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Entomology (Study of Bugs)/Questions Answered by Expert Jessica Mellinger
| Subject | Date Asked |
| What bug is this? | 1/11/2012 |
| Q: I found one of these bugs in top of my bed and I thought it was a bed bug, so I took all my sheets ... A: You have carpet beetles. That photo is of the larvae. They are not dangerous but can eat your ... | |
| water bugs sound | 11/11/2011 |
| Q: Even though I can't see any water bugs on the surface I can hear a lot of activity beneath the ... A: I love your question! I have never received a question like yours before. I am not sure I can help ... | |
| moth with branch like pattern on wings | 10/3/2011 |
| Q: I came across an unusual moth yesterday. I have been looking across the web and haven't had much ... A: You have found a Vine Spinx Moth (Eumorpha vitis). They are common year round in Central America and ... | |
| Flying Bug Identification Request | 8/30/2011 |
| Q: While on the beach at Cannon Beach Oregon, My wife & I were attacked by a large flying bug. Very ... A: Unfortunately, there are so many different types of insects that without a photo or more details ... | |
| bugs that look like a fish but not silver fish | 8/19/2011 |
| Q: I have seen quite a few of these bugs that look like minnows on my back porch they have no antenna ... A: In order to help you, I need to get some more information. Please answer these questions and I'll do ... | |
| maggots | 8/7/2011 |
| Q: At what temperture will a maggot die? A: I am not sure what the heat limit is for maggots exactly, but they will die if you pour boiling ... | |
| Moth? | 7/6/2011 |
| Q: This beautiful moth is attached to the screen of my camper. It seems to have a damaged wing and I ... A: You are lucky to have found a male luna moth (Actias luna)! I have not yet seen one myself, but hear ... | |
| lacewing? What kind? | 6/19/2011 |
| Q: I posted this on my twitter account. twitpic.com/5dyzx2 The picture is not great, the wing tips ... A: You are correct about it being a type of lacewing. It is a Glenurus gratus. I don't know a common ... | |
| insect ? egg ? | 6/13/2011 |
| Q: While digging in my flower garden I came accross an area of soil with a powdery substance. As I ... A: They might be slug eggs. Check out this photo to see if they look similar: ... | |
| need an identification | 6/11/2011 |
| Q: I live in Switzerland, near the lake of Zurich and these insects were found on my window at my ... A: The description of the eggs does make me think you had some kind of butterfly. They arrange the eggs ... | |
| Can you tell me what this is?? | 5/31/2011 |
| Q: I got in the shower on Sunday morning and everything in my bathroom was normal. When I got out of ... A: Those are fly larvae... maggots. Here is what you can do: 1. Kill the adult flies in your home 2. ... | |
| Unknown insect. | 5/29/2011 |
| Q: I saw this insect in Rhode Island,and took two pictures of it. I have never seen it before or since, ... A: It is a moth caterpillar of the species Orgyia detrita... also called a Fir Tussock Moth. Here is a ... | |
| Aquatic Bug Identification Southern California | 5/26/2011 |
| Q: I found this aquatic bug in a horse trough in my back yard. I grow water lilies and aquatic grasses ... A: Do you have dragonflies? This is a dragonfly larva, called a nymph! If you get a chance, check out ... | |
| Another Insect | 5/8/2011 |
| Q: My husband captured this bug with the kids bug kit and we were wondering what type of a bug is it? ... A: You found a white-lined sphinx moth. They are not poisonous. I have included a few links so you can ... | |
| Crazy Water ?pede? | 5/6/2011 |
| Q: I was camping near Pine Village Indiana and there was a creek nearby. A buddy and I went down to the ... A: I have not seen The Mist, unfortunately. However, it sounds like what you saw was a centipede. ... | |
| Identification of Spider | 4/29/2011 |
| Q: I live in Southern California very near to the ocean (Camp Pendleton). I have just found a dark ... A: I think it may be a Grass spider (Agelenidae), which can be seen here: ... | |
| flesh eating spiders | 4/24/2011 |
| Q: i live in sunny south africa and jus recently a friend of ours went to kwa-zulu natal to a place ... A: I am not familiar with a spider like the one you describe and am also having trouble finding any ... | |
| bug preservants | 3/14/2011 |
| Q: I'm begging to collect bugs and i need some tips on how to kill bugs and to preserve them and i also ... A: Starting a bug collection can be a very fun project. You will need to get some ethyl acetate for the ... | |
