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What is this pest?
Photos #1 to #100
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The pictures below have been
submitted by visitors. If you can identify them you are invited to send us
your answers.
Your description is also welcome.
Please
Include the picture number
in your answers.
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scanner send us photos of any pest you would like identified.
Please
include the location the pest was found and any other information you can offer.
Hopefully one of our visitors will be able to identify them.
Send your photos or answers to: webmanager@pestcontrolcanada.com |
 
#100
Recently, I have found 4 of these beetles in my apartment. I live in a
basement apartment in the Toronto area, so I am used to the usual variety
of creepy-crawlies, but this one looks out of place and I have never seen
them before 2 or 3 weeks ago. They are quite fat, and make a loud buzzing
sound when flying. They have a hard outer shell, and sound quite loud
when they bump into things while flying around. They fly fairly slowly,
and I usually find them stationary on the floor (they don't fly away until
I try to catch them). They also have a fuzzy "belly". I think these
beetles probably found their way in here by accident, because they look
out of place compared to the spiders, millipedes and roly-polies I usually
see down here. Any suggestions as to identification? Thanks!
Toronto
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a June Bug. They have tons of them in TX. In fact, my friend and
I got out the ping pong paddles one night and had to sweep up the mess in
the morning. We swept up ~500. They are completely harmless. They tend
to like areas where cows are bred. Axton
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  #
98 I had a number of these bugs on my window and was wondering if
you knew what they were. There were observed in Ottawa, Canada on July 11th,
2004. They are about 2 inches long. It has a split tail with 2
antennae. It seems to have 2 sets of wings and 4 legs. Thanks, Paul
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This one is easy! Common Shadfly.
In Jackson's point the lake road sometimes would get 1" deep with
shadflies when they do their mating thing. We played an outdoor
concert there one summer night, and made the mistake of wearing white.
They were attracted to the lights and kept landing all over us and
bursting. They seem to have almost no exoskeleton and turn to mush
if you look at them wrong.
Al in Udora.
More information and photos on this web site: http://www.shadfly.com/newpics.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Number 98 is a Mayfly. Scott. |
  #97.
Cincinnati, OH.
Observed lengths: 1/16 -3/16
inch.
Found on fence post under
maple tree - almost no direct sun.
Found in groups of
different-sized individuals.
The tail is actually split.
On the largest one, the tail
was light blue.
They "posture" (rock left and
right). I have
pics of them ganging-up on another insect defensively, without
attempting to injure it.
Troy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can t be entirely certain, but they appear to be the nymphs of
treehoppers (Homoptera: Membracidae) however, membracid nymphs usually have
the thorax armed with spines or tubercles. Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist.
Sinks Grove, WV |
 #96.
I take photos of wildlife, starting to work on locating snakes and other
creatures. I was fishing in Harriam State Park in New York about 60 miles
north of New York City. Found this on a log overhanging a big hole, which
was closed up by webbing. This was the best photo I took. Please
advise me of the species that the below spider may be. I am entering a
contest I need info on this. Thank you. Helena
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A female
fishing spider (family Pisauridae) with her egg sac. Female fishing spiders
usually carry the egg sac around with them in their chelicerae (‘fangs’)
until the eggs are ready to hatch, at which time she places them in a
silk-lined ‘pocket’ where they hatch. In the closely related wolf spider
family (Lycosidae), the female carries the egg sac attached to her
spinnerets until they hatch, and the young spiderlings then ride her back
for a while. Such active maternal care appears unusual among spiders in
general.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist.
Sinks Grove, WV |
 #95
Hi there: These
spiders usually pop up through the sink, shower, and laundry room drains in
the fall when it gets colder. The body is about 1cm in
length, with legs extended it is about 3cm in length. I have seen
ones twice as big as this. I have had them fall from the ceiling on me,
crawl up on my shoulder. They are extremely quick and can be aggressive
sometimes. Anyone know? Thanks. Calgary, Alberta, Canada
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Appears to be
a species of Wolf Spider. When the weather turns cold they tend to move
indoors to warmer surroundings. Paul
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry Paul, not a wolf spider. It is either a
Domestic House Spider or an Aggressive House Spider (aka
Hobo Spider). Can’t quite tell from the picture.
If it has “banding” on the legs it is a Domestic, and yes they can get quite
large. Watch out if it’s the Hobo, they are aggressive and can leave a
nasty sore if you yet get bitten. Thanks - Shannon |
 #94
This critter is about 5-7 mm long with long antennae, 6 legs and a thin
black appendage that protrudes from it's belly out between the rear legs.
While I was taking pictures of it on the citronella candle, it took a
defensive position. It then continually maneuvered as to always be facing
me. Rather slow moving. Very curious creature. What is it? The
undisturbed environment in my backyard is filled with Pine and Maple trees.
