Entomology (Study of Bugs) - Insects/Spiders - Science

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About Eric R. Eaton
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
I can answer most questions related to wasps, solitary bees, grasshoppers and katydids, beetles, cicadas, and spiders, and identification of "mystery bugs" in North America. No "what bit me?" or "what do I feed this bug in captivity?" questions please.

Experience
Principal author, Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. Professional entomologist employed previously at University of Massachusetts, Chase Studio, Inc., and Cincinnati Zoo; contract work for West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, Smithsonian Institution, and Portland (Oregon) State University.

Organizations
Entomological Society of America, National Association of Science Writers

Publications
Author, Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, Missouri Conservationist magazine, Ranger Rick, Timeline (journal of the Ohio Historical Society). I have contributed to several books as well.

Education/Credentials
Oregon State University, undergraduate major in entomology, did not receive degree.

Past/Present Clients
Principal author of the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, Smithsonian Institution (contract), Cincinnati Zoo (employer), Portland State University (contract), Chase Studio, Inc (employer), Arkansas Museum of Discovery (guest speaker). Currently seeking employment in a highly creative work environment with a media corporation or non-profit.

You are here: Experts > Science > Insects/Spiders > Entomology (Study of Bugs)

Questions Answered By Expert Eric R. Eaton
In Category Entomology (Study of Bugs)

Subject	Date Asked

Weird white bug	11/20/2009
Q: I found a bunch of bugs on my gardenia bush in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Looks like a nymph stage of some ... A: Lynette: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. This is a bit complicated, so bear ...
spider	11/20/2009
Q: I was walking in a grassy area surrounded by trees and a creek nearby on 11/16/09 around 2pm in the ... A: Melanie: First off, how wonderful to get a letter from anyone, especially a woman, describing a ...
Need Help Classifying Chrysomelidae	11/19/2009
Q: My name is Joshua and I'm a student in an Honors Biology Class in Utah. We have been assigned to ... A: Joshua: Well, I am most impressed that you were able to even get this to family. Not sure if your ...
Bug identification	11/18/2009
Q: What kind of bug has long "L" shaped (turned backward)legs; "L" comes from the body. It has the ... A: Barbara: You are definitely describing "camel crickets," which are not true crickets, but are ...
Drugstore/Cigarette Beetles?	11/17/2009
Q: I am literally beside myself with trying to deal with a problem that started one or two months ago. ... A: Sarah: Well, without seeing specimens of the beetle in question, or at least clear images of one, I ...
not quite a grasshopper	11/16/2009
Q: I live in maryland and was recently awoken to a strange bug crawling on my hand. It was about 1" ... A: Carrie: I think you are probably describing some kind of "camel cricket," which is not a true ...
Spider in my son's room	11/12/2009
Q: Sorry for the horrible resolution. My camera battery was dying, plus the spider was in an area where ... A: Marcy: You are correct, I can't make a positive identification from these images. LOL! BUT, I can ...
what is this bug	11/12/2009
Q: I saw worm-like creatures on my back doorstep last week. They are about one inch long, dark brown ... A: Paula: You are definitely describing some kind of millipede, which is not an insect, or even an ...
Silverfish way out of its range?	11/11/2009
Q: Do Grassiella wheeleri, or any other Nicoletiidae, occur in Northern Virginia? In the early ... A: Peter: No, I don't know anyone offhand who is studying myrmecophiles, though a quick Google search ...
Silverfish way out of its range?	11/11/2009
Q: Do Grassiella wheeleri, or any other Nicoletiidae, occur in Northern Virginia? In the early ... A: Peter: Well, this is one group of insects (or near-insects depending on which authority one ...
unknown insect	11/11/2009
Q: I came across a black oval/ slug shaped insect crawling across the floor at our office. It was ... A: Ron: This is a perfect example of why images attached to questions are so helpful.... Ok, try ...
white worm	11/10/2009
Q: I live in WV and I just started turning on the heaters, so it is cold outside and warm in my home. I ... A: April: Well, you are definitely describing an insect larva of some kind. If it has a head capsule ...
unknown insect	11/10/2009
Q: I came across a black oval/ slug shaped insect crawling across the floor at our office. It was ... A: Ron: Oh, ok, I think I know what you are describing: the caterpillar of the "household ...
Beetle ID please	11/9/2009
Q: We found what we believe to be a beetle in our bathroom this morning (10 am), 11/9/09. It was on ... A: Jennifer: It is not a beetle, but a "true bug" in the order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera. ...
Spider in Cyprus	11/9/2009
Q: Whilst at my parents house in Cyprus we were walking barefoot and quite carefree through their ... A: John: Thanks for including the image with your question. There is no doubt that it is a "wolf ...
Mystery bug invasion	11/7/2009
Q: I've been invaded this fall on my balcony and on the windows and sliders by a roachlike but, dark ... A: Cynthia: You don't say 'where' in the U.S. you live, but if it is in the northern half, then you ...
very tiny (mm) black bugs	11/7/2009
Q: These bugs are on a potted hibiscus plant I brought in for the winter. The photos were taken this ... A: Crissa: Thank you for including the image with your question. I can clearly tell what you have ...
Insect Indentification	11/6/2009
Q: I have found an insect in my house (Indianapolis area near wooded creek) that I have have never seen ... A: Kate: Few insects are so distinctive that a written description leaves no doubt as to what a person ...
Amazon moth?	11/5/2009
Q: Can you help with identification of this critter photographed close to the jungle floor along the ... A: Karen: Take me with you when you next go down there, please:-) This is a planthopper in the family ...
Honduran cicada?	11/5/2009
Q: On September 8, 2007 I noted this (and numerous other identical) insects all laying eggs in similar ... A: Karen: Wow, that is really something! My hat is off to you for taking it the extra step. Nice ...
Honduran cicada?	11/5/2009
Q: On September 8, 2007 I noted this (and numerous other identical) insects all laying eggs in similar ... A: Karen: Thank you for including your own image with your question. It is definitely NOT a cicada. ...
identification of an interesting beetle	11/3/2009
Q: I am looking to identify this click beetle. I know it is in the family elateridae but would like to ... A: Richard: Maybe it is this one: http://bugguide.net/node/view/166743 but I don't know for ...
What is it?	11/3/2009
Q: OK- I am taking care of a riparian trail on the Stanislaus River in Riverbank CA- these things ... A: Reva: Thank you for including the image with your question. This is not what I was suspecting when ...
Mite Expert Needed	11/2/2009
Q: I desperately need help finding a mite expert in the Orange County, CA area. Three days ago I ... A: Carla: I would recommend contacting the entomology department at UC Riverside to see if they have ...
This bug was bugging me!	11/2/2009
Q: I live in the northeast part of missouri. I came home from work at about 4:30 in the afternoon and ... A: Justin: You give a great description of a "tree cricket" in the genus Oecanthus. Here is more: ...
What is this insect?	11/1/2009
Q: (I'm repeating this because I think the first attempt failed to go. Apologies if already received, ... A: Robert: I'm certain that you are describing adults of the "western conifer seed bug," Leptoglossus ...
luminescent pill bug	11/1/2009
Q: ever see a luminescent pill bug? I observed some on our farm in Hershey PA. THey crawl on the ... A: Bill: Thank you for including the image with your question. I believe that what is in the image ...
Unknown insect on a white tail deer in New York State.	11/1/2009
Q: I recently got a deer while bow hunting and when I was skinning the deer i noticed that it had a ... A: John: You are describing some type of "louse fly" in the bizarre family Hippoboscidae. Most people ...
Indentification question	10/30/2009
Q: We have seen these insects outside in past years, however over the last 4-5 weeks (Aug-Sept)we have ... A: R.A.: Thank you for including the image with your question. They are coming in from outside. They ...
Velvet Ants	10/30/2009
Q: What is the 411 on these scary HUGE ants that are not ants? How do I identify the nest? How can I ... A: Oh, boy...you are asking the wrong kind of questions....and I don't know what "4-1-1" means... BUT, ...
Bug / Larva / or just a seed	10/29/2009
Q: The past 2 days, Oct 28 / 29, I found hundreds of small seed sized things all over my driveway. I ... A: Chad: It would really help to know WHERE in the U.S. you live. Even then, the description is so ...
Bee-like Insect with Pincers	10/29/2009
Q: I found this insect-like thing in my backyard. It is approximately an inch long, and it seems to be ... A: Jeff: You are correct with your remark about it being the result of an insect molting. You are ...
Bees/Wasps	10/28/2009
Q: I'm a pilot going to college at Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach, Florida. I'm in a flight safety class ... A: Kylie: This is hands-down one of the best, most thoughtful questions I have ever received. Thank ...
small bug found in my hair	10/27/2009
Q: I live in Northwest Washington, first of all. My scalp has been very itchy for weeks, I was ... A: Emily: Well, I'd still have head lice at the top of my suspect list. I'd consider having my ...
Large spider in living room	10/27/2009
Q: I live in Spokane, WA up near the forest. The other day this large black spider came running through ... A: Jen: Rest assured neither of the spiders in the image is dangerously venomous to people or pets. ...
Spider Treasure	10/25/2009
Q: She now has created two spider treasures. I'm guessing these hold baby spiders. How many do you ... A: Florida: I love the idea of "spider treasure" instead of "egg sac." I may have to use that in a ...
Help identifying a bug	10/25/2009
Q: I live in NY and I found a bug in my bathroom today. I've seen these before, always in the bathroom ... A: Madi: Thank you for including the image with your question. If the creature in the image is indeed ...
Unknown Bug	10/25/2009
Q: This bug was in the dirt in my backyard - located near the Angeles National Forest in the San ... A: Kara: Thank you for including the nice, clear image with your question! Leaves no doubt as to what ...
Grub Worm	10/24/2009
Q: I did some yard work, and well came across these grub worms... but 3 out of 12 are huge (2 1/2 to 3 ... A: Anthony: Gee, thanks for pitting two experts against each other (but thanks for your honesty).... ...
Bug ID	10/24/2009
Q: My co-workers and I found a small hairy wingless bug crawling on a table in our inspection lab. It ... A: Stan: The only thing I can think of is the larva of a carpet beetle, family Dermestidae, probably ...
Bug ID	10/23/2009
Q: Wondering if you could ID this bug I think it is a Bloody Conenose Bug - the body looks close But ... A: Edwin: This is a "western conifer seed bug," Leptoglossus occidentalis, in the family of ...
bug bite	10/23/2009
Q: I live in Cambridge, Ontario Canada and was in my basement when I got bit by an insect. It was about ... A: Kim: Gee, I'm not sure what you are talking about from your description....My best guesses would ...
science project	10/23/2009
Q: and i sent you an e-mail a week or two ago and i seemed to have forgotten my password, please ... A: Cooper: I wrote that I do not help with these kinds of questions, and that crickets are a poor ...
Great little spider	10/22/2009
Q: Eric: I sent this but there is no option to attach a picture, that I can find. I'm going to try to ... A: Jenny: I need to get on Facebook myself:-) I might "friend" you if you are willing. Meanwhile, ...
bug found in Big Sur	10/22/2009
Q: I was in Big Sur last week and on the path to our yurt, about 8 or 9 pm, we came across this huge ... A: Cynthia: What's a "yurt?" No, I'm kidding, thankfully I know that already.... I think you might ...
Powder Post Beetle	10/21/2009
Q: I found evidence of Powder post beetles in some rough sawn cherry lumber in my garage. Is it true ... A: Larry: I am not an expert on structural pests, but I did find a website I trust that gives LOTS of ...
insect identification	10/21/2009
Q: Can you identify these? They were found recently on a branch of a tomato plant. The eggs are oval ... A: Neal: I don't know what an "image description" is, other than perhaps a "caption," which you wrote ...
tarantulas	10/21/2009
Q: i have a home in paso robles ca... for 4 years i have only seen 1 tarantula, now in the past 4 weeks ... A: Linda: At this time of year male tarantulas are wandering in search of mates. That is probably why ...
Sawtoothed Grain Beetle HELP!!!	10/20/2009
Q: I read your answer about this beetle but am in need of further help. I guess you could say I have ... A: Sara: You seem to be doing everything correctly, so I suspect that one of the products you ...
spiders	10/20/2009
Q: i have found a spider. it is black,brown and tan.at the top of the legs they are stripped brown and ... A: Shawn: Many spiders, like wolf spiders, jumping spiders, ground spiders, sac spiders, ghost ...
we thought it was fleas...but please ID these bugs	10/20/2009
Q: Our dog had fleas and we had the exterminator out 3 Saturdays in a row. Meantime, my 3 kids and I ... A: Margo: Well, at least you included an image with your-) The insects in the image look like adult ...
Bugs killing petunias	10/19/2009
Q: Every year I plant petunias in early November. The plants do really well except I lose about 10% due ... A: Joe: There are many root-eating insects so without seeing actual specimens I can't identify what ...
Bugs that come out at night	10/19/2009
Q: We have this issue of bugs coming into our home only at night. They're black bugs that are about 1.5 ... A: Kris: Thank you for including the image with your question. They are not "bugs" or insects of any ...
Bugs in apartment	10/19/2009
Q: I live in Chicago in a small high-rise (23 floors) on the 16th floor. Recently, I have noticed some ... A: Krista: I am quite certain you are describing some kind of beetle, but without seeing actual ...
Life-Span	10/18/2009
Q: Greetings Could you tell me the life span of each invertebrate. 1. Giant Desert Centipede ... A: Thomas: The arthropods you list are all commonly available in the pet trade. I do not deal with ...
