Comforted by Dermestids

This week brings us an insect that was of concern to a local insect enthusiast. These larvae appeared underneath his bed, causing him to worry that they were bedbugs. Fortunately for him this is not the case. They are larvae of our old friends- the dermestid beetles! They were feeding on feathers from his comforter. Now he can take comfort in sleeping without fear of insects feeding on his blood.

The blowfly (Calliphoridae) makes the world a cleaner place. Do you?

Hello,

This week brings us an unsung hero- the blowfly (Calliphoridae). Most of us are at least somewhat familiar with the presence of fly maggots on carcasses, and some of you may find these maggots to be disgusting. Surely their consumption of rotting flesh takes place in an environment that does not have a pleasant smell, but these creatures are performing a great service for us. Without insects to rapidly consume carcasses, their stench of decay would last much longer and would produce immense amounts of bacteria. So, when you see a blowfly or a maggot, please thank them in your mind for helping to keep the world a cleaner place and think about how you might follow their example.

Trissolcus euschisti with egg mass

This week brings us a photograph with lots of action. The pale round objects are the eggs of stink bugs, and from one has emerged a male parasitic wasp (Trissolcus euschisti). As is typical for this genus, the males emerge first and fight for access to the females to mate with them as soon as they emerge. The males can often be seen "drumming" on the eggs as the females begins to emerge. Here the male eagerly awaits the emergence of a female who has just begun to chew her way out.

Dermestids are our friend and our foe.

Hello,

This week brings us an attractive looking insect that is both helpful and hurtful- a dermestid beetle! Beetles in this family (Dermestidae) typically feed on dry, dead things, although they also will eat freshly dead things when possible. This particular species, the varied carpet beetle (Anthrenus verbasci) feeds on skin and hair and thus can be destructive to museum specimens. This specimen was found eating its way through the collection of a local bird wing collector!

Other species of dermestid beetles (Dermestes americanus) are of great use to museums because they perform the odoriferous and unenviable task of cleaning decaying flesh from skeletons.

Yellow Jacket

This week brings us the head of a yellow jacket (Vespidae: Vespula) from the forests of Slovakia. As many of you know, these wasps build nests from paper that the wasps produce from chewing on dead wood. If you disturb these creatures, they will certainly sting you. Here you can gaze at a wasp face closely without fear.