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Pest Identification Photos #201 to 300
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your pest photo |
What is this pest?
Submit photos of any pest you would
like identified. Hopefully one of our visitors
will be able to identify them.
How to send your photos.
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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#300 Moved
into an apartment in November 2004, its on the 2nd floor of an old house
here in Toronto. I've now found two of the same small but disturbing bugs,
which I'm having difficulty identifying. The first was found in a newspaper
which was on the floor by a recently acquired 1970's organ. The other
between photo's in a plastic box (crawled into?) which was again on the hard
wood floor in the same room. They look like very small crabs. They
are a brown/red colour, have 8 legs, and two very long arms with claws at
its front. The body is about 3mm, while the span of the arms/claws seem to
be about 10mm. When disturbed, they pull in the arm/claws, and legs looking
like a small brown bit of dirt. Attached is a photo of the first one,
dead. Tried to save it but it died within a few hours of finding it (had it
outside, cold here in Toronto!). Any help would be great!
Thank-you. Mike.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a
Pseudoscorpion. These are arachnids.. part of the
group which includes spiders, ticks, mites and scorpions too.
Pseudoscorpions are usually very tiny.. only about 4 mm in length.
See similar
photos, # 8 and 32. |
 
#299
Sorry for the poor
photos by my camera doesn't like bugs either!! This one was on my husbands
leg and gave him a nasty bite. It appears to be a camel cricket, but do they
bite? We've had a cold January here in SE Manitoba, would warmer weather
have them coming out of hiding in the basement? Thanks!. Shane
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although the photos
are indeed fuzzy, the insect appears to be a camel/cave cricket (Orthoptera:Gryllacrididae
- or Rhaphidophoridae of some authors). Many orthopteran insects,
including some grasshoppers and katydids, have jaws powerful enough to
give a very painful pinch to humans, but they do not usually make a habit
out of biting people! See http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/ccamelcr.html
for a fact sheet.
Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
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#298 I live in Toronto, I've seen about 5 of these
critters in my house from Nov-Dec 2004 but have not seen any since. This is
the last one I saw and captured late Dec. It's still alive as of Feb 5. It
looks roach-like but it is slow for a roach and doesn't look exactly like
any that I've ever seen before. Any idea what it is? Should I worry?
Thanks, Robert
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be a nymph of a German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a
very common household pest in North America (see
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2099.html for
a fact sheet). As you suspect, these insects usually are fairly fast moving
- perhaps you have your thermostat set a bit low for their comfort?
Ed Saugstad,
retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
#297
Found this in my
patio trying to get into our home, in Solana Beach, CA. I found them
before, but I have never been able to identify it. It is almost 4
centimeters long (or 2 inches). I have other pictures if requested.
Clay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a Jerusalem cricket. They are about an
inch and a half long wingless insect. Nocturnal predators,
Jerusalem crickets burrow into the ground for the day. Renowned for their
proportionately large head with strong jaw muscles, this beast can catch and
consume just about anything in its size range and will pack a powerful bite
if startled when picked up. Photo #249 is very similar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The photo/insect you call a 'Jerusalem Cricket', is actually a Mole Cricket.
A 'Jerusalem cricket' or 'Potatoe Bug' looks like this.
Take it easy.
Bald John of Tucson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
According to numerous websites, the photo
is a Jerusalem cricket, not a Mole cricket as
identified by Bald John of Tucson. Here are just two corroborating website
articles:
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#296
I live in an
apartment in St. Catharines, Ontario on the 6th floor. I have
these little insects crawling around a lot of places; mostly I see them
crawl up on the wall or occasionally on the floor in my bed room. They are
very fast and I have seen them even in our bathroom. They are about 1cm in
length but I have seen some smaller ones that are about 0.5 mm in length as
well. I would love to know what it is, Thank you very much. Mats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a silverfish or firebrat. They prefer dark, damp locations and
only a small percentage of the population may be seen in daylight.
Fortunately they do not breed rapidly but they can be difficult to control.
There is more information on the
Silverfish web page. |
#295 picture taken Jan 25, 2005 inside my house near
Penticton BC... it was about as long as from my fingernail to the
knuckle...thanks, Tom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next time you take a picture of a house hold pest
avoid using the flash. It causes the carapace to glisten making it harder to
identify your intruder. From what I can see the markings on the back
indicate a Cobweb Spider (/Tegnaria gigantea/) although the colour, which I
assume is black, does not. It's possible that the room wasn't lighted well
enough but it's also possible that this species, which lives around the
world, is coloured differently from place to place. An excellent specimen.
Jacob Duarte, aspiring Arachenologist |
#294 I found this bug in the corner of my living room
by a wall where my toilet pipe runs inside of this wall. Its black and a
tint of red on its back. The odour that came from it when I squat it stinked.
Thanks for you help. Thank -you, Pauline
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be a ground
beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae). This is a very large family, and most
members are predaceous on a wide variety of other insects, other small
arthropods, and even snails. A very few are plant feeders, such as the seed
corn beetle. Several species do have a strong characteristic odour when
handled or crushed. Ed Saugstad,
retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
#293 I saw this in Sanuma, Japan, last summer. It's
body is about the size of a large jelly bean. They looked pretty aggressive,
but you could touch them with your finger and they would hardly react at
all. I threw a rice husk on the web and it grabbed it and wrapped it up. Any
idea what kind of spider it is? thank you, Wade.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be Nephilia clavata, an
orb-weaving spider commonly seen in late summer-autumn in Japan (see
http://www.cyberoz.net/city/sekine/zukax301.htm
). When we lived in Japan (1972-1975), we
often had similar spiders spin webs on our front porch. As with other orb
weavers, they tend to have relatively small fangs in relation to their
body size, and pose no threat to humans. I have never known spiders of
this group to be aggressive.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks
Grove, WV
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#292 I found this beetle outside my door last night. I
was scratching at the door and I though it was a cat outside! It is roughly
3 cm long. It has wings under the shell. It moves quite slow, too. Can you
tell me what it is? Thank you! Wade.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a predaceous diving beetle (Coleoptera:
Dytiscidae); their larvae are fully aquatic, and sometimes called “water
tigers.” Both adults and larvae are predaceous on small aquatic organisms,
mostly other insects, but the larvae of some of the largest species
occasionally will catch tadpoles or small minnows.
See
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/biodiversity/family/Dytiscidae.html
for more information.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks
Grove, WV
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#291
I have two pests that I have found:
The first is a large bee like insect that was about 1.5 to 2 inches long and
about .5 inches around, I had no scale in the picture. It was found early
one morning on a Deck rail in central Ohio. The second is a small
insect that I have seen twice in my house in central Ohio.
Thanks, Brian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The larger specimen appears to be a European hornet
(Vespa crabro) that now can be found in much of eastern North America. We
have a small colony on our WV property, and they do not appear to be
particularly aggressive. My biggest complaint is that they girdle the
small branches on our lilac tree. See
http://www.evergreen.edu/ants/TESCBiota/kingdom/animalia/phylum/arthropoda/
for much more information.
The smaller insect appears to be a brown
lacewing (Neuroptera Hemerobiidae). Like their green cousins, these
insects are voracious predators on small soft-bodied insects such as
aphids. See
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/beneficial/brown_lacewings.htm
for more information.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
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#290 I killed 2 of these inside the house yesterday and am wondering
what it is. It looks very much like
Photo #222 and I'm assuming it's some sort of wood wasp but not certain. The
description is approximately 1 centimeter in length, jet black with yellow
bands around the thorax. This was captured inside my home in Little Rock,
Arkansas. I was able to capture it in an empty mayonnaise jar and take one
good picture of it before euthanizing it.
I tried to get you a good shot of it's "face" :) Thank You, Bradley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This indeed a wasp, but not a wood wasp (although
many paper-nest building wasps will scrape wood in order to make the
‘paper’ for their nests, they do not as a rule actually bore into wood. If
no viewer of this site can provide you with a specific identification, you
could try taking a specimen to your county cooperative extension service
office for assistance.
See
http://division.uaex.edu/contact/ListCes.asp for
links. Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
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#289 I
found this millipede when I was camping at a cottage located on Chalk Lake
in the Township of Scugog, Ontario in late August of 2003. It was roughly
12cm in length; however, I have been told that millipedes in Canada are
normally no larger than 5-6cm. I was wondering anyone could help to
identify what it is. Thanks, Caitlin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This indeed a millipede, possibly Narceus
americanus, one of the largest species in North America. Although
basically harmless (they are detrivores), they will give off a caustic
substance if mishandled. I can tell you from personal experience that it
is one of the most vile-tasting substances that I have ever encountered!
In some tropical species, this defensive excretion can be forcibly
expelled, and is strong enough to cause chemical burns to human skin.
See
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/CritterFiles/casefile/relatives/millipedes/millipede.htm,
and look at the sporobolid millipede.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
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#288 Hi,
thank you (in advance) so much for helping me! I found this beautiful spider
walking across the carpet in our living room earlier this evening. I live
in a south suburb of Chicago, IL and have never seen one like this before.
It could probably cover a quarter, with legs and all, possibly a little
bigger too. The back seemed tan, while the head area looked more dark red.
The legs appeared orange. I will let the photo speak for it all. Thanks
again!! :) sue
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This bears a very close resemblance to Dysdera
crocata, a spider that specializes in preying on isopods (small
crustaceans known as woodlice or roly polys) that sometimes can be pests
in houses, particularly where damp conditions are common. The spiders’
long fangs enable them to penetrate the tough exoskeleton of the isopods.
See
http://spiders.entomology.wisc.edu/Dysderidae/Dysdera/crocata.html
for images and more information.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks
Grove, WV
|
 
#287 My 8
year old daughter and I were surfing the web and found your site. She is
doing a science project on the attached wasps (or hornets?). We live in
Brighton, Michigan and this fall found the attached nest in one of our
trees. It was so beautiful!! We wanted to learn more about the creatures
that created it. We have tried to identify them and think that they might
be bald faced hornets, but would like advice from an expert. If you have
any additional information or links to learn more, please let us know!!!