Ground cover is Ivy, Mosses, Fungi and Pine needles. Tends to stay rather
damp through out our hot summers. A. Getting. North Shore Long
Island, NY.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am an organic gardener in North Central Texas. I suspect that this is a
Wheel Bug nymph, which is the biggest member of the Assassin Bug family. He
is beneficial in the garden and hunts several insect pests, but they say
that the bite is very painful and nasty to humans. We just found a large
hatch of these on a catnip blossom and are raising them in a fine screened
habitat to release into our fall garden. Yep, we're sure careful not to
handle them! I'm interested in any more information anyone has. Donna
|
 #93
I discovered this guy walking down the hallway
of my home in Surrey, British Columbia. Should I be concerned? I have small
children and am wary of the brown recluse. It is about 5/8 to 3/4 of
an inch long. Does not seem aggressive but moves quickly. Has trouble
climbing the sides of the glass I caught it with. Thanks! Kelly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm across the river in Coquitlam
and have one of these guys in a jar. He has made a small web and I'll try
to toss in a few bugs. He was staggering around as if he had a hangover, so he
was easy to catch. I'm concerned though, looks nasty. I've never seen one
before, and I've lived in the Vancouver area for decades.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The beastie you found on the wharf is probably a solfugid, also called "sun
spiders" or "wind spiders" (so-called because they run like the wind). They
are more closely related to scorpions and, although not venomous in the sense
that spiders are, can still inflict a painful bite if you mess with the wrong
end. Their jaws are really modifications of what became pincers in the
scorpion, and (this is so cool!) work up and down rather than sideways the way
most arthropod mandibles do.
They are most common in desert environs, but, of course, in B.C. there's a
desert in the interior.
Nice drawing of a solfugid at
http://ag.arizona.edu/urbanipm/scorpions/solpugids.html
Hugh Baker, DVM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The picture definitely depicts NO sulifugid as
they have 10 legs and not 8 like the SPIDER depicted. Nevertheless, nice
try....for a detailed identification one would need a larger image.
Stein
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  #92
We have found this beetle
(I think) in our house in Airdrie Alberta Canada. They only appear in the
spring and summer. We cannot track where they are coming from. They are
black in color and about ¼ inch long. Any help on controlling/identifying
this beetle would be appreciated. One of the pictures is without flash and
has a Bic pen tip in it to give some scale.
Thanks, Chad
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's a type of weevil, there are many kinds, it's a
common creature in our neck of the woods (Calgary, Alberta). These are one
of my son's favorite insects, they play dead when you touch them. They
migrate in the spring and go "through", not "around", everything in the way,
including your house.... totally harmless. Catherine |
 #91
I live in Northeastern Ontario near
Sudbury. Yesterday I found a large bee-like insect on our driveway; it
looked like it was dying. The "bee" has 2 pairs of wings, six long and heavy
legs, though the lowest part (4 parts) of the legs is slim. It it black
except for two spots of yellow on its back behind where the wings attach,
the foremost spot being three times as big as the other. The end of its body
is reddish brown all around. Its length from head to tail is a little over 3
cm (maybe 3.2). Its wingspan at death is a little over 4 cm. The first pair
of legs are probably 2.5 cm extended; the middle are over 3 cm and the back
pair of legs are probably close to 4 cm extended. The bee's antenna are
orange and 1 cm long. It appears to have some kind of a hole at its
tail-end. I can not tell if the hole is the result of a stinger being
detached or if the bee is naturally constructed this way. Alex
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 I
love your site! After some further inquiries I have
found out this is an adult male elm sawfly. This is the largest sawfly in
North America. The adult is harmless and can not sting but can pinch with
their mandibles. Apparently the adults are rarely seen. The larvae are 1
1/2 - 2 inches long and feed on elm and willow. I have attached a photo of
the larvae/caterpillar. More info at:
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/trees/f1192-3.htm#Elm20%sawfly
This
insect is actually a butterfly. I am only familiar with European
species, but the family is Sesiidae or waspbutterflies. Herman
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  #90
Hi. I live in Massachusetts about 1/2 hour south of Boston. We have a
bunch of tall perennial yellow daisy like flowers (Heliopsis) whose stems
are covered with these very red bugs. I have attached 2 photos, although
they don't look red in the photos. One photo shows a penny for scale. The
other is somewhat magnified. What are they and what should I do?
Thanks in advance. Gretchen Meinke
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These are aphids (sometimes
called plant lice), order Homoptera, family Aphididae. Many species are
pests on flowers, vegetables, shrubs, and trees. As they are quite
fragile, in many cases they can be washed from the plant with the spray
from a garden hose. Also, there are products such as insecticidal soaps
that are quite safe to use around the home that will help control them.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV
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#89 Now
that spring/summer as arrived we have noticed these little bugs crawling
around in different areas of our home. They are 6-7mm long have little hair
on their body and their body are coloured in segments of dark and lighter
brown. Can anyone help us identify them so that we may get rid of them!!!
Thanks Location: East of Ottawa On..
Looks like a carpet beetle larvae.
Carpet beetle information |
 
#88c While not an insect (yet), I hope you can help on this one.
Several ends of our maple trees' branches have fallen to the ground, which
happens each year (though this year more than in the past). Judging by the
branch ends and other observations, I'm pretty sure these are from
squirrels building nests. However, something other than squirrels is
laying eggs on the leaves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The twigs indeed look as if
they had been chomped through by a squirrel or a similar creature. There
are wood-boring beetles called twig girdlers where the female beetle lays
her eggs beneath the bark of a twig and then proceeds to girdle the twig
so that it eventually falls from the tree. The beetle larvae then complete
their development in the fallen twig. However, if that were the case here,
I would expect to see the cut ends of the twigs with a neater job of
cutting. As for the leaves, those are not eggs, but rather galls – plant
tissue caused to proliferate in an abnormal manner by a substance
introduced by a small insect (usually Cynipid wasps or Cecidomyiid flies)
or mite (usually Eriophyids). In your case, I rather suspect that the
culprits are mites. Although unsightly, the galls usually do not cause
serious harm to the tree.
Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV
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#88b After
removing several inches of damp mulch and half-rotted leaves, several
hundred of these ants were clearly visible. Many were carting objects that
were similar in appearance to grains of white rice. My best guess so far is
"Yellow Ants". This maple tree is about 40' from our house. My main concern
is that they pose no threat to people, pets, or our home. A fair abundance
of earthworms would seem to indicate that the soil here is healthy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, Picture 88b
The ant in question is a Ant
of the genus Acanthomyops (citronella ants), they are fairly harmless, but
will make there nest in rotted wood. These ants are temporary social
parasites of Lasius ants, The newly mated queens of this species enter an
already established host colony and kill the queen and take over the
colony... The white rice shaped things are cocoons or pupae. Inside is an
unborn ant. This ant has a lemony scent when crushed and is relatively
harmless unless you have rotted wood. Bob B.
#88 I
only spotted one of these slow-movers. I'm just curious what it might be.
Ant conveniently included for scale (insect in question is about 3 cm long).
My main concern is that this isn't a queen of a species that might pose a
threat to people, pets, or our home. |
#87 hi
i took this picture of this moth in my bathroom. I live in Birmingham in the u.k and i was wondering what type it is. there was also another moth right
by it with the same markings. Thanks a lot. Paul
This is a Zygaenidae moth, especially in
Europe they have the nice red marks and they fly during day. There is a nice
book out about these moths:
http://www.apollobooks.com/Zygaenidae1.htm
They are harmless and they rarely fly into houses. Martin Hauser,
University of Illinois
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#86 Here
is a picture of a CREATURE That I pulled off of my body. I awoke to feel a
pinching on my skin in the left flank area. Upon reaching back to this area
I felt something gummy / sticking to my skin and thought for some reason it
was like a price sticker. So I reached a second time because it did
not come off with just rubbing my finger over it ....and lo and behold I was
holding this round...rubbery type little sucker ..( literally...little
sucker) .Within 30 minutes I had the size of a quarter purple circle where
this thing had hung onto me...The area became hard and a bit wider. almost
50 cent size by the end of the day ....The area ./two days later is still
round ..but faded a bit in color ...I had a massive headache yesterday..almost like a migraine. People say...be aware of aches and pains
..I would greatly appreciate your knowledge and expertise ...Maggie
Maggie what you had is a tick and it
looks like you got maybe Lyme disease from the bite. You should see a doctor
as soon as possible for an antibiotic treatment. Ticks are transmitting a
bacterium and you can get all the information you want from the following
website:
http://www.lyme.org/
Martin Hauser, University of Illinois |
 #
85 Vancouver BC, Living and apparently killing a weeping ornamental birch
tree. 1 CM in length.
Thanks. LVT
|
# 84 Hi I found this bug on
my back porch, in Sparta Tn. USA I have never seen one like this any
help??
|
 #
83 I hope someone out there can help me. I found this bug on my
pillow and it was covered with blood and dead. Is it a louse? It doesn't
look like the photos I've seen. It's very tiny, smaller then a flea and
I now have bites on my head. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.
Joanne
Common Bedbug. I recommend you arrange for professional extermination.
These buggers are a real pain in the butt. Cheers,
Paul
|
 #
82 Hi,
My children found this little darling hiding behind a curtain in our log
home, it is about 2 inches long, and seemed aggressive, it attacked the
plastic cup I used to catch it (leaped at it) bluffing ???. In the seven
years I lived here I've never seen anything like it. Location; Kemptville
Ontario Canada, indoors - log house - south west facing window - wood land
area.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I live in Sharbot Lake area also in a log home
and I have this same spider how ever I have no idea what it is I have been
looking for what type it is for 2 years this is the first time I have even
seen any info that some one other then me has seen them. if you have found
out what it is please let me know thank you. John
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is
the same spider that I see all over my property, the same leg markings
and coloring...is this a type of Wolf Spider.
Joanna. Beaver,
Bank Nova Scotia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looks like a kind of wolf spider, I'm in Luskville west of Ottawa, I've
been trying to get a handle on the same kind (I take at least one out of
the house everyday, two with egg sacs) however these egg sacs were not
carried by their spinerettes which makes me wonder if they are wolf
spiders. the picture is identical to the ones i have and i have lots!!!
to look at. Carl
|
# 81 Hello, Hopefully
you can help. The attached photos are of an insect found in my new
home. The house is located in Innisfil Ontario, 45 minutes north of
Toronto, near Lake Simcoe. Yesterday evening, a perfectly round hole
(about 5 mm in diameter) appeared in my wall. The wall is made of
drywall. Today my wife found this insect near the hole on the stairs.