Beetles?	10/18/2009
Q: Lately, I've been noticing this small flying beetles on the windows of my house; i cant even open my ... A: Stefanie: Nice to hear from a fellow Oregonian (I grew up in Portland).... I think you must be ...
small round black bug	10/18/2009
Q: I live in Los Angeles. I see a lot of small round bugs crawling all over my apartment. They are ... A: Bonnie: Thanks for including the image with your question. I'm relatively certain this is some ...
Please id this bug!!	10/17/2009
Q: Have noticed this critter alot lately. Please help us identify. Seen in car and home. Los ... A: Eunice: Well, rest assured that this is definitely NOT a bed bug. Thanks to your image I can ...
Wasp Nest?	10/17/2009
Q: I was cutting dead flower heads off a Cleveland Sage in my Walnut Creek, California garden when I ... A: Tom: That is actually a cluster of eggs that have already hatched. Most likely they were the eggs ...
tiny fuzzy worm/larva/?	10/16/2009
Q: I live in the capital district of New York. Time of year, all year round. Time of day, 24 hours. ... A: Sarah: I cannot help further until I see at least an image of the thing. I'd recommend that you ...
What kind of spider is this?	10/16/2009
Q: My brother found this guy being blown down the road in the wind & we are wondering what kind of ... A: Tiffany: How delightful to get a question from someone who is not totally freaked out by a ...
tiny fuzzy worm/larva/?	10/16/2009
Q: I live in the capital district of New York. Time of year, all year round. Time of day, 24 hours. ... A: Sarah: Ninety-nine percent of the time, descriptions like this turn out to be the larvae of "carpet ...
Beetle Identification...	10/15/2009
Q: Here is a beetle also found in the orchard. Again, sorry for the quality of the photo. Thanks for ... A: James: The image is not that of a beetle, but the nymph (immature, juvenile) of a stink bug in the ...
Flying Insect...	10/15/2009
Q: Found this guy on an apple in the orchard. Any ideas what it is? Sorry for the quality of the ... A: James: No apologies necessary for the quality of the image. It is quite good, actually, just on ...
mites	10/14/2009
Q: My husband and I live in a rural area of S. Louisiana. We have lots of trees in our yard. We have ... A: Pegi: I'm afraid that mites are outside my area of expertise. You need to find an "acarologist" ...
science project	10/14/2009
Q: and I'm doing a science fair project on: What is the affect of crickets on the spoiling time of ... A: Cooper: Crickets are a poor subject for this study. Cockroaches would be more relevant. That ...
brown cricket like bug	10/14/2009
Q: We have had a very wet year in Northwest Connecticut and I have noticed for the last month, mostly ... A: Kristin: I am quite certain you are describing the "western conifer seed bug," Leptoglossus ...
wasp identification	10/13/2009
Q: I found a wasp today on my garden basil plant here on my ranch in the Mohave desert near Utah border ... A: Garren: Without a specimen, or at least an image, I'd be hard-pressed to identify your wasp for ...
Hives caused by an unidentified bire	10/8/2009
Q: I live in the very southwest corner of Missouri right where MO, AR and OK meet. About three weeks ... A: Cheryl: I'm sorry, but without a description of an insect or arachnid, I cannot possibly tell you ...
Please help me with this bee.	10/8/2009
Q: I have a question about a bee/wasp I can not identify, nor have I seen one before. I have not ever ... A: Karen: Thank you for your question and for including the images with it. The insect in the photos ...
Large Mystery Beetle	10/7/2009
Q: Neighbor took a couple of pictures of a large beetle flying around their house. Described as approx ... A: Scott: Thanks for including the image with your question. It is not a beetle but a "giant water ...
Unknown insect, 2nd sighting in one year	10/7/2009
Q: First, thank you for taking the time to read this email and help me. This is the second time I have ... A: Jeff: You made my day, thank you! Ironically, I lived in Cincinnati for eleven years, from ...
Unknown insect, 2nd sighting in one year	10/7/2009
Q: First, thank you for taking the time to read this email and help me. This is the second time I have ... A: Jeff: Thank you for being appreciative of the service I give here as a volunteer. Thanks also for ...
This big blue beetle	10/6/2009
Q: What is it i found it in New hampshire roaming in some wet leaves and ive never seen anything like ... A: Max: The image did not upload, but I think you are probably referring to one of the "oil beetles" ...
bees? maybe wasps	10/6/2009
Q: we have a hive of something that's moved into our wall. they're definitely some kind of bee. I ... A: Row: Ok, so they were emerging 'inside' the home? All bets are off then. There are so many ...
The wierdest looking bug I have ever seen	10/5/2009
Q: Out of curiosity I want to identify a crazy looking bug. It was in Casper, WY around noon. It had ... A: Doc: No question you are describing a "Jerusalem cricket" in the genus Stenopelmatus: ...
Yikes...Unknown Spider	10/5/2009
Q: I held my thumb to it and it was about the same size with its legs as they are in the picture along ... A: Meghan: Thank you so much for including the truly wonderful image with your question. As luck ...
bees? maybe wasps	10/5/2009
Q: we have a hive of something that's moved into our wall. they're definitely some kind of bee. I ... A: Row: It would really help if I knew exactly where you live, but I'll give the suspect list.... My ...
Green egg sac	10/1/2009
Q: There was two of these on my sons tire swing. I can't find any type of insect on the swing. I opened ... A: Andrew: I'm sorry, your question got lost in the shuffle! If there was silk and eggs inside, then ...
Sexton Beetle	10/1/2009
Q: Do you have a friend in England who is an expert about Sexton Beetles I am working for the BBC and ... A: Mark: A cursory "Google" search doesn't turn up anyone who has worked on British burying beetles ...
beetles	10/1/2009
Q: Please find attached the photo. This insect is found in my home part of the flooring is made of ... A: Sarestar: I finally noticed that you are writing from India. My expertise on Indian insect fauna ...
Larvae	9/30/2009
Q: In moving a cart in my kitchen this a.m. I retrieved some cat toys and found about 10 of these ... A: Randy: Your description fits the adult (or even larval) stage of many kinds of "stored product ...
beetles	9/30/2009
Q: Please find attached the photo. This insect is found in my home part of the flooring is made of ... A: There are many, many species of silken fungus beetles, and I'm pretty sure not all of them have been ...
Tiny White Bug ID	9/30/2009
Q: We live in Northern NJ. While cleaning the wood stove for use this season, I noticed some small ... A: Jessica: I think you are probably describing "springtails" in the order Collembola. Contrary to ...
looking to identify slug-like object of acorn	9/29/2009
Q: On a walk this morning, September 29, 2009 around 9:15am in Mansfield, MA my 4 year old found an ... A: Alycia: Thank you for including the image with your question, as I had no idea what it could ...
tiny red eyed/spotted bug	9/29/2009
Q: yesterday (9/27) i noticed a tiny bug fly into my apartment as i walked in the door. i noticed it ... A: Roberta: You are still describing what most folks call "fruit flies." More properly they are known ...
Unknown Spider	9/28/2009
Q: I've never seen a spider like this before. Sadly, I lack an image currently, but I can get you one ... A: Kayla: Well, without at least an image, I'm hard-pressed to tell you exactly what species (even ...
Mystery visitor	9/28/2009
Q: I live in a small town between Austin and San Antonio. I walked into my bathroom Friday September ... A: Deanna: It probably was a tarantula. Tarantulas are often bi-colored, the cephalothorax being a ...
Random worms	9/28/2009
Q: I've been finding weird worms that I've noticed after folding/washing sitting laundry or in the ... A: Andy: Hard to tell what you are describing, but my two guesses would be: Larvae of carpet beetles, ...
small white insect	9/24/2009
Q: i was riding my bike across a highway when i felt a very sharp sting on my hand. I looked down and ... A: James: Well, I am truly perplexed as well. The only other thing I can think of is that some ...
Wasps	9/24/2009
Q: Can you please confirm if wasps respond to sounds of varying levels and if so how do they react? A: Gary: My understanding is that wasps do not possess hearing organs or any kind (in contrast to ...
small six legged crawling bug	9/24/2009
Q: I found several tiny(size of a poppy seed) crawling in my bed. They are dark brown and have six ... A: Kathy Mathsen: Everything in your description points to bed bugs (Cimex lectularius). Traveling ...
Large buzzing flying insects over pond at dusk...	9/23/2009
Q: We live in the Finger Lakes of Western New York. In the evenings in August we hear what sounds like ... A: Marie: Carpenter bees look almost exactly like bumble bees: ...
small white insect	9/23/2009
Q: i was riding my bike across a highway when i felt a very sharp sting on my hand. I looked down and ... A: James: Well, I can't figure it out either, given such a flimsy description, not knowing what ...
Spider identification	9/23/2009
Q: Spider in Jacksonville FL, 9-22-09 at 18:07. The web is in those daisy flower looking weeds with the ... A: What a beautiful spider! It is an adult female "golden garden spider," Argiope aurantia, also known ...
Flying bug in Tacoma, WA	9/22/2009
Q: Some type of bug (about 1/2" body) are crawling & flying around the area. The body is dark & almost ... A: Sandy: Boy, there are so many possibilities given your description. Many beetles, flies, even ...
Bug ID	9/22/2009
Q: Yesterday I was changing my 7 month old daughters diaper and found a bug on her skin. Today, I ... A: Shannon: I think you may be describing an adult carpet beetle in the family Dermestidae, of which ...
clicking sound	9/21/2009
Q: I have never seen what makes the clicking sound. When i was watering with my sprinkler,the sound was ... A: Edward: Well, if it is moving then it is not a "click beetle" in the family Elateridae. I actually ...
Bug Identification	9/21/2009
Q: I was staying at my parents' house in Central Texas (Sep 2009), while laying in bed I heard a flying ... A: Matt: I can't tell from your description what it was. My best guesses would be: Praying mantis ...
Mysterious nest	9/18/2009
Q: There was a furry little spot on our door (indoors). It suddenly appeared so I left it there, ... A: April: Sounds like some kind of egg mass laid by a moth, and that caterpillars are now hatching ...
insect identification for my classroom	9/17/2009
Q: One of my students brought a bag of dirt to class today for a science activity. Partway through the ... A: Angela: You are correct that ants lay eggs. I have no idea what the critter is without seeing at ...
Weird insect, I think!!	9/17/2009
Q: I live in Myersville, MD and I went to the local Exxon/TigerMart store. I parked in the back lot ... A: Corinthia: I'm likewise baffled, but would have to assume that it really 'was' a grasshopper that ...
Mystery bug	9/16/2009
Q: Recently I have been seeing these tiny insects at work around our coffee and garbage areas. They are ... A: Laranda:-) You give a perfect description of what most folks call "fruit flies." They are more ...
huge red bug	9/16/2009
Q: The other day I was driving on hwy 198 through Coalinga towards Fresno in California and it was ... A: Erryn: Probably was some kind of wasp. Not sure of the habitat there, but it could have been a ...
wasp identification	9/15/2009
Q: A family member has a long black bodies wasp with a brown stripe coming from small holes along their ... A: Rebecca: A family member has a long black body? How interesting. What does that have to do with ...
Mystery Bug	9/15/2009
Q: I had previously asked this question to Ed, but I didn't have a clear enough picture - so it was not ... A: Adrienne: Thank you for including the image with your question, though your description was enough ...
big black flying bug	9/15/2009
Q: I WAS OUT IN THE BACK YARD THE OTHER DAY WHEN THIS FLYING INSECT ? LANDED ON A TREE NEXT TO ME. IT ... A: Ron: I know exactly what you are talking about. You observed a female "horntail" wasp, family ...
Stinging or biting clear bees?	9/14/2009
Q: We thought at first these were bees. They have a nest underground and they are very agressive when ... A: Varla: You do not tell me where you live, but I am going to assume you are in the northern ...
ID needed	9/14/2009
Q: I should perhaps say straight away that I live in Crete in Greece where this bug was found. I ... A: Andrew: I suppose it could indeed have been a cicada of some sort. I'm sure there are several ...
Beetle Identification...	9/14/2009
Q: Attached is a photo (sorry for the poor quality from my cell phone) taken on Friday Sept. 11, 2009 ... A: James: Thank you for including the image with your question. It is a clear enough image for me to ...
Wasp	9/10/2009
Q: Eric, there is a wasp outside our window. It has been there for several days doing very little. It ... A: Michael: I can't help any more. I recommend that you post the image of the wasp to: ...
Wasp	9/10/2009
Q: Eric, there is a wasp outside our window. It has been there for several days doing very little. It ... A: Michael: Has it been cold? Cool weather will cause some insects to go into torpor (reduced ...
new to me	9/10/2009
Q: I live in akron OH and have been in my house for forty years. I am seeing a new insect in the yard; ... A: Jerry: Hard to say from a description alone, but my best guess is the red-headed bush cricket, ...
unknown beetle (?).	9/9/2009
Q: Good morning! I've attached an image of a bug I found in my Shakopee Minnesota yard. It was spotted ... A: Bobbie: Thanks for including the image with your question. Actually, it is a "former bug." LOL! ...
Bug with 26 legs	9/9/2009
Q: My co-worker found this bug crawling around inside the hotel we work in. I work at Ramada Limited in ... A: Nicole: Try uploading your picture to: http://www.bugguide.net in the "ID Request" section. You ...
Worm/Six legged larva? at bus stop	9/8/2009
Q: A couple days ago the kids at the bus stop pointed out an odd looking worm or larva to me. There ... A: Angela: Sounds like some kind of insect larva, either a fly or a beetle most likely, but it is ...