We are under a deadline, so please help us ASAP. Her project needs to be
well underway by the end of January. THANK YOU!!!
Patti
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think you have identified them correctly. The nest definitely
looks like the ones build by bald faced hornets in Canada. The
hornets don't seem to have much white showing on their faces, but perhaps
it is just because of the camera angle. You will find some general
information on our wasp, bees
and hornets page
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I concur that there is a resemblance to the
bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata –
see
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/bald-faced_hornet.htm
), and that the lack of apparent white areas on
these specimens as well as the relatively pale wings could be an
artifact of the camera angle and/or exposure used. For additional
information, you may consider contacting your county cooperative
extension service office -
see
http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/ctyentpg/ for
links. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I would just like to say a big THANK
YOU to the experts that took the time to answer our questions about
the bald faced hornets.(#287) You really helped to make her science
project spectacular!!!! Patti
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#286 I live in Toronto. I have an wooden drum that I've
owned for eight months with no problems. I recently found a 1/4" perfect
hole in the wood, and sawdust in my drum case. The hole was about 3" deep.
After careful inspection, I found this critter walking on the drum. The
insect is approximately 3 to 4 mm in length. Is it
related to any wood boring insect?
Is there a risk to my house? Thanks, Les. Toronto
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a
true bug in the order Hemiptera, and is not a wood-boring insect. As such,
it is of no threat to either your house or the wooden drum. Most hemipterans
feed on plant sap (your specimen appears to fall into that category) and
many species are of economic importance. A few are predaceous on other
insects and some that occur from Mexico on south are blood feeders. Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
#285
I found this insect on my
basement floor in January. I searched through books and online and can’t
find anything like it. It reminds me of an armadillo because it has
multiple plated segments. It moves in a very strange way: it crawls with
its legs while curling its tail under, then straightening it out to scoot
forward. Its long neck moves the tiny head back and forth so it reminds me
of an elephant’s trunk. If frightened, it rolls up, pulls its head in and
plays dead. I guess it’s some sort of larva?? I’m keeping it alive in
a jar by feeding it bread. -Robin, Louisville, Kentucky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This could be a larva of
a net-winged beetle (Coleoptera: Lycidae). These are close relatives of
fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), but rather than being predaceous, these
larvae appear to feed primarily on liquids and associated microfauna in
rotting wood and other decaying organic matter.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
#284 We have just
recently had a house built in October 2004 and we have noticed a number of
moths since then. They are usually found in the basement; however, we have
found the odd one throughout the house. They are about 1/2 long and seem to
prefer dark places such as under the woods along the basement floor, and
under the insulation in the basement walls. They seem to crawl rather than
fly. We would appreciate any help you could give us regarding this type of
moth and how we can get rid of them. Thank you. Janet and Michael,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These moths do not appear to be anything to worry about, and likely are
accidental invaders. Just to be on the safe side, you might want to inspect
any infestable stored products (such as corn meal, flour, dry pet food,
etc.) on hand for any signs of insect activity. Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may have a species of the common clothes
moth (Tineola bisselliella.) golden - buff and shiny in colour,
they crawl rather than fly, like dark areas for harborage. Most
importantly the larvae will attack natural fibers clothes, wools, furs
etc. check the link
http://www.uk.rentokil.com/a-z-of-pests/textile-pests/common-clothes-moth.php or
get a pest controller to have a look to be on the safe side. Barry
Phillips - Rentokil Pest Control UK
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#283 What a cool website! I have forwarded the link to a few people
who will be really interested. We've had a few of these little guys in our
bathroom in California (about 20 miles Southeast of San Francisco) every day
for a couple of weeks. It's not a swarm, just a constant flow of two to
four every day. Not sure if they're coming in from outside (there are two
vent fans in the bathroom) or maybe the drains. So far, haven't noticed any
in other rooms or other bathrooms, or even the kitchen downstairs just below
the bathroom where we do find them. What are they? I wish I could get
a better picture, but this appears to be the best my camera can do. Steve in
Hayward.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fuzzy picture, but
appears to be a small fly, such as a fungus gnat (several families in the
order Diptera). Their larvae can be found in a wide variety of damp
material, including fungi, potting soil, and decaying vegetable matter, and
could be either coming in from outside or from some inside source (including
potted plants with excessively damp soil). They usually are of no importance
to humans other than causing annoyance by their presence. Ed Saugstad,
retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
#282 We started noticing
these little flies/moths (about 3mm long) in the house about 6 weeks ago.
Over the weeks there are more and more bodies found on window ledges. They
look very black. Helen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This
appears to be a moth or drain fly (Diptera: Psychodidae). Although annoying
they do no real harm. See
http://www.caes.state.ct.us/FactSheetFiles/Entomology/fsen019f.htm
for a fact sheet that includes control recommendations. Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
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#281 I
have owned my new house in Cambridge Ontario Canada for approx. 1 year. We
have a cold cellar located in our basement. Every now and then I will go in
and on the cold room floor I find tiny larvae looking creatures. They
seemed to have begun arriving with the cold months although they may have
existed before then. We have vents to air our the cellar and keep it dry
but I cannot seem to locate the actual entry point. I hope they are not
something that the builder may have helped bring to us with the new sod or
wood. I use the shop vac to clean up the floor and within a day or two
there are about 4 or 5 more. I am sorry the photos are not very clear but
they range in size and plumpness the largest one about 1 cm in length. They
are light to dark tan color with black heads (like larvae) but they have
legs and once out of the cold they seem to travel quite fast. The legs are
short and they have what looks like tiny pincers on their rear ends which
are more likely for them to spin a web. When on the cold room floor they
are sluggish but are quick to change once in a warm area. Could you please
help me identify this breed of creepy crawly and give me a few suggestions
on how to get rid of them for good? I would really appreciate this for they
are annoying and until they are wiped out I refuse to use my cold cellar at
all. Thank you for you time. Samantha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are beetle larvae, but I cannot make a positive
i.d. from the photo. On the odd chance that they might be stored products
pests, you might want to inspect any infestable stored products (such as
corn meal, flour, dry pet food, etc.) on hand for any signs of insect
activity. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
|
Click on the photos
to enlarge |
 #280
We live in Southern California
and I found this insect in my son's room on a blanket. It looks like a
giant flea or a very small shrimp and hops. Its body is somewhat
translucent and shiny and you can clearly see internal structures and mouth
parts. It is slightly larger than 1/4 of an inch and has numerous long rear
legs . Several months ago my son had bites on his neck and I'm curious if
there is a connection with this insect. I have never seen anything like
this please let me know what you think it is. Thanks, Peter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry Peter your photo is a little too fuzzy to get a positive
identification but it may possibly be a tick. Perhaps Mr. Saugstad has
a better idea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The photo is indeed too fuzzy for a positive i.d.,
but based on Peter’s description, it is unlikely to be either a flea or a
tick. Ticks don't hop, and most fleas commonly found in households (e.g.:
cat fleas and dog fleas) are much smaller than ¼.” However, I have seen
fleas nearly that size on cottontail rabbits, and there is one reported
from a primitive rodent called a ‘mountain beaver’ that can be up to 1/3”
long. If Peter’s location is close to water, the specimen could be an
amphipod. Amphipods are crustaceans that usually are aquatic, but some
species will hop about in moist terrestrial environments. They generally
are detritus feeders, and are completely harmless as far as humans are
concerned. See
www.vet-healthcentre.co.uk/creepy.htm
for some flea images, and
http://www-atdp.berkeley.edu/SDCLASSES/1453inbox/amphipod.jpg
or
http://members.surfeu.at/wtambour/media/gammarus.jpg for
amphipod images. Ed Saugstad,
retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
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  #279
Please help me on what these
insects are and how to get rid of them. I found them in my basement under a
wood cabinet, the cabinet is attached to the cement floor and wall. It
seems to be a wood eating insect, there is sawdust under the cabinet when I
try to scrap them from underneath. I sprayed Raid ant, roach, earwig bug
killer under the front of this cabinet but I'm unable to spray the full area
that is infested. Thank you for your assistance. Rob
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are dermestid beetles (sometimes called
skin beetles; Coleoptera: Dermestidae), likely in the genus Anthrenus
that includes the carpet beetle and the furniture carpet beetle among others.
They are not wood feeders, but will attack just about any material that has an
animal protein content, such as wool (including that found in carpeting,
upholstery, etc.) and some dried pet foods. They often are pests in insect
collections, and some species may be used by museum specimen preparers to clean
small delicate skeletons. It is the larval stage that does the actual damage;
the adult beetles primarily are pollen feeders on flowers. For full control, you
probably should locate the larval food source and if at all possible, eliminate
it. See
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2103.html
for a fact sheet on dermestids in general.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove,
WV.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also:
Carpet Beetles on this web site.
|
#278 We
found this bug (body length of around an inch long) in the winter, right
in the middle of our bedroom floor, in daylight, not trying to flee.
When I tried to capture it, it slowly tried to get out of the way. It is
the third one we see in the past few weeks. When I killed it, it
produced an audible crunch and the smell was exceptionally strong (like
heavy grass odor). We live near a lake close to the Vermont border
in Quebec. Can you help me identify it? My actual guess was
either an assassin bug or a stink bug but I’m not really sure! Eric.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be the same as # 276 below.
|
#277 I
found these colourful beetles in my backyard in Miramichi, New Brunswick.
The iridescent colours are beautiful. Just curious as to what it might be
called. I haven't seen one like that before...but I don't often notice
beetles! Thank you. ANN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be a dogbane
beetle (Chrysochus auratus; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). One of the more
colourful members of their family, they range widely in the United States
and southern Canada where they feed on milkweed as well as dogbane. I
collected this species on our family farm in North Dakota some 50 years ago. Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
  #276.
Hi, Please help me to identify these awful bugs that have invaded our home!
