insectsinflorida

White-topped Black Moth

The White-topped Black Moth (Melanchroia chephise) and Its Relationship with the Snowbush (Breynia nivosa)
If you examine the leaves of the snowbush (Breynia nivosa), you might spot a striking yellow caterpillar adorned with black stripes, feeding on its foliage. This caterpillar is the larval form of the white-topped black moth (Melanchroia chephise), a member of the Geometridae family, often referred to as “inchworms” or “spanworms” due to their characteristic looping movement.
Unlike most moths, which are primarily nocturnal, the white-topped black moth is an unusual daytime flyer. As adults, they have a wingspan of slightly over an inch, with velvety, dark navy-blue to black wings tipped in white on all four wings. The thorax is a vibrant orange, making them easily identifiable.
When laying eggs, this species is highly selective about its chosen host plants. The snowbush (Breynia nivosa) is the preferred plant for egg-laying, but the moth can also utilize other plants like the Otaheite gooseberry (Phyllanthus acidus), snow-on-the-mountain (Euphorbia marginata), and potentially the white sapote (Casimiroa edulis). Once the eggs hatch, the caterpillars emerge as voracious feeders, quickly consuming the leaves of the host plant.
While the caterpillars primarily feed on the leaves, if the leaf supply runs low, they may feed on the twigs and bark of the snowbush. Although this can cause significant defoliation, healthy snowbush plants are usually resilient and can recover from moderate caterpillar damage. However, in cases where the caterpillar population is high, and there are few natural predators, excessive feeding could lead to serious harm or even the death of the plant.
No intervention is necessary for those who appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of the moth and its caterpillar. However, if defoliation is a concern and the aesthetic of the snowbush is important, controlling the caterpillar population is essential. To manage infestations, regularly inspect the undersides of snowbush leaves for salmon-pink eggs, which can be manually removed and destroyed.
Read more

Long-Tailed Giant Ichneumonid Wasp

Long-Tailed Giant Ichneumonid Wasp (Megarhyssa macrurus) is a large reddish brown and yellow wasp with black coloring throughout the body. It is 1.5 inches long with an ovipositor 2-3 inches long. This insect is found on declining or dead hardwood trees between May and July. Due to their body structures, they can sometimes be mistaken for mayflies or dragonflies.
Ichneumonid wasps are parasitic to other insects, such as horntails, a wood-eating sawfly. Ichneumonid wasps are usually found on dying or dead hardwoods, such as oak, maple, birch, and elm as these are the wood preferred by horntails. They can drill about an ½ inch or more into the wood using their ovipositor to deliver an egg into the horntail larvae. Once the egg hatches, the larvae will slowly feed on the horntail, eventually killing it. Once it matures, the adult will emerge out of the tree. These wasps do not harm the trees; they only feed on the horntail.
These wasps are harmless to humans. However, if threatened, they will jab their ovipositor, resulting in a minor wound. Because they are parasites on other insects, they can be considered a biological pest control agent.
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
Read more

Common Eastern Bumblebee

When people hear bumblebee, their first reaction is fear since their sting can be painful and unpleasant, and some people have an allergic reaction to their sting. Even though they can sting, they are one of the most beneficial animals in nature, improving our lives daily! Bumblebees have fur all over their bodies; these little hairs collect and trap pollen, which the bees carry from one plant to another. Little black hairs cover the head, abdomen, and legs. The thorax is yellow. Bees are pollinators, moving from plant to plant while searching for protein-rich nectar. The Common Eastern Bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) pollinates flowers and numerous fruit and vegetable crops. Bees form the foundation of the food chain for other species, including humans.
The Common Eastern Bumblebee is found throughout the east coast from Maine to Florida and west through Ohio. They fly near gardens, farms, and backyards in spring and summer. Their nests are located in woodlands and fields. Bumblebees are important food sources for other animals, such as birds, spiders, wasps, and small mammals.
Eastern Common Bumblebees are social insects living in colonies. Bumblebees have annual nests that can have about 300 to 500 individuals! Newly mated queen bees hibernate over winter, then emerge in early spring to search for a nest site. Worker bees develop first, followed by males and new queens at the end of summer. Worker bees, males, and the old queen die in the fall. Due to habitat loss, invasive species, parasites, and pesticides, pollinators worldwide are in decline.
Cool Fact! Bees with stingers are all females! They are the workers and queens. Males cannot sting and are called drones.
Another Cool Fact! Unfertilized eggs develop into males, and fertilized eggs develop into females.
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
Read more

