a little wild   (a small slice of wildlife)

This is Paraphiddipus, I think.

Theridiidae? EDIT: Thymoides unimaculatus

Torymidae, perhaps Monodontomerus.

“Parasitica” – Parasitoid Wasps » Chalcidoid Wasps (Chalcidoidea) » Torymidae

Hi everyone! First of all, this website will continue to be just as active as before.

I’ve created a new website: https://anaturalslant.wordpress.com. This is also for my photographs, but it’s in a portfolio format, and also has particular galleries for specific types of photos, such as black and white, minimalist, broad landscapes, more intimate nature photos, photos taken nearby, etc.

It’s also oriented less towards bugs, and more towards other nature photos, although there are certainly some bug highlights.

I hope you check it out and enjoy it!

Great bug walk with Don and Kyla Bennett! The highlight was the samples from the lake, but I don’t have a ton of photos of that part.

Hemiptera

I’m not 100% confident this is even a bug, but I think this is a woolly aphid. Something like Phyllaphis fagi (Woolly Beech Aphid)? I thought it showed signs of feet and antenna, but I don’t see them in this photo very well. One point for great camouflage!

Backswimmer, Notonectidae –> Notonecta.

Jikradia olitoria

Hymenoptera

Ichneumonids are always tricky, but this is certainly sub-family Pimplinae, probably tribe Pimplini, and hopefully genus Itoplectus. Or it could be something else.

Odonata

From the lake (thank you Don!). Naiad (I think that’s the correct term) of a damselfly.

And an adult damselfly. Variable/violet dancer, I think — genus Argia.

And another

Coleoptera

Whirligig beetle

Diptera

Dolichopodidae, probably Dolichopus.

Spiders

Well, not actually a spider. Opiliones are omnivorous, and here’s a capture of one eating an ant.

Jumping spider. Probably a female Hentzia?

Vertebrates (!)

A tiny turtle. I was told this was a musk turtle, thank you Kyla.

Urban Nature Walk, organized by Jef Taylor, with the amazing Sloan Tomlinson talking about wasps!

(Some quick identifications now, more at leisure in a few days).

Lepidoptera

The black locust leaf miner: https://bygl.osu.edu/node/846

“Another twist to add to this story is the fact that there is another leafminer that can be found on black locust trees called the locust digitate leafminer (Parectopa robiniella), a species of moth. The adult moth is tiny with a wingspan less than 1/4″ from tip to tip. Unlike the locust leafminer beetle, only the caterpillar feeds on the leaves of the locust tree.  There can be 2 to 3 generations per year.”

Jef pointed out that this one has a central spot, and then carves out the leaf innards outwards from that spot, after which it returns back there and creates another node of the star shape.

Hymenoptera

With Sloan’s presence, of course the Hymenoptera were the star of the outing. It doesn’t mean I was able to actually identify them myself, of course.

Ectemnius, in Crabronidae:

Masked bee in Hylaeus

What bee? Probably something in Andrena.

Also something in Andrena, perhaps? EDIT: Andrena nubecula

Isodontia cf mexicana

Paper wasp, Polistes

Some type of potter wasp, I think.

Agapostemon virescens in Halictidae, presumably:

Another Andrena?

Lovely Pompilidae wasp, perhaps Anoplius

Coleoptera

Blister beetle — Epicauta, presumably

These beetles were absolutely everywhere. Chauliognathus pensylvanicus, goldenrod soldier beetle in Cantharidae. The mystery of the missing ‘n’ in pen(n)sylvanicus persists.

Diptera

Dolichopodidae

Spectacular Bombyllidae fly imitating Ammophila wasps in Sphecidae. Systropus macer, I think.

From BugGuide: “The best feature to separate this [Systropus angulatus] from the other eastern species, S. macer, is whether the propleuron (the swollen sclerite on the anterior edge of the thorax) is yellow (S. macer) or black with silvery hairs (S. angulatus).”

