It’s a short clip, and you’ll have to check out the end to see this little beetle take flight. I fished this one out of the pool and it’s the 2nd one I’ve seen this week, albeit a new one for me to observe. I believe this is Hylastes macer, but hoping a friend will take a look for me to confirm. I have tentatively based my ID on size (approx 5mm) and locale being under our Shore Pine trees, but I wasn’t confident using Wood’s key with only my photo and video in lieu of an actual specimen under the microscope. At minimum, Hylastes should be correct for Genus. These beetles are in the family Curculionidae and subfamily Scolytinae, one of the Bark and Ambrosia beetle species.
As to their life history, they construct galleries in phloem tissues of roots and stumps of Pinus or Pine trees and occasionally Picea or Spruce trees. According to Atkinson (2024), there are six species of Hylastes known in Washington State. Some of the species in this genus range from BC to CA. For more on distribution, take a look at Wood, 1982.
While identifying a bug is part of the process, the most fun for me is observing their behaviors. I knew when I saw the march of those little front feet, that the launch was about to take place.
Evans, A. 2021. Beetles of Western North America. Princeton University Press.
Wood, S.L. 1982. The bark and ambrosia beetles of North and Central America (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), a taxonomic monograph. Great Basin Nat. Mem. 6: 1-1356.
I had an amazing BUG day! It’s always amazing when you find one as interesting as this one. Check out the proboscis.
This is Empis barbatoides, I believe, a species of Dance fly in the family Empididae. SHE (you can see her ovipositor at the end), was in the back of my truck on some cardboard I am using for landscaping.
I find the behavior of these flies to be so interesting. When they are in mating swarms, the male flies will dance about to entice the female. The most fascinating part is they often are carrying a captured insect, usually a Bibionid fly, wrapped in silk, as an offering or nuptial gift.
Females seem to prefer a male with the most enticing balloon. Some males only carry an empty ball of silk. My guess is they get whoever is leftover. 😉
These flies and their developing larvae are found in moist wooded habitats (mixed deciduous and coniferous) with many clearings and open patches.
Larvae are often in decaying vegetation, or even under the bark of trees.
Adult flies are approx 9-10mm
For some fantastic (not mine) photos of the males carrying balloons, check out the bugguide link below.
References
Alcock , John. 1973. The mating behaviour of Empis barbatoides Melander and Empis poplitea Loew (Diptera: Empididae), Journal of Natural History, 7:4, 411-420, DOI: 10.1080/00222937300770301
I found this very tiny (1mm) beetle on the rim of the pool outside yesterday (Dec. 8, 2023). In my investigational efforts to identify my specimen, I have concluded it should be one of the Minute Brown Scavenger Beetles in the family Latridiidae (pronounced la-trid-eye-i-dee). As to species, I think it is Cartodere bifasciata – based on the color pattern of elytra – black markings between 2nd and 5th stria in anteriour third and behind middle; lateral black spot in about middle. (Bugguide, 2014).
This particular species is an Australian native and likely introduced to North America via international shipping. Records show this species in Nova Scotia about 1989 (Majka et al 2009). Looking on iNaturalist for observational reports of this species, I see a few (about 15 or so) in the box I drew. You can see in the attached screenshot the general area where they are turning up in the Western US. Again, likely introduced via international shipping cargo.
Reported observations of Cartodere bifasciata in the PNW Region
Adults of beetles in this family are generally known to feed on the reproductive structures of fungi, plant and animal materials, and slime molds (Evans, 2021). They are found in association with wet or damp habitats in open or forested areas, especially in leaf litter, decomposing wood, on trees, herbaceous vegetation, and in bird, mammalian, or hymenopteran nests (Majka, 2009).
Evans, A. V. 2021. Beetles of Western North America. Princeton University Press, N.J.
Majka CG, Langor D, Rücker WH. 2009. Latridiidae (Coleoptera) of Atlantic Canada: new records, keys to identification, new synonyms, distribution, and zoogeography. The Canadian Entomologist. 141(4):317-370. doi:10.4039/n09-050.
