5 Ghostly Insects

I think it’s safe to say that insects are pretty high up on the creepiness scale for most people. And if you delve into their behaviors, the measurement goes even higher. But some are downright ghostly as well. Here are five prime examples:

- PHASMIDS –

Phasmid Face

These insects are from the order Phasmatodea and are commonly known as ghost insects. The Latin root of their name is “phantasma”, meaning an apparition or specter, and is the same root as phantom or phantasm. There are more than 3,000 species of phasmids and they include stick insects, walking sticks, stick-bugs and others of that ilk. So why have these insects been given a name that is so closely aligned with ghosts? It’s due to their incredible camouflage abilities, which phasmids rely on as their primary defense mechanism. At some point, an imaginative scientist decided that their ability to be nearly invisible creates a ghostly presence in the forest. This article has more on these fascinating insects.

- BLUE GHOST FIREFLIES – 

Every year in late May and early June, in dark and moist forests thick with undergrowth of large rhododendron and mountain laurel, the blue ghost fireflies (Phausis reticulata) make their appearance. Found only in southern Appalachia, and mostly in western North Carolina, these small (about the size of a grain of rice) insects are revealed by their mating ritual in early summer. The males float a foot or two off the ground while emitting a ghostly blue light, which by all accounts is quite the eerie sight. As the males float around, the wingless and larvae-like females settle on a leaf and glow to show their presence while evaluating the passing male light parade. The blue-white color of their glow is unique among fireflies (which usually glow yellowish-green), as is their type of glow. Blue ghost fireflies can emit a bright and steady glow for 30 seconds to a minute, whereas other fireflies blink on and off continuously. The beauty and uniqueness of these creatures have spawned a specialized tourist industry, where locals take the curious to see beautiful and fleeting insects. Read more about these wonderful little wisps of nature here.

- GHOST SPIDERS –

Garden Ghost Spider

These small (about ½ inch or so) spiders, from the

Anyphaenidae family, are common in North America. They get their name from their ghostly white coloring and mostly nocturnal activities. To some people they look like little bitty albino wolf spiders, and it’s hard to argue with that observation. Ghost spiders don’t make webs, instead they use their silk to build shelters in out-of-the-way places like between rocks or in woodpiles. From there they rush out (they are very fast) and hunt down prey, which is mostly other insects. As ruthless as these little guys can be with other insects, they are harmless to humans. Due to their illusive nature, ghost spiders have not been extensively studied, so there are still unknown interesting facts to learn about them. One thing, however, is abundantly clear – their eyes form a cute little smiley face on their heads. For more details on these spiders, check out this article.  

- GHOST ANTS –

Ghost Ant Face

Ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum), sometimes called sugar ants, are an invasive species that has made its way  around the world from their probable-source in Africa or Asia. They are currently enjoying life in Florida and have become one the most common, and most hated, ants there. These tiny ants are less than a quarter-inch in size. They have dark heads, but their legs and abdomen are translucent. So much so, that you can actually see into their bodies and see what they’ve eaten. Scientists and others have had fun feeding these ants differently colored objects and watching how they change color. For instance, here’s a video of them drinking glow in the dark liquid candy. There are even classroom experiments geared to elementary school kids that show how the ants change color (here’s one).  These ants multiply rapidly and are small enough to enter a house or other structure through even the most miniscule of openings. And, because they are so hard to see, they can quickly and easily swarm over something before one is even aware of them. But while ghost ants may be harder to see than other ants, they are not any harder to get rid of.

- WHITE PLUME MOTH –

The white plume moth (Pterophorus pentadactyla) has a wingspan of 1-1/2 inches and is found in many parts of the world, but mostly Europe and North America. These moths have an ethereal quality to them that seems ghostly, which is reinforced by their nocturnal habits. But they could also be on a list of angel-like or fairy-like insects. Their delicate way of flying only reinforces this impression (see one fly here). Plume moths have a unique T-shape and wings that end in feather-like fingers. The stark whiteness of the white plume moth stands out amongst other plume moths, which are generally a brownish color. As pretty as these moths are, they can be plant-damaging in their caterpillar stage. According to this article, they threaten sweet potato crops in Nigeria. 

Everything is a little extra-ghostly at this time of year, but these insects are this cool all year round.

Take Care 

Submitted by Pam

What's This Bug? The Antlered Wasp.

It’s Christmastime, and to mark the season I bring you the Antlered Wasp (Eucharitidae).  What these
guys lack in size (they’re less than an inch), they make up for with their large and dramatic antennae. These insects are known as Antlered Wasps, because with a little imagination, they could be itty bitty reindeer (although some people see their “antlers” as punkish mohawks). And while it’s entertaining to view them as tiny reindeer, you will not come across one of these wasps where reindeer reign, as they are tropical insects.