We find them mostly in the evening, in the bathroom but, occasionally in the
basement and bedrooms. The largest one found was about 2cm in length. Just
before it was caught, it let off an unpleasant odour. I have seen one flying
in the bathroom. They have 3 legs on each side, and 2 antennae. They also
have a long antennae type thing on it's belly that pokes out. They are
mostly blackish. Their wings are of a similar pattern to a common housefly (greyish
black type of stripes). We have sprayed a common insect repellant in the
bathrooms, but haven't found any dead ones. I am afraid that they are going
to bite us when we are sleeping and we need to know how to get rid of them!
We live in a 26 year old home, in a farm area, near Oshawa, Ontario. Please
help...anyone! Thanks :) C.A., Crystal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not to worry! These appear to be leaf-footed bugs (Hemiptera:
Coreidae). This family includes both predaceous (on other small insects –
not humans) and herbivorous species. A few species, including the squash
bug, can be of economic importance. Also, some of these bugs do give off a
noticeable odor when handled roughly or crushed. As for being in the
house, they most likely are simply accidental invaders, and can be dealt
with on an individual basis when encountered. However, at least one
species that feeds on seeds of evergreens is known to invade houses en
mass seeking winter shelter
(see
www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/pdfs/westConiferSeedBug.pdf
). You may want to see if you can find
where they are getting in and see if it is feasible to seal up that
entry/entries.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks
Grove, WV
|
|
Click on the photos
to enlarge |
#275
Please help me identify these
critters. They have invaded my bathroom! I sprayed some flying insect
spray and to my surprise, ended up with around 25-50 of them dead in my
window and in the bathtub. The bathroom seems to be the only place that
they are in, with the exception of maybe one flying into the living room
from time to time. They are driving me crazy, as everytime I go in the
bathroom there they are. Please tell me what they are and how can I get rid
of them. Thanks, Rhonda in Dallas, Texas!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photo fuzzy, but these appear to be wasps. Possible suspects include sphecoid
wasps (Hymenoptera: Sphecoidea - see
http://www.stingerpest.com/information/pest_photos/images/MudDabA-g2.jpg for
an image), or spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae ). In either case, they are not likely to be any thing other than a
nuisance, as they do not make large nests nor are they as aggressive as
their cousins, the vespid wasps (such as the bald-faced hornet). As for
control, there are many wasp sprays readily available at most stores that
sell insect control items. Just follow the label directions. But what you
really should do is to try to find out how they are entering your house, and
seal off those entry points. This is not always easy, as we occasionally
find wasps in our house in areas where there are no obvious entry points.
Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
|
#274 The photo is at x10 magnification. i found a bunch
of these on a table on my porch in NJ recently. Joseph.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fuzzy photo, but it could be psocid (order Psocoptera – book lice and bark
lice). For the most part, these insects are completely harmless. See photo
number 254 for more information and some links. If after looking at those
you believe that your insects are not psocids, try to take a clearer photo
and resubmit.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks
Grove, WV |
#273 I
live in California. This is a picture of a bug I have taken off a few
vegetable plants in an indoor grow room. Thank you for any help and
time you can afford. Leo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be a lady beetle (Coleoptera:
Coccinellidae), but it is not a species that I am familiar with. With a
few exceptions (such as the Mexican bean beetle), coccinellids are for the
most part beneficial by human standards, feeding primarily on aphids,
scale insects, and the like.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks
Grove, WV
|
#272 My wife and I found these interesting
little white fellows crawling all over a fence in our back yard one morning.
They looked to be coming from a decomposing orange colored fungi, which had
appeared on the ground a few days earlier. They were about 1/2 inch in
length. As the morning grew warmer, these guys became fewer and fewer by
dropping from the fence to the ground. This happened in mid December. You
can see black dots on their sides and their eyes and a dark nose or mouth in
front. We live in San Rafael, CA. and wondered what they might be. Thanks
for your help. Paul & Carolyn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be a larva (maggot) of a
fungus gnat (Diptera: Sciaridae), likely in the genus Bradysia (formerly
Sciara). These gnats once were included in the much larger family
Mycetophilidae. For the most part they are considered harmless, but a few
species will feed on healthy plant tissue, particularly under greenhouse
conditions, if fungus is in short supply.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks
Grove, WV |
#271 Hopefully this household pest can quickly be
identified, and method of control / elimination recommended. It appears to
be some type of a very small moth that we initially found on some Buckwheat
honey I purchased at a Fall Fair. The food cupboard was totally cleaned out
and a week later they had returned with a vengeance. Their larvae are even
in the threads of jars! They appear to eat only sugar based food stuffs, ie:
candy, honey, baking supplies, soda pop, etc. but not any type of flour or
other food.
These things are starting to cost us money since we keep having to discard
the food in our cupboards, and can't get rid of them no matter how clean we
keep things. Any help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank
You - Richard
It
appears that you've had a lovely infestation of Indian meal moths (Plodia
interpunctella; Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). We also have had the pleasure of
their company, and now keep all infestable products either in air-tight
plastic/glass containers or in the refrigerator. You already have taken
the most basic and important steps of doing a general cleanup and
discarding any obviously infested material. You likely never can totally
eliminate them, as there always is the possibility of bringing home
foodstuffs (usually flour, corn meal, other cereal products, or dry pet
food) that already are infested by their eggs or young larvae. This is why
it is a good idea to (1) never buy more of such material than you are
planning to use within a short period of time, or (2) (as we do) keep
these materials in pest-proof containers or under refrigeration. In
addition, it also is a good idea to keep dry pet food stored separately
from infestable human food, as sanitary standards for pet food are not as
stringent as those for human food, and thus they are more likely to be
infested. Finally, there are pheromone-baited traps for these moths, sold
under a variety of names in most stores that sell insect control items.
These traps are not meant for control, but are monitoring devices. I would
suggest using them once you feel that you have your problem pretty much
under control, as they will draw any stragglers out of hiding. As long as
moths appear in the traps, you will know that you still have an active
infestation somewhere. For more detailed information on this pest,
see
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2089.html for a fact
sheet.
Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
Also: for more
information see the
Indian Meal Moth page on this web site.
|
|
If you have a
pest problem but don't have a picture, see: "Ask
the pest professionals" |
#270 We are having a hard time figuring out what this is. Not the
Ninja Matrix mouse, but the larger rodent in the photo. Looks like a rat
sort of, but it has a furry tail and the fur is very very soft and thick. It
was hauling off small boxes of food from the cupboard. Hope someone knows
what it is. We can't find it anywhere on the net. Thanks Nan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a woodrat. The bushy tail is indicative of the "bushytail woodrat"
or packrat (Neotoma cinerea). It's range is Western US, Vancouver & British
Columbia. Kim Tarter, District Biologist from the Daniel Boone National
Forest, KY. |
#269 A. We live in California near san
Francisco. These critters live in our fridge...constantly shed their
exoskeletons, and excrete a smell. They do not feed on our food. we have
never found them in our food. Mike
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Needs a clearer photo –
except for the comment about shedding exoskeletons, thus could be a
congregation of overwintering lady beetles. Some species have a very
noticeable odor, particularly when large numbers are present. Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
|
#269 B. I already sent in a pic of
this bug but was told I need to send in a bigger pic I hope this helps. I
live in the San Francisco bay area, California. We found these bugs
living in the fridge. They didn't seem to be eating our food, nor did
They seem to be alive. but we removed them and they came back. I don't
know if they were living in the motor part, and dying in the fridge but
they were stuck to the bottom and top inside. there were massive amounts
of them and they were omitting a smell. We did find one living on the
wall, they are small between the size of a Flea , and a lady bug.
Well, this definitely is not a lady beetle larva! As to what it
really is, if forced to make a SWAG at this point, my best guess is that
it might be a desiccated larva of a carpet beetle or close relative (Coleoptera:Dermestidae).
If so, it has lost most of the characteristic setae that give these larvae
a furry/hairy appearance when alive.
See
http://www.floridanature.org/unidentified.asp?family=Dermestidae
for an example.
I will be most interested in Dr. Hauser’s take on this one.
Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
|
#268 I
live in Texas just east of Dallas. What I thought was a hole in the wall
from something bumping it was in fact this guy eating his way out from the
inside. What is this Andy Dufresne wannabe? I looked on your site but didn't
see anything resembling it. Thanks. Jonathan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a
metallic wood-boring beetle (Coleoptera: Buprestidae; their larvae also are
known as flat-headed borers). Although adults occasionally will emerge
indoors from freshly cut lumber, none that I know of can be considered
structural pests. Some species are of economic importance by damaging living
trees and shrubs/canes. Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
#267
Hi Found these guys in our basement Edmonton, Alberta. They seem to come
out when we turn on the gas stove to warm up the room. Should we be
worried. bye for now, Isabel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello - Would it be possible
to request that Isabel submit additional photos of her wee beasties -
preferably including dorsal, ventral, and frontal views? This one really
has me puzzled - it looks like a combination of small wasp wings with a
rove beetle's body and (except for the antennae) a fly's head!
Sincerely, Ed
Saugstad, Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi guys, Your #267 is a Xiphydria species, member of Xiphydriidae,
Hymenoptera, a kind of "wood wasp". Larvae of Xiphydria live and feed in
dying trees and therefore occur in timber and fire wood. Dry wood is not
too nutricious, and therefore the life cycle may last some years. The
holes from which the adults emerge, are circular (in contrast to those
of many beetles, which are somewaht depressed apertures). Don't
worry, the Xiphydrias won't infest your wooden house, because this kind
of wood is too dry (at least if it is not a very new house).
Best wishes, Dr. Stephan M. Blank, >o><< <°)>><
Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Müncheberg, Germany,
DEI - German Entomological Institute, an institute of the Leibniz-Centre
for Agricultural Landscape and Land Use Research (ZALF)
http://www.zalf.de/deie/index.htm
|
#266 I found this spider, less than an inch across,
crawling along the baseboard of our church office wall in San Francisco. I
used a drumstick to herd it into a plastic CD case, and it reared up on its
back legs and splayed its front legs wide, as if to fend off attack. It has
hairy, banded legs and an unusual sort of stained-glass cross design on its
back. I later turned it loose in some hedges, but I hope I didn't
unleash a deadly monster upon the suburbs.
