar 18, 2014)

Not-so-good macro of Eleodes osculans, better known as "Wooly darkling beetles"..

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## Alltheworld601 (Mar 20, 2014)

Big ol' G. portenosa


_IGP1881 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr


_IGP1886 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

And antennae 


_IGP1889 by alltheworldinonegirl, on Flickr

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## Silberrücken (Mar 20, 2014)

_Pantala flavescens_-Wandering Glider

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## Smokehound714 (Mar 20, 2014)

my largest Phloeodes diabolicus, at 25mm.  Hopefully i can find larger specimens in the future.

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## Mike41793 (Mar 20, 2014)

Found this in my car today. No clue what it is haha. I can't wait for it to get warmer out so all the fun bugs come out to play!  







Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk


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## Silberrücken (Mar 20, 2014)

*Malacosoma americanum* - Eastern Tent Caterpillar


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## pannaking22 (Mar 21, 2014)

Mike41793 said:


> Found this in my car today. No clue what it is haha. I can't wait for it to get warmer out so all the fun bugs come out to play!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's a stonefly of some sort (order Plecoptera)

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## Smokehound714 (Apr 8, 2014)

Nice to see some caterpillar shots.

 Here's a 4th instar Hyles lineata.  Foodplant is "Mexican evening primrose".   Im hoping to find more so i can get some eggs.  They get HUGE!













 Stenopelmatus sp "Fullerton":







 Stenopelmatus sp "Lake forest":  (possible hybrid between nigrocapitatus, and a mahogany)

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## zonbonzovi (Apr 16, 2014)

Gelastocoris oculatus

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## pannaking22 (Apr 17, 2014)

zonbonzovi said:


> Gelastocoris oculatus


Can't have an insect photo thread without gelastocorids lol


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## Silberrücken (Apr 17, 2014)

_*Actias luna*_-Luna Moth



_*Agrius cingulata*_-Pink-spotted Hawkmoth





_*Anisota virginiensis*_-Pink-striped Oakworm Moth







_*Antheraea polyphemus*_-Polyphemus Moth





_*Artace cribraria*_-Dot-lined White Moth







_*Darapsa myron*_-Subdued Sphinx Moth







_*Eacles imperialis*_-Imperial Moth







_*Enyo lugubris*_-Mournful Sphinx Moth

Female:







Male:







_*Xanthopastis timais*_-Spanish Moth







_*Xylophanes tersa*_-Tersa Sphinx Moth

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## Smokehound714 (Apr 17, 2014)

You know what I love about sphinx moth adults?  They're handleable!   

  I learned even with wild specimens, you can slide your hand under them and they'll either kick at you, or crawl on

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## asiletto (Apr 24, 2014)

Camponotus paria intermediate worker







Camponotus ligniperda small colony

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## Smokehound714 (Aug 15, 2014)

Diceroprocta _apache_

  'Citrus Cicada'      Very cool find.  Im assuming this just freshly molted the same day, as an exuvia was found nearby..  Collected at a bank by a street light.


  These things are LOUD!!   The alarm call was very painful to my ears.  A cool thing about these guys, is they developed a way to cool off in a manner analogous to sweating.  The drink excess sap and secrete it quickly, allowing them to live in harsh desert environments.

 Very beautiful!







 Iris _oratoria_ 'Mediterranean Mantis' 

  Adventive species from europe.  can be easily identified by the light orange spot on the ventral side of their abdomen.







   Ophryastes sp Weevil, one of many found on creosote bush.


  Next time I'll focus on the dune i ignored stupidly X(

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## WeeHector (Aug 18, 2014)

_Mantis religiosa_ female

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## WeeHector (Jan 24, 2015)

Focal stack of 8 shots


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## WeeHector (Feb 7, 2015)

Female Episyrphus balteatus


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## Widow lover (Feb 7, 2015)

*Cicada pic*





A Cicada resting on one of my Ricinus Communis.

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## Biollantefan54 (Feb 8, 2015)

Condylostylus comatus I think.

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## WeeHector (Feb 21, 2015)

Hornet devouring a wasp

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## WeeHector (Feb 22, 2015)

_Polistes dominula_ - European paper wasp feeding on a newly moulted firebug


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## WeeHector (Feb 28, 2015)

Female _Lasiocampa quercus_


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## WeeHector (Mar 2, 2015)

Female _Lampyris noctiluca_ - European glow worm.


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## eminart (Mar 5, 2015)

A few mantis nymphs my daughter and I are growing. 

Phyllocrania paradoxa













Tenodera sinensis

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## eminart (Mar 5, 2015)

Tenodera sinensis

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## eminart (Mar 5, 2015)

A few random insects.

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## InvertsandOi (Apr 26, 2016)

Found this little dude on my lunch break today. Then I found this great old thread and figured it was an appropriate place to stick him/her (is there a way to tell)

Cicindela sexguttata (Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle)

Reactions: Like 3


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