Antlered Wasps, like many other wasps, practice parasitism as a part of their life cycle. And they only parasitize ants, an insect that is often the aggressor in the insect world and not the victim. To put an even finer point on it, each specie (there are over 400 species) specializes in a particular species of ant. Here is a list of some of those pairings.

Child-rearing in nature is extremely variable, with some species providing long-term, hands-on care and other species leaving their offspring to fend for themselves. Antlered Wasps are firmly in the latter category. When the female is  ready to lay her eggs, she chooses a plant that is a favorite of ants, or one with an ant colony nearby. She lays her eggs and moves on; after a week to ten days the larvae will hatch. The larvae will then spend several days lolling about on the plant, getting their energy and nerve up, and (presumably) planning their strategy for the next step. The goal of the larvae is to infiltrate the ant colony, so the next step is to find an ant to take it into the nest. For this attachment to happen, most 

Ant Queen and her offspring

Eucharitid wasp larvae depend on rubbing up against an ant and fastening themselves to it. If there are no available ants around, the wasp larvae will use an intermediary host that can get them up close enough to grab an ant. However, according to this article, the Kapala species in the Eucharitidae family has developed jumping abilities. Apparently, they will stand up on the leaf and jump down onto a passing ant. High diving larvae – nature is amazing.

Once a larva has found its Trojan Horse/ant host, it will ride it right into the ant colony. Ants are notoriously and intensely protective of their nests, so how do these larvae get away with this? It seems they have developed the ability to mimic the odor of the ant larvae. Scientists have observed that ants will avoid the adult wasps, a clear indicator that they view them as a threat. But, thanks to the aromatic camouflage, ants seem to not recognize the wasp larvae as different from theirs. 

Ant tending to a newborn wasp

Wasp larvae on the move

The camouflaged wasp larva makes its way, with the unwitting help of the ants, deep into the ant colony’s inner sanctum – the brood chamber. This may be the easiest part of their mission, as the wasp simply has to find an ant larva to attach to. Since a queen ant can lay up to 300,000 eggs a day, there is an abundance of potential hosts for the little wasp. Once attached, the wasp larva will begin feeding on its ant counterpart, but it eats just enough to keep them both going until the ant pupates. Once this happens, the wasp will finish off its host. The wasp uses this last bit of ant fuel to finish growing into an adult and will then emerge from its host. At this point, still helpful and unwitting, ants will feed and groom the newborn as they do their own. Eventually, the wasp will fly out of the colony and mate, usually right above the ant nest. 

The life cycle of the Antlered Wasp could be adapted into a Mission Impossible type action movie. And be as unbelievable. Except this is an incredible true story.

Take Care. 

Submitted by Pam

What’s This Bug? The Wooly Aphid.

If you see drifting bits of white fuzz in your garden, you might not pay much attention to them, or you might discount them as pollen, lint, or even little fairies. But you may want to pay a little closer attention because they could be Wooly Aphids (Mult spp) hidden as innocuous debris.

The distinctive white fuzziness of these insects isn’t hair or fur – it’s the result of waxy strands that they secrete that create the wooly effect. It is believed that this wool is meant to protect them and deter predators. Underneath all that adornment they are small (about ¼” diameter), pale green to purplish-brown aphids. When they cluster together, they look more like a fungal growth than individual insects. If you see a white mass and are unsure of what it is, give the area a little shake – if it’s aphids, they’ll move. In fact, there is one species that does a dance when they feel threatened; they raise their rear ends and wiggle them. See them do their thing in this video, it’s pretty entertaining.

Wooly Aphids, like all aphids, are one of the first insects to get moving in earnest in the spring. And,
like virtually every other creature in spring, they have a specific reproductive agenda at hand. Wooly aphids use two host trees/plants in their life cycle. They choose one to overwinter and lay eggs in, but when spring comes they move to another to establish a breeding colony. The nymphs that appear in spring are crawlers, but by late spring they will be a full-blown white fuzzy mass on spurs and branches. Throughout the summer, subsequent generations take flight to find their own spots and, as winter approaches, all the Wooly Aphids go in search of their winter homes. This is often when people first notice them.

Many people consider Wooly Aphids to be less of a threat to crops than other types of aphids. There are two reasons for this: Their numbers are generally not large enough to cause extensive crop damage and many of their species are adapted to live off of trees. Wooly Aphids are not considered tree-killers, and rarely even harm a tree’s overall health. They do, however, cause unsightly leaf curling and galls.  If you’re worried about your trees, this article has some great pictures that show what to look for.