What bug could this be?	9/8/2009
Q: I found a really strange bug in my home, I think it is a beetle, but it looks like a cross between a ... A: Krystal: Certainly sounds like some kind of beetle, but I'd have to see at least an image of the ...
Mutated bug?	9/8/2009
Q: Colorado. 3:45 in the morning.The bug is transparent white with black abdomen and has ten legs. Six ... A: Evan: Thank you for including the image with your question. The creature is s "camel spider," aka ...
Help with spider identification	9/7/2009
Q: I have been observing a spider for several nights in the corner of my window on the outside. I live ... A: Nicole: You are describing "orb weavers" in the family Araneidae, of which there are many species. ...
bugs	9/7/2009
Q: I found an ants like bug that's about an inch long, black, has six legs and curls it's butt up like ... A: Cecelia: Dang it, I answered your question once, but the system logged me out after I answered! ...
"fruit-fly like" bugs coming through windows	9/6/2009
Q: Yesterday, I looked at my windows at the front of my house and noticed large amounts of "Fruit-fly ... A: Maicie: Really, really difficult to diagnose this one, but I do know that several species of ...
Bees Eating Grasshopper	9/6/2009
Q: My child and I just moved to Minnesota and the other day we saw several bees eating a large ... A: Kelly: You are describing "yellowjackets" which are social wasps. Many species are scavengers on ...
A type of hair bug	9/6/2009
Q: Can anyone help with this? I met with a friend today who expressed that she has some sort of tiny ... A: Elizabeth: First, you get the good samaritan award for wanting to help your friend. How nice of ...
Tiny brown flying bugs in hawaiian home	9/5/2009
Q: We have been living in the same townhouse in Hawaii for 3 years and have only recently started ... A: Kristy: I am no expert on Hawaiian bugs, but what you describe are probably international "stored ...
big green worm	9/5/2009
Q: My son was out riding and found this worm and nobody in the community knows what it is, can you ... A: Teresa: You don't tell me exactly WHERE in the U.S. you live, which would be very helpful, as many ...
strange small lawn bug	9/5/2009
Q: I live in Green Bay, WI and once a year there will be an invasion of bugs sprouting from the lawn. ... A: Mandi: You are describing swarms of ants, probably in the genus Lasius. Each year, at around this ...
brown bugs	9/4/2009
Q: I live in Indiana. I have observed these bugs at all times of day mostly in rooms with windows that ... A: Ashley: It could still be springtails; or mites of some kind. Without seeing actual specimens, I ...
Very small bug	9/4/2009
Q: I feel silly for even asking, but I've never seen this before. I recently moved to south Florida, ... A: Nicole: Yes, well "pinprick-sized bug" doesn't help ME much, either. LOL! It was probably a tiny ...
weird bugs on crab tree with pincers	9/4/2009
Q: We recently moved to Minneapolis, MN and we've been seeing a lot of these beetle type bugs on our ... A: Neil: You are describing the nymphs of cicadas. The one you saw climbing the tree was about to ...
Giant ant looking thingy...	9/3/2009
Q: My son has just started taking an interest in bugs of all sorts. The other day he was was over and ... A: Mike: Thanks for including the image with your question. I know exactly what it is... The insect ...
spider wasp?	9/3/2009
Q: On Sunday Aug.30th at approx.10:30am,it was sunny and about 86degrees.I noticed something moving on ... A: Jim: I believe you, really! Not at all sure just what you saw, but the nearest thing I can think ...
Bug cocoon?	9/3/2009
Q: I live in Florida, in the Tampa area & I have found on the screens of windows 3 of these: Its a ... A: Kristin: Really hard to tell without at least an image to view.... Suspects include: Bagworms - a ...
caterpillar i.d. please	9/2/2009
Q: What's this guy? Maryland - found in the woods. A: Shannon: This is the nearly mature caterpillar of either a polyphemus moth or a luna moth. The two ...
Worm / Millipede	9/2/2009
Q: I live in Singapore and I found yesterday morning this worm / millipede in my bathroom. Couldn't ... A: Jens: Thank you for including the image with your question. The animal is a "soil centipede," ...
AZ spider? beetle?	9/2/2009
Q: I removed a dead plant from our yard in Phoenix, AZ this evening. Out of the hole came this spider? ... A: Jodie: Thank you for including the nice image with your question. The animal is an amblypygid ...
Wasp/bee in Southwestern MO	9/1/2009
Q: I was walking through the backyard today when I noticed a large concentration of these insects ... A: Justin: You are describing male scoliid wasps, Scolia dubia, in the family Scoliidae. They do not ...
strange bug!	8/31/2009
Q: I have these very strange insects/bugs on my stucco walls of my patio. they are flat, grey and it ... A: Jan: Ok, first, you don't tell me where you live, which is often a huge clue as to what you are ...
Bee?	8/31/2009
Q: These are regularly seen on the large sunflowers in my yard. They are every bit the size of my ... A: Tom: Interesting. Yes, it is a bee (thank you for including the image with your question). It ...
Tiny Yellowish Eggs	8/31/2009
Q: I live in western PA and I noticed a circular shape (about the size of a quarter in diameter) of ... A: Carol: This is way beyond my expertise, and that of most other entomologists I know. It is one ...
Flying insect pairs	8/30/2009
Q: I have just moved down to New Orleans and I am struggling to get used to the proliferation and ... A: I'd love to experience the insects down there, just not the hurricanes..... You are probably ...
identify spider	8/30/2009
Q: Yesterday my husband and I found a spider making his web across our front door, in the mountains of ... A: Darlene: It sounds like another orb weaver of some kind (family Araneidae), but I'd have to see the ...
Can you ID this bee?	8/30/2009
Q: I live in southwestern Canada, and I was at a relatives when i noticed a large hive hanging from a ... A: Travis: They were not bees. What you are describing is a nest of a social wasp called the ...
argiope egg sack	8/29/2009
Q: I have a beautiful Argiope that has been living at the back corner of my house. I was unconcerned ... A: Kelly: I assure you that you can leave the egg sac right where it is. The first thing spiderlings ...
scorpion type bug	8/29/2009
Q: I just want to know what this is. I have lived in MA my whole life, most of my 40 years in this town ... A: Dave: Oh, wow, you have indeed seen a pretty peculiar, rather uncommon insect. It is a female ...
Mystery spider	8/29/2009
Q: Good Evening Eric, I live Fountain, CO....south of colorado springs. Lately with the rains and all ... A: Nena: Aw-w-w-w, you're sweet to be so kind to spiders, and stick up for them when other people ...
Big bug in Southern NV desert	8/28/2009
Q: This morning I encountered a very large bug in my living room. It had a large (maybe 1"+) black ... A: Logan: Gee, not sure what to make of the description....My best guess would probably have to be a ...
Red/Orange Spiders in West Virginia	8/28/2009
Q: Eric, I live in Parkersburg, WV and we have had quite a few problems with Black Widows in our home ... A: Nicki: Your description does not fit any known dangerous spider in the U.S. Male spiders of almost ...
Strange Beetle found in my house	8/28/2009
Q: I was here in my living room tonight and went to get inside my purse when I noticed a strange ... A: Natalia: Yes, what you had was indeed a burying beetle, genus Nicrophorus in the family of carrion ...
Big Beetle	8/27/2009
Q: I found a beetle in the bottom of a bowl (stored in a cupboard) I rarely use. It was dead and had ... A: Kim: I suppose it could have been some kind of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, maybe ...
Annoying bug	8/27/2009
Q: I have a mysterious annoying bug. This bug is somewhere in my house and my boyfriend and I have ... A: Angie: I grew up in Portland, went to college in Corvallis (Go Beavers!), so I'm familiar with most ...
Mystery Cocoon	8/26/2009
Q: While I was painting my house I found a cocoon stuck up under an eave on the outside of the house. ... A: Rachel: Might be the cocoon of another silkmoth, like maybe a Cecropia: ...
mystery loud-whistle insect	8/26/2009
Q: What is the insect that kept me awake for three hours last weekend? I thought it was a chorus of ... A: Donna: Small world. I grew up in Portland, but have visited the area around Mosier. Very scenic ...
spider	8/26/2009
Q: I found this spider on the baseboard in our lower level of our home. I was afraid it was a brown ... A: Galen: Thank you for including the nice image with your question. I believe that this is an adult ...
larvae identification	8/25/2009
Q: Found eating a leaf in Hershey Pennsylvania...a red larvae about 3/4 inch long with protrusions on ... A: Estelle: Wow, you give a very vivid description! Is this anything like it: ...
strange slithery bug	8/25/2009
Q: I live in Milwaukee, WI in an old, id say 100 years, apartment building that is mainly wood all ... A: Erin: I think you might be describing a "silverfish" or "firebrat," primitive insects that look ...
Good or bad cocoon?	8/25/2009
Q: In NE Ohio,found them while digging for flowers...dark red chrysalis form down about 1-2 inches in ... A: Pat: At this time of year, any pupa or coccoon is going to be overwintering (except for buck moths, ...
spider? wasp?	8/24/2009
Q: Found in rural Central Illinois Crawling on back of lawn chair on patio. Approximately 1 inch or a ... A: Nancy: Thank you for including the lovely image with your question. You are correct that this is a ...
Want to know the name of the (insect?).	8/24/2009
Q: I remember when i was a kid, I saw a big spider like animal dead on a beach in New-Jersey, it had a ... A: Simon: Ah, yes, you are thinking of, and describing, a "horseshoe crab," which is not a crab, ...
Unknown Insect	8/24/2009
Q: This little guy was attached to the underside of an azelea leaf. I reside in Silver Spring, ... A: John: I do know what this is, and I'm impressed that you did not crush the thing but had the ...
swarm of tiny bugs - looks like paint or oil	8/23/2009
Q: We found a huge swarm of tiny bugs on our wet driveway this afternoon. At first, we thought it was a ... A: Alison: No worries, you are describing harmless creatures called "springtails," in the order ...
solitary wasps (huge ones)	8/23/2009
Q: I am allergic. I need to know the behaviour of this huge armored like solitary wasp (exterminator ... A: Without seeing the actual specimen, or at least an image of it, I have no idea if the identification ...
Large buzzing flying insects over pond at dusk...	8/23/2009
Q: We live in the Finger Lakes of Western New York. In the evenings in August we hear what sounds like ... A: Marie: The short answer is "no." Without a much better description, I can't begin to even guess, ...
Good or bad cocoon?	8/22/2009
Q: In NE Ohio,found them while digging for flowers...dark red chrysalis form down about 1-2 inches in ... A: Pat: You are not describing a coccoon, but a "pupa." A cocoon would be a silken capsule containing ...
bug id	8/22/2009
Q: i just spotted several large 1/2-3/4" shiny black w/bluish tinge bugs eating [rather quickly i might ... A: You don't tell me where you live, and give me a rather vague description, but I think you are ...
Identification w/picture	8/22/2009
Q: I found this flying around my kitchen window in LACOMBE ALBERTA, Canada Aug 19. It looks like a mix ... A: Janice: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. The insect is a female giant ...
Caterpillar identification	8/21/2009
Q: I live in Savannah, GA. I found a large amount of these caterpillars eating one of my azaleas. It ... A: Lynnae: It is the larva of the "azalea caterpillar moth" : http://bugguide.net/node/view/26425 I ...
Large red ant-like bug in Indiana	8/21/2009
Q: I live on the south side of Indianapolis in central Indiana. I was on my front porch tonight around ... A: Rich: This is one of those few insects that is so spectacular and unique that a written description ...
tiny flying bee like insects	8/21/2009
Q: I have swarms of these tiny insects by the hundreds swarming around my pecan trees and my trumpet ... A: It would help to know exactly WHERE (geographically) you are, but your description also fits ...
*What the ?%!?!**	8/20/2009
Q: We live in Simi Valley, Ca. I recently got a package from Florida. My husband encountered a large ... A: Erin: Wow, that is some description! "Dual level mandibles" sounds intimidating all by ...
Large Mystery Bug Identification Question	8/20/2009
Q: Very early this morning, a large bug was flying repeatedly into my deck door. I live in Northwest ... A: Katie: I'm sorry, I just get a kick out of "screaming sound." I know exactly what you mean, ...
what do you think this beetle bug is?	8/20/2009
Q: they are gray, hard shell,smaller than a ladybug,they do fly even though they are generally walking ... A: Lisbeth: I'm 99% certain you are describing "carpet beetles" in the family Dermestidae. The adult ...
Click beetles and wireworms	8/19/2009
Q: My mom lives in Oregon, and is having alot of problems in her potato crop with wireworms. Is there ... A: RaNae: This question is beyond my expertise. She needs to contact her county extension agent ...
biting bugs in pool	8/19/2009
Q: These bugs are black and look rather ant like in appearance They float on the surface and bite when ... A: Cathy: I'm sorry, I would need at least an image of the creature in question (preferably an actual ...
Very tiny brown bugs inthe carpet.	8/19/2009
Q: I am really concerned abot very very very tiny bugs i found in my room on the carpet. It seems ... A: Stan: I strongly suspect you are describing springtails in the order Collembola. Contrary to the ...
mystery bug in my pool	8/18/2009
Q: I live in central Florida and I just recently started getting a very large amount (100+) of ... A: Heather: Thank you for including the image with your question. I can guarantee that these beetles ...
unidentified bug	8/18/2009
Q: I keep finding these little bugs dead on my window sill in the bathroom. They are also flying ... A: Lea: Thank you for including the image with your question. Looks like you have a "moth fly" in ...
giant hornet	8/17/2009
Q: I can not identify a huge hornet near my house this weekend. It was approx. 3 inches long, dull ... A: Scott: If you have already ruled out cicada killers, Sphecius speciosus and the European hornet, ...