| spider found in my house | 3/3/2011 |
| Q: I been seeing a bunch of big spiders in my house that i just moved into. It scares me cause we have ... A: The spider in the photo is a species of wolf spider. They can vary in size from pretty small to very ... | |
| tiny purple larva | 12/24/2010 |
| Q: We were at the dog park after a lot of rain. In a small puddle we found tiny purple "dots" in the ... A: If the purple creatures were round like seeds, they were probably mites. Mites are often red, but ... | |
| weird insect | 7/24/2010 |
| Q: my friend found this insect in her bathroom window what kind of a bug is this? i have attached a ... A: There are over 1200 species of cricket (Ensifera) in North America. If you would like an ID, I will ... | |
| Earwigs | 7/19/2010 |
| Q: I have been seeing a lot of earwigs in my home especially around kitchen sink.how do i get rid of ... A: Earwigs like areas that are moist, like around and under your sink. Make sure these areas stay as ... | |
| insect identification | 7/14/2010 |
| Q: Can you please identify this insect. It appears to be a very large cockroach--2 1/2 inches, with ... A: It is a beetle in the subfamily Cerambycinae. They are big, but harmless. Here are some great ... | |
| Boatmen as pets? | 7/13/2010 |
| Q: I absolutely love boatmen (NOT backswimmers); I think they're very interesting insects. I was ... A: I agree with you that boatmen are interesting insects. I assume you are referring to Corixids (here ... | |
| Tiny red aquatic bug | 7/12/2010 |
| Q: I was at Waldo Lake, Oregon, and there are very small red bugs living in the water which I can't ... A: It sounds like you are describing water mites (suborder Hydrocarina). They are bright red, have 6 ... | |
| inscet unknown | 7/6/2010 |
| Q: I found this swimming insect in an above ground pool that has been neglected for 2 years. Lots of ... A: What you have is an immature aquatic beetle in the family Hydrophilidae. Have you noticed any small ... | |
| identification of insect | 6/26/2010 |
| Q: During my research visit, I encountered an insect/larva on intertidal area. It sized nearly 1 - ... A: This is a beetle larva. My guess is it is a predaceous diving beetle in the family Dytiscidae ... | |
| Dobsonflys aggression | 6/24/2010 |
| Q: Recently we ran into these bugs in Missouri. They showed extreme aggression towards us and you move ... A: Yes, dobsonfly females have strong pincers and have been known to inflict painful bites. Both the ... | |
| Bugs | 6/18/2010 |
| Q: I live in central Iowa. and there are a lot of these little black bugs running around our house and ... A: Your bugs are black, hard to kill, have antennae and crawl really fast? This is not enough ... | |
| cucumber beetle | 6/11/2010 |
| Q: I have cucumber beetles invading my bush beans. Is there a way to control these things, they are ... A: There are bug sprays you can use to kill the beetles, but since you are growing food, you may want ... | |
| tiny inch worms | 6/9/2010 |
| Q: last week i noticed two red blotches on the ceiling, just passed it off as what did the kids do now. ... A: Inch worms are immature geometer moths. Have you seen any of these around your house? ... | |
| Bug that has been biting me at night | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: for the past few days I've woken up with bug bits usually in my armpits tho I have one on my chest, ... A: The photo is of the head of a sow bug spider. ... | |
| Tiny Jumping Bugs that Bite | 5/24/2010 |
| Q: Jessica, I have noticed that when I sit outside, I have these very tiny orange bugs that get on my ... A: I believe you have biting mites. There are two things you should do... The first is eliminate their ... | |
| Lice with antennas? | 5/22/2010 |
| Q: I had recently gotten over a lice infestation about a month ago. So when my head started itching ... A: I am sorry to hear about your louse infestation. Lice do, in fact, have very small antennae. I ... | |
| Unidentified Bug | 5/17/2010 |
| Q: Found this bug in my house. When I picked it up, I thought it was a white peanut, but seen what ... A: This is a tick that has bitten something and is full of blood. If you have pets, it may have eaten ... | |
| Aquatic insect leaving green blob | 4/25/2010 |
| Q: A few days ago I was driving near the Rogue River in Southern Oregon and several tiny green blobs ... A: Although I suppose they could be some time of plant, they sound very much like eggs to me. This is ... | |
| shower worm | 4/22/2010 |
| Q: I recently moved into a house in Virginia. The house has been scrubbed clean from top to bottom. ... A: The color division and movement that you explained makes me think it was a larva of some sort. It ... | |