I am concerned that it is a cockroach or a wood damaging insect. The home
is brand new; we’ve only lived here 3 weeks. The exterior of the home is
incomplete; soffiting around the roof is missing leaving the attic exposed
to the elements. A forest and creek are near by. Any advice? I plan on
reporting this to the builder and the home warranty people and would like
to know how to describe the insect. Regards, Kyle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Hi:
I am an entomologist at the University of Illinois. I study longhorned
beetles and wanted to reply to the question posted in #81.
The beetle is a female White Spotted Pine Sawyer, Monochamus
scutellatus. Adults lay their eggs in pine trees that have recently
been cut. The larvae bore into the wood of the tree leaving large amounts
of matchstick-like sawdust. They usually take one year to complete their
development (although there are some accounts of them taking 2 years to
develop.) The hole that you found in the wall did indeed come from this
girl, but she won't cause you any more trouble. Adults feed on the
branches of living pines and the wood in your house is too old now to
support another generation of larvae. This beetle's emergence indicates
that the wood that the builder used was neither seasoned or pressure
treated. As I mentioned they take one year to develop, so the pine that
the builder used had to have been cut within the last year. Chemical or
pressure treatment of the wood would kill any larvae.---Annie Ray,
University of Illinois
|
 #80 Greetings,
I live in Rockland County, NY. It is approximately 20 minutes North of NYC
in the Greater Hudson Valley. I found dozens of these bugs on a recently
dead tree in front of my house. They vary in size, and don't seem to do
anything other than walk around the bark. They have wings that are neatly
camouflaged with the colors on their backs. They don't seem to fly, but
they are fast walkers.
I am
concerned that they are the reason for the loss of the tree. If so, will
they spread to the nearby deck and wood-shingle siding? Does anyone know
what kind of bugs these are? What do they eat? Where would they nest? Do
they bite? Any help would be appreciated! :)
Anthony - NY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Appears to be a Cerambycid (long-horned
wood-boring beetle) in the genus Neoclytus. Beetles in this genus will
attack a wide variety of hardwood tree species (especially ash, oak, and
hickory), as well as unseasoned lumber. They are harmless to humans. You
may wish to contact your county cooperative extension service agent for
control recommendations. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist. Sinks Grove,
WV
|
#79 The six inch centipede was found in
the bathroom of our hotel room in Austin Texas, May 30 2004.
We let it crawl into a brown paper bag & took this photo before release into
the brush. How dangerous is this species? How would it get into the second
floor hotel room? Are these common in Austin? What kind of centipede is
this? Is it full grown? ===== Thanks, Vic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Scolopendran centipede, possibly the
castaneiceps color morph of Scolopendra heros see
http://www.tarantulaspiders.com/images/gallery/centipedes/sheroscastaneiceps{ss}.jpg.
One this size can give quite a painful (but not life-threatening) bite.
They can travel quite well, so that it is not surprising that you would find
one on the second floor. Your specimen appears nearly full grown;
reportedly, this species can attain a maximum length of 7. Ed Saugstad,
retired entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV |
 #78
Hey there. I found this spider up in my Western Washington USA cabin north
or Everett. It was hanging out near/in my STOVE! I had to cook the son of a
gun out and I could not tell if he had made any webs. Any help would be
appreciated, THANX! Justin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the colour and the pugnacious attitude I would say
that this spider is a Mygalomorph. They used to be classified with the
trap-door spiders but apparently now are considered to be a separate clan,
or sept, or fraternal order...whatever it is we classify them into these
days. Washington state is a bit farther north than one usually sees them, I
think. This one may have been lured into your stove by the intoxicating
aroma of propane odorant, which spiders seem to really enjoy.
Hugh Baker. |
 #77
This is a weird bug we found in our backyard. (Victoria, BC, Canada) It
looks like #76 but my picture may be easier to identify. It does not
appear to be able crawl on smooth surfaces and merely thrashes about.
Anyone know what it is?
This is a
ground beetle larva, family Carabidae. They are predatory on other
ground/soil-living organisms. For another example see:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/17106/bgimage
Jim McClarin
|
 #76 My
kids found this in the creek behind our house. There were several of them
hiding (or living) in what looked like a small tube of bark. They are
about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. We have no idea what they are. Anyone know?
Thanks!These are
the larvae of caddisflies (Trichoptera), they built the tubes out of plant
material or stones and silk. They are often indicators for better water
quality. Some guys give them precious materials to built their bag with
them, check it out:
http://mitpress2.mit.edu/e-journals/Leonardo/isast/articles/duprat/duprat.html
Martin Hauser, University of Illinois
|
 #75
I found this huge ghastly looking thing in my garage last year. It was huge,
probably about 3-4in in length. I wouldn't get near it because I had never
seen anything that huge before! I live in WNY in a suburban area. Our front
deck is just right outside the garage (I live in a raised ranch) and that's
where this thing was on the inside. I thought maybe a type of wolf spider,
but it has a hard body, not soft like a lot of the pics show. What do you
think it is? Angela
|
 #74
It's been four months since I moved to a
new duplex in Vancouver, BC. Recently I started to find these bugs on the
floor and walls mostly on the second level. What are those? How can I get
rid of them?
|
 #
73 I'm hoping you can help
identify this "worm like" bug we are finding all around our house this
spring. They are brown in color and have many tiny "hairs". When disturbed
they coil up. They are typically 1 MM to 1 CM in size. We find them in odd
places such as a clothes drawer, counters, on beds, carpet etc. I attempted
to take a picture which is attached but it did not come out very clear. I
did some research and I think it might be a Millipede or part of the "Diplopoda"
family but it seems to have more random "hairs" or "legs". Any information
you can provide would be greatly appreciated. We have a 4 month old baby
who starting to crawl and we are a little concerned that he may come in
contact with one of these bugs. Also, any suggestions you may have to get
rid of them would again be appreciated. Mike. Ottawa,
Ontario ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's a little hard to tell from your photo
but it looks like # 58 and 63 below, a carpet beetle larva.
