Am I just missing the Bug Identification Forum?

I see that the BugFiles How-to's Discussion Forum has lots of ID pleas on it but the definition of this forum seems to exclude it from being used for identification purposes.

"Like PlantFiles (its plant counterpart), BugFiles is uniquely created by the shared information and images from thousands of real-life gardeners. If you've tried the FAQ
and still have questions, here's the place to find more about adding entries and images, and how to search the database, or check for duplicate entries. Note: Questions about identifying a bug, or how to treat an infestation should be directed to the appropriate forum, where thousands of subscribers share information and advice."

I just haven't been able to find the appropriate forum. I just must be missing the ID forum. Can anyone point me to the right forum. THANKS

I suddenly am seeing this butterfly all over and am wondering what it is.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/bugid/all/

There you go. It's under community forums General Gardening "Insect Identification...." And besides the usual Dave's Garden friendliness, they are wicked good at their IDs too!

THANK YOU! LOL I never even looked for insect. We have
Bird Identification
BirdFiles Pictures
and
Plant and Tree Identification
PlantFiles Pictures

all listed together next to each other on the Community Forums so it did not occur to me they would change the name for the Bug ID Forum! I need to think outside the box more. LOL

Thanks again!

LOL Kell, I had the same problem finding that forum not too long ago when I was trying to have an insect identified ... I was looking for a heading of "Bug Identification" I guess and had to ask to have someone direct me to the correct place! Your "bug" looks like one of the Skippers that was just recently identified for me. Maybe not the same one but it looks like a skipper.

I feel better I was not alone, Plantladylin! Thanks. And I will sure check what Skippers are. This week has been bug week. I have taken pics of 4 kinds. I think with colder weather they are more sluggish and easier to catch in a photo. And of course I have no clue what any of them are.

Look at this cutie!

For butterfly id's, the Hummer/Butterfly Forum is great as well. They really know their Butterflies!!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/bbb/all/

Actually, now that threeg mentions it, I the B'fly forum is where I posted and got an ID on my skipper! I went back searching yesterday and couldn't find it, now I know it's because I was looking on the wrong forum.

That grasshopper is a cutie but those hungry critters can really chew up some plants.

I wonder if your Skipper could be the Firery Skipper: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=2066

http://www.hiltonpond.org/images/SkipperFieryM03.jpg

or, scroll down this page aways and check out a couple of these: http://www.cal.net/~ani/California%20Skippers.htm

I think if you post on the Butterfly Forum someone will recognize it right away and give you an exact ID!

Thanks for the suggestion, Threegardeners. There are so many forums, I really go to so few. Yet I seem to be on here way too much! I bet the Butterfly Forum is a great one to look at pretty pictures.

Funny, I was googling plants (but of course), last night, and I came upon pics of skippers. I had never heard of them before and I bet now I see them all over the internet. LOL Mine does look like that one! THANKS Plantladylin.

I wasn't sure if that was a grasshopper. I rarely see them around here. I bet if I did see them a lot they would not be so cute. I love how their mouth elongates and looks like a suction cup on the flowers. I was trying for a sharp image of that but didn't get one.

I've got a few grasshoppers I'd be happy to send your way if you'd like to see a few more...they've been over here munching on my hibiscus all summer! (But I can tell you that they're not nearly as cute when they have a mouthful of hibiscus flowers! LOL)

I always have trouble finding it too...so I added it to my favorites the other night after I posted a caterpillar pic. Save myslef time and trouble next time!

:-)

Here's one of the hibiscus munchers deciding where to take his next bite from...

I will gladly trade with you and Kell both, Liz. My grasshoppers for yours....

Eeekk, those look like the ones I saw when visiting the Florida daylily growers

I'd rather see these

Those are some ugly grasshoppers! At least mine are small and a pretty shade of green even if they do make a million holes in my hibiscus flowers! I'll definitely take the butterfly though if I have a choice! LOL

I second butterflies over grasshoppers any day. The Lubber in the picture is a moderate sized fellow. Thus far this year I have disposed of nearly 200 of them....yes, we keep a tally, grin. One can eat an amaryllis bulb and leaves and flowers in a single day.

Oh my Themoonhowl!!!. That is absolutely gross! Though I do like his red under arm, a definite fashion statement. Sue, yours at least has a yellow streak. A little color makes them more tolerable for sure. But I must admit I would be most unhappy with either of them. WOW a whole amaryllis gone! Do you feed them to a bird or some sort of reptile? Sad to let all that crunch go to waste.

Liz, I usually see 1 a year in my yard. I often wonder if it is the same one. I never kill him, I figure this is his home too. But if I were to see a lot or even see the harm they do, cute little bug eyes or not, I would be ruthless.

Nanny, good idea for I am sure next year I will be searching once again.

Nothing eats these guys Kell. One of the common names for it is creosote grasshopper. It oozes a nasty brown liquid when threatened. The cats will not even play with them....when I was a kid, they were collected and sold to a pharmaceutical company for use in a type of cough syrup. When I found that out I swore I would choke to death rather than take cough medicine...grin These guys come in a variety of colors and patterns, green, yellow and white stripes, black green and white stripes, black with red wings and mostly white with black and yellow stripes. They love bulb plants and will literally devour the whole plant

The white one sounds intriguing with the black and yellow stripes. The brown ooze sounds disgusting. I guess no chocolate covered Louisiana creosote flavored grasshoopers. LOL

I am so glad we have so few bugs here. We are so lucky! I wonder if it is because we have such low humidity. Yours is so high.

I've now dumped all bottles of Robitussin in the house, just in case Moonhowl was a kid in the past few years.

Kell, you and I share the joy of few grasshoppers on the west coast, at least in our locations. I heard and saw exactly two all summer, on our hottest days in July. If they devoured my gardens I'd be most unhappy, but as rare as they are, I find them an interesting novelty. Ours are small and greenish, always good cat toys. The one with the red underwings is stunning.

Every area has its garden demons and I'd have to go with slugs for the Pacific Northwest. In that category, we can seriously compete.

Lol Poochella, not to worry.....been a long time since I was 12. I do not know if I was told, or if I just made a connection between creosote and Creomulsion cough syrup, but that name sticks in my mind as the grasshopper cough syrup....apologies to the manufacturers if I am wrong. grin

Our rain and humidity gives us a healthy slug population too, but we encourage our toad population. Ah well, life in the swamp....but even the gators won't eat the lubbers....grin

Moonhowl ... is that one of those Lubber Grasshoppers?? I haven't seen anything like that down this way but have heard of them. Ugly critters and I bet they can do a lot of damage in the garden!

Beautiful bloom pics Kell & Sue! They should be in PF or BF and what about the Photo Contest?

My bug shot with the rose was in last years contest. Guess I should get an ID on the other two in the daylilies.

Keep your eyes open Lin.....this past summer we killed about a half dozen or so at my buddy's home in Gulf Breeze....have pruners, will "divide" and conquer....grin

Oh, saw the Rosella/hibiscus links....got the original H heterophylla ID from my daughter's MIL in Cairns, AU. She had a dozen or so forming a hedge behind her garden she called them Heterophylla Rosella.....darn botanists....grin