| what is this bug | 4/20/2010 |
| Q: i found a bug in my dogs water dish outside. it is green with small yellow spots on the back near ... A: I need more information about the bug in order to identify it. What was the shape of the body? Did ... | |
| insect nest? | 4/13/2010 |
| Q: While trimming our bushes today we noticed several of these mud-looking nest things on branches. ... A: I would definitely remove them if I were you. They are either mud nests or some type of growth. If ... | |
| Bugs that bite | 4/7/2010 |
| Q: For the past couple weeks I've been noticing that I've been itching and its coming from bumps. ... A: The beetles you photographed are variegated carpet beetles. I have been taught they do not bite ... | |
| weird bug | 3/26/2010 |
| Q: today I saw a centepede look alike but less legs and legs look like a spider move real fast sorry no ... A: Without a picture, it is really difficult to identify. Many insects look similar to centipedes, ... | |
| A Bug | 3/20/2010 |
| Q: Me an my boyfriend an my daughter have a 3 story house, And we just like a week ago moved to our ... A: I think it may be a silverfish. Does it look like this?... ... | |
| Beetle | 3/15/2010 |
| Q: These beetles are outside of my house everyday. I noticed that they especially come out when it is ... A: That is a hemiptera (true bug). If the body is black and the orange is on the edges of the wings, it ... | |
| What bug did i get bit by | 3/14/2010 |
| Q: I was doing yard work yesterday 3-12-2010 and i was doing a bit of weeding in the front yard i ... A: I am sorry to hear about your bites. It is difficult to identify without a photo, but I have two ... | |
| water skippers | 3/4/2010 |
| Q: I have read some of the questions and answers on water skippers. One thing is unclear to me. How do ... A: This is a question that many people have. Water skippers can survive without water, in cold ... | |
| Bathroom bugs | 3/2/2010 |
| Q: My bathroom wall is full of tiny round bugs, black, to colorless. They look a little like lice, but ... A: From your description, I think you have mites. A common type of mite found in homes is the bird ... | |
| Attack of the invisible bugs | 2/27/2010 |
| Q: A few days ago, my husband found some white mold on our black TV set. He wipes it away and the next ... A: I believe what you have are book lice. Here is some information on them: ... | |
| bugs | 2/18/2010 |
| Q: Can u show me what a bedbug looks like A: Here is an adult common bedbug: ... | |
| Worm Identification | 2/13/2010 |
| Q: I found this worm curled up on the floor in the entryway of my house. It was 2-3 inches long with ... A: You are correct that there is a huge quantity of Oligochaetes. Most people who ask me questions ... | |
| Worm Identification | 2/12/2010 |
| Q: I found this worm curled up on the floor in the entryway of my house. It was 2-3 inches long with ... A: From the picture I would guess that this little critter was a Capitella. These are reddish in color ... | |
| Lepard moth Catepillar | 11/15/2009 |
| Q: What do they eat A: The leopard moth caterpillar eats leaves. They are voracious creatures and will eat a lot. If you ... | |
| I don't know what the 'bug" was! | 11/9/2009 |
| Q: This weekend in South Texas (south of San Antonio area) we found a "bug" type of which no one in my ... A: It sounds like a very interesting bug. From your description, I think it is probably a beetle of ... | |
| Please identify this insect and what harm if any if does | 10/26/2009 |
| Q: I found the bug I attached a picture of on my brick paved patio today. There were about 50 of them ... A: These are Box Elder bugs. They won't bite and are not harmful to humans in any way but they are ... | |
| Bug Identification. | 10/25/2009 |
| Q: I found this small white bug, that has other(well it looks like) bugs and parts of bugs on its back. ... A: You found a Debri-carrying Green Lacewing larva. The adults look like this: ... | |
| Unanswered question about Dirt Looking Bug | 10/25/2009 |
| Q: My question has been sent to you about the bug that looks like a piece of dirt in my Maui home. I do ... A: I am sorry that it has taken me a while to get back to you. It is difficult to identify this, but I ... | |
| Jumping jacks | 10/22/2009 |
| Q: what do jumping jacks eat? i have one in my sharpener has a pet and i tryed a bee but it tryed to ... A: I am unfamiliar with Australian insects, but I think you are asking about Jumping Jack Ants. You are ... | |
| "dirt babies " | 10/20/2009 |