You can read all about them on our
Carpet Beetle page.
|
#72 Found these
little guys in my garden this morning (Southern California: Orange County).
Beautiful striking markings. The larger one is about 1/2 inch long. There
were several other specimens around, but this one offered the clearest view
for the photo. I’m assuming it’s a beetle of some sort. Anyone know the
name? Thanks! Jon H.
~~~~~~~~
I think these colourful bugs may be a variation of the harliquin bug.
Deb. Gabriola, BC
~~~~~~~~~~~
Possibly a variation of a box elder beetle? Suzanne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Number 72 is a very strange bug. I cannot find a good name for it anywhere.
I do not think it is a harlequin bug because they are very different but i
have one of the bugs pictured that i found in Auburn, Alabama very far from
california where others have been found.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bug number 72 is a Box Elder bug. They hang out where there are Box Elder
trees.
See link:
http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/kkhp/1insects/boxelder.html
Thanks, Becky Neu, Minneapolis, MN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks, everyone for your suggestions!
It’s been awhile since I’ve visited the site, and I was surprised at the
number of replies to my inquiry. Since posting the photo, I contacted our
local vector control agency who informed me that this critter is a form of
“seed bug”. Is that related to the box elder bug? We have no box elder
trees on or near our property (don’t know if that matters). In fact, the
bugs in this photo were actually on a dusty miller plant in our flowerbed.
Thanks again! Jon H. |
|
Click on the photos
to enlarge |
 #71
What is this? Bob V.
It is a
sun spider (Solifugidae) . It is a related to spiders, ticks and scorpions,
but a group of its own. They are very fast runners, night active, and do not
have poison but have a strong bite if you hold them in your hand.
http://www.arachnology.org/Arachnology/Pages/Solifugae.html
Martin Hauser, University of Illinois
|
 #70
These things are all over many of the trees in my back yard. They seem
to hatch in what looks link a spider web. Are they going to kill
my trees? How can I get rid on them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are western tent caterpillars. They seem to come and go in
cycles and it looks like we will see plenty of them in 2004.
See this excellent web page for more information. |
 #69
I live on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia and found these in a
cluster of about 20 or so (could be more cause I stopped digging after I
found them) while preparing a home for a tree. They were aprox. 2 feet
underground. They are about 2-3 inches long. My sister-in-law found some
last year in her yard but they were apparently a lot longer. I have talked
to a local nursery owner, however they have no idea what they are. Are these
friends or foe? Thanks. Sally
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This looks like Jerusalem cricket larvae. They aren't
as common as they used to be, and should be left alone, as they should not
pose a problem in your garden. They can bite but they are not venomous.
Renee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are not Jerusalem cricket larvae, these are Scarab beetle larvae or
grubs. Check out the pictures there:
http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/Insects/g1085.htm.
Some of them damage your lawn, but most of them are harmless and develop
into a beautiful beetle. Martin Hauser, University of Illinois
|
 
#68 These flying bugs either
sting or bite. The closest I've
been able to identify them is to call them yellow jacket workers,
but some of them have red-coloured abdomens...
They are fairly small - maybe 1 cm in length. They have 2 sets of wings.
There are two different coloration appearances:
one has an abdomen mostly black with slight yellow band markings;
the other has a dark red abdomen. It looks like a
red ant with wings.
The
bugs live in the ground and do not seem to have only one exit/entrance,
although there is evidence of a few main entrance holes. There is a
strip of approximately 15 feet up the road edge where there are holes
evident, so there's quite a colony. They land, dig, and disappear in the
sandy soil. Then they emerge and seem to kick sand back to cover up
their exit.
They only seem active when it's sunny and warm. Two of the residents in
the immediate area have been bitten or stung by these critters - one has
several bites/stings on one leg and they think the bugs came in at night
through an open window. The other was mowing the lawn near the nests and
the bugs flew up his shirt and stung him. Another neighbour says they've
been around for years and had nests in her rose garden and around her
lawn. She's never been bothered by them. She says they seem active for a
short period of time and then disappear.
Any ideas?Christine
. Burnaby, BC.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's difficult to tell by your photos but these
may be wild bees. The behaviour fits the pattern of some species.
You can read about them on the bee page.
Can anyone else identify this one?
|
#67 What is the
NAME of this species?
They run 10 mph, jump three feet, are a nocturnal spider, so only come
out at night unless they are in shade. When they bite you, you are
injected with Novocain so you go numb instantly. You don't even know
you are bitten when you are sleeping, so you wake up with part of your
leg or arm missing because it has been gnawing on it all night long. If
you are walking around and you bump something that is casting a shadow
over it, and the sun makes contact with it, you better run. It will
instantly run for your shadow, and scream the whole time it is chasing
you.