What is this thing? Cheers, Jym Dingler.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is yet
another female orb-weaving spider (Araneida: Araneidae), a large family of
spiders that includes many large and often colorful species. To the best of
my knowledge, none of them are considered dangerous to humans, and most have
‘fangs’ that are too small to pierce human skin. See photos 255, 239, 231,
214, 201, and 183 on this site for more examples. Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The above analysis is correct. It is an orb weaver and is therfore
completly harmless. I believe that it is known as a Cross or Garden spider
(called so because of the white markings). If you find another keep it. It
spins a beautiful web. Jacob Duarte, aspiring arachenologist
|
  #265
I have a curious creature that I think is a species of ant. It is about 4 mm
long and a dark reddish-brown in color. It has a long stinger thingy out of
its abdomen that is almost as long as its body. Its antennae is as long as
the length of its body. I found this ant in the house in Chatham, Ontario,
Canada. It has long antenna and also a long stinger. Please help me
find out what it could be? Josh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is not an ant, but a
parasitic wasp. I cannot be certain of its identification, but it may be a
braconid or close relative. The 'stinger' actually is its ovipositor, used
by these wasps to lay their eggs in other insects (usually in the larval
stage), and the wasp larvae develop inside the host. A commonly seen
example is the wasp that parasitizes the tomato hornworm - the parasitized
caterpillar often attracts attention when the wasp larvae emerge from the
host and pupate on the surface of the caterpillar. Several species in this
group exhibit polyembryony, in which two to several hundred larvae develop
from a single fertilized egg.
Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.
|
#264 Can you help me
identify this little creature. Location Iowa. Discovered it crawling across
some play equipment this summer. Did not seem to have wings. Very slow. Size
was about 5 mm. Howard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
#263 This was another
creature I have been unable to identify from this Summer, in Iowa. Size was
about 1cm. Perhaps an infant form of a more commonly known insect?
Howard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the larva of a lacewing (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). They are general
predators on other small insects, especially aphids, and therefore are
considered beneficial by most gardeners. The adults have four membranous
wings, and appear quite fragile, belying their predaceous nature (see
http://woodypest.ifas.ufl.edu/223.htm ). The females lay their eggs on
the ends of long stalks, presumably so that newly hatched larvae won’t
immediately attack their unhatched/emerging siblings.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove,
WV |
#262 Can you help me
identify this insect? Location: Iowa. Summer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the nymph of a
leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). All are sap feeders, usually on herbaceous
vegetation. Some species are of economic importance not only from damage caused
by their feeding (such as the potato leafhopper), but also by vectoring viral
diseases of plants (including potato yellow dwarf, curly top of sugar beets, and
aster yellows). Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
|
#261 I live in a basement apartment, in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. I have
these bugs living in my electric stove, the owners have the same bugs living
behind their fridge upstairs. The bugs moved into my kitchen over the
summer. They vary is size from about 2mm up to about 2cm... They have now
started to spread through out the apartment, but I don't see that many
outside of the kitchen. They don't fly, but they are very quick. I know the
picture is fuzzy but it was the best one I can get. If anyone knows what
they might be it would be really nice to know. We have just tried a residual
spray to see if this might work, if anyone has any other ideas they would be
greatly appreciated. Thanks. Shannon.S
The good news is: we can not be absolutely positive
about identification because the photo is out of focus.
The bad news is: it is likely a cockroach. The best control method
used by professionals today is careful placement of baits.
Residual insecticide sprays may kill some of them but survivors may migrate
to another apartment and eventually return to yours. You should
probably ask the building manager to call a professional to inspect the
building.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry, these are clearly cockroaches! Martin Hauser, Department of
Entomology, University of Illinois
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although the photos are indeed fuzzy, the
general habitus of these creatures is consistent with them being German
cockroaches (Blatella germanica), exceedingly common sharers of human
dwellings nearly worldwide. One of the apartments that I lived in while
attending college in Fargo, North Dakota, was infested with them, so they
will thieve in cold climates as long as we are willing to provide them
with heat and shelter! See
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/urban/roaches/german.htm for a fact
sheet.
Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
|
#260 I spent a month working in the Peruvian Amazon, and discovered
this beautiful creature in my bathroom one night. It was nearly the size of
my hand. I had seen another one out in the jungle, and learned that its
Spanish name means "free-tailed scorpion", though it is properly a spider.
Paul M. Lantos, MD. Fellow in Infectious Diseases. Children's Hospital
Boston.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you Dr. Lantos for sharing these 3
wonderful photos of creatures we don't have the opportunity to see in our
environment. Perhaps one of our visitors may be able to identify them and
give us a little more information. Webmanager, Larry Cross
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a
tailless whip scorpion (Arachnida: Amblypygi), a harmless (to humans)
relative of true scorpions and spiders. Lacking venom, they rely on their
large, spiny pedipalps to overpower and help dismember their prey, usually
other small arthropods. Some people keep these as pets!
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This fascinating animal is called Whip Spider or Amblypygi. They are
nocturnal predators and seem to be harmless to humans.
http://www.evergreen.edu/ants/alastaxa/amblypygi/genuskey.html
Martin Hauser, Department of Entomology, University of Illinois
|
#259 Another visitor from my trip to the Amazon -- this centipede-like
beast can be seen taking up half of my footprint. It was about 5 inches
long. Paul M. Lantos, MD. Fellow in Infectious Diseases. Children's
Hospital Boston.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a large millipede (class Dilpopoda);
if you look closely, you can see that it has two pairs of legs on each
body segment. Millipedes are general detrivores/scavengers on decaying
organic material, part of nature’s recycling scheme. I cannot be certain
about this particular species, but some species that are flattened like
this one (order Polydesmida;
collectively known as ‘plated
millipedes’) instead of cylindrical in cross-section can give off a
cyanide compound when disturbed that may deter small predators, and, if
kept under confined conditions, may even kill other arthropods. Basically
harmless to humans, some large cylindrical tropical millipedes can give
off corrosive fluids capable of causing chemical burns to the skin and
eyes of humans.
Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
|
#258 One last specimen from my trip to the Amazon -- this beautiful
insect was sitting on a leaf in the middle of the jungle at night. I believe
it's a cicada, of which there are hundreds of varieties in the Amazon.
Paul M. Lantos, MD. Fellow in Infectious Diseases. Children's Hospital
Boston.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This
does appear to be one of the many species of katydid found in Peruvian
Amazonia. As one can see, they are quite adept at camouflage. Most are
herbivores, but some have very strong jaws and can give a very painful bite.
For several years, an entomologist of my acquaintance at the Smithsonian
Institution led Earthwatch expeditions to the Iquitos area to study this
group of insects (see
http://www.nwf.org/internationalwildlife/1998/katydid.html ). However, I
do not know whether this research remains ongoing.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is not a cicada, it is a Katydid. They often look like leaves and
are perfectly camouflaged.
Here is a collection of links, one is to the Katydids of Peru!
http://140.247.119.145/OrthSoc/links.htm
Martin Hauser, Department of Entomology, University of Illinois |
#257 This bug seems to be killing my willow tree in the
north San Francisco bay area in California. Pulling off the bark of the tree
this pest seems to burrow through the underside of the bark leaving a dense
pack of sawdust. There seem to be black beetles and larger caterpillar worms
also sharing the underside of the bark. Thanx, Mike
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whatever
this is, it most likely is not responsible for the damage to the tree, as
it is not a woodborer. I suspect that it is the larva of a predaceous
beetle, such as a checkered beetle (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Once bark has
been damaged/loosened in any way, whether by wood-boring insects or by
other causes, many other insects and arthropods will take up residence
there, and may be mistaken as the cause of the damage. Larvae of
wood-boring beetles usually are legless or nearly so.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.
See
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/insimg/05530f2b.jpg
and
http://linus.socs.uts.edu.au/~don/larvae/none/vastator2.jpg
for images.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This insect is indeed not killing your trees. It is the larvae of a so
called snake fly (Rhaphidioptera). The very flexible larvae are living
under bark and are hunting wood boring insects, like the beetle larvae
which are more likely responsible for the damage to your trees.
These insects have strange looking adults and are related to ant lions and
lace wings.
http://www.wsl.ch/forest/wus/entomo/Antago/raphidiidae-en.ehtml
If you want to read more about the biology of these insects download this
PDF:
http://zoo.zoo.nhmus.hu/publication/actazool/48Suppl2/aspockraphi.pdf
Dr.
Martin Hauser, Department of Entomology, University of Illinois
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once again, I am
indebted to Dr. Martin Hauser for correcting a bad guess on my part.
Unfortunately for me, snakeflies are a group of insects that I never
have encountered (except perhaps for a long-forgotten lecture in insect
systematics 44 years ago), and I allowed myself to be lulled by their
very superficial resemblance to something entirely different. My
apologies to Mike and to the visitors to this site. Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
|
 #256
My mother in law just moved into a new home in Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada. She has found approximately one dozen bugs like this
in the furnace room and approximately four just outside of the room.
The floor is linoleum in the basement and near the basement stairs
(carpeted). The scale is in centimeters in the photo. Any suggestions as to
what the bugs are or how to eliminate them would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance, Geoff K.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your photo is a little too fuzzy to tell for sure, but it is
probably a sowbug or pill bug. Check the photos and information on our
sow bug pages. |
#255 This spider was crawling up onto my husbands easy
chair. I'm sending and abdominal view and and top view. We don't know if the
round white object on its abdomen was there originally, or if it is a
protrusion that resulted from being swatted. It seems to me that the abdomen
has shrunk a bit between the time I killed it with alcohol and the time it
was photographed.(apox time 36 hrs) WE live in Kansas, USA.
spider was found mid November. The pin peircing the spider is a quite large
corsage pin. Spider about the size of a nickel. This is a terrific
website. WE are so glad to find it, and are telling our friends and family
about it. Thanks for your help. Marla
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a
female orb-weaving spider (Araneida: Araneidae), a large family of spiders
that includes many large and often colorful species. To the best of my
knowledge, none of them are considered dangerous to humans, and most have
‘fangs’ that are too small to pierce human skin. See photos 239, 231, 214,
201, and 183 on this site for more examples. Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
#254 We found these bugs in our sugar.
