Escapades of a Newbie Entomologist @newbie-entomologist - Tumblr Blog

We were eating dinner outside when this guy came to visit our bread basket.

Common name: Male snakefly

CA, Marin County

0.1 miles NE Sausalito

25 March 2016

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Neuroptera

Family: Raphidiidae

#arthropoda #arthropod #insecta #insect #sausalito #northern california #north america #entomology #neuroptera #raphidiidae #snakefly #bug #marin

Another phone pic, but this moth was way too beautiful not to share! I found it on a hike along the coast in Sea Ranch, CA. It was odd as it was out in the middle of the day in full sun, as these moths are apparently nocturnal. Hmmmm. So so gorgeous. Here’s the link to the moth I found that it most closely resembles IMO, but tiger moths are so beautiful, it’s a fun genus to explore.

CA, Sonoma County

Common name: Tiger moth

Scientific name: Grammia parthenice

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Erebidae

Genus: Grammia

Species: Parthenice

#tiger moth #moth #bug #bugs #insect #insecta #entomology #erebidae #lepidoptera #animalia #arthropod #arthropoda #grammia #parthenice

Who needs forceps when you’ve got chop sticks? Hahaha

#entomology #leatherjacket #crane fly #larva

Help me identify it?! Pretty please?

Oh man, I’m kicking myself for not getting more/better pictures of this moth! It was small (only 9 mm long), and I didn’t realize how cool it was until I looked at the pictures on my computer. I love the frilly edge on its wing and those scales! It was on my front door under the porch light.

CA, Sacramento Co.

0.3 miles NW Sacramento City College

3 March 2016

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Not sure yet, but I’ll get there.

Genus: Unknown

Species: Unknown

#moth #insect #insects #insecta #arthropod #arthropoda #lepidoptera #sacramento #entomology #macro photo #macro photography #garden #nature photography #nature #insect identification #help #nocturnal

Obligatory pincher bug picture. I wasn’t going to photograph these guys since they’re everywhere, but I’m actually glad I did, they’re pretty interesting. This one got in my binder somehow, so I went to do homework and had a bit of a surprise. Haha.

CA, Sacramento Co.

0.3 miles NW Sacramento City College

2 March 2016

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Dermaptera

Family: Anisolabididae

Genus: Euborellia (Not positive about this one, my best guess though....)

Species: Unknown

#pincher bug #earwig #insect #insecta #bug #bugs #entomology #dermaptera #arthropod #arthropoda #sacramento #north america #macro photography #macro photo #nature photography #garden #farm

Green lacewing that was circling my porch light. I’ve always really loved these guys.

CA, Sacramento Co.

0.3 miles NW Sacramento City College

3 March 2016

13 mm long

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Neuroptera

Family: Chrysopidae

Genus: Unknown

Species: Unknown

#green lacewing #lacewing #insects #insecta #bug #bugs #nocturnal #macro photography #macro photo #nature photography #garden #arthropod #arthropoda #entomology #sacramento #neuroptera #chrysopidae

I only had a terrible cell phone camera on me, so forgive the quality, but we got to hold Vietnamese stick insects in class Tuesday!!!! How cool is that?! I really loved this lady, I’m fighting the temptation to get my own. :) They are seriously cute!

#stick insect #stick bug #vietnamese stick insect #entomology #sac city college #sacramento #college #insect #insects #bug #bugs

You know, it’s amazing for me to be surrounded by people who are equally as excited about insects as I am. I’ve always downplayed how much I enjoy observing and learning about bugs because everyone else usually had the dreaded “ew” response when I brought them up. Also, many of my classmates are employed in the field! It’s really exciting!

So thanks bug community!

#entomology #thanks!#sac city college #science #biology #insects #bugs

I also had the good fortune of running into this honeybee today. There was a bumblebee out and about, but it was too suspicious of me and flew away before I could get a picture. It was beautiful though!

CA, Sacramento Co.

0.3 miles NW Sacramento City College

1 March

Common name: Western honey bee or European honey bee

Scientific name: Apis mellifera

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Apidae

Genus: Apis

Species: Mellifera

I was outside today and came across another true bug; I wasn’t even looking. I thought when I started this project I would be finding way more coleoptera than any other order, but I was wrong! It measured just under 1.5 cm and was on a sage bush.

CA, Sacramento Co.

0.3 miles NW Sacramento City College

1 March 2016

Common name: Conchuela Bug

Scientific name: Chlorochroa ligata

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hemiptera

Family: Pentatomidae

Genus: Chlorochroa

Species: Ligata

#hemiptera #true bug #bug #bugs #insect #insecta #entomology #garden #macro photography #macro photo #nature photography #photography #outside #arthropod #arthropoda #stink bug

I’m so stoked! I was doing a bit of gardening and I found this pupa! It could possibly be a cutworm, which is no bueno for my garden, but I have no idea. It was resting just below the surface in the soil and measures 1.5 cm long. We’ll see once it emerges.

CA, Sacramento, Co.

0.3 miles NW Sacramento City College

29 February 2016

#pupa #moth #entomology #bug #bugs #insects #insecta #lepidoptera #sacramento #northern california #california #garden #gardening

Good morning! I found this bug on some nasturtium plants, and I’m having a hard time identifying it-- it seems to most resemble a harlequin bug, but its coloring isn’t quite right. It’s lacking the white belly and dots that the harlequin bug has, but the shape and the orange is very similar. Anyone know what kind of bug this is?

CA, Sacramento Co.

0.3 miles NW of Sacramento City College

28 February 2016

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hemiptera

Family: Pentatomidae (I think, not totally certain...)

Genus: Unknown

Species: Unknown

This varied carpet beetle was ridiculously difficult to get a good picture of, it only measured just over 2 mm long (in the picture with the ruler, the beetle was on the inch side, centimeters on the far side). I was really surprised with the color formation on its back, the tiny dots of color were entirely unexpected.

CA, Sacramento Co.

0.3 miles NW of Sacramento City College

27 February 2016

Common name: Varied carpet beetle

Scientific name: Anthrenus verbasci

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Coleoptera

Family: Dermestidae

Genus: Anthrenus

Species: Verbasci

#beetle #coleoptera #entomology #sacramento #macro photo #macro photography #nature photography #photography #bug #bugs #insects #insecta #Anthrenus verbasci #arthropod #arthropoda

I know I just posted a pic of a flowering quince, but the period of time they are blooming is so brief and this one on our porch was perfectly illuminated today. I love the deepening of color as the blossoms age. Simply breath-taking.