The biggest concern in regards to Wooly Aphids is Sooty Mold. This particular plant mold is caused by an accumulation of honeydew, the sticky-sweet excrement of aphids. When aphids gather in large numbers, the honeydew can really build up creating the perfect growing environment for mold. Sooty Mold seldom kills a plant outright, but it can weaken it to the point where the insects causing the honeydew can do real damage. And then there is the ant angle – where there is honeydew there will be ants. They love the stuff and will protect and farm the aphids to get their honeydew (here is a cool super-closeup

video that shows them milking the aphids). Ants are notorious vectors for some serious plant diseases, so their presence on any plant or tree is definitely undesirable. Too much honeydew is not only a problem for plants, it can drip onto surfaces and is a real pain to get off cars.

If you are not charmed by the fluff-balls that are Wooly Aphids, ARBICO Organic has a multitude of weapons you can deploy against them. We have everything from insects that prey on aphids, to sticky traps, to a large variety of organic and natural insecticides. Our Aphid Control page is the best first stop on your search for a solution to your aphid problem.

Take Care.

Submitted by Pam

 

Dragons Live Among Us

Since I work in an insect-centric business, I decided to look at dragon insects in honor of the last episode of Game of Thrones (yes, I’m one of “those” people). Dragons are most closely associated with reptiles and there are many of those that look like dragons. There are also many sea creatures that are dragon-like. Not to mention real life flying dragons, like in this video. In the insect realm, there are some insects that have latched onto the dragon name for one reason or another, even though they don’t really resemble dragons much. Let's take a look at some of these:

Dragonflies – These are the creatures that first come to mind when thinking “dragons + insects”. There are 5,000 species of these fascinating flying insects and it seems that each one must be vying with the next to be the most beautiful. Here are some top contenders for that title. As lovely as they are, dragonflies are deadly predators who devour fellow insects. But how did they come to be called dragonflies? Interestingly enough, the name comes from folklore, although their homicidal inclinations may be what made the name stick. If you are interested in seeing an award-winning video of the dragonfly world, check it out here. The super-macro photography is simply amazing!

Apatelodes torrefacta

Dragon Moths – This interesting guy is the Spotted Apatelodes (Apatelodes torrefacta), a native of the east coast of North America. These are not an energetic moths; it is common for them to stay motionless for many hours at a time. Here is a video that really shows why people call them Dragon Moths – fair warning, though:  it’s not doing anything. An interesting side note on this insect is that, for a short time, there was an airplane named after it.



Dragonhead Caterpillar – Now we get to an insect that actually has dragon features,specifically armored heads with multiple pointy horns and spines down the length of the body. At least, those are the basic ornamentations in this group of caterpillars, as each of the 400 different species in this group has its own spin on the dragon look. Some have Darth Vader-type black helmets and some look like fuzzy Gummi worms. Dragonhead caterpillars are found across the world in tropical and temperate environments and their looks are as varied as their environments. Check out a cool one trucking along here.

Lamproptera curius

Dragontail Butterfly – As the name indicates, these butterflies have long and flowing tails like one would might see on a dragon. These beauties are common throughout most of Asia; but, unfortunately the White Dragontail Butterfly is defined as vulnerable and in need of protection in Pennisular Malayia. Here is a video that show how beautifully their spectacular tails move.

Pheidole viserion

Dragon Ants – A few years back, scientists discovered two new ant species in New Guinea. While this may not be terribly surprising given the teeming cauldron of biodiversity that New Guinea is, these particular ants have a very unique appearance. Their very large heads are not unusual amongst ants, but their curve, hooked spiky armor along their bodies is. Apparently the scientists who got to name them are Games of Thrones nerds, because somewhere along in the naming process they decided that the ants look like Khaleesi’s dragons. So they became Pheidole drogon and Pheidole viserion. You can learn more about them and watch a virtual dissection here.

  

From left: Gymnetis drogoni, Gymnetis rhaegali and Gymnetis viserioni 

Dragon Scarabs – An entomologist from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Brett Ratcliffe, recently named some of his latest scarab beetle discoveries after the Game of Thrones dragons. Drogon became Gymnetis drogoni, Rhaegal became Gymnetis rhaegali and Viserion became Gymnetis viserion. Dr. Ratcliffe is an  admitted GOT fan, but his main reasoning for the names was to ride in on the pop culture wave and bring attention to the wondrous diversity in nature.The tactic is thoroughly effective; I did not know before I read about this that one in four living things on Earth is a beetle. Kudos to you, Dr. Ratcliffe!

Nope, not really real...

Game of Thrones is not the only dragon franchise that is everywhere these days. A much-loved child in my life is and has been obsessed with the colorful creatures in the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy. So, it’s been all dragons all the time around me lately. Nevertheless, I draw the line at disturbing baby dragon dolls (which you can get for the rock bottom price of $1,334.42) and I’m not buying that this is real, either. But, like all true Game of Thrones fans, I have cleared my calendar for Sunday night and am hoping that at least one dragon survives.

         
                                                             

Submitted by Pam