Also in boxes of various cooking ingredients. I have been looking on the
internet and can't find any pictures of the various bugs you can get with
food. I am at all loss. We are in Petawawa Ontario. Help. Jennifer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
 #253
I found this insect dead on my walkway in Montreal, Quebec. Some tiny ants
were making trips in and out of the body at a crack behind the left eye. It
is about 1.5 inches long.
Mark.
~~~~~~~
I just found out that the photos I sent are of a cicada - thanks to your
website, photo #19.
Many thanks. Great site. Mark. |
|
Directory of pest
professionals in Quebec |
#252 We have been finding 3-4 of these each week in
our newly carpeted basement. They are always dead & crumble to the touch.
From what I could see they are centipedes - however they don't appear to be
as big as the ones described on the web - perhaps because they have dried
out? We live in Manitoba & have had an unusually wet fall this year. I read
where they prefer moist conditions yet our basement is dry!! Thanks, Roger
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are indeed dead centipedes. They
likely invaded your house when conditions were damp, but once in a drier
environment, they succumbed to desiccation and possibly starvation as
well. As a group, centipedes may be considered beneficial to neutral in so
far as human concerns are considered. They are general predators on other
small arthropods, and none of the species in northern North America are
considered of medical importance. As far as I know in this region, only
the cosmopolitan house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata; see
http://www.uark.edu/depts/entomolo/museum/house_centipede.html ) is
capable of a painful bite if mishandled. Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
|
#251
Today I noticed
several of these larvae on my bathroom floor (located on the second floor of
my home).
I also found one on the carpet just outside that same bathroom. I have not
seen any on the first floor of my home, where the entry door is located. I
have a dog who is confined to the first floor of my home during the day, but
sleeps on the second floor at night. I have noticed no larvae in her
sleeping areas on the second floor. Regarding the larvae, the four shiny
larvae were very active. The “dull” one just to the left of the nickel was
less active, and the brown one was dead. Please help me identify these
pests so that I can get rid of them. Thanks. Bimmer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These appear to
be the larvae (maggots) of a higher dipteran, such as the house fly. To
confirm, see if they move in the direction of their smaller end. Maggots
lack a true head capsule, but have protrusible mouth hooks that they use in
processing their food as well as an aid in locomotion. When they are fully
grown, they usually move away from their food source in search of a drier
place in which to pupate - the "dull one" in your photo could be a maggot
just starting the process of becoming a pupa. As these larvae usually do not
move very far (they lack legs of any sort), their food source (just about
any organic matter that has a high moisture content; preferably decaying)
should be close by. Do not overlook the ceiling area, as they could have
fallen from an elevated source. Once you have located the source, it should
be easy to remedy by removing it. Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
|
|
   #250
We live in N. California and these little guys have started appearing in the
past week. This is not the first time they've shown up. This is about the
time of the year for their annual visit. They seem to be falling from the
ceiling (tongue and groove) in different parts of the house. Two of these
pictures show this insect with one of it's legs detached. They are very slow
moving and some of them always end up in our bathroom sink and toilet. This
is a great website. Thanks for your help. Paul.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is a good possibility that these
could be termites, especially if you noticed wings on them when they first
emerged from the ceiling, or noted shed wings on the floor. I suggest that
you take some specimens to your county cooperative extension service
office (see
http://ucanr.org/ce.cfm
for contact information) for
assistance in identification and any recommended control measures.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks
Grove, WV
|
#249 I encountered this insect in Zion National Park, Utah.
It was crawling along the sidewalk at the bottom of Zion Canyon. It measured
approximately 2 cm in length. Paul Lantos
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a
Jerusalem cricket. They are about an
inch and a half long wingless insect. Nocturnal predators,
Jerusalem crickets burrow into the ground for the day. Renowned for their
proportionately large head with strong jaw muscles, this beast can catch and
consume just about anything in its size range and will pack a powerful bite
if startled when picked up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is indeed a Jerusalem cricket (they
also go by several other common names), but it is an herbivore, not a
predator. See
http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/inverts/sten-fus.html
for more details on these fascinating
insects.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks
Grove, WV
|
  #248
Dear Sir , I appreciated if you
could identify me this worm, and what is the pest control for it. And
whether it is harmful to human or not. those 2.5 inches long 3 worms were
found inside of my bath room , they have a lot of red blood inside. The door
of my bathroom is wood and next to it a book case and carpet on the floor
and daily water washing in this area. Expert in my country said it is very
rare to find some thing like this an island . Thank you, Tariq S. Althawadi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This
appears to be the larva (grub) of a large scarab beetle. Some of these
feed on very rotten punky wood, but will not damage sound wood. They are
harmless to humans. The ‘red blood’ more likely is the partially digested
remains of their food, as their actual ‘blood’ (haemolymph) usually is
colorless or nearly so.
Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
|
#247 We live in Kelowna , BC and
my wife found this spider in our basement, and as you can see it is quite
large. Part of it has been 'smished' in as she killed it. Can you please
identify it for us. Thanks, Rod
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be a female wolf spider
(family Lycosidae) – they can get quite large, I have seen specimens with
a leg span exceeding 80mm. They often are found indoors, especially in
houses with poorly sealed entryways into basements and porches. Although
fearsome looking, they basically are harmless to humans. However, ones
this large could give a painful bite if mishandled (they are not
aggressive, and will not attack unprovoked).
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks
Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm having trouble believing that this is a wolf spider. Firstly, because
of the protrudant spinnerets. Wolf spiders do not spin webs, however
females make egg sacks so that may answer that. Secondly wolf spiders
perfer outdoor environments not dark basements where their camoflage has
almost no effect. Thirdly the spider is to large for any wolf spider that
lives in Canada. A picture from the front would have been helpful, Wolf
spiders have large front eyes. However I can offer another explanation, a
female Cob Web spider (genus /Tegenaria gigantea/). This would explain the
spinnerets as this spider spins, suitingly enough, a cob web. Jacob
Duarte, aspiring arachenologist.
|
#246 We found this in our pool recently when
cleaning out the leaves. We live in Nova Scotia. I have seen insects
like this but never this big. What is it??? Thanks,
Karen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a giant water
bug (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae), sometimes known as electric light
bugs or toe-biters. This specimen appears to be in the genus
Lethocerus that includes some of the largest species in the
family. They are aquatic, but readily fly to lights at night. They are
general predators on other aquatic insects, as well as the occasional
tadpole or minnow. Basically harmless to humans, they can give a
painful ‘bite’ if handled carelessly.
Ed Saugstad,
retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
|
|
Directory of
pest professionals in Nova Scotia |
#245
I live in South
Central Alaska and this beetle was found among my Dermestid Beetle colony.
It is about 4.5mm in length and is blue in color (on the dorsal side). Does
anyone know what this beetle is and if it is harmful to my Dermestid Beetle
colony? How should I go about getting rid of it? Thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I cannot be absolutely certain, but this
could be a checkered beetle (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Although these beetles
usually have prominent bands, stripes, or spots on their wing covers,
species in the genus Necrobia are an exception to this (see
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/j/Necrobia.jpg
). Most clerids are general predators, so, if that is what you have, it
could be preying on the dermestids. If so, I really don’t know what you
could do, other than to periodically scan your colony and remove anything
that is not a dermestid. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
 #244
I live in Calgary, Alberta. I was picking some flowers to take to a friend
when I noticed a bee on the Shasta daisies, so I tried to shake it off and
it didn't move and then I noticed a spider was eating it. I finally got
them both off in different locations. Two days later, I was out looking to
cut more flowers and here was this spider again with yet another bee. I
have not known of any spiders that attack and eat bees, I didn't ever see it
again as white, but there was one of a similar size on the daisy centre that
was a reddish colour. Would this be the same spider using a camouflage?
January Stallard, Calgary, AB
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a crab spider (family Thomisidae).
They lay in wait, usually on flowers, for their prey to come within their
reach. At least one species, Misumena vatia, can change
color over a period of a few days – see
http://triffophoto3.tripod.com/tpo/id17.html.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks
Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The exact species is called Flower Spider. It waits in flowers for a bee
or wasp to come and collect nectar then it strikes. It will attack insects
much larger than itself. Jacob Duarte, aspiring arachenologist.
|
#243 THIS LITTLE CRAWLER FOUND IN THE KITCHEN CABINET ,
FLOOR, AND COUNTER TOP.
HOUSE RECENTLY CLEANED BUT PREVIOUS OWNER HAD NO SUCH CLEANING HABITS. USED
TO BE A FARM HOUSE WITH ASSOCIATED FECAL MATERIAL. CREATURE IS APPROX 1"
LONG. HOPE YOU CAN HELP SO WE MAY ERADICATE THIS MANY LEGGED SQUIRMER.
DOUG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just found one of these too. From what I've found on the web I suspect
it's the larva of the Yellow Mealworm Beetle or Flourworm (Tenebrio molitor).