Hemiptera

Gorgeous — Pentatomidae –> tribe Carpocorini –> Mormidea lugens, I think.

Handsome trig, Phyllopalpus pulchellus

Spiders

What a gorgeous Micrathena gracilis!

These Argiope were very common!

Phiddipus audax

And another:

No bugs

A wonderful bug walk, led by Jace Porter, of Global Entomology Coalition: https://www.entomologycoalition.org/

Hammond Pond, near Chestnut Hill. I didn’t know we had these nice woods so close to town.

Observations, with latest edits, found here: https://www.inaturalist.org/calendar/gaurav1729/2025/8/17

Hymenoptera

Ammophila, in Sphecidae. They love stocking up on caterpillars as food for their babies.

This confused me at first. Episyron bigutattus, two spotted spider wasp, Pompilidae.

Lasioglossum

Lovely wasp in Ichneumonidae. Anomalon:

Hemiptera

Ambush bug, Phymata pennsylvanica

Flatid planthopper, Flatidae. Probably Flatormenis.

Classic Zelus luridus nymph

Stink bug, Pentatomidae. Dendrocoris humeralis.

Diptera

Lovely fly in Micropezidae. They are consummate wasp mimics, and even hold their front legs in front of them to mimic the wasp antennae. They had me completely fooled.

Specifically, Rainieria antennaepes

iNat called this a Bellardia bottle fly. I tried to foolishly persuade Jef Taylor that it wasn’t a bottle fly, which should teach me something. If it is in fact Bellardia, it’s fairly rare, but I don’t know if we can go that fine.

Neuroptera

I think this is a lacewing larva. I can’t rule out other Neuropterans though.

And Neuropteran eggs:

Spiders

Ghost spider, Anyphaenidae. Anyphaena genus was suggested.

A highlight for me!! Micrathena

Dictynidae. iNaturalist AI suggests Nopalityna, which I’m not familiar with, but am skeptical about.

Second trip to Urbana State Park in a few days. You can finda list of observations here: https://www.inaturalist.org/calendar/gaurav1729/2025/8/4

Diptera

Condylostylus –> complex Condylostylus caudatus

Rhagio, snipe fly. From iNaturalist:

“This is R. tringarius, a European species very common in the northeast, but also now on the West Coast. This species has a yellowish-brown frons (seen in females only) and humerus; diamonds on the first few abdominal segments; yellowish stigmata in the wings; and yellowish fore tibiae. Females are often more lightly marked, and more golden, than males.

If you don’t already know of it, there’s also a table of information on Rhagio in the Fly Guides under the Orthorrhapha column in the ‘Species Guides’ section. The Fly Guides are great for a lot of detailed info, and they’re meant for identifying from photos.
https://sites.google.com/view/flyguide/species-guides“

Bombylidae

Syrphidae –> Erastalinae –> Sphegina (Pufftails)

Dolichopus

Hemiptera

Something in Membracidae –> Membracini. EDIT: BugGuide further refines it to Membracini » Enchenopa » Wide-footed Treehopper (Enchenopa latipes)

Aphrophora spittlebugs

“Aphrophora salicina (Goeze, 1778) Willow Spittlebug

Similar in form to Aphrophora alni (Fallén, 1805), but the forewings are more uniformly colored. Introduced from the Palearctic, mostly restricted to New England; recently reported from Quebec. It is a specialist on willows.”

And another

Clastoptera proteus, dogwood spittlebug

Flatid planthopper. Flatormenis proxima:

True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Hoppers (Auchenorrhyncha) » Planthoppers (Fulgoromorpha) » Fulgoroidea » Flatid Planthoppers (Flatidae) » Flatinae » Nephesini » Flatormenis » Northern Flatid Planthopper (Flatormenis proxima)

Stictocephala

Hymenoptera

Augochlora

This photo gives a better idea of the color

Pimplinae?

And another

Ichneumonidae

And this is probably Crabronidae, but which one. EDIT: Probably Rhopalum. Can be distinguished from Pemphredoninae based on wing venation.