PS. The one on the bottom is
eating the one on the top. These are
Spiders found daily in IRAQ by
troops. Imagine waking up and seeing one
of these in your tent!!
Brent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This spider is commonly known as the camel spider. It is a myth that these
spiders eat human flesh.-Matt
Here are some good sites on this spider:
http://50.lycos.com/040703.asp
http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/camelspider.html
http://www.insectia.com/beta/e/iv%5Fc202024.html
|
 #66 This
is in my garden in Austin, Texas. It is about 1 inch in length.
That's all I know! Deanna
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be a caterpillar that has gotten
itself stuck in spittlebug saliva. Spittlebugs are little green insects
that produce a white frothy substance in which they hide while sucking plant
juices. Next time you see that white froth, take a toothpick and poke
around inside it. You’ll find a little green insect, about the size of a
leafhopper. |
 #65
I live in Hawaii--Oahu and while at the beach I was stung by a bug that
looks like this--what is it because I have NO clue. Thanks, Hensen
This is a field cricket and by the long
ovopositor you can tell that it is a female. They do not bit or sting
humans and they are harmless. There is a list of insects of Hawaii, check
under "Orthoptera: Gryllidae "
|
 
#64 Dear Sir or Madam,
I am emailing you a few pictures of a bug that I have seen crawling around
the walls in my apartment. I do not know what type of bug it is. Could you
please help me identify it and perhaps help me to get rid of these bugs?
Thank you. Fareed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry Fareed but your pictures are a little too fuzzy
for a positive identification. Have a look at the photos on the
Sow Bug pages
to see if they look like what you have. There is also some
information to control them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Appears to be a dead,
upside-down sowbug/pillbug (Crustacea: Isopoda), sometimes called
roly-polys. They are scavengers that often are found in homes where damp
conditions exist.
Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
number 64# is the common
wood louse! very common in England, likes stony areas or woodlands!, not
harmful, eaten a lot by spiders!, have lots of kids. live in stone gaps
in houses? dry stone walls? dead trees?
|
 #63
What is this pest? Evelyn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This looks similar to #58 below. The larva of a
Dermestide beetle. (Carpet beetle)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Click on the photos
to enlarge |
 #
62 These guys are found two
or so at a time about every two months in our livingroom in the north west
corner. We have an oak wood floor, but there are no holes to be found in
it. There are north facing windows nearby and these guys are sometimes
found on the windowsills. No holes there, either. We live in mid to north
Alberta, Canada. I've looked at many bug sites and seen nothing like them.
Any ideas? DawnThese
are longhorn beetles. The group they belong to is the Clytini, but for the
species or genus identification I would need to see the wing markings. They
could live outside the house, but often they are found in firewood etc.
Martin Hauser, University of Illinois |
#61
I found this in
Southern California, USA. It is approximately 1 cm long and is
currently sticking to our wall. Every once in a while a worm-like
creature comes out of one of the two openings in this thing. This
"worm" has a brown head and a white body.
Thanks, Matthew
This is actually a moth! I wondered for years what this 'funny bug'
was and I finally stumbled across the answer on the internet.
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/urban/occas/p_bagworm.htm
The household casebearer, Phereoeca uterella,
is a moth in the Tineidae family of Lepidoptera...Most people know
this species by the name "plaster bagworm." However, bagworms are
moths in the family Psychidae. Perhaps for this reason, the official
common name of this insect is now listed as the household casebearer,
instead of "plaster bagworm." Jennie
|
 #60
Location- Rockland, Massachusetts USA (outside Boston).
I have recently discovered several of these bugs in my home am concerned
about potential damage they may be causing. The bugs are about 3/4 of an
inch in length (not including antennas). Help with identifying would be
greatly appreciated. Thank you, Peter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a stink bug. Debra
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Bug in
Ontario says this is a Western conifer seed bug. They are often
misidentified as assassin bugs or stink bugs. There is lots of good
information on his
Urban
Pest Control web site:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a western conifer seed bug, often referred to as a stink bug
because of the strong odor it gives off when disturbed. They are not
harmful in a home.
More information available on this BC forestry web site:
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/HTI/iid/ |
 #59
This bug flew
into our house in Southern California. There were two of them and they are
definitely attracted to light. It was in the evening that this happened.
The entire span of the bug as it stands on the wall is about 2.5 inches.
Bernard.
This is a crane fly. M.
Little. Seattle
|
# 58 I found several of these
in my panty cupboard. They leave skins behind. I am wondering how to get
rid of these guys. I would love to know for sure what kind of bug this is
as well. Thanks so much. Geraldine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the larvae of a Dermestide beetle. Check out the links in
# 57 and this link:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/clinic/Bugofwk/970079/dermest.htm
Martin Hauser,
Department of Entomology, University of Illinois |
 #
57 We
have found 3 or 4 of these over the last year. One was buried in an old
table we had (that has since been thrown out) there were also 1 or two
larvae inside. This one was alive and well and crawling across the hard wood
floor. We live in Halifax, Nova Scotia and are hoping this guy is not a wood
eating pest! Any idea what it could be. Thanks. Julian.