Best regards, Rob
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Impossible to be certain from
the photo, but if it indeed has legs, it could be a larva of a tenebrionid
beetle, such as the mealworm (Tenbrio sp.), commonly associated with stored
grain products. See
www.uku.fi/~holopain/stt/tenebrio.jpg
for a photo of
adults and a larva.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV |
#242
I live in Western N. Carolina and I found this bug in my back yard. It
has what looks like a nectar sucking proboscus on the front of it's head
and half a miniature circular saw blade sticking up out of it's back. Any
idea what it might be? I've never seen anything quite so strange in my
life!! Laurie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a wheel bug (), Hemiptera:
Reduviidae. Collectively known as assassin bugs, reduviids are for the
most part general predators on other small arthropods. Exceptions to this
include the so-called ‘kissing bugs’ native to Mexico, Central, and South
America that feed on blood and can transmit Chagas’ disease. The wheel bug
is the largest reduviid in much of the United States, and can deliver a
painful bite if mishandled. Ed Saugstad,
retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
I have seen
other assassin bugs on this web site...but #242 with the saw back I have
kept as pets a few times they have a dark diamond shape on there back
that shines metallic in light and these little guys can fly, I heard
they feed on blood so I gave my first one a mouse that was meant for my
snake. I don't think it fed on the mouse though...So I pricked my
finger and gave it a few drops of my blood, and sure enough it drank the
blood, just a fun fact I thought you might like. Great web site by the
way, very helpful. Glad I found this site, Pingin Shi
|
 #241
Found on the bathroom carpet. Longest one seen is about 4mm.
Appears to live in a tube of fairy, hairy stuff. Lots of them sometimes on
the floor. They can spin webs too. Vacuuming the floor gets rid of them
apart from the ones that get away, they just carry on breeding. Rob.
UK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the larvae of a Casemaking clothes moth. They spin a web
around themselves and drag it around while feeding. Read more on our
clothes moth page. |
|
Click on the photos
to enlarge |
#240 Hi There,
My wife and I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and we have recently found 3
- 5 of these bugs in the basement of our house. Do you know what they are?
Thanks. Sandor Takats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a sowbug (also known as pillbugs or
roly-polys). They are terrestrial crustaceans, more closely related to
crabs and crawfish than to insects. They may be found in just about any
place that stays moist (they depend on gills for respiration), including
basements. Primarily scavengers on decaying organic material, some may
become minor pests on very tender plants. Usually, no control measures are
necessary; but you may want to eliminate unnecessary sources of moisture
anyway, as these can be conducive to the presence of other pests.
Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
|
#239
This spider has
taken up residence outside our bathroom window. Can you tell me what type
it is? Would a bite cause harm to a young infant? Thank you for your
help. Kris, Ottawa, Ontario
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is yet another example
of an orb-weaving spider (see numbers 231, 214, 201, and 183). It either
is an immature female (unusual for this time of year) or a male
(however, I cannot see the pedipalps, which would be diagnostic). In orb
weavers, the males are much smaller than the females of the same
species.
Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is an immature female Garden or Cross spider. Named so because of the
white markings on the abdomen. You can tell it's immature because it's
colouring is light and it hasn't reached it's full width. Jacob Duarte,
aspiring arachnologist.
|
#238 We
live in a very old (about 140 year) house in the Sacramento Valley in
Northern California. We have been getting these beetle type bugs
infesting our house each fall/winter for the last 3 years. They are
small, about 1/2 in but some are larger. When we smack them, they send
off a smell (like dirty feet) and are difficult to kill. They
usually hide under things such as furniture and bedding. I often find
them in folded laundry and in our beds at night. They seem to be
attracted to light. They are simply driving us crazy!!!
I have searched everyone online and have not been able to identify them as
any type of beetle, kissing bug (which we believe we also have) or
weevil. Anyone know??? Tina
This appears to be a ground beetle (Coleoptera:
Carabidae). This is a very large family comprising thousands of species.
The vast majority are generalized predators on other small arthropods and
are considered beneficial/neutral in so far as human interests are
concerned. However, as in your case, they can become nuisances when they
invade homes. The best defense is to try to find openings where they are
getting into the house, and seal those off.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks
Grove, WV
|
#237 This type of hover fly has
a few people baffled. Any help in ID'ing it would be appreciated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This female hoverfly belongs
clearly to the genus Dasysyrphus and I my best guess from the characters I
could see in the picture, would be Dasysyrphus venustus (Meigen, 1822).
Martin Hauser, Department of Entomology, University of Illinois
|
 
#236 This is a spider I found in my front lawn. I am located
in southern Maine. I thought by the web, that this was a funnel web spider,
but didn't think Maine had any poisonous spiders. The little guy was down in
the tube and I took a twig and slightly disturbed the web...he came running
out and I took this picture. He (she?) was about the size of a pencil eraser
including the legs. Dan.
This spider belongs to the
family Agelenidae, the grass and funnel-web spiders. Although indeed venomous
(as are virtually all spiders), the species in Maine are harmless as far as
humans are concerned. About the only species in this family that poses any real
medical threat (the so-called ‘hobo spider,” Tegenaria agrestis) occurs
in the northwestern U.S. and adjacent areas of Canada.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks
Grove, WV
|
#235 Please find attached photos of insect for identification.
Thanks for your assistance. Have a great day. Sincerely, Barry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a sphinx (also known as
hummingbird or hawk) moth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), in the genus Hemaris
that includes several clear-winged species. Your specimen closely resemble
Hemaris thysbe, the hummingbird clearwing
see
http://howardfamilyhomepage.net/page5b.html
.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV |
#234 Found in north
east Texas Texarkana. this bug has a mean sting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a nymph
of an assassin bug (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). They are active predators on
many other small arthropods, and larger species can indeed deliver a painful
‘bite’ if mishandled. Species in the genera Triatoma and Rhodnius found from
Mexico south into much of South America can vector Chagas’ disease, caused
by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi.
Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV |
#233 Hi, what a great site. Maybe you can help us identify
this spider we found in our living room, on the floor near a wall. We live
in mid-Tennessee, USA, and found it in mid-October. Thanks.
|
#232 These bugs were found along the walls and
carpet. I live in North Vancouver BC. They are fairly small about 2 to 5mm
long with a reddish head and a bunch of legs. Pretty disgusting. I am going
to kill all of them if I can but would like to know where they come from.
Please help. John
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be a larva of a
carpet beetle (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). They will attack just about any
material of a proteinaceous nature, including wool. If the carpeting is
small enough to be easily taken up, any insects in it can be killed by
placing it in a deep freeze for a day or so. Thorough vacuuming of carpets
and surrounding floor areas also will be very helpful in control. See
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/struct/ef601.htm
for a fact sheet.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks
Grove, WV |
#231 Hi, found this
spider in our laundry room in Toronto Oct. 21, 2004. Didn't seem to be too
interested in moving much, guess it came in from the cold somehow. Legs
fully extended I'd say it was maybe an inch and a half, maybe a little
more. Abdomen was about the size of a subway token, but plump. Can anyone
identify it for me? Thanks, Graeme
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like numbers 214, 201 and 183, this is an orb weaver spider (Araneida:
Araneidae), a very large family
of spiders. They usually are noticed in late summer/early autumn as the
females fatten up prior to depositing their egg masses. All are harmless
to humans, and many species feature banded legs such as are seen in your
photo.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV
|
|
Click on the photos
to enlarge |
#230 This is a moth found on my screen door in southern
Maine. The wing span was approx 3.5 inches.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a
cecropia moth (Hyalophora
cecropia),
Lepidoptera: Saturniidae. Collectively known as giant silkworm moths,
saturniids include the largest species of moths native to North America.
Unfortunately, they appear to be declining in many areas subsequent to
habitat modification and to gypsy moth control programs. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photo #230 appears to be
a giant silk worm moth. I have seen several of these in various parts of
the US in the past but never knew what they were. I did a little research
and found this site which gives just a very little bit of information
about them.
http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/ppdl/weeklypics/8-4-03.html Jon Crownover |
#229 Hi. I took this picture next to Petit Lac Long, in Ste.
Agathe North, Laurentians, Quebec.
The residents call it a dock spider, but I need its real name to enter it
into a photo contest.
Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated! Diane Dupuis-Kallos,
Photographer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Dock
spider” is indeed one of the common names by which spiders in this family (Pisauridae)
are known. Primarily known as “nursery web spiders,’ another name is
“fishing spider,” as these spiders usually are found close to water, and may
even catch small fish. They are closely related to wolf spiders. See
http://www.ottertooth.com/Temagami/Nature/fishingspider.htm
for more information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV |
#228
Can you identify this pest from the larvae? Can you tell me how long it
would take the eggs of the insect to develop to this full size larvae?
Thanks. Ven
Note: Can the
submitter of Number 228 provide either a clearer photo or more information
about the context of the photo? It possibly shows a couple of pupal shells
of flies such as house flies, but it simply is too fuzzy to be certain. Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV
|
 #227
I found several of these on some very sick looking maples in my yard in
upper Michigan. I don't know if they have anything to do with the sickly
maples, but I don't know what it is so I can't check. The picture is not
very clear, but it is dark brown with red markings either side of the area
just behind the head. It isn't a boxelder as I compared this already, it
doesn't have that much red on it. There is a little bit of red on the
underside as well. Thanks, Vicki
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If no one on this
forum can provide an identification (I certainly cannot from the photo and
description), I suggest that you contact your county extension agent (see
http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/ctyentpg/ )
for assistance.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a lightning beetle, probably a female Ellychnia sp. They cause no
harm to trees either as adults or larvae. For an example in similar posture,
see:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/3505/bgimage Jim McClarin |
 #226
These spiders were found on the
veranda of a house in Nanaimo, BC, Canada (on Vancouver Island).
They were
anywhere from 2 – 2.5 inches long including legs. Paul.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is
one of the large orb-weavers (Araneida:
Araneidae) in the genus Argiope
(probably A. trifasciata). The females usually are noticed in late
summer/early autumn as they fatten up prior to depositing their egg masses.
The males are much smaller, and often escape notice.
Ed Saugstad,
retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV |
#225 Hi, This is the best picture I could get of
a bug that I found in my garden this summer. I live in Ottawa, Ontario and
have never seen this bug before. It came in on some flowers I cut one night
after sunset in mid August. The flowers I brought in were Cone flowers,
dahlias, sunflowers and coreopsis. I'm looking to find out what it is.