Two Striped Walking Stick

The Two Striped Walking Stick (Anisomorpha buprestoides) (Stoll) is a common stick insect in Florida. There are a few other names that this insect is referred to, devil’s riding horse, prairie alligator, stick bug, witch’s horse, devil’s darning needle, scorpion, and musk mare. That last name was given to this species because of its capability to squirt a strong-smelling defensive spray that can painfully irritate the eyes and mucus membrane.
The Two Striped Walking Stick is large and stout (not a common physical trait of stick insects); it has three long black strips or two thick white strips, depending on how you look at them. Females are much larger measuring 67.7 mm in length while males are much smaller and slender measuring 41.7 mm.
Like any stick insects, these species are herbivores, feeding on the leaves of trees and shrubs. Not much is known about their life history, but many have observed that females will secrete her eggs on the ground, mainly during the Fall season. Stick insects will use their secretion if they perceive a threat, this occurs typically with physical contact.
These guys may be small but there have been studies that showed the effect the stick insects’ secretion can cause, it can be highly irritating to the eyes of both humans and animals and can cause excruciating pain.
Cool Fact! This species can be commonly found with the smaller male riding on top of the larger female.
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
Read more

Southern Pearly Eye

The Southern Pearly Eye (Lethe portlandia) has a wingspan of 2¼ – 2¾ inches. The antennal club (the tip and thickest part of the antenna) is orange. As caterpillars, they are green or brown with thin, light stripes, two short tails, and two reddish horns on green heads. As chrysalis (pupa) they are little green pendants that often dangle from a host plant stem. Their host plants are Canes (Arundenaria spp.). They are most active on cloudy days and at dusk.
Cool Fact: Cocoons and chrysalis are often used interchangeably when discussing moths and butterflies, but they are two completely different things! Moths form cocoons, whereas butterflies form chrysalis.
Photo Credit: Lynn Marie
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
Read more

Hover Fly

The hoverfly (Allograpta obliqua) can be found in most of the continental United States, parts of Canada, and Mexico. It is a colorful and common fly in Florida.
Just like its name suggests, it can hover or fly backward. Adults usually visit flowers for nectar; they have also been seen around aphid (greenfly and blackfly) colonies, laying their eggs and feeding on honeydew secreted by the aphids. Adults aid pollination as they can pollinate some plants.
The larvae stage of this species are essential predators as they feed on aphids, which are crop-damaging insects. When larval populations are high, they can reduce aphid populations by 70 to 100%!
Adults occur throughout the year in northern Florida; they are more abundant during spring and summer. In southern Florida, they are also abundant during winter. Their life cycle varies from three weeks in summer to nine weeks in winter. They lay their eggs singly on a leaf or twig, where aphids are abundant. They hatch for two to three days during the summer and around eight days in the winter. When it is time for the larvae to pupate, they will fasten themselves to a leaf or twig. The pupal stage takes up to ten days in summer and 18 to 33 days in winter.
Photo Credit: Lynn Marie
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
Read more

Giant Leaf-footed Bug

The giant leaf-footed bug (Acanthocephala declivis), is a strikingly large insect found throughout parts of North America. This bug gets its name from its distinctively shaped hind legs, which resemble leaves and are used to camouflage it in its environment. The body of this insect is typically brown or gray and is about an inch in length. This species has a pronotum, a place that covers the thorax that extends to the abdominal region. It also has dull tubercles and rounded nodules in the middle of the pronotum. Giant leaf-footed bugs feed on the sap of various plants, and they can sometimes be a pest to agricultural crops such as tomatoes and citrus. While they may not harm humans, these bugs can be quite a nuisance when they invade homes and gardens.
Photo Credit: Aymee Laurain
Read more

Needham’s Skimmer

The Needham’s Skimmer (Libellula needhami) is found most often in coastal areas throughout Florida. This species of dragonflies was named after James Needham, an American entomologist.
The adult male Needham’s Skimmer’s body is orangish-red while the female’s body is yellow. Both have pale orange wings. Adults grow to 2.1 inches. Look for them in wetlands, ponds, and brackish water.
Photo Credit: David Gale
Read more

Great Southern White

The Great Southern White, Ascia monuste, is found primarily in coastal habitats. Look for them at beaches, in salt marshes, and along roadsides.
These beautiful white butterflies have a wingspan of 1 .75 to 2 .25. Males have a black zig-zag pattern on their outer forewing.
These common butterflies produce multiple generations each year. Great Southern Whites use plants in the mustard family as larval hosts. These include pepper grass, saltwort, limber caper, and sea rocket.
Photo Credit: Andy Waldo
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
Read more