Halifax, Nova Scotia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a Larder Beetle of the family Dermestidae,
which live on organic (rarely plant) substances like dead insects or wool
carpets but not in wood. The species is Dermestes lardarius LINNAEUS, 1758.
Here are some nice links:
http://www.dermestidae.com/index.html
http://www.dermestidae.com/Dermesteslardarius.html
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/biodiversity/family/Dermestidae.html
Martin Hauser, Department of Entomology,
University of Illinois
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking at #57 and where it was found I
thinking it could be a powder post beetle. Dennis
|
 #
55. I
noticed that you get a lot of letters concerning carpenter ants problem. I
live on Malcolm Island BC and had a big ants nest in my external house
wall.
We wanted to just fix the door frame and
taking little by little rotten 2x6 panels we noticed that ants started to
pop=up out of nowhere. Little more investigation led us to the side wall
. I just knew we found a satellite nest of carpenter ants.
I am sending you a picture what they did with
a 2x6 wood panel in the wall. We had several pest control specialists
trying to find where ants are and everybody pointed to the walls by
windows and siding, nowhere near the spot where we found them. Just
thought to share the picture with people to see what kind of damage
carpenter ants can do. Take care, Elizabeth
|
 #54.
I found several of these particular spiders in my split-level apartment from
July of 2002 to March of 2003 when I took this picture. I only seemed to
find this spider in my kitchen, which is below ground level. I would
find them hiding in between the baseboard and the ceramic tiles until I
would accidentally sweep them up and watch them frantically try to escape my
broom. I haven't seen this species since I moved, nor did I ever see it
before. Its about the size of a nickel and is blackish brownish in colour.
Doesn't seem to run very fast on ceramic tiles, though. Curious if it is
only indigenous to that apartment?
S.W. , Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. |
 #53.
Found this in our bed (yuck) this morning, and assume it fell off the
dog, although it may have moved in while we were away for several
weeks. What the heck is it? Shirley.
This appears to be a dog tick. It is fully
engorged (has had a blood meal) It probably did fall off your dog.
Ticks are very
specific about their hosts so that a particular species has a very limited
range of host animals. Ticks that bite humans, for example, tend to be
restricted to other mammals (like mice,
dogs and
deer). Brown
dog tick infestations in homes usually require the services of a pest
control operator in order to obtain satisfactory results. It may be several
weeks to several months, depending upon the degree of infestation, before
control can be achieved.
Each surviving
female tick can lay as many as 5000 eggs.
You can read more at this web site.
http://www.rcre.rutgers.edu/pubs/publication.asp?pid=FS007 |
 #52
We found this spider on the dirty laundry in the basement. It's about 4 1/2
inches from the tip of front legs to the tip of back legs. I couldn't get
better detail as I was afraid to get closer than 3 ft. My son said it is
very fast (he discovered it). It hasn't moved for about a hour even after I
used the flash camera on it. My son wants to kill it because his band
practices in the basement, but we have a lot of crickets down there I'm
hoping it will catch, so I'd rather that no one kills it unless there is
danger that it might be poisonous?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Judging from the larger photo, I'd say this is a wolf
spider. There are about 100 different species of wolf spiders throughout the
U.S. and Canada. They are usually nocturnal and that might be why you are no
longer seeing them. Spiders are beneficial in that they eat other insects.
Kelli the bug lady. Texas |
 #51
First, this is a GREAT Website!! Second, I have been searching on-line
for a full day for this same amazing insect creature that we saw this
Sunday, Sept 7, 2003. We observed this insect on a tree in Harriman State
Park in NY. This animal was very busy with his front legs and watching it
was mesmerizing. Not knowing if it was aggressive, was a little distracting,
but it was hard to walk away. Please, I hope you can help with identifying
this. Ichneuman Wasp ?(Rhyssa persuasoria)
Because of the really long "tail" it sure looked like a stinger too - I am
very convinced this is it, but around here? THANK YOU. Sincerely,
Donna and Dave |
 #50
This spider is living outside a home in Medicine Hat, Alberta. It's body is
only slightly smaller than a loonie and is quite efficient at living off the
many grasshoppers or crickets that come near it's very large webb. My son is
worried it is dangerous, is it? Thanks. Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Number 50 is a Garden Spider.
Allison
L. Oakes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A "garden spider" refers to
any spider found in the garden. More specifically, #50 is called a black
and yellow argiope. This is one of my favorite spiders.
Renee.
|
 #49
This spider spent the day on our house, near the front door. I had never
seen a spider this large here. From top leg to bottom leg was about 2 1/2 to
3 inches. I thought she was cool and would like to put a name to
her. Thank you.
Adriene, Ulster County, New York State, USA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This looks like an argiope too. See # 50.
Renee
|
#48 This spider looks similar to the one photographed in Herbert,
Saskatchewan (Question 41). Can anybody confirm that this is the Argiope
trifasciata. This photo was taken in the Great Sand Hills of
Saskatchewan, approximately 30 km east of Fox Valley, SK in August 2003.
This is generally a mixed grass and short shrub vegetation community
dominated by Stipa comata, Koeleria gracilis, Bouteloua gracilis, Agropyron
sp., Symphoricarpus occidentalis, Rosa woodsii and Juniperus horizontalis.