Large beetle	8/17/2009
Q: I was recently walking in the woods in Mass. & saw this huge beetle walking along the ground, for ... A: Joy: I think you are probably describing a female "broad-necked root borer," Prionus laticollis, ...
what is it?	8/17/2009
Q: About an inch and a half long, 6 legs. Red fuzzy butt like an ant and a black fuzzy body. A: Michelle: You give me precious little information to go on here. You don't even state where on the ...
Mystery bug	8/14/2009
Q: Saw a neat bug today, but can't figure out what it might be. It's about 1cm in length, either dark ... A: I think you might be describing a polypore fungus beetle in the genus Penthe, maybe this one: ...
mystery wasp	8/14/2009
Q: During a river trip yesterday, we saw a remarkable looking wasp. I have been unable to identify it ... A: Wes: I think it was probably some kind of large paper wasp you saw, genus Polistes. Maybe this ...
An unusual bug	8/13/2009
Q: We live in West Central Illinois about a mile from the Mississippi River. We found a flying insect ... A: Kim: First, you deserve a pat on the back for not killing the thing, and actually rescuing and ...
Killer Bees	8/13/2009
Q: A bee looks like a ordinary honey bee but its end or stinger section was a reddish black and it ... A: Charles: What you describe is NOT a bee. "Killer" bees look exactly like other honeybees, Apis ...
INSECT IDENTIFICATION	8/13/2009
Q: 8/12/09 APPROXIMATELY 10:30 AM JACKSON PARK GOLF COURSE, SEATTLE, WA. TEMP. APPROXIMATELY 65 ... A: Robert: I think you are probably describing either a horntail woodwasp like Urocerus californicus ...
Beetle	8/12/2009
Q: My 3 year old son is really into finding bugs and identifying them. We live in central Iowa and ... A: Rachel: I take my hat off to parents like you who encourage their children's interest in the ...
Please Identify	8/11/2009
Q: Woke up this morning and found this little guy in the middle of my kitchen floor. Not sure what it ... A: Austin: Thanks for including the image with your question. It is a caterpillar, maybe one of the ...
Need help identifying flying insect	8/11/2009
Q: I was out shooting insects around my office and I came across this fast flyer. At first I thought ... A: Bill: I'm impressed with your marksmanship if you are firing at such small, moving targets. Most ...
Dead Flies Outdoors	8/10/2009
Q: I hope you can help me figure out what is happening to the flies in my yard. I've been noticing ... A: Angela: Most people are not so observant, or give any thought to what you are describing, so ...
Please Identify	8/9/2009
Q: I just cut a branch from my Gumbo Limbo tree in order to propagate another one and I was shocked to ... A: Lynette: Thank you for including the image with your question. The insect is a caterpillar, ...
wasp dragging spider	8/9/2009
Q: My sons and I watched a aqua and black wasp pulling a dead spider twice it's size. It dragged it ... A: Lynn: Thank you so much for sharing your experience and observations. You are describing some kind ...
clicking sound at night	8/9/2009
Q: Can you tell me if there is an insect that makes a loud clicking sound at night? It sounds just like ... A: Kathy: I think you are probably describing some kind of katydid, family Tettigoniidae. There are ...
straw next around windows	8/8/2009
Q: Could you describe the insects that hatch from the "wasp" that nests in window tracks? I think I ... A: Jo Ann: You are describing the nests of "grass-carrier" wasps in the genus Isodontia. They are ...
What kind of bug is this?	8/8/2009
Q: I live on the western side of FL and I have seen these bugs in my house. They are about the size of ... A: Katey: Well, it 'could' be ticks, but ticks don't generally just fall off a host animal. If you ...
mud dauber	8/8/2009
Q: I have found a few mud daubers in my home lately. Does this mean I have a black widow population? If ... A: Abbi: Ok, LOTS of questions here... First, spider bites are exceedingly rare events, so I am ...
Fly ID in Seattle wanted	8/7/2009
Q: In the past few days we have had these big flies on the side wall of our house. They have red heads. ... A: Isaac: Sounds like you are describing "flesh flies" in the family Sarcophagidae. I don't know much ...
ant or spider ?	8/7/2009
Q: I live in Charlotte NC, but am a Cleveland Oh native. There are so many bugs here I've never seen, ... A: Joan: What you describe is neither an ant nor a spider, but a wingless female wasp known as a ...
Flying Black Bug	8/6/2009
Q: I read a question from Annalise to you about a flying black bug that sounded similar to the ones ... A: Jim: Thank you for including the image with your question, as it leaves no doubt what wasp it is. ...
mystery bug id if possible, please and thank you	8/6/2009
Q: I live in Evansville, IN, the southwestern corner of IN, at the same address for the past 9 years. ... A: Julie: My guess is that it 'still' was a cicada of some kind. There are several species in your ...
Small Bugs.p;ease help	8/5/2009
Q: Please help our family. For more then 1 week we have at our apartment located( brooklyn NY) on the 5 ... A: Marianna: Thanks for including the image with your question. Given the size I know this insect to ...
Large bug	8/5/2009
Q: I took a photo of a very large bug about 2 inches long, 4 legs, gold/orange color wings, with a very ... A: Please trust me, I love my Canadian audience dearly, but the image you attached is EXACTLY what a ...
Large flying red bug	8/5/2009
Q: I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, and I've noticed a good number of strange red bugs flying ... A: William: What time of day was this? If it was in the daytime, especially around dusk or dawn, it ...
what are they?	8/4/2009
Q: what is a group gathering of a very tiny black insects with wings. they seems to gather around a ... A: Clifton: Without seeing a specimen, or at least an image, I may be hard-pressed to help you. The ...
Black Bug with Hard Shell	8/4/2009
Q: I recently moved to a new house and I have noticed all these small black bugs with a hard shell. I ... A: Michelle: I suspect they are a species of "spider beetle" in the genus Gibbium. Please consult one ...
Unknown Black Bug in Bath Tub	8/3/2009
Q: I keep on finding these black bugs in my bath tub (Northern California)_, but only at night. At ... A: Courtney: Many kinds of insects stray indoors as they wander about looking for food, mates, or ...
Large Insect ID	8/3/2009
Q: I came across this insect (see attached) crawling on the outside of my screen door during the late ... A: Rob: Yes, I can tell you what it is, and whether it is harmful. Thanks. Bye...I'm kidding:-) ...
white bug with rake like front legs	8/3/2009
Q: I live near Phoenix and we were up North on the Rim in the pine forests of Coconino national forest ... A: Bob: I'm pretty certain you are describing the nymph of a cicada. They live underground for ...
Wasp?	8/2/2009
Q: About 1 moth ago, I witnessed a wasp(?) building her nest. I am located in Palm Coast, Fl. It was ... A: Heidi: What you describe is indeed some kind of potter wasp. Besides the native species in the ...
Red spider with black stripe	8/2/2009
Q: Eric, My grandchildren showed me a bright red spider with a black stripe on its back this ... A: Janet: I don't like to "do" questions for people who kill first and ask questions later, but I ...
larve cluster	8/2/2009
Q: We found a spot on our ceiling(Vancouver Island,B.C.)I thought it was mould at first and was growing ... A: Marylou: Offhand, it sounds like a cluster of moth eggs that hatched into caterpillars. The ...
Is it a roach?	8/1/2009
Q: I have been finding these inch long black roach/beetles in my basement and on my wall in the ... A: Mallory: There is very little for me to go on here. You don't even state 'where' in Canada you ...
Bug ID	8/1/2009
Q: I found this bug in Spokane, WA around 6pm. It crawls very awkwardly , it has fuzzy horns and ... A: Gabrielle: Thank you for including the image with your question. This is one of the few insects ...
beetles	8/1/2009
Q: How do they get in the homes,will they harm ppl in n-e kind of way.An last what do i use 2 get rid ... A: Yolanda: Without knowing what kind of beetles you are referring to (there are literally tens of ...
Red Bug in Indianapolis	7/31/2009
Q: I saw a bug the other day at my house that was nothing like i have ever seen in the Indiana Region. ... A: Aaron: You might be describing either the eastern velvet ant (aka "cow-killer"), Dasymutilla ...
large flying insect	7/31/2009
Q: I live in N.E. Ma. I came home at about PM as I walked up my stairs of my deck i spotted this insect ... A: Tony: Congratulations. You killed a harmless female dobsonfly, Corydalus cornutus. You think the ...
Great Black Wasps	7/31/2009
Q: We have several great black wasps in our backyard hanging around our deck and pool area. We are not ... A: Ingrid: You don't 'need' to "get rid of" the wasps. They are solitary, meaning each female makes ...
Bug Identification	7/30/2009
Q: Eric, I work in plots made to produce native Iowa Prairie Plants and while I was working I ... A: Sara: Any friend of prairies is a friend of mine:-) Keep up the great work. Not sure what your ...
spiders	7/30/2009
Q: i was reading a book in my room, when i looked up and sow a spider on my roof in my bedroom it had ... A: Morghan: Without seeing the spider, or at least an image of it, I'm hard-pressed to make an ...
small bugs in mulch	7/30/2009
Q: I am a federally licensed falconer living in the midwest. I currently have a bird that I keep on a ... A: You are undoubtedly describing "springtails," order Collembola. Contrary to the common name, not ...
Mystery Bug	7/29/2009
Q: I have a bug that has invaded my house and clothes. It is white and/or tan and for the most part ... A: Wendy: Your initial description is of "springtails," order Collembola, jumping organisms that are ...
red-velvet ants(cow killer)	7/29/2009
Q: I have recently moved to vine-grove ky. I have been here about 1 year now. I noticed in August. of ... A: Evalyn: What you are seeing are solitary, wingless female wasps. That is what velvet ants are. ...
Beetle or Tick?	7/29/2009
Q: My dog has been treated with Advantix yet we found one engorged tick on him (dead) 2 days ago and I ... A: Bill: The image you attached is of a beetle, though I cannot tell what kind. Most likely it is ...
RE: sphinx moth in the family Sphingidae	7/28/2009
Q: Here is a picture of the same as you describe to the previous submission. I live in northern ... A: Julie: I'm not sure I understand. If I've already identified what you have a question about, what ...
brown and black beetle in clothes	7/28/2009
Q: our washing machine broke a few months ago and i only get to do laundry once a week. when i pick up ... A: Erica: You are probably describing "carpet beetles" in the family Dermestidae (genera Anthrenus, ...
black bug	7/28/2009
Q: what kind of bug is this, i live in the country so bugs are everywhere, but i have never seen this ... A: Jannetta: Without knowing exactly where on the planet you encountered this creature, and without at ...
A long black beetle on the wall	7/27/2009
Q: There was a lon g, say 1.5" black beetle looking bug with wings, did not fly, on my sons wall ... A: Abbi: I'm delighted to hear that you released the insect outdoors, instead of using the book in a ...
Bug in Illinois	7/27/2009
Q: Can you identify This bug A: Yes, I can identify it. Thank you for your question.... Eric http://bugeric.blogspot.com I'm ...
nest	7/27/2009
Q: There is an insect that is making a couple of nests between the window and the screen. We see him ... A: Joseph: You are describing "grass-carrier" wasps in the family Sphecidae, genus Isodontia. They ...
Insect ID Please	7/26/2009
Q: We live in Chugiak, Alaska (just north of Anchorage), and it's been a relatively warm and dry summer ... A: Bob: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. The insects are leafhoppers in the ...
What are these?	7/26/2009
Q: I have been trying to identify these online to no avail. Can you tell me what they are? The beetles ... A: Karen: Massachusetts is ok, but I really miss the Arizona bugs! The people here are great, but the ...
White bug	7/26/2009
Q: I was pulling weeds today in the backyard, and found this white bug underneath the weed I was ... A: Veronica: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. The insects are "ensign scale ...
Spider	7/25/2009
Q: I live in Springville, UT. As I left work yesterday, I found this spider crawling across the ... A: Jett: In Utah, it probably 'is' a controlled substance. LOL! You'd have to check with your state ...
tiny bug in my house	7/25/2009
Q: I live in Pinedale, Wyoming and recently have been fining a bunch of tiny gray to light black bugs ... A: Tim: Thank you for including the image with your question. The insects are clearly some kind of ...
large WI beetle	7/25/2009
Q: I observed this beetle flying around my porch light at about 9:30 PM on July 24, 2009, in West ... A: Mark: Thanks for including the nice image with your question. Yes, it is indeed a scarab beetle, ...
Beetle?	7/24/2009
Q: I was just wondering if you could help me identify a beetle that e found flying around in my car the ... A: Franny: You don't give me much help here, like even telling me where on the planet you saw this ...
banded alder borer	7/24/2009
Q: we found one in our backyard and we were wondering if this bug is worth anything? the internet says ... A: Nancy: Banded alder borers, Rosalia funebris, are not uncommon, though they don't seem to emerge in ...
bug id	7/24/2009
Q: I live in Ocala Fl. Could you Tell what this bug is? This bug that I saw was black with white ... A: Walter: You describe one of the few unmistakable American insects, a beetle called the "eyed ...
