Bugs and Butterflies

[Cedars]

Originally Posted by Monomer

I found this rather large ant (at least I think it's an ant) in my garden one day. I thought the other ants were kinda large, but this one was a little over an inch long. I was wondering if anyone has seen anything like it before and knows what it is.

Attachment 2447 Attachment 2448

Try under Army ant or Driver ant. The jaws and general body shape seem to fall under that type.

Heres an Australian Ant ID page:
http://www.ento.csiro.au/science/ants/default.htm

Ah, I think I found your ant:

http://www.ento.csiro.au/science/ant...yrmeciinae.htm

[Monomer]

Originally Posted by Cedars

Try under Army ant or Driver ant. The jaws and general body shape seem to fall under that type.

Heres an Australian Ant ID page:
Australian Ants Online

Ah, I think I found your ant:

Australian Ants Online - Myrmeciinae

Yep, it appears to be a Myrmecia pyriformis, also known as a bull ant or bulldog ant. I found these pictures to confirm it:

PCD0149-46 Myrmecia pyriformis
Myrmecia pyriformis - Brown Bull Ant

When I was a kid we called anything bigger than a common black house ant a "bull ant". Little did I know how big an actual bull ant was. Apparently the Myrmecia pyriformis can be quite aggressive and their sting is potentially lethal. If I'd known I wouldn't have gotten so close to it! I was just so fascinated to see an ant that big and I spent a few minutes taking as many photos as I could.

Thanks Cedars!

[Cedars]

This last week (+/- a few days). I have been working on a Moth database. A huge undertaking!

Came across quite a bit of trivia, but this one piece I just had to post:

Ceratophaga - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"All Ceratophaga larvae feed, uniquely among Lepidoptera, on solid keratin. Most species feed on the horns and hooves of dead ungulates but C. vicinella feeds exclusively on the shells of dead gopher tortoises."

N.American specie entry:

Ceratophaga vicinella - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

May not be an answer to a question on Who wants to be a millionaire, but then again....

[Cedars]

Follow-up to Post 68

I have received two bugguide opinions on this spider. Seems to be a Geolycosa missouriensis but possibly wrighti. Both opinions lean towards missouriensis. There is a lack of wrighti images on the net.

This guy was on the road when spotted. I laid on the ground for the side, front shots. Then I chased him/her off the road and took the quarter shot. I think some campers nearby had disturbed the spider with their tent.

[Turtle]

Happened on this scene whilst tending my garden today. I only last week ID'd Arctic Lupine when it came up in my wild-flower garden this year for the first time. While silly me has waited for the flowers to open, this bumblebee seems to know about having to open them one's self to get at the bits inside. Fascinating.

YouTube - bumblebee on arctic lupine

[freeztar]

Awesome vid capture Turtle!

It's a beautiful lupine too. Anything with a palmate leaf is cool in my book.

As far as bugs are concerned, I'm renewing my disdain for yellow jackets. They make picnics impossible (or very unpleasant). And of course, I've been stung upwards of 40 times so I'm just not too intimate with them.

In late summer, foraging workers (nuisance scavengers) change their food preference from meats to ripe, decaying fruits or scavenge human garbage, sodas, picnics, etc., since larvae in the nest fail to meet requirements as a source of sugar. This is why yellowjackets are known largely as pests that are capable of ruining picnics.

Yellow jacket - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Nuisance scavenger"...I like that phrase. I only question the "late summer" part. Indeed that is when they are most voracious, but they can be pesky in the early summer as well.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by freeztar

Awesome vid capture Turtle!

It's a beautiful lupine too. Anything with a palmate leaf is cool in my book.

As far as bugs are concerned, I'm renewing my disdain for yellow jackets. They make picnics impossible (or very unpleasant). And of course, I've been stung upwards of 40 times so I'm just not too intimate with them.


Yellow jacket - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Nuisance scavenger"...I like that phrase. I only question the "late summer" part. Indeed that is when they are most voracious, but they can be pesky in the early summer as well.

Thanks. Chaos favors the prepared imagination Roger always says. Turns out the fields of Camas around Lechtenberg are full of Arctic Lupine as I learned when I went by there this week to check the water level. Learn something new every time I visit that place.

I'm with you on the Yellow-jackets as they are one of the Hymenopteras whose sting I am highly allergic to. When I moved in here a couple years back we had some cool looking flowers that drew the Yellow-jackets like crazy. I cut them all down and still pull up seedlings and I see few of the beasties now. Those Yellow-jacket traps widely available at department stores are well worth the money for either camping or around the house. This fish-liver hanging out as bait sounds way cool too though!

Yellowjacket, HYG-2075-97

Originally Posted by Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet

...Traps (Homemade)
Hang fish or liver suspended on a string one to two inches over a tub of water to which detergent has been added (wetting agent eliminates surface tension). Yellowjackets will try to fly away with pieces of fish or liver that are too heavy for them and will drown after falling into the water. It is not unusual to fill a dishpan with drowned yellowjackets in one afternoon during the peak season. Trapping large numbers often fails to reduce population to acceptable levels, but may be useful in small areas. Certain yellowjackets have been shown to fly from 300 to 1,000 yards from their nest in search of food.

Traps (Commercial)
There are several commercial non-toxic bait traps for yellowjacket wasp control. It is important to know that no trap is good at rapid knockdown of yellowjacket populations. For effective use at outdoor events, traps should be placed out two or more days prior to the event.

Approximate trap costs are:

Green Leaf Wasp EATER Trap - $7.99 to $9.99
Oak Stump Farm "Yellowjacket" Wasp Trap - $7.99 to $8.99
Consep Wasp Trap - $6.95 to $7.99
Yellow Jacket Inn - $4.99
Victor Flying Insect Trap - $2.95
...

[freeztar]

Thanks for the link, I didn't know traps were so widely available.

I like the hanging liver/soapy water idea. I prefer to kill things (or let them kill themselves) in ways that take advantage of their weakness(es). It reminds me of a raccoon trap that utilizes a hole in the ground with bait inside. Due to the diameter of the hole, it will allow an open hand to pass through but does not allow a clinched fist through. Hence, the greedy raccoon will sit there trying to pull its hand out until the trap maker comes along and puts it out of its misery. (I think it was "Where the Red Fern Grows")

[stereologist]

I teach my kids to find eggs on leaves. We raise caterpillars every year. One of the amazing sights that my kids have seen many times is the caterpillar forming a chrysalis. We've seen the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis as often.

[Turtle]

Went out for a look at the flowers and as the bumblebees pollinated many of the Arctic Lupine flowers yesterday they have already browned up and started to seed. While just gazing at them, a little brown moth fluttered in and took a perch. Even though I saw it fly down, I immediately lost track of it as it blends perfectly with the dried flower heads. This time after I ran in for the camera, the little bugger was still in residence when I returned.