Thanks! Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is an ambush bug (Hemiptera:
Phymatidae). These bugs get their name from laying in wait (usually on
flowers) for other insects to come within striking range of their
mantis-like front legs (visible in the photograph). They appear to be
commoner on flowers whose coloration somewhat matches their own.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV
|
#224 I'm trying to identify this beetle in my
basement. It's about 1 inch long and dark brown with reddish-brown
"shoulders". And Man, is it slow! Its about 16 degrees C in my basement and
it will only try to get away if I give it a good poke. Its the third one
I've found this season. I'd appreciate any help you may be able to
offer. Brent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be a
relatively large ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae). This is a very
large family of beetles, with nearly a thousand species reported from
Canada alone. For the most part, they are general predators on insects and
other small arthropods, a very few species, such as the seed corn beetle,
can be pests on some plants. The apparent torpidity of your specimen is
somewhat puzzling, as these beetles usually are quick to move when
disturbed.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV
|
#223. I think this is a ground beetle, but what
I'm really interested in are the little ???? on it.
They look a lot like mom, so I'm not sure if they're
parasites or babies. I can't find any information whether or not babies
will ride with mom. Doesn't seem likely. Anyone have any ideas? I saw this
on a logging road (October) on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Thanks!
Megan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although I cannot be certain,
I suspect that your beetle could either be a ground beetle (Coleoptera:
Carabidae) or a darkling beetle (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). The small
creatures are mites, not the beetle’s young. Mites often are found on a
variety of insects, including many beetles. It often is unclear as to
whether they actually harm the beetle, or are just ‘hitching a ride’
(entomologically called ‘phoresy’) to some other destination.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks
Grove, WV
|
#222
Hello, Hope
someone can figure what these are that are invading our laundry room and
how there getting in there? They look almost like wasp but with bigger
wings, and almost always just stay in the window of the laundry room, once
in awhile will find one dead on the floor or just sitting there. They
never really seem to leave the laundry room. And how do we go about
getting rid of them. Thanks in advance, Rich.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These may be winged (reproductive) ants. It is difficult to tell the size
but they look large enough to be carpenter ants that could have a nest in
the walls of your laundry room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From their overall appearance, I believe that
these more likely are wasps than winged ants. To get rid of them, you
need to find where they are entering the room. Is it possible that they
could enter through a torn dryer vent or poorly sealed window frame?
Insects that are already in the room could be vacuumed up, or you could
use any of the commonly available aerosol insecticides (‘Wasp Stopper,’
etc.).
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are wasp for sure... cannot really tell from the pic but, almost
sure some form of paper wasp. they probably have a nest right outside
the window, you can find the nest and kill them or just wait until the
fall/winter... they will die, including the queen... the nest will not
be used again. -Berry T.
|
#221 Your bug page is great (although it
sort of gave me the creeps and I had to double-check every time I felt an
itch while looking at it). Was at the beach at St. Malo this afternoon
(October 11, but unusually warm). This critter landed at the edge of where I
was sitting and quite freaked me out. The tail looked scorpion like (in my
opinion) with different segments, and a knob at the end (that is not visible
in the picture). At the end of the rear legs where thicker arms? You can see
one if them in the picture. Any help in identifying this one would be
appreciated...
Craig
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a
female Pelecinus polyturator wasp (Hymenoptera:
Pelecinidae). Their larvae are parasitic on the grubs of June beetles (Coleoptera:
Scarabaeidae). Males of this wasp are seldom seen – they have an abdomen
that is much shorter than the female’s and that is swollen at the tip. Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist,
Sinks Grove, WV |
#220. These
tiny spiders/bugs have plagued my condo in Boston since I moved in last
fall. Lately I have seen a lot more of them. They are in the bedroom, living
room and bathroom but oddly not the kitchen. They seem to like to hang out
on fabric and in between sheets of papers. I often find them on carpets,
clothing (ewww!) and in between papers that have been lying around. What the
hell are they and how do I get rid of them? Any help would be appreciated!
Krista
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Sorry. No close-up available
on this photo)
As the photo cannot be
enlarged, I cannot be certain of an identification, but I suspect that it
could be a spider beetle (Coleoptera: Ptinidae – some authorities place
Ptinids as a subfamily of Anobiidae). These beetles are cosmopolitan in
distribution, and are general scavengers on a wide variety of materials,
from old wood to dead insects and grain products. A few species can become
pantry pests, infesting almost any dry product that contains cereal grains
(wheat, oats, barley, etc.) of any kind. See
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2117.html
for a fact sheet, and
http://www.museums.org.za/bio/images/enb1/enb01638.jpg
for an image of the American spider beetle (Mezium
americanum), which appears to resemble your specimen.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist,
Sinks Grove, WV |
#219
Hello, It is October in Connecticut and I just
started getting hundreds of these insects all over my house. I have looked
and looked online and can not find an identification for them. Any idea
what they may be? They have red in their bodies and red outlines in their
wings as well as a red line that is about 2/3’s the way down the wing and
goes into the wing. They have 3 pairs of legs and 2 antenna, they have two
large wings that are solid and two wings under that that are a little more
transparent. They are ¾” to 1” long approx. Here is a photo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a Box Elder Bug.
Box Elder
Bugs cause concern in the autumn when they gather in considerable
numbers on the
warm outside walls of homes and sometimes find their way into houses looking for
a suitable place to over winter.
When
they gain entry to buildings through cracks or other openings they remain in
wall cavities and will occasionally emerge inside the home in the spring.
They will not breed indoors, so there is no danger of starting an “infestation”.
More information and photos of
box elder bugs.
We live in Niagara Region and were swamped
with the Box Elder bugs and it took me quite some time to track down what
they were. (Didn't find your site at the time I was looking) Someone
suggested dish soap and hot water sprayed on them to kill them and boy,
did that ever work! It was suggested that I use "Dawn" brand concentrate
dish liquid, and I did, but when I ran out I just used Sunlight and that
did the trick, also. It killed them (perhaps by suffocation?) and sure
made the outside of the house smell nice. I don't know if you want
to suggest this treatment to others, but we found it worked for us.
Sincerely, Diane, St. Catharines, ON
|
#218 I noticed this bug while my friend and I were
having lunch at the Toronto Zoo. I'm just glad that it was on the opposite
side of the glass as I was! It doesn't look mean, and I'm curious to know
what it could be? Adrienne in Brampton, Ontario
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
#217
Have a swarm of
these in my lawn in NE Oklahoma. Haven’t seen any flying, only crawling
around. Love to be on the brick and in the grass. Is it a Box Elder bug?
Color tends to be more orange than the typical box elder red. Color is only
on outside edge of the body, not across the back. Thanks! Scott
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Appears to be a bordered flower bug or a
close relative (Hemiptera: Largidae – sometimes included in the family
Pyrrhocoridae). Although they superficially resemble boxelder bugs, they
are in an entirely different family.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist,
Sinks Grove, WV
|
|
Click on the photos
to enlarge |
#216 I have found these worm like creatures
for a week (about 2-3 a day). I have looked everywhere to find the source. I
have come to the conclusion that it may be coming up from the carpet. Now a
week later, I find this beetle (the circular brown one) and dead
larvae (or metamorphasising larvae --the tiny medium colored one). These may
not necessarily be the same bug, so if anyone can identify any of these, I
would appreciate it. I live in central Florida near the beaches. I am most
concerned for the larvae. They have 3 pairs of legs in the very front of the
body, and nothing in the back. No hair-like structures. It is about 6mm in
length. Thanks again. M.K.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The larvae in the photo likely are the immature stages
of the beetle. They do not appear to be carpet beetles (carpet beetle larvae
are much hairier – see
http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/diaglab/03images/506cbeetlelarv.jpg ),
but I cannot make a positive identification from the photo provided. If no
one else on this forum can make a positive i.d., I suggest that you contact
your county cooperative extension service office (usually in or near the
county courthouse) for assistance. See
http://ifas.ufl.edu/extension/index.htm for links
to county offices.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV |
#215 Hello, This bad boy crawled out of a
ground-level planter and made its way up the side of my house in San Diego,
California. We figure it was at least 2-3 inches in length, compared to the
2x4 beams on my house. It has 3 segmented body parts, bronze colored wings,
and long orange antennae-like feelers that my brother observed it using
while eating plant leaves. It has a small mouth and doesn't appear
carniverous. It also appears that the wings may not be functional for
flying...they don't appear to be able to be large enough, or positioned in
the right place to be able to carry the weight of this guy. We also
observed it using its front legs to clean its feelers. Any help in
identifying this creature would be greatly appreciated. Much thanks,
Adrian.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a large spider wasp (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae).
Their larvae feed primarily on spiders (including tarantulas) that have been
stung and paralyzed by the adult female wasp. The female wasp usually
constructs a cell or burrow that she then provisions with spiders upon which
she lays her egg. The developing larva feeds on the paralyzed (but still
living) spider. In spite of the appearance of the wings, they are indeed
capable of flight. Ed Saugstad,
retired entomologist, Sinks Grove,
WV |
#214 This spider has been
in our home for a while. We live in Cochrane, Ontario. It is large and
aggressive. The abdomen must be at least 1 cm across. Our kids are curious
about the name of this spider, so hopefully someone out there can help us.
Thanks. The Nelson family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like numbers 201 and 183, this is an orb weaver spider (Araneida:
Araneidae),
a very large family of spiders. They usually are noticed in late
summer/early autumn as the females fatten up prior to depositing their egg
masses. Many species feature banded legs such as are seen in your
photo. As for its being ‘aggressive,’ as a rule, these spiders are not
considered aggressive (at least towards humans), but, like most creatures,
they may attempt to defend themselves when threatened.
Ed Saugstad,
retired entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV
|
#213 Found in Arnprior Ontario,
inside an apartment building. 1/2 inch in length, 6 legs, antenna ( missing
in Photo), Black in colour at rear half of body. Brown in colour front half
of body. Shiny hard shell. No wings. Can you help identify. Thanks.
Byron
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Really need a clearer photograph – could
be a cockroach nymph, but impossible to tell for certain.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV |
|
Pest problems in Ontario?
