Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Keuka bugs   Leave a comment

This link should have observations with updated links: https://www.inaturalist.org/calendar/gaurav1729/2025/7/29

But first a sighting of a Neopamera albocincta (banded-antenna seed bug) from home:

Okay, back to Keuka

Hymenoptera

Lots of Ceratina (small carpenter bees) hanging around the flowers

Not sure what this is, but I think a sweat bee:

Pergid sawfly, Acordulecera specifically

Lepidoptera

Schreckensteinia:

Order Lepidoptera
Superfamily Schreckensteinioidea
Family Schreckensteiniidae
Genus Schreckensteinia

Diptera

Lots of hover flies. This one seems Toxomerus geminatus:

Long legged flies, Dolichopodidae –> Condylostylus. In fact, C. patibulatus was suggested.

Trichoptera

These Mystacides sepulchralis (black dancer caddisfly) were everywhere

Long antennae!

Coleoptera

Tumbling flower beetle, Mordellidae –> Mordella

Spiders

Gorgeous Pisaurina mira, nursery web spider

Posted 2025-07-29 by gaurav1729 in Uncategorized

Dedham Park and Rec complex   Leave a comment

Hymenoptera

Lasioglossum, sub-genus Dialictus, I think. One of the my favorites, I love the golden color.

If I had to guess, then my guess would be something like Cryptinae. iNaturalist goes further and claims Mesostenus, but that seems very very ambitious and optimistic.

Odonata

One of the dancers?

Argia, one of the dancers?

I thought this was funny, it took off as I was lining up the shot

Posted 2025-07-19 by gaurav1729 in Uncategorized

Borderland State Park, Northwest Trail   Leave a comment

Hot morning. Lots of bugs, but they were very active and I wasn’t able to take a lot of good photos. Still a wonderful morning walk.

Observations: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2025-07-05&user_id=gaurav1729&verifiable=any

Hymenoptera

Ichneumonidae, maybe Pimplinae? iNaturalist suggests Itoplectis conquisitor, but that’s very optimistic.

Poemeniinae?

Tribe Ephialtini from Pimplinae, maybe genus Dolichomitus, according to BugGuide.

Gorgeous ant, Camponotus chromaiodes, ferruginous carpenter ant.

Another Pimplinae, perhaps

And another?

Diptera

Tachinidae

Asilidae (robber fly), Laphria canis complex?

Syrphidae, Toxomerus marginatus

Hemiptera

Membracid –> Smiliinae –> Ophiderma pubescens

Coleoptera

I think it’s a ground beetle, Carabidae, but I like the photo.

iNaturalist suggests Tytthonyx
Order Coleoptera
Suborder Polyphaga
Infraorder Elateriformia
Superfamily Elateroidea
Family Cantharidae
Subfamily Silinae
Tribe Tytthonyxini

Deltometopus cf amoenicornis, which is NOT in Elateridae.

Superfamily Elateroidea
Family Eucnemidae
Subfamily Macraulacinae
Tribe Macraulacini

six spotted green tiger beetle, Cicindela sexguttata

Neuroptera

There were plenty of green lacewings, but a lot fewer opportunities to get good photographs of them. Chrysopinae?

Lepidoptera

Perhaps Acleris. There are tons and tons of Acleris, and so tough to pin it down further!

Spiders

Naphrys pulex

Castianeira cf longipalpa or variata, in Corrinidae

Frogs

Pseudacris crucifer, spring peeper?

No bugs

This little bit of red in the rock was interesting to me!

Cladonia lichen

Posted 2025-07-05 by gaurav1729 in Uncategorized

Massapoag Brook   Leave a comment

(off Billings)

See: https://www.inaturalist.org/calendar/gaurav1729/2025/6/15 for more up to date identifications

Coleoptera

I have a tough time with beetles that look like this. Maybe Podabrus?

Tachinus fimbriatus, in Staphylinidae

Another rove beetle, “compare with Oxyporus quinquemaculata”

Scirtes cf tibialis, in Scirtidae

Lucidota atra in Lampyridae? EDIT: Plateros in Lycidae suggested instead. Perhaps the distinguishing feature is the absence of a carina (keel) on the pronotum.