Mystery fly???	7/23/2009
Q: We live in Northern Michigan and have lived her about 3 years this is the first time that we have ... A: Claire: Thank you for including the image with your question. The image is of a "moth fly" in the ...
Spider	7/23/2009
Q: I live in Springville, UT. As I left work yesterday, I found this spider crawling across the ... A: Jett: It is a wolf spider, family Lycosidae. Beyond that I can't say. Looks to be a female.... ...
What is it?	7/23/2009
Q: Today I found a tiny creature clinging to my car window. It was quite elegant, it's overall shape ... A: Sue: I'm perplexed, too! I commend you for your powers of observation, though, and your ...
Mystery bug	7/22/2009
Q: I have seen a few bugs I have never seen before. They appear to be some kind of flying beetle. They ... A: Joel: At first I thought that you had seen them only in northern INDIA, and I was going to give up ...
what is this bug / beetle?	7/22/2009
Q: I live in Puyallup Washington, and just a couple of days ago this "beetle" was on our front porch, I ... A: The insect is a "ten-lined June beetle," Polyphylla decimlineata, a common nocturnal scarab beetle, ...
small clear with blackish center bugs	7/22/2009
Q: we have found these small bugs in my niece and mothers hair not sure about others living ... A: Janeen: If "small" translates to "tiny," or close to it, then you are almost certainly describing ...
Very different bug!	7/21/2009
Q: Just saw that you were laid off...very sorry! I saw a bug yesterday that "flew" into my car that I ... A: Lydia: Thank you for the kind sentiments regarding my employment. Actually, I am currently on a ...
id for mystery bug	7/20/2009
Q: This wasp? landed on the spine of your book for me to photograph. Great book by the way. Picture ... A: Mark: LOL! I think this is a first:-) Looks like a sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae, which is ...
Type of Bug	7/20/2009
Q: Do you know what type of bug this is? http://img43.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=006fkj.jpg I live in ... A: Jeff: Thanks for the link to the images. These are European earwigs, Forficula auricularia. They ...
clubfooted bug	7/20/2009
Q: In Newnan GA,in a wooded section of town near a pond roughly ten months ago I was in a doctors ... A: Angela: I am not sure what kind of insect you are describing. It might be a netwinged beetle like ...
night and day loud insects in Atlanta	7/19/2009
Q: I'm thinking that the loud insect during the July and August days in Atlanta is the cicada, which ... A: Robert: Cicadas (Tibicen sp.) will sing well into the evening hours, but if you are hearing a ...
Please id this Bug..	7/19/2009
Q: I found this bug walking throu my house. I live in California, Big Bear Lake, 92315, (7000-8000feet ... A: Matt: The insect in the box is a "Jerusalem cricket" in the genus Stenopelmatus. They are not ...
identified bug	7/19/2009
Q: I have seen this bug inside a closet and in the bathroom floors. It is black and very small, maybe ... A: May: I have no idea what you are describing...possibly a springtail, order Collembola, or a ...
unknown bug infestation	7/18/2009
Q: We live in NW Montana(Kalispell) and our son has a home which is surrounded by pine trees. He has a ... A: Virginia: Without seeing an actual specimen, or at least a clear image of one, I can't help, ...
Wasp	7/18/2009
Q: What type of wasp is this - assuming correctly it is a wasp? Taipei, Taiwan. A: Lars: The image is of a paper wasp in the genus Polistes. They are social and build uncovered ...
Request help identifying bug	7/17/2009
Q: I live Abbotsford BC, Canada. I have a few cherry trees, KIWI's, Strawberries, Raspberries, and ... A: Ed: I'm sorry, but without at least an image of one (and preferably a specimen), I can't even begin ...
yellow jackets	7/17/2009
Q: I live in the Seattle area and I am pretty sure I have a yellow jacket nest in an exterior wall of ... A: Larry: I would indeed wait until late autumn and just caulk the opening. There might still be a ...
unknown bug	7/17/2009
Q: We saw this "bug" in our yard today. It resembles a humming bird mixed with a lobster. It's ... A: James: Thank you for including the image with your question, but this is one of the few insects ...
6-legged tiny bugs	7/16/2009
Q: I have these tiny 6-legged bugs on my my door jam each morning. The picture is huge - but the bugs ... A: Judy: I didn't know they made preserves out of doors. Do you spread that on toast? Oh, you meant ...
small flea-like insect	7/16/2009
Q: I live in Southern Oregon now in an apartment building a few blocks from the Rogue River. I have ... A: Sara: I grew up in Portland, and have been to southern Oregon a few times. It is GORGEOUS down ...
very colorful mystery bug	7/16/2009
Q: I am asking around to see if someone can help identify an unusual insect I found on one of my ... A: Janice: Wow, that DOES sound colorful! Your description does not ring a bell right off, but please ...
Bee 's Nest	7/15/2009
Q: This morning while walking in Marin County I sighted a large bee's nest high up in a eucapytus tree. ... A: Mieko: I don't know how many "Marin Counties" there are, but I will assume you mean the one in ...
flying black bug	7/15/2009
Q: I am in St. John's Newfoundland Canada and I am writing to ask you about a very strange bug I've ... A: Terri: I'm sorry, I really don't have any ideas. Few insects are so unique that I can ID them ...
Red Spider Hunter Wasp?	7/15/2009
Q: More pics if you need them. Red eyes and red head and body. Not a Braconid, Parasitoid an ... A: Alan: Nice shot of a spider wasp, Tachypompilus ferrugineus, hauling off a paralyzed wolf spider. ...
Mystery Bug	7/14/2009
Q: At around 11:30 PM tonight (July 13, 2009), I was talking with my dad in our kitchen when I noticed ... A: Melissa: Not knowing the approximate size of the creature makes a precise identification difficult, ...
Sink Worm	7/14/2009
Q: I went on line this evening with the search "identifying samll worms found in sink" annd came across ... A: Mike: This continues to be something of a mystery, despite how commonly I am asked this question. ...
Gross bug in Southern Californai Mtns	7/14/2009
Q: We have seen this ALIEN bug in the past when our cats used to bring them in. They are fiercely ... A: V: You are really fortunate. I have always wanted to see one of these, but even having lived in ...
beetle identification	7/13/2009
Q: My brother saw a beetle on a walk sunday afternoon,on the pic it looks to be about 2.3cm long, black ... A: Max: I'm sorry, I specialize in North American insects, not ones from the UK, and your description ...
large orange bug i still havent identified it	7/13/2009
Q: i found a large bug in wilder,idaho under a stack of hay he was 3-4 inches long w/2part body front ... A: Kat: I think you are describing a freshly-molted "Jerusalem criket" in the genus Stenopelmatus. ...
beautiful large beetle	7/13/2009
Q: this morning under the piece of wood my husband uses for a wheel stop, there was a large mahogany ... A: Bonnie: Wow. First, I love having a woman describe a big insect like this as "beautiful." Makes ...
How do I get rid of these bugs?	7/12/2009
Q: I noticed a few articles where these "mothlike bugs" have been discussed ... A: Chris: Have you thought about throwing out the birdseed they are breeding in? Why you didn't do ...
GIANT! Hornet-	7/12/2009
Q: I live in Madison (just outside Hunstville), AL. Our 1/3 acre lot backs up to a small swampy wooded ... A: Crystal: I just happened to be online, not normally this fast to reply.... You give a perfect ...
Giant black flying wasp-like insect	7/12/2009
Q: My friend in Korea had this experience: 1.""The other teachers still inside were moving as far away ... A: Jean-Paul: The only thing I can possibly think of that might fit that description would be a ...
Odd looking bug!!	7/11/2009
Q: I just found this very odd looking bug crawling on my arm. I live in Southwest Missouri, and ... A: Bethany: It sounds very much like a weevil of some kind, of which there are hundreds of species, in ...
Mystery "bug"	7/11/2009
Q: This bug--very small less than 1/2 of an inch. Worm-like head sticking out of a "shell"? Almost ... A: Marc: LOL! No, you are definitely not nuts. What you found was the caterpillar of a moth known as ...
LArge black and white mottled resembels large roach verities	7/10/2009
Q: Coming down the stairs the other day I noticed an odd creature that I sadly did not have time to ... A: Rachel: I'm wondering if you are talking about the "eyed elater," Alaus oculatus, a very large ...
mystery bug	7/10/2009
Q: I live in kenosha wi, and i found this bug a couple weeks ago, it was flying around my pumkin plants ... A: Ryan: It is a moth known as the "squash vine borer," Melittia cucurbitae. It was indeed laying ...
Tarantula	7/10/2009
Q: Strange question...I work with a guy whose daughter wants a tarantula as a pet. They found one at a ... A: Lora: I don't encourage anyone to handle tarantulas of any kind, just because something could ...
bug	7/10/2009
Q: !! I has 6 legs near the front of its body and its body is kinda like a wood louse but has spikes ... A: Darren: I'm sorry, the United Kingdom is far outside the realm of my geographical expertise. You ...
Click Beetle Problem	7/10/2009
Q: I need some help with a click beetle problem. See for a while now we've been seeing click beetles ... A: Angie: Well, for starters, click beetles (family Elateridae to make sure we are both talking about ...
New bee in town? Chases honey bees in garden	7/10/2009
Q: I have browsed a couple hours now and cannot find this type of bee. I live in Salt Lake City ... A: Shirley: I want to compliment you on your observation skills and the details you include in your ...
Cocooning insects on our shrubs	7/9/2009
Q: I am from Jeffersonville, Indiana, (southern Indiana) which is right along the Ohio river, and need ... A: Brandey: I spent time in Cincinnati, so I think I 'might' know what you are talking about, but ...
bees and mud daubers	7/9/2009
Q: First I have been noticing some strange bee behavior, I am getting lone bees that are flying around ... A: Katie: Can't help you with the bee behavior question. I occasionally see this myself, but don't ...
ladybug and possible wasp	7/8/2009
Q: The reason I am sending you my question is I think it is similar to one you have already answered. ... A: Carol: You are correct. The cocoon is that of a braconid wasp (family Braconidae). I can't recall ...
baby bug in white foam	7/7/2009
Q: I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I noticed on a walk through a heavily treed area along the Red River, ... A: Donna: I'm surprised I am not asked this question with a lot more frequency. I can't even recall ...
mystery bite	7/7/2009
Q: hey my mom went to work and she was by a lilac then when she looked down to her arm she had a small ... A: Briana: This is really a medical question. Regardless of what bit her, she needs to monitor the ...
Big bee	7/6/2009
Q: I was riding one afternoon when I noticed a bee-looking bug flying around the horses. It kind of ... A: Kaitlyn: You don't say where on the planet you live, which would be helpful. I suspect you live ...
how to kill beetles	7/6/2009
Q: i have a big problem with those red beetle bugs but it looks like they have no pinchers or small ... A: Terri: Ok, then you are definitely talking about May beetles, genus Phyllophaga. I know that ...
Big Bug	7/6/2009
Q: For two straight nights (10ish) I have had a huge bug (4 inches long and an inch wide) on the side ... A: George: Thank you for including an image with your question, as it leaves no doubt what you are ...
Trying to identify beetle and if it's beneficial	7/5/2009
Q: The beetles are light-brown or red with darkish spots. They vary quite a bit in size. Some are twice ... A: Stephen: They are not beetles to begin with. The image is of nymphs (juveniles, immatures) of some ...
Tahoe July only mystery bug	7/4/2009
Q: My daughter was bit/stung by something in Tahoe that resulted in a half-dollar sized swelling within ... A: Lisa: I have no business making a diagnosis, but I would bet (no Tahoe pun intended) that it was a ...
bug identification	7/4/2009
Q: I live in northern Florida, and I have seen what looks like an very large ant. I would say 1/2"long. ... A: Krista: Then don't mess with it! No, seriously, you don't want to play with those.... You are ...
mystery bug	7/4/2009
Q: Found this already dead on a floor level storage shelf in the garage. Have seen a live one in the ... A: Annette: Thank you for attaching an image with your question. The picture is of a "sun spider," ...
how to kill beetles	7/3/2009
Q: i have a big problem with those red beetle bugs but it looks like they have no pinchers or small ... A: Teresa: I do not dispense advice on killing insects, especially things that are NOT pests, and what ...
Very Lg Winged Bug	7/3/2009
Q: While walking this evening came across a very lg bug, approx. 5-6 in. brown body that could have ... A: Lee Ann: It was a dobsonfly, trust me. FEMALE dobsonflies have much more "normal" jaws than the ...
odd beetles	7/2/2009
Q: I found two black and green beetles on weed growing in my backyard. They look like boxelders but ... A: Emily: You don't tell me where you live, or at least where you have seen these insects, which ...
Beetle Question	7/2/2009
Q: I find one of these almost every year at the end of June. About an inch and a quarter long. Brown ... A: Kevin: Thanks for including the image with your question, but the description alone is enough to ID ...
unidentified spider	7/2/2009
Q: do you happen to know what spider this could be? Shaped like a female black widow due to its abdomen ... A: JC: Sounds like it might be an orb weaver in the genus Araniella. They tend to build very small ...
Strange little black beetle.	7/1/2009
Q: I keep finding these tiny little black rolly polly type beetles. There crunchy when i kill them if ... A: Emily: Well, you don't tell me WHERE on the planet this is happening, and THAT 'would' help.... ...
Unknown Bug in Lexington, NC	7/1/2009
Q: I've lived in NC for nearly 20 years and have always enjoyed watching/playing with insects however ... A: Henry: No apologies necessary for the image. Your description was actually enough for me in this ...
gold beetle	7/1/2009
Q: I live in Aberdeen Scotland and i found a gold beetle with white spots what is it. A: Ross: I'm sorry, but I am an expert only on North American insects. Your beetle could be any ...
