What is this odd little beast?
Five points each for the first person to pick the order and the family.
The cumulative points winner for the month of May will win either 1) any 8x10 print from my insect photo galleries, or 2) a guest blog post on the (safe-for-work) topic of their choosing.
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We haven't done an ant mystery for ages. So here you go:
Although I photographed this little ant in Florida, it could just as easily have been in a number of tropical places.
Five points each for the first person to pick the genus and the species.
The cumulative points winner for the month of May…
What's this?
2 points for naming the structure, 4 for family, and 4 for genus/species.
The cumulative points winner for the month of May will win either 1) any 8x10 print from my insect photo galleries, or 2) a guest blog post on the (safe-for-work) topic of their choosing.
Ok, bug experts. Who is this charming little insect?
Points will be awarded for the first correct guess: five for family and five for genus.
The cumulative points winner for the month of July will win either 1) any 8x10 print from my insect photo gallery, or 2) a guest blog post on the (safe-for-…
This looks like it could be painful. What is it?
Five points to the first person to name the organism, and five for the structure.
The cumulative points winner for the month of May will win either 1) any 8x10 print from my insect photo gallery, or 2) a guest blog post on the (safe-for-work) topic…
Hmmmm ... I'm thinking Zoraptera, in which case it has no choice but to be in the family Zorotypidae. All the photos I've seen of Zoraptera show the antennae much "beadier" than this, though --but then again, Zoraptera aren't something you see every day.
Others that came to mind were Grylloblattaria, but those should have cerci, and Protura, but those shouldn't have antennae.
Hemiptera: Reduviidae
Hemiptera: Enicocephalidae?
Protura, don't know the family. Eosentomidae?
I'm going to go with Thysanoptera: Thripidae
i would guess some sort of sprigtail given the setting, but i'll also go with a reduviid, or with the authrity of a a more knowledgeable reader
I think Kojun's got it - order Hemiptera, family Enicocephalidae (unique-headed bugs). The head shape and thickened profemora/tibiae pretty much clinch it. Adults have entirely membraneous wings, so I'm guessing this is a nymph (perhaps a hatchling based on its delicate appearance). Only one species in Wisconsin (Systelloderes biceps), so maybe the same for northern IL (assuming that's where you found it).
I've never seen one of these - did you find it under bark?
Gosh, damn time zones! Next Tuesday I wake up 4 AM ;)
Looks like a nymph of an Enicocephalidae to me too. The ones in Queensland eat mites, so that makes them especially interesting bugs. They aren't uncommon there and make small swarms in the rainforest in the evening. I'm surprised that there are these bugs in NA. Cool shot.
Are Enicocephalidae related to, or (Heaven forefend!) nested within Reduviidae?
That looks like a soldier thips
Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae
Collembola: Poduridae or Entomobryidae