Aculeata – Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea sans Anthophila – Apoid Wasps » Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies (Crabronidae) » Crabroninae » Square-headed Wasps (Crabronini) » Crabronina » Rhopalum

Pelecinus polyturator

Odontocolon in Ichneumonidae? Instead, Dolochomitus irritator was suggested.

Braconidae –> Doryctinae –> Spathius. This one has a proper ovipositor, as opposed to the one from last time that was deformed.

Lepidoptera

Scopula

Geometrid Moths (Geometridae) » Sterrhinae » Scopulini » Scopula

Coleoptera

Eropterus in Lycidae

Elateridae. Athous neacanthus (https://bugguide.net/node/view/2481230), which makes it a New York state first sighting (in BugGuide + iNaturalist).

Mecoptera

“Only” two scorpionflies

Finally a female one!

Spiders

Thomisidae

Leiobunum vittatum (I know, not actually a spider)

Mangora — is this a normal web, or is it a result of parasitoid infestation?

Vertebrate

No bugs

Are the next three galls?

crab spider Thomisidae

Augchlora pura in Halictidae

Net-winged beetle Lycidae

Pisaurina mira

Hands down the best bugwatching area I’ve ever encountered. This may be normal for some people, but it feels incredibly rich for me!

Here are the observations, with updated identifications: https://www.inaturalist.org/calendar/gaurav1729/2025/7/30. You can see how species rich the walk was.

The highlight had to be the three observations of scorpionflies within half an hour of each other. I’ve never even had three scorpionfly observations in a season before.

Hemiptera

We’ll keep this at tribe Scaphoideini and hope that that is safe enough.

True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Hoppers (Auchenorrhyncha) » Cicadas, Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, and Treehoppers (Cicadomorpha) » Leafhoppers and Treehoppers (Membracoidea) » Typical Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) » Deltocephalinae » Scaphoideini

Acanthocephala

Brown stink bug, Euschistus:

Berytidae, stilt bug

Diptera

iNaturalist says genus Ilisia, but Limoniidae at least seems safe.

iNat says Sargus in Stratiomyidae, but of course going to genus is a bit aggressive.

Flies (Diptera) » Orthorrhapha » Stratiomyomorpha » Soldier flies (Stratiomyidae) » Sarginae » Sargus

I think this is Microdon, in Syrphidae. The question then is, which one?

NOTE: Eumerus was suggested in iNaturalist, in Erastalinae. Microdon has much larger antennae, I’m told.

Dolichopodidae, perhaps Chrysotus:

Hybos reversus, according to iNaturalist:

And another

Picturesque Bombylid:

Another Dolichopodid:

Toxomerus geminatus:

Coleoptera

Eucnemidae, false click beetle.

Hymenoptera

Is this something like Isodonta mexicana (leaf carrying wasp)? I think so, but I personally can’t even rule out Eumeninae (potter wasps).

EDIT: “not vespidae by the wing shape (the majority of vespids will hold their wings out like this at rest but will also fold them lengthwise giving them a characteristic thinner look, for ex: https://bugguide.net/node/view/947720) and the thin thread-like petiole bt thorax and abdomen puts this in sphecidae, isodontia is the only sphecid in the region to hold wings out like this”

These Ichneumonids were all over the place. I also got some mildly unsatisfactory photos of one ovipositing.

“Probably Pimplinae”

And hey, another one:

Ant alate

Camplopegine Ichneumonid, I think:

This could be Spathius. Notice the folding of the ovipositor. There are also stray strands around the ovipositor, and I don’t know what they are.

Odonata

Ischnura, a forktail? Ischnura posita, fragile forktail, was suggested.

Mecoptera

As promised, multiple scorpionflies, all in Panorpa! Here’s the first:

Number two:

Mr. Panorpa number 3:

Spiders

Lovely Leucauge venusta

Tiny spiderling:

No exoskeletons

A nice gall

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