Roach or beetle	6/30/2009
Q: I just moved to an apartment in norther new jersey and the other night ran in to a tan bug on the ... A: Melissa: Congratulations, I'm pretty sure you killed an innocent "click beetle," family ...
bug attack..	6/30/2009
Q: i found these tiny bugs all in my room. i wonder what had cause this happened. By the way, i from ... A: Kenneth: Thank you for including the image with your question. The insects are "jumping plant ...
walking stick	6/30/2009
Q: We found a walking stick on the side of our house today 6/29/09, we live on the Pearl River just ... A: Adrienne: How delightful to entertain such a question! You have to be in my list of most ...
sawtooth grain beetle	6/29/2009
Q: My fiance and I found sawtooth grain beetles in our kitchen when we moved into our apartment in ... A: Jessica: Ninety percent of the time, questions like this are answered by: "carpet beetles," family ...
wasp	6/29/2009
Q: Eric, Reading your answer and seeing a picture of a wasp you described insert eggs into a dead I ... A: Fred: Insert eggs into a dead what? You never finished your thought there...:-) Yes, these giant ...
Larva vs ladybug	6/28/2009
Q: It was Friday, June 5, 2009, at approximately 6:30 p.m. in the Sierra Nevada foothills, elev. about ... A: Jenny: Wow, you sure are observant! I think a couple things might have been going on there.... ...
Gorgeous spider	6/28/2009
Q: What is this gorgeous spider? I call him the volcano cake spider. This one was a male - I have ... A: Jenny: I love your sense of humor:-) I'll happily defend you on Bugguide if anyone gets irked for ...
tarantula hawk	6/28/2009
Q: ran into about six of these in a neighbors peach tree that hangs over the wall about 3 feet from our ... A: Mike: Tarantuala hawks are SOLITARY wasps, meaning they do not have a 'nest' like hornets or ...
funnel spider	6/27/2009
Q: I watched this spider for a few days. This is the last I saw of it. It seems as if this little ... A: Jenny: There are several kinds of wasps that will take spiders as prey, paralyzing them with a ...
Gorgeous spider	6/27/2009
Q: What is this gorgeous spider? I call him the volcano cake spider. This one was a male - I have ... A: Jenny: Thank you for including the lovely image with your question, and, more importantly, thinking ...
At first I thought they were earwigs but after hours of research?	6/26/2009
Q: I live in the desert in California - it's very, very hot. For the past few months I've noticed an ... A: Justine: Yes, a CLEAR image would be very helpful as I have no idea what you are describing. Most ...
Beetle ID	6/26/2009
Q: My cat found this beetle in a corner of my apartment. I tried looking online but was unsuccessful in ... A: Erika: Thank you so much for including the image with your question. A very nice image, too. The ...
mystery bug	6/26/2009
Q: Love your book!!! Have a mystery bug eating my roses. It's about 1/2 inch long.Six legs, two ... A: Ramona: Yes, an image would help. You should be able to attach one with your question.... Sounds, ...
Jumping worms or larvae?	6/25/2009
Q: I'm located in southwest Ohio and while watering my flower beds this evening (6-24-09), I noticed ... A: Shannon: I spent eleven years in Cincinnati. Nice area, lots of greenspace for a relatively old ...
Bug identification help	6/25/2009
Q: I just found this guy on my hallway wall and would like to know what he is. He's not an insect or a ... A: Randi: How ironic. I just took some images of this creature last night, but it was OUTdoors:-) ...
hornets?	6/25/2009
Q: I live in pomona ca. and found what looked like a blue hornet. Is this possible? It flew and looked ... A: Desiree: You are probably describing some kind of solitary wasp, some of which are a striking ...
what is this??	6/24/2009
Q: I've spotted the same kind of bug in my house...so far it's been 2 within 3 days. It was on the ... A: Kristy: You are probably describing some kind of insect larva, maybe even the larva of a lady ...
Bug Identification	6/24/2009
Q: My husband and I just returned from a vacation at Lake Tahoe, California. While there we noticed ... A: Renee: There is no way I can make an identification from such a vague description. Further, ...
Looks like a winged scarub	6/24/2009
Q: Hey, aloha, I used to see the amber crystal skin of a winged insect that must look like a winged ... A: Jane: Peace to you, too:-) Very nice description of the cast "skin" of a cicada! Before they ...
1mm white jumping balls	6/23/2009
Q: On the blacktop in back of the building we have 1mm white jumping balls. No heads. No tails. ... A: Nicolle: At that size, must be "springtails" in the order Collembola. They are so primitive that ...
ichneumon wasp	6/23/2009
Q: I've recently discovered some giant ichneumon wasps in my basement, which I believe are coming from ... A: Katie: Well, you can simply catch the wasps and release them outdoors. If the wasps you are ...
wasps?	6/23/2009
Q: I was cleaning my horses stall tonite and saw an unusual bug. I'm fairly familiar with insects, my ... A: Gordon: It might help to know 'where' in the United States this is....but without at least an image ...
There are tons of wasp in my Room!	6/22/2009
Q: Three days ago, I developed a wasp problem in my room. I have no clue how to deal with it, what ... A: Casey: Thank you for including the image with your question.... This is really bizarre. The ...
Strange Bug on Canadian Prairies	6/22/2009
Q: June 20, 2009 my parents found this insect in the backyard while watering plants (rural ... A: Kara: Thank you for including the image with your question, though your description was enough for ...
Unknown insect - maggot thingy	6/22/2009
Q: About a week ago when i went to change my sheets i saw what i thought was a maggot on my bed... ... A: Rian: Ninety percent of the time, the answer to questions like this is: "carpet beetle larvae," ...
Red Ticks???	6/21/2009
Q: I have found a red tick looking creature with 8 legs. there are several of them around the house. ... A: Ryan: Without seeing the actual creatures you are describing, or at least a clear image of one, it ...
insect nest?	6/21/2009
Q: We have a narrowboat on a canal in North Wales UK. We haven't been on it for a few weeks and today I ... A: Julia: Yes, you are describing the nest of some kind of yellowjacket wasp in the family Vespidae, ...
Stictia Carolina wasps	6/21/2009
Q: I have some questions about the Stictia Carolina wasps aka Horse Guard wasps. I live in Northeast ... A: Leigh: Wow. All great questions, maybe some with answers.... Yes, the Horse Guard nests in sand, ...
A strange white bug	6/20/2009
Q: Eric, I found some strange whitish/gray bugs living beside my bathtub(on the outside, not inside). ... A: Dan: Well, I had a pretty good idea until you said you live in Israel.... I have no idea what kind ...
strange and colourful bug	6/20/2009
Q: Do you know what kind of bug this is? I took this picture at Tumacacori Mission Historical Monument ... A: Heather: Well, you picked the right person to ask. I live in Tucson (well, right now I'm on a job ...
Mystery Bug	6/19/2009
Q: Curious of the name of this bug? It a cross between a centipede and silverfish. It has lots of ... A: Darren: You give no indication where you live, and no image accompanied your question....but I ...
Centipede like bug	6/19/2009
Q: Last night in the kitchen I spotted this black inch long or so insect crawling on the counter. It ... A: Adam: Either a house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata, or a European earwig. House centipedes are ...
can you help me??	6/19/2009
Q: wondering what they are and if they eat aphids. Because if they do i would like to catch and ... A: Katie: Thanks for including the image with your question. The insect pictured is a "small milkweed ...
black carpet beetles and ???	6/18/2009
Q: I believe I have more than one thing going on. My daughter is the only one having reactions to being ... A: Bobbie: I hardly know where to begin! First, I would never spray my bedding with any kind of ...
What type of insect is this?	6/18/2009
Q: Can you identify this insect? I found two of these insects on the ground on July 19, 2008 around ... A: Sonya: Thank you for including an image with your question. Yes, it is a beetle! More ...
clumps of small worms...what are they?	6/18/2009
Q: A few days ago in Northern VA, in the morning about 8:00am my kids and I spotted all these ... A: Gina: How delightful to get a question from someone who is curious about the creatures they see, ...
tiny gray bugs	6/17/2009
Q: I recently purchased a home in Joplin, MO and have lived in it a little over 2 months. I recently ... A: Jessica: Maybe they are the anobiid beetles I mentioned that are woodborers. In any event, they ...
saw tooth grain beetle	6/17/2009
Q: After looking through a bunch of pictures on the web, I finally identified this pest as a saw tooth ... A: Sharla: Thank you, I appreciate that you are willing to continue the dialog.... How you treat for ...
mystery larvae!!	6/16/2009
Q: well me and my cousin have discovered a group of larvea under our foam sleeping mats, they have also ... A: Abbey: I'm sorry, but larvae cannot be identified from a description (and you did not give one!) ...
HUGE Black hard hselled bug	6/16/2009
Q: Last night this bug kept scratching at my door. When I opened the door it flew inside. It was black ... A: Jennifer: I don't know, DO you live in northern Mississippi?:-) Is there now a South Mississippi, ...
Small elongated black bug	6/16/2009
Q: Recently I've noticed bite marks starting to appear on my arms and legs when I go to sleep. Today ... A: Robert: I'm afraid that without seeing the specimen, or at least an image of it, I can't make a ...
wasps? Boca Raton, Fl	6/15/2009
Q: Two days in a row we found a black wasp-like insect 2 inches long. It looks like a wasp; body ... A: Kella: They 'could' be wasps, but without seeing a specimen, or at least an image of one, it is ...
Chased By Flying Insect	6/15/2009
Q: I was working in my garden around 2pm today. It is very hot and sunny out and I was sweating ... A: SJ: Sweat bees are small, and they do not chase people. Honeybees, yellowjackets, hornets, and ...
saw tooth grain beetle	6/15/2009
Q: After looking through a bunch of pictures on the web, I finally identified this pest as a saw tooth ... A: Sharla: Please forgive me for making an example out of your question, but there is absolutely no ...
Flying Bug	6/14/2009
Q: I have recently been over whelmed with a new bug i have never seen before. I live in Vancouver BC, ... A: Cherisse: Boy, I am at a loss to know exactly what you are describing, unless it is a colony of ...
tiny gray bugs	6/14/2009
Q: I recently purchased a home in Joplin, MO and have lived in it a little over 2 months. I recently ... A: Jessica: Your description could fit many beetles that are collectively known as "stored product ...
flying insect	6/14/2009
Q: I left a jar of lemonade at the table around noon and when I came back a half an hour later there ... A: Laura: Thank you for including the images with your question. The insect is a female ichneumon ...
Found a bug infesting backyard	6/13/2009
Q: I have never seen this bug before and a huge storm passed and now my backyard is infested with this ... A: Jeff: Thank you for including an image with your question. The insect is an immature (juvenile, ...
Spider in Pool	6/13/2009
Q: Eric, I was out doing yard work and walked by our in-ground pool. At the bottom of the pool was a ... A: Desi: Generally, it really helps me to know exactly WHERE in the U.S. you found the creature in ...
tiny firefly that doesn't flash	6/13/2009
Q: I just came a cross an entry to you from 2007 about a gnat-sized firefly I found about twenty years ... A: Taylor: I don't find a question here, but I do thank you for sharing your observations. I would ...
Spiders...	6/12/2009
Q: I live in Rhododendron, Oregon and I found a spider in the sand/dirt. Its a pretty good size. Its ... A: McKenzie: Believe it or not, I have been to Rhododendron! I grew up in Portland and enjoyed ...
White Bug	6/12/2009
Q: I live in Tucson, Arizona and the other morning I saw a white bug with a red or orange triangle on ... A: Cymantha: I live in Tucson, too (though right now I'm on assignment in Massachusetts until ...
Large black bug	6/12/2009
Q: This morning, while it was sprinkling, I saw a huge bug. It was about 4 inches long, black with a ... A: Alyssa: Boy, you could be describing any of a number of things. My list of suspects would include: ...
Identification of a bug	6/11/2009
Q: I live in Lusby Maryland. In the past few weeks I keep seeing bugs outside that resemble light brown ... A: again, Lisa: No, wood roaches pose no threat whatsoever indoors. Even the domestic pest roaches ...
ID a green bug	6/11/2009
Q: My daughter found a dead green bug on the couch the other day. It measures about 1.5 cm by 1 cm x ... A: Pat: Sounds like some kind of "true bug" in the order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera, and probably ...
Identification of a bug	6/11/2009
Q: I live in Lusby Maryland. In the past few weeks I keep seeing bugs outside that resemble light brown ... A: Lisa: Unfortunately, your description fits hundreds of different kinds of insects, and it is ...
beetles	6/10/2009
Q: i don't know if the beetles i have in my home might be carpet beetles or drugstore or some other ... A: Susan: Yes, they definitely sound like carpet beetles. I guess I also need to explain ...
paper wasp predators	6/10/2009
Q: I live in the Willamette Valley of Oregon (Eugene). We have had problems with paper wasps and yellow ... A: Tamara: I grew up in Portland, so I know what you mean....You are making me hungry talking about ...
Red & Black striped bug	6/10/2009
Q: I saw a bug at work the other day and after searching the internet I still cannot find it. It looks ... A: Dave: Florida has so many more species of insects than most other places in the U.S. that ...
Mystery beetle in Abq, New Mexico	6/9/2009
Q: I live in Albuquerque, NM, and have found on a few occasions a small black beetle (half the size of ... A: Hayley: How big is a peppercorn kernel? I don't do much cooking..... A stripe (vertical) or a ...