Isomira cf sericea, in Tenebrionidae.

Probably Elonus basilis in Aderidae

“I would tentatively place it in Elonus basalis based on coloration, locality, and whitish elytral pubescence.”

Hymenoptera

An Ichneumonid that is so amenable to pose for the camera, deserves a better and closer identification. Note the “horsehead” cell in the wing.

Another Ichneumonid?

Hemiptera

Adorable Fulgorid planthopper nymph

Psocoptera

(Barklouses)

Polypsocus corruptus

Again, Polypsocus cf corruptus

Diptera

These Syrphid flies aka hover flies were all over the place! Temnostoma cf balyras complex, see below

Hover Flies (Syrphidae) » Eristalinae » Milesiini » Temnostomina » Temnostoma » balyras, barberi, obscurum, or trifasciatum (Temnostoma balyras, barberi, obscurum, or trifasciatum)

Such an elegant fly

Spiders

Dimorphic jumping spider, Maevia inclemens, at home

Anyphaenidae:

The Leucauge venusta were everywhere, of course. Always nice to see the hairs on the femur of the fourth leg.

A better view:

This is probably Pityohyphantes in Linyphiidae

Acariformes

Anystis in Anystidae?

Fungus

No bugs

Posted 2025-06-16 by gaurav1729 in Uncategorized

Canoe River Powerlines, Foxborough   Leave a comment

Here’s one link to the observations: https://www.inaturalist.org/calendar/gaurav1729/2025/5/26

Hemiptera

Harmostes:
Order Hemiptera
Suborder Heteroptera
Infraorder Pentatomomorpha
Superfamily Coreoidea
Family Rhopalidae
Subfamily Rhopalinae
Tribe Harmostini
Genus Harmostes

Amphigonalia cf gothica, looking like a Maori warrior. It was flinging honeydew, I wish I had taken better photos of the process.

the honeydew

There was a puddle, not even a pond, and a lone Notonecta (milky backswimmer). From my vantage point, the backswimmer was swimming in the reflection of an electrical powerline tower, and that made for some very nice patterns in the water.

Lepidoptera

Ematurga:
Family Geometridae
Subfamily Ennominae
Tribe Boarmiini
Genus Ematurga, E. amitaria

Lycaena:
Superfamily Papilionoidea
Family Lycaenidae
Subfamily Lycaeninae
Tribe Lycaenini
Genus Lycaena

Probably Lycaena hypophlaeas.

Hemileuca caterpillars, not that far from where I first encountered them many years ago

Coleoptera

Dermestidae beetle, maybe Cryptorhopalum

I think Pachybrachis is a reasonable fit (in Chrysomelidae). The best fit that’s been found in New England is Pachybrachis femoratus or “Black Pachys” which doesn’t seem to be an actual taxon.

Random note: for some reason, there’s a sub-genus called “pubescent Pachys” which is weird (https://bugguide.net/node/view/979599/bgpage).

An egg case being laid. A warty leaf beetle, Fulcadini, perhaps Neochlamisus cf eubati. Compare with the photo here: https://bugguide.net/node/view/2294569

And I think this is also Pachybrachis, but maybe a different species. But I don’t see a great match among the Massachusetts records.

Cryptocephalus cf basilis, or C. quadruplex maybe, in Chrysomelidae, mating:

Elateridae, click beetles. Anything further is a guess, but maybe Limonius cf quercinus, the Oak click beetle.

Rhagonycha, but maybe Podabrus?

Synolabus bipustulatus

Hymenoptera

Maybe Andrena mining bee:

Andrena, apparently:

Ceratina, I think. (EDIT: perhaps sub-genus Zadontomerus)

Osmia, pretty hairy as expected. “Only two submarginal cells, for one thing.”

Lovely Ichneumonid, Anamalon genus.

Lovely Dasymutilla ursus in Mutellidae, aka velvet ant.

Orthoptera

A very photogenic grasshopper. Is that a parasite/parasitoid on its face?