Black Bee Killer and Batesian Mimicry

The Black Bee Killer, Mallophora atra (also known by the species name M. nigra), is a rarely seen member of the robber fly family. They are only found in Florida, with a single specimen sighted in North Carolina. Similar in structure to the more common Florida Bee Killer (M. bomboides), the black bee killer has an all-black abdomen and scutellum, as seen in the photo. There is some discussion as to if this is a separate species or a color variant of the more commonly seen Florida bee killer.
The black bee killer is quite similar in its life history to the other 2 bee killers found in Florida. They are large flies that are a great example of Batesian mimicry. Their bodies mimic bumblebees or carpenter bees and even make a buzzing sound when in flight! Batesian mimicry is when a harmless species evolves to have a similar appearance to another more dangerous species. In the case of M. atra, predators avoid eating bees due to the painful sting. This allows the flies to hunt in the open with less fear of being attacked themselves.
Other, more common Batesian mimics are the monarch butterfly and its mimics, the gulf fritillary, queen, and viceroy butterflies. In reptiles, you have the venomous coral snake, and its mimics the scarlet kingsnake and the scarlet snake. Southern and eastern hognose snakes resemble their more dangerous cousin, the pygmy rattlesnake.
The black bee killer inhabits open habitats where they perch on small branches and weed stalks, waiting for their prey to pass by. That prey includes primarily social bees such as honey bees, carpenter bees, bumblebees, and a few species of wasps. Honey bees seem to be a favorite food source due to their size and slower flight patterns. The female black killer bee lays eggs in the soil, but not much is known about the larval development of these robber flies. Other species of Mallophora larva have been known to parasitize on the larva of scarab beetles.
Photo Credit: David Gale and AndyWaldo
Read more

Summer Fishfly

The Summer Fishfly, Chauliodes pectinicornis, is an insect that grows to approximately 1 1/2 inches. It is omnivorous and spends most of its life in still or slow-moving water with lots of detritus. Th fishfly undergoes a complete metamorphosis in a log or under bark and emerges as the adult you see here. It will mate, lay eggs near the water, and die within seven days.

Read more

Southern Plains Bumblebee

Southern Plains Bumblebees, Bombus fraternus, are found from New Jersey south to Central Florida and from the eastern coast to the Rocky Mountains. Females are typically smaller than males with the exception of the queen. Males can be distinguished by the two bands across the abdomen. These bees are active from spring through fall. They feed on a variety of native flowers including goldenrod, blazing stars, milkweed, and flowers within the Asteraceae family.
Southern Plains Bumblebees are endangered. The greatest threat to this species is declining habitat. By adding native flowering plants to your landscape, you can help create a habitat for this declining species.
Photo credit: Aymee Laurain
Read more

Great Blue Skimmer

Great Blue Skimmers, Libellula vibrans, are found in forested wetlands, swamps, and near lakes and ponds where still or slow-moving shallow water is present. These are large dragonflies that measure 2.3 inches and are often called King Skimmers.
The bodies of adult male Great Blue Skimmers are blue while the female’s body is brown. After fertilization, females pick up a drop of water to help eggs stay on the shore. Once the larvae hatch, they return to the water where they develop into adults.
Photo Credit Ted Koran
Read more

Polyphemus Moth

The Polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus, is a giant silk moth that can be found from Mexico to southern Canada and in every US state except Nevada and Arizona. The moth’s wingspan measures 4 – 6 inches. Colors vary and include gray, tan, and brown with shades of red, yellow, and pink. Polyphemus moths have large eyespots on their hind wings and were named after Polyphemus, the giant cyclops from Greek mythology with a large eye in the middle of his forehead. The male’s (pink pictured) antennae are bushier than the female’s (tan pictured) antennae.
 
Females produce 2 broods each year. In Florida, newly emerged Polyphemus moths can be found year-round. Because of their vestigial mouthparts, they cannot eat. A newly emerged female will release a pheromone to attract a male. The dating game lasts throughout the night with the most activity a few hours before sunrise. The pair will remain coupled all day before separating at sunset. For the next several nights, the female will lay single eggs in groups of two or three on a leaf of an oak tree or other desirable host tree.
 