Help Identify but	6/9/2009
Q: I live in Missouri, suburb of St. Louis. We keep finding these small bugs on a wood railing outside ... A: Steve: Not only could you be describing adult insects of some kind, most insects being about the ...
ichneumon wasp	6/9/2009
Q: i live the woods out in New Hampshire I always see ichneumon wasps.I have small children and I was ... A: Kayleigh: I am living in western Massachusetts right now, and I am seeing lots of ichneumon wasps, ...
larvae (?) in conical depressions in sand	6/8/2009
Q: Greetings, my question concerns what I believe are little larvae that "dig" themselves a little hole ... A: Sarah: No bother. It is actually a joy to be answering an intelligent question from someone who ...
larvae (?) in conical depressions in sand	6/8/2009
Q: Greetings, my question concerns what I believe are little larvae that "dig" themselves a little hole ... A: Sarah: I think you are describing the larval pits of "antlions," family Myrmeleontidae in the order ...
orange and black grasshopper	6/8/2009
Q: i found a black and orange grass hopper on sunday june 6 2009 in jumps i wanted to ... A: John: You don't give me much to go on here. You don't even state where on the planet you found ...
Why are bumble bees hovering in the same spots around my house?	5/20/2009
Q: For two days in a row, there has been one bee hovering just outside our back entrance, nowhere near ... A: Djemba: They are not bumble bees:-) What you are describing is typical behavior of male large ...
black widow??	5/20/2009
Q: Here's the other photo... Thanks again Julie A: Julie: Ok, I'm responding to 'this' question.... Thank you for including the image with your ...
black beetles w/ orange stripe	5/19/2009
Q: I live In PA. For the last two years all over my apartment door, in my car, on my ... A: Cat: You are most likely describing the eastern boxelder bug, Boisea trivittata, a very common ...
Very tiny bee looking bug	5/19/2009
Q: Ok I have seen a very small bee looking bug around my yard. It is about 1/4 the size of the honey ... A: Doug: Yes, an image would help, but please post it to: http://www.bugguide.net in the "ID ...
my 4 year old claims he was sprayed and burned by a "?" worm.	5/19/2009
Q: We live on the Mississippi gulf coast where i was born & raised. i have never seen anything like my ... A: Andrea: Wow. Thank you for writing. Sometimes an animal we think is harmless turns out to be ...
unidentified insect in NC	5/18/2009
Q: Found an insect in my house. Looked similar to an ant. Long thorax. Abdomen was red. Thorax was ... A: Kelly: I'm sorry, your description does not ring any bells with me. I would suggest perusing ...
Spider?	5/18/2009
Q: Just curious as to what kind of spider this is. We found it in our house and we have never seen one ... A: Jessica: Ah, you found a "parson spider," Herpyllus ecclesiastica. This is one of the "running ...
some weird bug	5/18/2009
Q: Hey...thanks for taking the time to read my question. I live in the qwest end of edmonotn alberta, ... A: Christy: I strongly suspect that you were observing solitary bees that were in your area to begin ...
Tiny insects eating drywall in my kitchen	5/17/2009
Q: I noticed a small pile of dust in a corner of my kitchen counter where it meets the wall and when i ... A: David: I can't begin to help you without seeing the actual specimens under a microscope, but.... ...
huge flying bug	5/17/2009
Q: im from bc canada on the westcoast on the skeena river 100 mils from the port of prince rupert a ... A: Dave: I'm reasonably certain you observed a female giant ichneumon wasp in the genus Megarhyssa ...
Mystery Bug	5/17/2009
Q: I live in Florida and have seen this rather scary looking bug and wanted to know what it was. I ... A: Alfred: I think you are probably describing a scoliid wasp, maybe Scolia dubia. There is no common ...
Mystery Bug	5/16/2009
Q: My daughter discovered this bug when it flew into her husbands face at night when it was dark as ... A: Jennifer: I am getting many questions about this insect right now, which is somewhat unusual.... ...
Small insect identification	5/16/2009
Q: I captured a small insect, photographed it and released it. I'm trying to identify it. A: Leroy: Thank you for including the image with your question. The insect is called a "bee fly," in ...
Bugs coming out of drains	5/16/2009
Q: I live in Lake Tahoe, Ca (just incase that helps) And every spring at this time (May) we have these ... A: Randi: Boy, I am really hard-pressed to make an identification. Some suspects might be: Moth ...
lawn bug	5/15/2009
Q: We have this 1/16th of an inch tannish to light brownish bug all summer and none in the winter. It ... A: Sandra: You don't tell me where on Earth you live, so it is really hard to help you. I suspect, ...
what is this?	5/15/2009
Q: i have to do a bug pinning project for school and found a bug in a pool skimmer and have no idea ... A: Chelsie: You don't give me very much to go on, including any idea of where on Earth you found this ...
mystery bug	5/14/2009
Q: i was walking in my yard and seen black things on two green plants when i got closer i seen a bug ... A: Michael: Really, really hard to know what you are describing, except for the behavior. Most ...
bug	5/14/2009
Q: I live around fort smith arkansas. I have eggplants that are being eating by bugs. The bugs ... A: Cathy: Please forgive me for making an example out of you, but I know that other potential users of ...
aphids and itchy scalp	5/14/2009
Q: I have a question for you I hope you can answer. So I've moved into a new room in San Francisco ... A: Liala: Aphids would most definitely NOT be what is causing your itchy scalp. I would still not ...
odd bug	5/13/2009
Q: I found a hard shelled almond shape bug May11 2009. We live in New Brunswick Canada.The bug was ... A: Jean: Sounds like you might be describing a "predaceous diving beetle" in the beetle family ...
Flying Hard Shell Little Black Bugs	5/13/2009
Q: We live in Indiana by many little ponds. We have been having trouble with tiny hard shell flying ... A: Marti: I don't know that I can be of much help given the pretty vague description, but.... You ...
mystery flying insect!	5/13/2009
Q: One evening i heard a loud buzz which initially sounded like a weed wacker outside. When i looked ... A: Jamie: Please post your image to: http://www.bugguide.net in the "ID Request" section. I, or ...
Beetles attack!!!!	5/12/2009
Q: I think that I may have disturbed a family of "small black bugs" and they are seeking revenge on my ... A: You are definitely describing "carpet beetles," family Dermestidae (genera Anthrenus, Trogoderma, ...
Mystery Bug	5/12/2009
Q: We found this bug in Phoenix, AZ and were wondering what it is. I've attached an image. I do have ... A: Beth: Thank you for including the image with your question. I'm pretty impressed with what your ...
What is this bug?	5/12/2009
Q: There have been a few of these in my apartment. I live in San Diego if that information helps. It ... A: Susy: Thanks for including the image with your question. The creature is a "house centipede," ...
light green grub/catepillar 2-2.5 inches long	5/11/2009
Q: This morning, while taking my horse into the round pen, I noticed what appeared to be a caterpillar ... A: Janet: I'm sorry, this is beyond what I can do from a "mere" description, despite your outstanding ...
tiny iris bugs	5/11/2009
Q: These tiny creatures are crawling all over the new blossums of my "wild" yellow iris. Can you help? ... A: Mark: Yes, I can help with this one:-) I'm glad you think this one is "cute," because it is the ...
unknown beetle	5/10/2009
Q: recently my mother has had a very small (about 1/8 inch) type of beetle flying and crawling around ... A: Alex: Usually, 99% of the time the answer to a question like yours is "carpet beetles," family ...
Larvae case made of ants	5/9/2009
Q: This was found Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 2 p.m. appx, in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California at ... A: Jenny: Nice to carry on an e-conversation with an intelligent, thoughtful person:-) I don't know ...
Larvae case made of ants	5/9/2009
Q: This was found Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 2 p.m. appx, in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California at ... A: Actually, that is a very GOOD image compared to most of the ones I receive, like spiders captured ...
tiny iris bugs	5/9/2009
Q: These tiny creatures are crawling all over the new blossums of my "wild" yellow iris. Can you help? ... A: Mark: Thank you for including the image with your question. I am reasonably certain that the ...
what is this cocoon?	5/8/2009
Q: I was digging in my garden and found a black cocoon-looking animal underground. It was appx 3 inch ... A: Jenn: Did you mean to attach an image with this question? Chances are it was the pupa of a moth of ...
gray bug	5/8/2009
Q: I had a gray bug on my back that may have bit me. It was a few weeks ago 4/25/2009 in Laughlin NV. I ... A: Michelle: The insect in the image you referenced is a weevil. Weevils are beetles, and they do not ...
black insect w/ red or yellow stripe	5/8/2009
Q: Is this an insect that is destructive? It looks like a large cricket, black, shiny, larger, with ... A: Eileen: Did you intend to include an image with your question? You also do not state EXACTLY where ...
What kind of spider is this!?	5/8/2009
Q: This spider was observed walking on the inside of the window screen between the screen and closed ... A: Theresa: A woman not afraid of spiders?! I'll alert the media:-) You don't happen to be single, ...
rose bug	5/7/2009
Q: I live in Southern California in the city of Fullerton. Today, I picked some rose leaves and ... A: Tiffany: Sounds like you are describing the nymph (immature, juvenile) of a stink bug, family ...
North American Oil Beetle	5/6/2009
Q: Jack DeAngelis told me to refer my question to you. I consider myself an amateur entomologist (i.e. ... A: Joshua: Please give my warm regards to Jack. I'm flattered that he would refer you to me. He's a ...
centipeade millipeade	5/6/2009
Q: i saw your answer to someone elses question about a fast bug with lots of legs. i have looked at the ... A: Johnny: You don't state WHERE in the U.S. you live, which might be helpful in this case.... Any ...
Red Bug Found On Pillow	5/6/2009
Q: I found this red bug crawling across my pillow this morning about about 3 am. It is the beginning ... A: David: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. Even though the image is blurry, ...
Trying to ID a type of flying beetle	5/5/2009
Q: last night. It was approximately 1.5 inches long and brown in overall colour with a pair of yellow ... A: Well, I tried.... It may be something exotic, too. Have you recently obtained anything organic ...
Spider	5/5/2009
Q: I found a spider living on the underside of my garbage can. I have tried to identify it with no ... A: Patricio: Thank you for including the image with your question. The spider is definitely a ...
yuck	5/5/2009
Q: We live in an apartment and sometimes when I go to the bathroom at night when I turn on the light ... A: Kesia: Hard to tell from your description exactly what you have there, but my first guess would be: ...
What is this??	5/4/2009
Q: I've been finding a random bug (looks like a beetle maybe) in my basement. We are in ... A: Jen: I can think of a couple of possibilities, but only one makes sense. You are probably ...
mystery insect	5/3/2009
Q: May1/09, mid-day, Kingston, Ont. Canada; I was cleaning leaves from garden bed and out from under a ... A: Sue: I have gotten a fair number of questions lately about this insect. It is a "giant water bug" ...
Small, green insect	5/3/2009
Q: I checked out all the insects you suggested, but still no luck. The geographical area is west of ... A: Marci: Ok, do you have any idea how many "tiny" green insect species there are? And, 1/4 inch is ...
Carpet Beetles	5/2/2009
Q: Barton, I have question about carpet beetles living in body. My mother has recently had a ... A: Omarr: Carpet beetles (family Dermestidae) definitely do NOT feed on living tissue, though they ...
Katydid?	5/2/2009
Q: During the summer months, ever since I was a little girl, at least one tiny, cute green insect with ... A: Marci: Yes, katydids are generally large, over an inch in length, and obviously very ...
Long bug with pinchers in the front	5/2/2009
Q: We live in southeast Texas and have been seeing bugs about and inch and a half long outside at ... A: Matthew: Count yourself as one of the few, the proud, who have seen a.... Mole cricket. I have ...
Wasp-like bug w/stinger	5/1/2009
Q: About a week ago, there were 2 of these in my dining room on the door screen. Had clear wings, ... A: Carolyn: Without an image (which it sounded like you were sending with your question), I don't know ...
social wasp identification	5/1/2009
Q: This little bugger popped up outside of my window but inside of my open screen. I'm hoping it'll ... A: Jesse: How refreshing to get a question about wasps that doesn't involve "how do I get rid of ...
Red & Black Spider Like Bug	5/1/2009
Q: OK I live in the Tampa Bay Area and I found this creepy bug crawling on my windshield today ... A: again, Beth:-) Ok, thanks for sending the image. No doubts, now.... Well, I was correct as far as ...
Red & Black Spider Like Bug	4/30/2009
Q: OK I live in the Tampa Bay Area and I found this creepy bug crawling on my windshield today ... A: Beth: Florida has LOTS of insects no other states do, and many, many species that fit your ...
Cicada Killer or Yellow Jacket	4/30/2009
Q: I have a fairly large deck on the back of my house (the back of the house faces north) that has an ... A: Al: I'm not normally this quick. LOL! I'm home sick, plus I am waiting to hear back from someone ...
Cicada Killer or Yellow Jacket	4/30/2009
Q: I have a fairly large deck on the back of my house (the back of the house faces north) that has an ... A: Al: You don't tell me where you live, exactly, but may I assume it is somewhere east of the Rocky ...
tiny black bugs	4/29/2009
Q: I have very tiny flying black bugs all over my car and they only apeer when the weather starts to ... A: Tawanna: I'm sorry, but you did not provide nearly enough information for me to help you. Your ...