Melanoplus

Diptera

My first Bombyllius major (bee flies), somehow. And I caught it flying too, a terrible photo, but flying nonetheless (upper right).

These are brood parasites, and are famous for dive bombing their eggs into other insects’ nests, literally on the fly (was the pun intended? I’ll never say).

A slightly better photo at rest:

Toxomerus in Syrphidae:

iNat says Muscoidea:

Odonata

Common whitetail, Plathemis lydia.

Spiders

Phidippus, perhaps P. clarus

Maybe Phidippus too

Habronattus, Habronattus viridipes complex.

If you want to be really really optimistic, you could go to Habronattus calcaratus maddisoni, https://bugguide.net/node/view/51312, but I think that is much too fine to be a real identification.

No bugs

iNat says Silene (catchflies)

I said no bugs, but these are bug nests of some type:

Posted 2025-05-26 by gaurav1729 in Uncategorized

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F. Gilbert Hills State Forest, Foxboro   Leave a comment

The number of Lady’s Slippers was something I hadn’t seen before, dozens and dozens.

Pollen on the water

Perhaps Acordulecera, Pergid sawfly

Oak leafrolling weevil, Synolabus bipustulatus

Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Curculionoidea » Leaf Rolling Weevils (Attelabidae) » Leaf-rolling Weevils (Attelabinae) » Synolabus » Oak Leafrolling Weevil (Synolabus bipustulatus)

Sawfly, Tenthredinidae?

ant alate?

mating weevils, Odontopus calceatus

Another sawfly, Tenthredinidae?

What’s with the random head lying around?

Just sharing this because I really like the shade of blue

Zelus luridus assassin bug

Tons of witch hazel galls, made by aphids

Posted 2025-05-18 by gaurav1729 in Uncategorized

Massapoag Trail   Leave a comment

First bug walk of the year. My flash is not behaving 😦 so these photos aren’t great.

Coleoptera

Firefly, perhaps winter firefly, Ellychnia corrusca?

Lepidoptera

Perhaps Haploa

Diptera

Crane fly, Tulipidae?

Another crane fly

“Genus Chyliza. Yeah, they look a bit unusual with that kink in the folded wings.” Very unexpected:

Hymenoptera

Nomada, in a brief period of resting before zooming off again.

Halictidae, probably Augochlora pura:

Plecoptera

This isn’t the first time I’ve noticed stoneflies with pollen on them, perhaps pollinators? For the record, there’s at least one paper describing stoneflies playing a role in pollinations: https://esj-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1442-1984.12178

Spiders

Cyclosa conica

Ticks (Ixodidae)

Misc

resin drop, I think:

Posted 2025-04-29 by gaurav1729 in Uncategorized

Caddisfly larva article   Leave a comment

Posted 2025-03-28 by gaurav1729 in Uncategorized

Some vernal pools   Leave a comment

Pine St

I don’t know what these globules are, but I wish I did.

EDIT: Here is a useful comment:

With regard to those “globules” you had observed (and photographed), If they are not a type of aquatic/aero-aquatic fungus, then they most likely are Spotted Salamander spermatophores.   These are picked up by a female salamander, fertilized internally, and then in a few days she deposits them (as egg masses) on vegetation in a seasonal pool.  *And remember, along with that unique matrix covering them below water, they can often appear opaque in color, so quite different from Wood Frog egg masses.   Of course, both A Field Guide to the Animals of Vernal Pools by Kenney and Burne, and Vernal Pools: Natural History and Conservation by Colburn are terrific resources that will impart much, much more information.

A predaceous diving beetle. There were tons and tons of them. Every now and then one would climb out like this.

Moose Hill boardwalk

I don’t know what these are:

Copepod

This terrible photo of a spider, maybe a dwarf spider, Erigoninae?

Posted 2025-03-24 by gaurav1729 in Uncategorized

Moose Hill marsh area   Leave a comment

Hydrachnidia (EDIT: Eylais in Eylaidae was also suggested)

Caddisfly larva:

Coming out of the casing

Posted 2025-03-15 by gaurav1729 in Uncategorized