Most locals say they have never seen this spider before but observations are
very frequent this summer.
Matt McClelland, B.A., B.Sc., A.Ag, Alpine Environmental Ltd.,Calgary,
Alberta
|
  #
47. This was found in Ontario, Canada. Any help would be appreciated.
It had 4 hair like tentacles that stuck into a maple tree. Thanking you in
advance. Dee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This
appears to be a species of Parasitic Wasp called
Megarhyssa genus
Ichneumonidae. It is one of the
largest ichneumon wasps and can recognized by three, long, hairlike parts
of the ovipositor (up to five inches long) on females.
JPD, Ontario
|
 #46.What
are these little buggers? They seam to love my back yard, especially after I
water the lawn. They are about 1.5" long, and are pretty thick. I am located
in Central Texas and am worried about my son playing in the back yard with
these guys buzzin' around. Are they harmless/ harmful? Thanks, Dan in Belton
Texas.
Bug 46 is a red wasp.
You don’t want to get stung by one of these, as they usually sting
multiple times if provoked. These are the worst type of wasp, next to
yellow jackets in
Texas.
Axton Grams
|
  #45.
HI, I am from N.W. Pa. and we found this spider crawling on the floor in our
garage. I know they aren't very good pictures, but I hope you can help us.
We also found one hanging off of our back porch, same size, and color, but
different markings on it's back, this one in the garage looks like an aztec
marking and the one out back had a different shape white on it's back. I
hope someone knows what they are. Thanks, Sherry- NW, Pa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pretty sure that it is a deer "tic". This
tick can cause lymes disease in animals and humans. Jay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a female deer tick next to a
dime for comparison. Webmanager. |
  #44 I'd
appreciate any help you can give me in ID-ing this bug. I live in the
Boston suburbs. I have been finding them in the basement. I recently had my
roof done and some insulation in the basement...so the house has been shook
up a bit. Also, we've had some humid warm days.
It's about the size of my thumbnail. They run away when I get near
them...but not too fast. they don't 'scurry'.
Looks to me like something I would see in the garden. Doesn't look like a
cockroach to me....based on color...and doesn't have the ultra-long
antennae. Reminds me of a beetle with the dark (hard?) one piece back.
Dave
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dave you took some nice pics of a ground beetle (Carabidae),
maybe the genus Harpalus. They are predators and eating other insects,
sometimes they are falling into the basements while hunting other insects.
You were right,
they are normally hunting in your garden...Martin Hauser, Department of
Entomology, University of Illinois
|
 #43 This
wasp was captured in Connecticut. It is about 3-4 inches long, and although
it resembles a cicada wasp, it seems too large. Any thoughts? J Wilson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A pigeon horntail (Hymenoptera: Siricidae). The
larvae bore in wood. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV |
#42 Okay this big creepy waspy thingy flew out of a wood pile at
me.. then I had
ran away from it---only to discover while doing my dishes....the thing
landed on my pony tail and was still on it!!!!!!!! EWWWWWW! What is it?
The body on it seemed longer when alive, with the underbelly all striped.
Discovered in wooded western Pennsylvania. Thanks, Jen. PS the thing was 1
&1/2 inches long from antennae to tail tip. Jennifer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jennifer, this is a very nice specimen of a sawfly
(Hymenoptera), maybe the genus Tremex, they can not sting and are harmless.
They develop in wood, that is why it came out of your woodpile. Sometimes
they are forest pests, but
they won"t do any harm to your house. Martin Hauser, Department of
Entomology, University of Illinois |
#41 A friend of my son found this spider along with
2 others that look just like it at his grandmothers farm near Herbert,
Saskatchewan. Can you tell me what kind of spider it is and is it dangerous.
It has to be the biggest spider I have personally seen on the prairies. The
white part on its body is about the size of a nickel and its legs are at
least 2 inches long. The kids have done quite a bit of research and cannot
find any information about this spider, I hope you can help. Grant M.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have one in our back yard in Regina Saskatchewan Canada, do you have any
info on this? Nadine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Very likely Argiope trifasciata. Harmless if you are
not an insect! Check out the nice webpage:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/argiope/a._trifasciata$media.html
Martin Hauser, Department of
Entomology, University of Illinois |
#40
Can you please tell me the name
and any info the you have on this spider.
I live just outside Hamilton
Ontario Thank you . Pete
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Argiope, a 'garden spider' harmless beautiful
arachnids, that make nets usually with a 'squiggle,' or stabilimentum in the
middle of the web. Be good to bugs! Michael A. Brueseke,
Research Technician, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame |
 #39 Found this guy
crawling rather slowly into our kitchen. Was wondering what it is. Found in
Oysoyoos, B.C. Canada in the south Okanogan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is a Jerusalem
cricket. There is plenty of information about this
insect on the web: | |
#45.
HI, I am from N.W. Pa. and we found this spider crawling on the floor in our
garage. I know they aren't very good pictures, but I hope you can help us.
We also found one hanging off of our back porch, same size, and color, but
different markings on it's back, this one in the garage looks like an aztec
marking and the one out back had a different shape white on it's back. I
hope someone knows what they are. Thanks, Sherry- NW, Pa
