Need some of your help this ID? Does anyone know what these are? They stayed in this cluster the entire time we watched them. They went up & down the Memosa tree. If the lead critter moved right...the rest followed. Same if the leader went left. They just kept going zig zag up and down the tree, all together in this cluster. Really cool to watch them, but have no idea what they are???
Thanks!!
Another shot of same critters would love ID??
DisneyButterfly
This forum is for questions relating to adding data to the BugFiles database.
We have a forum on Insect and Spider Identification here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/bugid/all/
and if you post your question there, you may get some help,
If you have an image, you could attach it to the message you post for a better chance of getting an identification
Having said all that, I am fascinated by your insects and have tried unsuccessfully to identify them. In the process I made a copy of your first image and tried to enhance it to see the insects better.
I then posted a new thread to the Insect and Spider Identification forum, quoting your message and attaching my enhanced version of your image.
You will find that thread here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1187502/
and hopefully someone will come up with an ID for your creatures!
Kennedy
BugFiles Administrator
Thank you so mch Kennedy! As you can tell I am not as familar with all the forums. I appreciate your help & guidance!! Also your repost at that thread here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1187502/
Hey Kennedy, Thanks for your interest & help...one of our daughter in laws has a close friend that knew what our little visitors were:
http://collier.ifas.ufl.edu/commhort/CommHortPubs/Barklice%20or%20tree%20cattleNEW.pdf
Archipsocus nomas is a webbing barklouse and not in the true lice group. They are more closely related to the little booklice that you surprise when rummaging through old books. This is a communal web-spinning barklouse. During some years they make extensive silken webs that often cover the trunks and branches of live oaks in the southeastern U.S. The webs are believed to protect the barklice from predators. To some, the glistening webs are unsightly, but neither the barklice nor the webs will cause any harm to trees. This is referred to as a NBD, “ no big deal” bug. These insects are scavengers, cleaning the bark of lichens, fungi and dead animal and plant matter. The adult barklice are brownish-black and approximately ¼ inch long. The immature stage or nymphs, are brownish-gray and resemble the adults, except they are wingless. The adults and nymphs feed in a group. When the webbing is disturbed they scatter rapidly as a group and are referred to, in the older literature, as tree cattle because of this herding behavior. There are several generations that overlap. Webbing usually becomes noticeable in July and may become more extensive through October as the colony grows in size.
DisneyButterfly
That is terrific that you managed to identify them. We have a page for Archipsocus nomas in BugFiles here: http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/4892/ but as you will notice we do not have any pictures on the page. It would be terrific if you would add your images and in case you would like to add the enhanced copy I made of your first photo, I attach it again here without the copyright overlay. You could then save it to your computer and then submit it to that page and it will have your copyright ID on instead of mine.
It would be also of value if you added a comment or two to that same page giving the information from your original message and also the information you have provided above,
Ken
