Reports from the Field

Bug o’the Week – Bee Moth

Greetings, BugFans,

BugFan Danielle sent these shots and wondered if the moth might be a Bee moth (Aphomia sociella). The BugLady agreed that it could very well be, but she emphasized that if there is a secret handshake for moth identification, she hasn’t learned it yet.

Bee moths are in the family Pyralidae, the Grass or Snout moths (the family Crambidae shares the name “Snout moths,” and for the same reason – because the sensory mouthparts (labial palps) of some members are prominent and protruding.

01.28.26

Bug o’the Week – Giant Leopard Moth

Howdy, BugFans,

Honorary BugFan Lisa sent the BugLady a picture of her glove posed next to a big, fat caterpillar and asked if it might be a wooly bear. There are a number of species of caterpillars that are called wooly bears, but the wooly bear in question is the caterpillar of the Isabella Tiger Moth, a caterpillar that has found a place in folklore for its (supposed) ability to predict winter weather. When a wooly bear has wide, black bands, it’s predicting a harsh winter. Mistaking this black caterpillar for a wooly bear that’s gone all in for an Armageddon winter is a common mistake

Turns out that the caterpillar was something less common and way more exciting.

01.21.26

Bug o’the Week – Eastern Parson Spider

Howdy, BugFans,

One of the BugLady’s inquilines is an Eastern parson spider. An inquiline (from the Latin inquilinus meaning “lodger” or “tenant”) is an animal that lives in the dwelling of another animal. Like the Tree frog that overwintered with the BugLady last year, the Parson spider is finding enough to eat.

01.14.26

Bug o’the Week – Tri-colored Harp Ground Beetle

Howdy, BugFans,

What an awesome beetle – thanks to BugFan Dave for sharing it!

There’s not a whole lot of information out there about this species, and there’s some misinformation (more about that in a sec), so let’s sneak up on it, taxonomically.

01.07.26

Bug o’the Week – Carrot Wasp Rerun

Greetings, BugFans,

It’s the week between Christmas and NewYear’s, and the TV stations that aren’t showing sports and reruns are airing Hallmark Holiday movies. Here’s a rerun from 2012 – old words, new pictures.

Here’s the “take-home” – when you meet a critter with a name like Gasteruption, you just have to stop what you’re doing and embrace the Gasteruption experience.

12.31.25

Bug o’the Week – The Twelve Bugs of Christmas

Howdy, BugFans,

It’s that time of year again – time to put our feet up, sip adult beverages by the light of the tree, hum “The Twelve Bugs Days of Christmas,” and dream of spring (the days are getting longer, you know).  Here are a Baker’s Dozen from 2025.

12.29.25

Bug o’the Week – Redspotted Antmimic Spider

Howdy, BugFans,

In mid-summer, BugFan Dave shared these dynamite pictures of a pretty spiffy little spider that the BugLady has never seen – the (unhyphenated) Redspotted antmimic spider (Castianeira descripta). Thanks, Dave!

Antmimic spiders used to be in the “catchall” Sac spider family Clubionidae, but now they’re found in the family Corinnidae, the Corinnid sac spiders. Antmimic spiders don’t spin trap webs – they pursue their prey on foot – but they do use silk to encase their eggs and to spin retreats in sheltered places. They tend to be drab, fast-moving spiders.

12.17.25

Bug o’the Week – Goldenrod Watch redux

Howdy, BugFans,

It’s the start of December – and of meteorological winter – and it’s cold out, and the BugLady is still wondering what, exactly, happened to August.  Here’s a little slice of August, from 15 years ago.

The BugLady’s advice for the day is: Find yourselves a big clump of goldenrod and start looking.  Bring your camera.  Bring a lawn chair. Each critter has its own story, and it is in understanding the small stories that we start to get a handle on the big picture. 

12.03.25

Bug o’the Week – The Pennants Redux

Howdy, BugFans,

Here’s a rerun from 2010, with a few new words and pictures.

The BugLady would like to state up front that this episode is about “pennants” (as in “small flags”), not about “penance,” which is between BugFans and their deities.

After the awesome Slaty Skimmer, some of the BugLady’s (many) favorite dragonflies are the Calico and the Halloween Pennants. The Pennants are the stuff that tattoos are made of (someday). The internet agrees; it’s light on Pennant information and heavy on Pennant pictures, but they are eye candy!

11.26.25

Bug o’the Week – Dewdrop Spider

Greetings, BugFans,

In honor of Halloween, we’re ending the month with a spider. A very cool little spider with a big story.

The Dewdrop spider Argyrodes elevatus (Argyrodes means “silver-like), in the Cobweb/Comb-footed/Tangle-web spider family Theridiidae, doesn’t live around here, though other genera of Dewdrop spiders do. Theridiids are found in North America, indoors and out, in an almost infinite variety of habitats, from border to border and from sea to shining sea (and around the world). Thanks, as always, to BugFan Tom for sharing his pictures.

10.29.25

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