Natural Science Forum / Biology / Entomology / May 2006

The photo is as good as it gets I'm afraid with a standard macro
setting.
The instect is ladybird / ladybug shaped, winged and about 3mm in
length

We're new here and wonder if anyone can tell us what this object is?
It is attached to the underside of the eaves, is perfectly symmetrical,
about 1 and 1/2 inch diameter, with a tube of appx. 1" long which seems
to be an entrance.

Greetings all
Try a Google search on each spelling.
Poole and MONA spell it one way - everyone else in the world appears to spell it the other!
So what is the correct spelling, and what is the story?

Does anyone know about this litter feller? He acted more like a
wingless wasp than a bee- flittery motion. He was about 1.5 inches
long. I found him on an island on the Intercoastal in central Florida.
He was alone, but in the company of a lot of bees. There is an image

South Kent, UK  about an inch or so long.
Any ideas?
http://freespace.virgin.net/les.claire/crop1.JPG
http://freespace.virgin.net/les.claire/crop2.JPG

Hello, this is my first post here (sorry for my English, I'm
italian).
I'll ask you some piece of advice in order to defend my house
from some terribly invasive "half-red" ants.

What's it?
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~park1424/fly.jpg
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~park1424/fly1.jpg
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~park1424/fly2.jpg

I was wondering if some of you more seasoned experts in identifying
butterflies could help me figure out what these 3 species seen in
Tucson, AZ are.
PICTURES HERE:

Hi, I'm studying biology in Aberdeen, Scotland. It's close to the sea
and always quite windy here. I cant remember seeing any small flying
insects here, only biger ones like wasps and bumblebees. Once or twice
I saw something that looked like a bee or fly but crawling on the

The moth shown is Aphomia sociella, an exotic species from Europe that is now well established in the northeast, and perhaps elsewhere.
Stefan, where and when was the photo taken?
hugh
Hugh McGuinness

Took this picture of a spider doing something (looks like it is eating
but I doubt that somehow) to a butterfly in argentina - can anyone
identify the spider for me please?
http://www.aoue53.dsl.pipex.com/sa/images/2006_0425image0043.jpg

Not sure how best to describe it. It is about an inch long. One end
rounded, the other comes to a point. No discernible eyes or features.
Hard shell, articulated, no arms or legs. Brown in color. Found in
Pacific Northwest, Washington state, puget sound region. I found it

I just returned from St. John Island in US Virgin Islands.  Myself and
my wife wound up getting multiple itchy red swelling sites on mostly
uncovered skin.  
I did not see any mosquitos there but did see small flying bugs

Can anyone identify this species, seen feeding on early meadow rue
(Thalictrum dioicum) in a woodland setting in Virginia? I've seen
several of them recently. I tried to rear the first one but couldn't
find a leaf it liked, saw another one days later actively feeding

I noticed a very attractive 'blue' butterfly in the garden and I am not
sure which one it is.
It's wings were a bluish-purple with dark, possibly black edging around
the top wings and tiny circles around the edges of the lower wings.