Insect and Disease Identification Thread

The geometrid moth pictured, if drinking, would be standing with proboscis extended.
It would be odd for a moth to roost on a wet surface, what is the source of the water drops?
Was the moth [disturbed to] or was it [discovered on] this spot?

Tiny moth like crawling insects on one tree. About the size of big salt granule from chunky sea salt.

I saw it land on the leaf from across the patio while I was watering other plants, I had watered these a few minutes earlier. It was “standing” more near the center of the leaf until I disturbed it while trying to take the picture, and it kind of crouched down then. It has been so unusually dry here lately that I find all sorts of bugs and even hummingbirds coming around to sip droplets after I water things.

Rosdonald: The insect is more fly-like than moth-like. It would help to see the antennae (a captured and chilled insect can be closely photographed) and know the flight habit (revealed by disturbing).

Swincher: Then it is possible the moth was drinking, thanks for explaining the scenario.

Well this morning I looked at the leaf where it was, and it looks like it left some kind of present:

I’ll see what I can do with a better shot. I guess I said moth because of the color and soft feathery appearance of wings. It was really small and hard to see though.
Thanks!

The tree was Aunt Rachel.

Swincher: Moths do leave various splotches on windows, walls, and apparently, leaves.

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Rosdonald: I was leaning away from moths because of lack of any apparent furry scales on any of the body segments.

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Calling all New England growers!
This amazing Facebook Massachusetts entomologist (Sloan) is helping me identify all sorts of insects. He is very talented. Check out his page. I love his photographs of wasp.

Curious to know if anyone can help identify these eggs. I’ve found two or three bunches on my plum tree since the leaves have fallen off.


Look like some kind of mantis to me, but that’s just based on buying the eggs to hatch in my yard as beneficial insects.

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Mantis activity occurred to me also.

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Thank you @swincher and @LarryGene, I definitely saw quite a few mantis on the tree this last year. Google searches look the same as well.

Mantis eggs.

Found this little guy crawling along the greenhouse floor and decided to quarantine it in a jar until I can identify it. I can’t even decide what kind of larva it is. Google lens seems to think it’s some kind of scorpionfly, which would be a good one to release back into the greenhouse.


@armeniangreg

Yes mantis is what they are we have lots of them here. Normally they lay those on the side of a building here more so than a branch or tree trunk.

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swincher: It appears that your larva has pairs of thoracic legs, followed by a lack of legs on some abdominal segments, followed by several pairs of protolegs on the remaining segments. This is typical of butterflies and moths. Fly larva have legs of some sort on every body segment. Your larva also lacks the head protuberances of the scorpionfly.

Closely examine the larva to see if my interpretation of the picture is correct with respect to the legs.

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Larry, you are amazing!
I can never tell all these details of bugs. Sometimes I can’t even tell people apart🤭

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Looks like it died overnight in the jar, even with a few leaves and rocks to hang out on. I might have hurt it when catching it, I guess. I’ll keep an eye out for more.