| Q: I was recently in the Sequoia forest in California when a friend of mine said he saw a "dirt baby" ... A: I am unfamiliar with the term "dirt baby", as is the head biologist at Sequoia National Forest. My ... | |
| Tiny Bugs in My Desk | 10/20/2009 |
| Q: I recently started seeing tiny little bugs inside of my desk draweres at work. They are about 0.4 cm ... A: It sounds to me like you have termites. There are many different types of termites, so they may look ... | |
| Scary flyer with 2 stingers in porta-potty | 10/19/2009 |
| Q: Two weeks ago I was hiking up Mission Peak in Fremont California. It was a fairly hot day and on my ... A: The only insect I can think of that could look like this is the mayfly. They are long and thin (like ... | |
| looks like a box elder bug but bigger | 10/15/2009 |
| Q: we have, once in a while, these bugs in our house. they look very similar to what i think is a box ... A: It sounds like you have a type of stink bug. This is a very informal term applied to a few types of ... | |
| Very strange insect | 10/10/2009 |
| Q: yesterday i saw very strange and horrible insects which i didn't seen before the picture is here ... A: This insect looks like a moth. It is likely not anything to be afraid of. I wish that I could give ... | |
| What is this bug??? | 10/5/2009 |
| Q: I work in a warehouse, and we dump our Gatorade off our dock every day and recently we found a bug ... A: This description baffles me. I don't know what it could be. I would be more helpful if you could ... | |
| flying bug | 10/5/2009 |
| Q: i would like to know what kind of bug this is. A: It is a little hard to see the details of the picture. However, the shape of the back reminds me of ... | |
| Earthworms | 10/3/2009 |
| Q: Hello i'm doing a project about earthworms and i was wondering why earthworms is not ... A: That is a great question. It seems like it would be easier for them to self-fertilize, doesn't it? ... | |
| help | 10/3/2009 |
| Q: were can i find names of the bugs i found in my yard? A: A good insect guide for Northern America is the National Audubon Field Guide ... | |
| bug bite | 10/1/2009 |
| Q: my grandson got bit by a bug that had a black body and an orange belly. we looked it up and it ... A: It does sound like you have found a Wheel bug nymph, which is a type of juvenile Assassin bug. Is ... | |
| Can you identify this bug? | 9/29/2009 |
| Q: We have a swarm of these bugs in our subdivision. They are about the size of an ant and have little ... A: From what you have described I think they are a type of true bug (hemiptera). I am sorry that it has ... | |
| tiny brown worm like | 9/26/2009 |
| Q: I recently moved into a house in california. The house has been scrubbed clean from top to bottum. ... A: I have a few guesses as to what the critter might be. However, it is very difficult to ID without a ... | |
| spiders | 9/18/2009 |
| Q: Can you tell me what type of spider this is and if it is poisonous. I found it on my back door when ... A: It looks to me like an orb weaver spider. They are not poisonous to humans, but may bite if scared. ... | |
| hornets | 9/16/2009 |
| Q: Do hornets have predators. A: Hornets are the top of the insect food chain. They can even eat bees. I am not sure if bats or other ... | |
| green/blue tick | 9/12/2009 |
| Q: In the past two days I have found two tiny blue/green bugs. They look like ticks or fleas, but i'm ... A: First, I must apologize for not responding sooner to your question. I am not sure what the bugs are ... | |
Entomology (Study of Bugs)
Answers by Expert:
Jessica Mellinger
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer questions about aquatic insects and invertebrates native to California. If you have an identification request, please attach a photo if you have one to your question.
Experience
I have been involved in collection and identification of aquatic invertebrates and insects for the United States Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division for six years. Also, I have provided these same services intermittently for the UC Davis John Muir Institute of the Environment for many years.
Organizations
Department of the Interior: United States Geological Survey, Davis Field Station;
University of California, Davis Aggie Alumni Association;
UC Davis Center for Neuroscience
Education/Credentials
I have two B.A.'s from the University of California, Davis and two Associate's degrees from Sacramento City College.
Awards and Honors
Special Thanks for Achieving Results award from the Department of the Interior
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