There’s a misconception among non-scientists that an expert always knows the answer to a question. While that’s often the case, especially when the question is related to an expert’s field of study, it’s also common that we don’t know the answer immediately but have an idea of where to find the information. Sometimes, even that fails and the expert needs to ask for help.
As the insect identifier for Penn State Entomology, I need to be able to recognize or identify many species of insects and other arthropods across a wide variety of groups. This is pretty different from most taxonomists and systematists, who focus on one particular group and study it intensely. However, even within my broad knowledge, there are certain groups that, for whatever reason, I’m not great at identifying. Some of those groups I haven’t been exposed to and given the right training or practice could probably identify to a useful level with relative ease. Most microhymenoptera, especially chalcidoid families and ichneumonoid subfamilies, fall into this category. Other groups I’m just not that interested in personally.
With a few exceptions, Lepidoptera, which are the moths and butterflies, is a group that I am generally terrible at sight identifying. I have to picture book (that is, break out a book full of photos or visit a website with photos) most adult moth identifications. I’m even worse with all but the most common caterpillars.
I recently received an identification request for an egg mass that was found on the bottom side of a trumpet vine leaf. The client was worried that the insects would destroy the vine when the hatched. I was pretty certain that the eggs were some kind of lepidopteran, but only had grainy photos to go on.
The eggs hatched while the extension educator who processed the request had them, so I received additional images. Ah ha! It’s definitely some kind of caterpillar (or maybe sawfly).
We’re getting closer, but it’s not enough for a positive identification. I requested the specimens with a plan to raise them as young caterpillars, especially 1st instar, are difficult to impossible to identify. Unfortunately, 1st instar caterpillars are fragile and they died in the mail, so my plan to raise them was foiled. What to do now? All of the field guides and resources available for caterpillar identification are focused on older caterpillars, and I’m not an expert in Lepidoptera who can recognize such young caterpillars. Fortunately, there is a community of professional and amateur experts who might be able to help on Bugguide.com. With that in mind, I took a stereomicrograph (a photo using a stereomicroscope) and uploaded it to the website in hopes that someone will be able to identify the caterpillars. I’m out of resources to do so myself and had to ask for help.
Nancy Kurul says
I serve as an EMG Volunteer in NC and help as much as I can on our phone line/walk in clinic. The book, Tracks and Signs of Insects and Other Invertebrates A Guide to North American Species by Charley Eiseman and Noah Charney is an incredible help to me!
There are even some reliable sources on Facebook, if one can wait up to 24 hrs for an identification. Sometimes it is immediate, however! Of course I always confirm that particular one is located in the area.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Insect.Identification/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheEntomologyGroup/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/19833784207/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/caterpillarsofeasternusa/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheMothAndButterflyIdentificationForum/
I have a lot to learn, but hope this helps someone!