What is it Wednesday: November 3, 2021

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

November 3, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 This large insect is a wheel bug, found in Lutherlyn’s garden at Terra Dei.

The wheel bug is named for its armored crest between the head and abdomen that looks like a wheel with cogs. It is the only insect in this area to have such a crest. 

Adult wheel bugs are large – about an inch and a half long, with a wide and thick abdomen. The nymphs are much smaller, have an arched back, and when young are black with a bright red abdomen. We see the nymphs often on the grapevines at Terra Dei, but the adults are well camouflaged and seldom seen.

Wheel bugs are a type of assassin bug – predatory insects that eat other insects. Some of the insects wheel bugs eat are major garden pests like Japanese beetles and cabbage worms, so despite their intimidating appearance, we love having them around in the garden! Wheel bugs are aggressive predators, but are not aggressive towards humans. However, like most critters, they will bite if disturbed, and have a very painful bite! The bite has been described as more painful than wasp stings, with pain followed by numbness, and discomfort lasting for two weeks. (Despite its unpleasantness, the bite causes no long term damage unless it is infected or causes an allergic reaction.) As we put the garden to bed for the winter it is nice to know helpers like these are around to help keep our garden healthy! 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: September 9, 2020 (and September 18, 2019)

 Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

September 9, 2020. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

 This insect is a northern walkingstick. 

We had a similar-looking What is it Wednesday feature almost exactly a year ago that never made it onto the blog – but that insect was a thread-legged bug, often mistaken for a walkingstick. 

Today's feature is the real walkingstick. A walkingstick is larger and thicker than a thread-legged bug, and though they look alike they are not related.

I forgot to include a size reference in the walkingstick photo, but went back and measured the small tree it is on – the tree is about 2 inches in diameter, which makes the walkingstick about 4 inches long head to tail, not including antennae. The thread-legged bug looks to be about 2 inches long, based on how much space it takes up on my hand. These are about the maximum size for both these insects.

   

Another major difference between the two is that walkingsticks are herbivores who eat mostly the leaves of plants, while thread-legged bugs are members of the assassin bug family and are carnivores who eat other insects.

Both insects, however, make use of their long spindly body and limbs to camouflage themselves on tree branches. While both extend their front legs in a way that sometimes makes it difficult to recognize them as legs, the thread-legged bug uses the legs to grasp in a way that walkingsticks rarely do.

Keep an eye on the small details of the world around you, and you may be lucky enough to spot a fascinating camouflaged critter!

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!

What is it Wednesday: July 8, 2020

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

July 8, 2020. 

And the answer is....

This is the nymph of Reduvius personatus, commonly known as a masked hunter. This insect is a type of assassin bug, a member of the hemoptera family, or “true bugs.”

The nymph (immature insect) of the masked hunter adds dust and other particles to sticky hairs on its body, creating a layer of camouflage. It has one layer of fine particles close to its body, and coarser particles on longer hairs that create an outer layer. This effectively hides it from both predators and prey.

Masked hunters and other assassin bugs eat other insects (including bedbugs)! This makes them good garden helpers to have around, as they can help control the population of pest insects. Some of them can also bite humans and their bite can be painful, so it’s best to enjoy looking at them without touching, but like most insects only bite when harmed or threatened.

One type of assassin bug, known as the kissing bug, has gotten “internet famous” in recent years for its potential to carry Chagas disease. Kissing bugs are mainly found in Mexico and Central and South America, sometimes in southern U.S. states, and rarely in Pennsylvania. There are very few instances of people being infected with Chagas disease in the U.S. The common types of assassin bugs we find in Pennsylvania are not kissing bugs (though they may have a somewhat similar appearance) and do not carry Chagas disease.

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!