The Earth Life Web, Answers to Commonly Asked Questions About Bugs

There are a number of spiders in the genus Argiope that commonly attract people attention because of their size (up to 28mm body length) and their black and yellow colouring. Argiope spiders are members of the family Araneidae they commonly build orb webs and some species decorate their webs with zigzags these are called stabilmenta. The most common species in the USA is Argiope aurantia.

Love Bugs are True Flies, Diptera, Bibionidae and they are generally black with a prominent shiny thorax, two commonly seen species in Europe are the St, Marks Fly Bibio marci which often appears as a rather inept flyer in April (around St Marks Day, April 24) in Europe, and the smaller and sometimes incredibly common Fever Fly Dilophus febrilus which though it occurs from March to October can swarm in huge numbers around flowering Cherry Trees in the spring. In the USA the equivalent of St Mark's Fly is Bibio albipennis the 'Love Bugs' or 'March Flies' which often appear in large numbers in the spring, and they remain paired for a long time and fly around while mating. Their eggs are typically laid in the soil, where the maggots will feed on decaying vegetation or roots - they are part of the "decomposer" fauna, as are most Bibionids, and are responsible for biodegradation and natural "recycling" of organic materials. The adults feed on nectar at flowers and are relatively short lived. In general, therefore, they should probably be considered beneficial.

There are a number of Ichnuemon wasps (Order Hymenoptera) in the genera Rhyssa and Megarhyssa which frequently attract people attention because they are several inches long and have an ovipositor that is as long as, or even longer than their body. Do not panic they will not harm you, the ovipositor (the bit that looks like a stinger) is for laying eggs not stinging people. These wasps lay their eggs on the larvae of other hymenopterans in the family Siricidae called Wood Wasps or Horntails, (Sawflies (Symphyta) whose larvae live in dead wood), they use the long ovipositors to drill down through the wood to lay their eggs on the Wood Wasp larva. The ovipositor has two sheaths which may make the insect look like it has 3 long tails.
The most commonly seen species are Megarhyssa atrata, Megarhyssa greenei floridana, and Megarhyssa macrurus

This is really a cricket in the family Stenopelmatidae, genus Stenopelmatus, there are four species in the USA, they are so named because people believe the top of their heads looks like the face of a child. They are relatively harmless (but are big enough to bite) living under the ground or under logs and stones, they feed on dead and living plant material. Their eggs hatch in spring and have grown to adults by autumn. Adults can reach up to 2 inches long. Jerusalem crickets are found throughout the western states and south into Mexico. There are many species the most common, or best known of which is Stenopelmatus fuscus.

There are two sorts of animals that get commonly called Roly Polies, these are woodlice and millipedes. Woodlice in the genera Armadillidium are relatively common and roll up as a defensive measure, there are some other woodlice genera that can role up but they are less common. Woodlice can be distinguished from pill-millipedes because they have only 14 legs whereas pill-millipedes when adult have more than 20. Millipedes in two orders commonly role up, (Glomerida and Sphaerotheriida).

Fireflies are really beetles of the family Lampyridae. A Firefly's light is the result of an interaction between a molecule called 'Luciferin' and an enzyme called 'Luciferase' . The enzyme oxidises the luciferin and in the process a photon of light is emitted, the molecule of luciferan is then 'Reduced' (chemically the opposite of Oxidation) by another enzyme and is ready to produce more light. The beetle controls the emission of light by controlling the flow of oxygen to the cells holding the luciferin, no oxygen = no light.

There are two sorts of arachnid commonly called 'Daddy Longlegs'. The first are the true spider in the order Araneae, Pholcus phalangioides and similar species, these have some poison, as do nearly all spiders, and is a predator often specialising on other spiders. It is not dangerous to humans, cats, dogs or budgerigars. The second are the Harvestmen in the order Opiliones. These are also arachnids and have eight often long legs but can be distinguished from spiders by the possession of only a single body part, true spiders have two body parts, and insects of course have three. Harvestmen or Opilionids, contrary to a myth that seems to be circulating around USA are not dangerously poisonous. In fact they have NO POISON GLANDS AT ALL, and therefore no poison.
Animals called Daddy Longlegs which have wings are flies (Diptera) members of the family Tipulidae, they are completely harmless.

No-see-ums are flies, small biting flies (1 to 3 mm in wing length), or biting midges of the family Ceratopogonidae, only 3 genera are known to bite people; Culicoides, Lasiohelea and Leptoconops. They have a fierce reputation as blood suckers and the bites can leave swellings that are itchy for several days. Only the females bite, they need the blood to mature their eggs. They are responsible for the transmission of a number of diseases.