See the directory of
qualified professionals in Ontario |
#212
Dear Sir,
I found you on the web site. I am interested in determining what this wasp
like creature might be. It found its way onto my neck in my back yard this
afternoon in Iowa, USA. I trapped it and snapped these photos before
releasing it. It appeared to be almost three inches and length. If you can
identify it, I’d be very interested in finding out more about it. Thank
you. Your servant in Christ the Lord, Pastor Jeff Harlow
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a wood-boring wasp (Hymenoptera:
Siricidae), sometimes called ‘horntails.’ See
http://eny3005.ifas.ufl.edu/lab1/Hymenoptera/Siricid.htm
for more information. Their larvae are parasitized by ichneumon wasps in the
genus Megarhyssa (see number 202). Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist.
Sinks Grove, WV |
#211 Hi, I'm hoping your readers can identify
this pest for me, as well as any risks it may pose to humans, and tips for
eradicating them. In addition to the attached photo, there are more
photos at this address:
http://normlyon.homeip.net/photos/misc/MysteryPest/
These pests are very small, ranging from about 2 to 7 hundredths of an inch
(0.5 to 1.5 mm) in length. The ruler which appears in some of the photos is
marked in hundredths of an inch. They appear to jump when you approach
them, although the photos clearly reveal wings, so maybe they were flying
instead. If so, though, it is not a slow, hovering kind of flight; it really
looks a lot like jumping. I found several of them in my basement, on
the concrete floor, hiding under objects (bags, boxes...). The basement is
dehumidified to about 50 - 60 % RH (i.e. relatively dry). We live in
Gatineau, Quebec (next door to Ottawa, Ontario). Thanks. -
Norm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This
appears to be a so-called ‘book louse’ (order Psocoptera). These small,
soft-bodied insects often are found amongst old books and other papers,
especially under damp conditions. They are harmless to humans, and, as they
usually are found in dark/dimly lit situations where humidity is relatively
high, the best control is to keep potential harborage (cardboard boxes,
etc.) at a minimum, and eliminate all unnecessary sources of moisture. Even
though you feel that your basement is relatively dry, there may be many
small areas (‘microclimates’) where the humidity is high enough to permit
their survival. See
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2080.html
for a fact sheet that included more
detailed control measures.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV |
|
Click on the photos
to enlarge |
#210 While fly-fishing near Beckley, West Virginia,
this caterpillar fell out of a tree on to my neck. I brushed it off, and a
few moments later I started to develop welts and major itching. Later that
evening, the bumps and itching spread down my chest and around the other
side of my neck. I saw that most answers were submitted by Ed Saugstad, from
WV and thought this might be helpful. Thank you for anything you can tell
me. Ian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the larva of a tussock moth (Lepidoptera:
Lymantriidae). These caterpillars have urticating hairs that can cause an
itching rash if they contact unprotected skin. Although very uncomfortable,
they are not considered dangerous. I have handled many of these over the
years, and never have experienced any ill effects. See
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2130.html
for a fact sheet on stinging caterpillars in general.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV |
#209 If anyone can identify this for me, I would be grateful.
Diana. Girl Guides of Canada
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This looks like possibly a jumping spider from its
large, bright eyes and striped legs. Totally harmless to people, really very
sweet little spiders with very good vision, they will actually watch you to
see what you are up to. Good jumpers, fun to observe.
Catherine, Calgary Alberta.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is most definetly a jumping spider. From the picture it looks to be a
Zebra Jumper which have either brown or white stripes on a black background.
These are one of the best spiders to watch hunt as they attack insects much
larger than themselves. Jacob Duarte, aspiring arachnologist. |
#208 This is a tiny green insect that is tipped with red. I spotted it
near a small lake. It seems to have a triangular head. If anyone can
identify this for me, I would be grateful. Diana. Girl Guides of
Canada
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a treehopper (Hemiptera: Membracidae). Many of
these have the pronotum (upper surface of the first thoracic segment) highly
ornamented, sometimes with elaborate knobs and protrusions of uncertain
purpose. See
http://mutualism.williams.edu/biol402T/treehopper.jpg
for an example. They all are sap feeders, but seldom
are abundant enough to cause serious damage.
Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV
|
 #207
I live in an apartment complex in Sudbury, Ontario. I have been noticing
light grey bugs in my kitchen, although my kitchen is usually kept very
clean. These bugs usually come out at night, but sometimes I notice one
during the day. I think noise is a factor on when they come out. Most of the
time they are on my kitchen counter, rarely on the floor, and never anywhere
else. I have been trying to capture one for more than a week now, but they
are very fast. They seem to have six legs in the front of their bodies, and
two in the rear, but they are very small and hard to see. I would appreciate
the identification of these bugs, and ways to control them, as I cannot find
resources on these anywhere online. Thank you, Shawn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are silverfish, primitive insects in the order Thysanura. Commonly
found in homes, they seldom do any real damage, but most folks object to
their presence. See
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/silverfi.html for a fact
sheet that includes control recommendations. Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV
|
 
#206 We have property about 30Km north of Belleville,
Ontario and wondered why two shrubs planted in the same location died. The
last shrub planted was a witch hazel and while attempting to rescue it by
transplanting to another location we found a couple of these insects. Two
were dead from the digging but the other was alive. We have no idea what
these insects are or whether they contributed to the dead shrubs. As you
can see in relationship to the shovel they were quite large and very
colourful.
B.K.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a cicada (Homoptera:
Cicadidae) in the process of changing from its immature (nymphal) to its
adult form. As nymphs, these insects feed on the roots of trees and
shrubs underground. With different species, this time varies from one to
17 years. However, they seldom cause serious damage to their host plants
by this feeding, their most noticeable affect is the death of small
branches caused by the adult females’ laying their eggs in slits they
make in the bark of the branches. For more information, see
http://wildwnc.org/natnotes/cicadainvasion.html
Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist, Sinks Grove, WV
|
# 205
This is a bug that my husband found on a childhood trip to Equador.
We've always wondered what it was. Can you help? The bug is glued
inside a plexiglass case (the two white globs are hot glue).
Sara
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a scarab beetle (Coleoptera:
Scarabaeidae). The scarabs constitute a very large family, with
thousands of species in a number of subfamilies. All are
vegetarians/scavengers, feeding on leaves, dung, or rotted wood. I
cannot tell for certain, but if this is a large beetle (more than 30mm
long), it may be in the subfamily Dynastinae, that includes some of
the bulkiest beetles in the world. Male beetles in this family often
have very large ‘horns’ on their head and/or thorax, whereas the
females are hornless. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist,
Sinks Grove, WV
|
 #204
I was sleeping on my couch when I felt this little monster crawling on my
face near my ear. I have a pair of 1x12 wood slats holding up the springs in
my couch but am unsure if this guy is a fan of the wooden habitat. I live in
Morgantown, WV, in an apartment building. Needless to say, I did not get
much more sleep after I was awoken by this thing. I would have dismissed it
as a cricket and washed it down the drain had it not been for the long
pointed tail and its yellow-brown coloring. Any help you can provide will
surely help me rest better. Thank you. Ben Helsley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This insect belongs to the order
Orthoptera, that includes grasshoppers and crickets. It is in the family
Tettigoniidae, commonly known as ‘long-horned grasshoppers.’ Specifically,
it appears to be cave or camel cricket; these harmless insects are found in
dark, damp places, including under logs, in basements, and in caves. The
sword-like apparatus protruding from the tail end is its ovipositor, used
for laying eggs in soil.
Ed Saugstad,
retired entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your first instinct was correct. This is
a common cricket to Northeastern USA. The appendage on the back end is
not a tail. These two fine filaments are her ovapositors, or the organ
used to lay eggs. It is completely harmless, so rest easy!!! Tait Klein Seventh Grade Science
Teacher 
|
#203 Several
of these bugs are around the house and I was wondering if it was a
harmless but and if it wasn’t how to do I get rid of it. I’m located in
Falkland British Columbia Canada. Thank you in Advance.
Dan Reid
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This appears to be a boxelder
bug or a close relative. These true bugs (order Hemiptera) feed primarily
on the sap of boxelder trees (members of the maple family), but
occasionally will feed on other trees and shrubs as well (I have found
them on both pea pods and raspberries). They often attract notice in late
summer/early autumn when they congregate in large numbers on sun-exposed
areas including walls of houses and trunks of trees. They can become
nuisances when they invade homes in search of shelter before the onset of
winter. Control measures include removal of female boxelder trees in the
immediate vicinity, cleaning up debris in the yard, and sealing off
potential areas of entry into the home (such as cracks around window
frames, etc.) See
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2106.html
for a fact sheet on boxelder bugs.
Ed
Saugstad, retired entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV
|
 #202
Neighbors found this insect on the tire of their car in
western Michigan. I think it is a wasp but haven't had any luck identifying
it off the web. It is about 3.5 cm long, mostly brown with very striking
yellow marks. If anyone can help with the identification and tell us what
the long extension of the abdomen (ovipositor?) is, we would be grateful.
Thanks, Diane and Peter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is an ichneumon wasp
(Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), likely in the genus Megarhyssa. These are
parasitic on the larvae of wood-boring hymenoptera in the family Siricidae
(horntails), using their long ovipositor (the whip-like terminal appendage)
to bore into the tunnel of the host insect.
For a photo of one in action see:
http://www.discoverlife.org/nh/tx/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Ichneumonoidea/images/JP80060_31.Megarhyssa.320.jpg.html
Ed Saugstad, retired
entomologist. Sinks Grove, WV |
 
#201 I was wondering if you could tell me about these
two spiders that I found outside our house. They were found in webs about 18
inches in diameter, which were in fairly open locations. The first was on
our front porch at waist level just in the corner, and the second was at the
edge and underside of our back deck, but again, not really underneath or
hidden. We live in Strathmore, Alberta (30 minutes east of Calgary).
Thanks, Tim
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like number 183, this is an orb weaver spider (Araneida:
Araneidae), a very large family of spiders. They usually are
noticed in late summer/early autumn as the females fatten up prior to
depositing their egg masses. Many species feature banded legs such as are
seen in your photo. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist.
Sinks Grove, WV |
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