Look for these moths near man-made light sources. Of concern is the Polyphemus moth’s attraction to mercury vapor lights that may distract them from mating, thus impacting their populations in cities and neighborhoods. (Worth and Muller 1979)
 
Photo Credit: David Gale (pink)
Photo Credit: Erin James (tan)
Read more

Florida Harvester Ant

Florida harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex badius, are reddish-brown and are easily spotted atop their nests in sandy soils. Their nests can be found in open woodlands, gardens, and lawns. The ants move about once a year and build a new subterranean nest that can be up to 6.5 feet deep.
Florida Harvester ants are polymorphic which means they are more than one size. The Major worker has quite a large head but is not any more aggressive than the minor workers. Each nest has one queen and an abundance of and minority workers. Harvester ants mate in May and swarm from June through Oct with the most swarms occurring in August and September.
Harvester Ants gather seeds from the ground and plants. They rely on the sun and odor trails to find their way back to the nest. After husking the seeds and discarding the waste in a midden near the entrance of the nest, the seeds are stored in grainery chambers within the nest. Favorite seeds include evening primrose, pokeweed, and red clover.
Although not aggressive, as with any animal, Florida harvester ants will defend themselves. Because they inject poison into their aggressor, their stings are more painful and last longer than the stings of most other ants.
#ConnectRespectCoexist
Photo Credit: Andy Waldo
Read more

Seaside Dragonlet

The Seaside Dragonlet, Erythrodiplax berenice, is the only North American dragonfly that breeds in saltwater.

Native to Florida, these small dragonflies can be found in mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and coastal strands throughout Florida. Adult males are a dusty dark blue, juveniles are yellow and black, and adult females’ color varies. Seaside Dragonlets dine on other insects and can be seen year-round near Florida’s coasts.

Photo Credit: Dan Kon

Read more

Cloudless Sulpher

Cloudless Sulpher

Cloudless sulfurs, (Phoebis sennae), live in Florida year-round. These beautiful, bright yellow butterflies are hard to miss with their wingspans of 2 – 3 inches. Look for them in sunny, open areas such as along roadsides and in pastures, fields, and meadows.

Cloudless Sulfurs can be seen in large numbers during the fall migration season. Many spend their winters in Florida south of Gainesville. Nectar plants include red morning-glories, scarlet creeper, and cypress vine, scarlet sage, and Salvia. Cloudless Sulfurs prefer various species in the pea family as host plants where females lay a single egg.

Read more

Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly

Common throughout the eastern United States and parts of Canada and Central America, Eastern Pondhawks, E. simplicicollis simplicicollis, are often found near still waters in wetlands and near ponds. Females are bright green with black markings on their abdomen. Males are blue with beautiful green faces.

Eastern Pondhawks will dash from their perch on plants near the ground to snatch prey which includes damselflies and other insects. They will carry their meal off to eat at a suitable place.

With only an average reproductive life of 10 days, reproduction occurs often and sometimes more than once a day. Mating occurs on vegetation and the female deposits her eggs on the water within a minute.

Fun fact: Dragonfly fossils have been dated at over 300 million years old. This means that dragonflies existed more than 100 million years before dinosaurs!

Photo Credit: Dan Kon

Read more

Black Soldier Fly

Black Soldier Fly
 
Many confuse the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) with wasps. However, like many other flies, this species only has two wings, while wasps have four wings and do not have a stinger. The black soldier fly produces a loud buzzing sound when flying, which may concern people, but they are not dangerous. Black soldier flies usually gather around decaying organic matter such as animal waste or plant material. Eggs are laid in decay matter since it is a food source for the larvae. Black soldier fly larvae have been used to reduce animal manure in agricultural facilities. Even though they are not considered a disease vector, adult soldier flies are potential mechanical vectors of many pathogens.
 
The black soldier fly is abundant in the southeastern United States during late spring and early fall. The natural breeding sites for black soldier flies are carrion; they lay their eggs in moist organic waste. In urbanization areas, they will lay eggs in dumpsters or compost, providing similar orders and nutritional needs to naturally occurring organic matter.
 
Adults come in a variety of colors, from yellow, green, black, or blue; some can have a metallic appearance. Adults can measure from 15 to 20 mm in length. The antennae are long with three segments, and the legs have white coloration near the end of each leg. Mating starts two days after they emerge from the pupal case. Males will gather in areas where females will be abundant, known as lekking sites. The sites are defended against other males. Females lay up to 500 eggs! These eggs will be laid in cracks and crevices near or on decaying matter. Eggs will hatch in about four days.
 
The larvae are a dull, whitish color with a small, projecting head containing chewing mouthparts. There are six instars, and it takes up to 14 days for complete development. During their development, like many other larvae species, the black soldier fly larvae are insatiable feeders. When adults, they do not feed and rely on fats stored from their larval stage.
 
Before pupation, the fifth instar larvae will leave its feeding site to dryer areas, then pupation will start, the exoskeleton darkens, and a pupa develops. Pupation lasts for two weeks.
 
Cool Fact! Black soldier fly larvae generate good sources of protein and oil for animal feed; they also have the potential to improve organic waste into rich fertilizer.
 
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon


Read more

All Rights Reserved Imagine Our Florida, Inc. Copyright 2019