Sunday evening, August 18, 2019, my husband took me to a lovely Farm to Table dinner at Sweet Earth Farm, San Juan Island, WA http://sweetearthfarm.com/products/farm-events/ Aside from the amazing food and beautiful scenery, I got to sit at a table with some really great folks who, after finding out about my love of bugs, sent me a photo of a Tiger Moth that was on the side of their garage door. Turns out this particular moth was going to be pretty interesting!
Apantesis nevadensis superba 08.22.18 San Juan Island, WA photo by N. Hamlin
As I worked through my usual steps to ID the specimen, I noted the photo came to me with “Ornate Tiger Moth” in the subject line. This specimen was indeed very similar to the Ornate Tiger Moth (Apantesis ornata). To complicate things a bit more, not only has this family of moths (Tiger moths) been reclassified (from Arctiidae to Erebidae), but this genus has also recently been renamed. Formerly Grammia ornata, Apantesis ornata (Ornate Tiger Moth’s) have not been recorded in San Juan County and records for adult flying periods of this species are earlier than for this particular specimen. I believed this specimen was something different.
There were records of another species of Tiger Moth in the Pacific Northwest I came across that better matched the image of my photo and timing of adult emergence. Apantesis nevadensis, the Nevada Tiger Moth, has been recorded as widely distributed in the Pacific Northwest, but according to information on Pacific Northwest Moths http://pnwmoths.biol.wwu.edu/browse/family-erebidae/subfamily-arctiinae/tribe-arctiini/apantesis/apantesis-nevadensis/, A. nevadensis is “only found in a few locations west of the Cascade Mountain crest, including on Vancouver Island, the south Puget Sound, and coastal Oregon.”
However, a fairly recent (2007) review in Zootaxa by Ferguson and Schmidt described a subspecies of Apantesis nevadensis, A. n. superba that had been recorded on Vancouver Island, B.C., our neighbor. Could the San Juan’s be a new geographical locality for this subspecies?
Apantesis nevadensis superba 08.22.18 San Juan Island, WA photo by N. Hamlin
I emailed the photo to Merrill A. Peterson at WWU. He has a great book available called Pacific Northwest Insects too. You can find it here ~ (https://pacificnorthwestinsects.com). Merrill is Professor and Chair of Biology and Insect Collection Curator at Western Washington University and my all around go-to person for confirmation of insects in our region. Merrill agreed that my ID was correct. Since this was a FIRST record for the San Juan’s, he asked if I could collect locality (GPS) data and date of sighting from the original photographer.
My next task was to email the gentleman who sat with us that night at dinner and ask him if he was willing to share this, enabling Merrill to post the record online. We needed first initial, last name, GPS data, and date of sighting. Not only did I receive a response with this information AND permission for me to use the photographs in my blog, but I received a photo of a second moth taken the very day this gentleman went out to register the GPS coordinates on his phone. Now we have a record of two sightings, almost exactly one year apart!
Apantesis nevadensis superba 08.28.19 San Juan Island, WA photo by N. Hamlin
Sohow exactly can you tell the Apantesis nevada from Apantesis ornata?
Here are the morphological descriptions for adult specimens of each species, taken from http://www.bugguide.com to get you started. Please feel free to contact me here or at https://www.facebook.com/buggingyoufromSJI/ with questions or to report sightings of insects in the San Juan’s. 🐛🐞🦋🐜🐝🦗
Apantesis ornata~
Adult: FW appear black, typically with a net-like pattern of extensive yellowish or rosy off-white transverse lines and thinner pale veins. HW color is variable from yellow-orange, orange, to orange-red, rarely entirely black. HW is heavily marked with black, including the basal wing, multiple spots, and an irregular marginal band. These are often fused to each other, especially near the wing margin.
Apantesis nevada ~
Adult: forewing black with 3 variably thin to wide pale bands crossing wing; subterminal line W-shaped, touching PM line at top of W, and outer margin at bottom; single pale line from base of costa to anal angle; hindwing varies from bright red with several black spots to pale pink with merged spots forming extensive black area; top of thorax white with 3 longitundinal black stripes; ptagia (collar) has one black spot on each side
Ferguson, D. C. and C. Schmidt. 2007. Taxonomic review of the Grammia nevadensis species group (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 1405, pp. 39-49: 42-44.
Bugging You From San Juan Island 