Mystery Bug	4/29/2009
Q: I found this worm like bug in a pile of decaying wood. It is 1 1/2 inches long segmented and orange. ... A: Andrew: You don't mention where on the planet you found this animal....May not matter, but details ...
Black Beetle with Gold	4/28/2009
Q: Hey Eric, Just found this site after running into a large bug in my backyard. I live just outside ... A: Jessika: Well, I suppose if you stared at the beetle long enough you could grow "weary" of the ...
unknown bug	4/28/2009
Q: a couple of days ago I killed a bug inside my bathroom. I found another one on my pillow this ... A: Victor: Who on Earth told you a silverfish can sting?! That is totally FALSE! They are harmless ...
Unkown Flying insect	4/27/2009
Q: For the past couple days, there have been tons and tons of these large "flies" flying outside my ... A: Cody: I should have called in sick to AllExperts today! No, I really am ill.... There is no way I ...
Entomology	4/27/2009
Q: write down the different methods of staining the insect muscles and methods of their studying A: Naeem: With all due respect, this question is so impersonal, so irrelevant to the services I ...
mystery beetle	4/26/2009
Q: i live in gardner, massachusetts,(outside of worcester). this evening at 12:00am a large, black ... A: Jessica: The image did not come through, and your description is simply not detailed enough for me ...
Velvetless Velvet Ant?	4/26/2009
Q: I noticed a question placed on 9/2008 from Portland, OR that sounds a lot like my situation. ... A: Jason: Female velvet ants can become considerably "worn" with age, with a good deal of their hair ...
red spider mites?	4/26/2009
Q: I have tiny little "mites" all over my bathroom and some rooms facing the east. When you smash them ... A: Amy: Never call an exterminator unless you know exactly what you are dealing with. You cannot ...
found a bug	4/25/2009
Q: Eric, Found a white bug in some lignum vitae. It has a 5/16 inch round head and the rest of the body ... A: Aaron: This must be international AllExperts day.... Yes, an image would help, but please post it ...
Very Large "beetle"? with a stinger	4/24/2009
Q: On 4/22/09 in Wenatchee, WA.(not the rainy side of WA), 9pm (dark), outside, this large beetle-like ... A: Kathryn: Thank you for including the image with your question. It is a "giant water bug" in the ...
ID worm / grub with stinger	4/24/2009
Q: I live in Kaufman (Southeast of Dallas) Texas. While digging up some greenbriar that's been climbing ... A: Jeremi: It is an insect larva of some kind. Your image is too blurry for me to say more than that. ...
Mystery bug	4/23/2009
Q: I am trying to find the name of a bug that I have seen in northwest Wisconsin. The only times that ... A: You are most likely describing some kind of "crane fly," family Tipulidae. They can be very ...
wasps maybe??	4/23/2009
Q: i think it is some kind of wasps, or from a wasps family. i'm not really sure. i have an image could ... A: Nick: Thank you for including the image with your question. You are quite correct in thinking this ...
Unusual Unidentified Crawling Thing	4/23/2009
Q: Recently we cut down a very tall, very large, very dead Cottonwood tree in our back yard and ... A: Tolli: You should be applauded for your observation skills and curiosity:-) It is a joy to answer ...
Help identifying bee/wasp specie	4/22/2009
Q: I'm an American medical student studying in Grenada in the West Indies in the Caribbean. I have a ... A: Jason: Thank you for including the image with your question. I'm not much of an expert on ...
Spiders	4/21/2009
Q: I think I have a spider problem. I live in a furnished basement, not moist or damp. I went in my ... A: Jenna: Spiders have a way of getting into most homes, basements, garages, etc, no matter how clean ...
Bugs	4/20/2009
Q: What are the black insect with orange that looks like grasshoppers that grow to be large and eat ... A: Rhonda: You are describing the "eastern lubber grasshopper," Romalea microptera, a common species ...
unknown yellow three dot spider	4/20/2009
Q: found a yellow spider in UK, with three dots on its back, about 1 inch big have a picture...? any ... A: Mohamed: If you have a picture, please post it to: http://www.bugguide.net in the "ID Request" ...
Unknown Bug	4/20/2009
Q: My apologies for sending you a picture of a bug from outside North America and if you are unable to ... A: Dave: Thank you for including the image with your question. The insect is a "giant water bug" in ...
Can you help us identify this flying insect?	4/19/2009
Q: We live in Lake Isabella California - for the past month our house has been surrounded by these ... A: Agnes: Thank you so much for attaching an image with your question! I had no idea what you were ...
pantry bug	4/19/2009
Q: what is the name of the small bug that gets into flour, cereal, rice and other boxes in the pantry? ... A: Allena: There are several kinds of insects that can infest dried grains and grain products. Most ...
tiny scorpion	4/19/2009
Q: I was cleaning up some piece of cottonwood bark that I collected from an old waste pile in a wooded ... A: Alex: It IS a pseudoscorpion. Nothing else comes close. Maybe it was a juvenile and not an adult. ...
grey white insect on bed cover	4/18/2009
Q: I noticed a 4-5 mm crawling ladybug-like insect crawling on my toddler's bed cover. It was distictly ... A: Shannon: You are not describing a bed bug. Further, bed bugs are so secretive that you almost ...
Flying wasp/ant like insects near garden	4/18/2009
Q: We're in Central Florida. We have about 27 insects that look like black wasp when flying. They fly ... A: Kaci: Oh, wow, thanks for including the image with your question. It leaves no doubt as to exactly ...
5 mm brownish beige bugs beetle like bugs in kitchen & bathroom	4/17/2009
Q: I live in British Columbia, Canada and I kep seeing these teeny brown and beige/pale yellow bugs ... A: I should really retain a copy of my comments on "carpet beetles," family Dermestidae (genera ...
Infestation or Harmless wanderers?	4/17/2009
Q: i have seen the same kind of bug in my room over the last week - on three different occasions, I ... A: J: Your description is pretty vague, and you don't state SPECIFICALLY where you live (which I ...
Mystery Insect	4/17/2009
Q: The insect in question was a flier, roughly 4 inches in length. It was found in southern Michigan. ... A: Chris: Thank you for your most excellent description of.... A giant water bug, genus Lethocerus, ...
bugs around our baseboards	4/16/2009
Q: We have these black bugs that seem to just multiply around the baseboards in our back entryway and ... A: Renee: Some beetles in the family Anobiidae are wood-borers, and can emerge from furniture, ...
a spiked, horny bug found in dry rice/noodle	4/16/2009
Q: a few weeks ago I put some driend noodles from the larder into a saucepan and added water, ... A: Nina: Without seeing at least an image of the insect in question, it is very difficult to give you ...
is it a bed bug or a tick	4/15/2009
Q: I had just gotten back to my home in Brooklyn, Ny from a weekend in Pittsburgh, PA. I slept one ... A: Lauren: I'm glad you "saved" your legs, I'm sure life would be much harder without them:-) I'm ...
mystery bugs in my back yard	4/14/2009
Q: About a week ago, I noticed several tiny bugs that are brown and white or grey in my backyard. We ... A: Jessica: Probably the "false chinch bug," Nysius raphanus. I have seen them here in Tucson ...
Granary weevils	4/14/2009
Q: I have an infestation of granary weevils. The infestation came about from some bird seed that we ... A: Stacy: You are doing just what you should be doing: discarding the infested product, then cleaning ...
bugs around our baseboards	4/13/2009
Q: We have these black bugs that seem to just multiply around the baseboards in our back entryway and ... A: Renee: I'm sorry, but there is no way I can help you given the (lack of) information in your ...
tiny brown bugs	4/13/2009
Q: I am living in a different house and I am seeing these strange little bugs. I first saw them when ... A: Melissa: The springtails may be migrating, or attempting to, and then you see them once they reach ...
tiny brown bugs	4/13/2009
Q: I am living in a different house and I am seeing these strange little bugs. I first saw them when ... A: Melissa: I am pretty certain you are describing "springtails" in the order Collembola. Scientists ...
bit or stung in central America Panama	4/12/2009
Q: while in panama city Panama in jungle area putting on life jacket....some insect or bee was on ... A: It is all I can do to help folks with North American insects! Neotropical species are generally ...
We found this bug, Can you help Identify.	4/12/2009
Q: I live in the Mid-West and we found this bug in the back yard after the snow thawed, it was dead. ... A: Mitch: Thank you for including the image with your question. You were actually on the right track ...
little worms in basement	4/10/2009
Q: We built a new house in 2008. Never noticed any little black worms, may be millipedes, under ... A: June: Thanks for including the link to the images. They are indeed millipedes. Millipedes are not ...
What kind of bug is it?	4/9/2009
Q: For the past two days I have found this bug all over my house. It looks like a bee from a distance, ... A: Britt: Thank you for including the image with your question. I had a feeling I knew what it was, ...
what is this bug??	4/8/2009
Q: .. I found this disgusting bug in my bed...down towards the end of the mattress where the sheets are ... A: Ginnine: Thank you for including the image with your question. This is not even an insect, or an ...
worms	4/8/2009
Q: I think i found some worms or larva of some kind in a batch of beans i was re-frying. Inside of ... A: Kristina: Thank you for including an image with your question. The "worms" are clearly insect ...
Spider Identification	4/7/2009
Q: A spider came to say hi on my computer monitor. Have no clue about the eyes. It was about 1/2 inch ... A: Lauri: Thank you for including the image with your question. I can assure you the spider is ...
Weird New Red Bug	4/7/2009
Q: I live in the Quebec Laurentians in Canada and it's currently below zero and a blizzard outside in ... A: Dianne: From a description alone it is really difficult to make an identification of something like ...
white honeycomb	4/7/2009
Q: I found the start of a pure white honeycomb on a branch in a Mesquite tree. I live in Scottsdale, ... A: Sue: Without seeing the actual structure, I can't say for certain what made it....Honeybees would ...
ant/scorpion-like bug	4/6/2009
Q: I live in the southern part of Illinois and a while back I saw this bug that was the size of a small ... A: Courtnie: I can think of two possibilities: earwig (order Dermaptera) rove beetle (order ...
what bug is this? it's everywhere!	4/6/2009
Q: I've been living in Gainesville, Florida for over two years now and every year around spring these ... A: Erin: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. They are indeed "bugs," among the few ...
mystery - large flying fuzzy insect?	4/5/2009
Q: I live in the suberbs of Phoenix, AZ. A number of very large (5/8-1 1/2") fuzzy/furry flying ... A: Amy: You are describing "large carpenter bees" in the genus Xylocopa. There are at least two ...
tiny black beetle like bug	4/4/2009
Q: Since this 2009 april we started seeing these tiny black/brown beetle like bugs. They dont move ... A: I was all prepared to tell you about carpet beetles until I looked at the very revealing images.... ...
Unknown tailed bug	4/4/2009
Q: A week ago(11 PM) I found a dead bug in my study room. The room has a crooked window right near the ... A: Ashley: I'm sorry, but I don't think I can help you from your description. You also don't mention ...
beetles	4/4/2009
Q: Ok.We have these bugs that hang around our sliding glass doors, windows, baseboards, and on the ... A: Lisa: They are most likely "carpet beetles" in the family Dermestidae. The genera Anthrenus, ...
a flying bug that hatched from a cocoon	4/3/2009
Q: My class found a catipillar last fall and we put it in an aquarium. It quickly built a cocoon and ... A: I'm not sure if I am writing to a student in the class, or the teacher, so I'll try to give as ...
bug questions	4/2/2009
Q: Do bumble bees ever get so fat they can't fly? Do bedbugs naturally prefer people or will they eat ... A: I'll stand by my original thought that bumblebees can't fly when it is too COLD. They still fly at ...
six-legged (black and white striped) flying insect	4/1/2009
Q: My children were fascinated with a six legged flying insect outside our window this morning. The ... A: Janey: Thank you for the kind sentiments on the job thing.... Phantom crane flies are totally ...
six-legged (black and white striped) flying insect	4/1/2009
Q: My children were fascinated with a six legged flying insect outside our window this morning. The ... A: Janey: You don't mention where you live, which could be important.... The insect you describe ...
Small oval winged insect found in bed	3/31/2009
Q: While changing my bedsheets today, I found some small, oval-shaped bugs under the sheets on top of ... A: Franny: My apologies, too. I'm a bit edgy. Among other things, I am losing my job tomorrow. I've ...
Small oval winged insect found in bed	3/31/2009
Q: While changing my bedsheets today, I found some small, oval-shaped bugs under the sheets on top of ... A: Franny: You don't give me very much to go on. You don't even say where you live. No details are ...
Cicadas	3/31/2009
Q: Is there a common frequency or range of frequencies that the cicadas chirp at in their short lives? A: Dale: Interesting question! I am sure that the frequency varies from species to species. ...
What kind of bug is this?	3/30/2009
Q: Their very small about the size of a mustard seed and smaller, with a tortoise like marbeling on ... A: Andrea: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. Now I know the size of a mustard ...
water strider	3/29/2009
Q: I am studying water strider legs under the scanning electron microscope. I was wondering if there is ... A: Saedeh: Good question! Unfortunately, aquatic insects are not my strong suit. I do know there is ...
spider identification	3/29/2009
Q: I have a large brown spider that makes a web in the outside of my bathroom window. It has a rather ... A: Danny: I cannot identify the spider based on your description alone, but 'can' say with conviction ...
bugs in woodpile in yard	3/29/2009
Q: 2 types of flying insects entering & exiting same hole in larger log in woodpile. 1 is black, shiny, ... A: Mary:-) Thanks to your most excellent description, and detailed geography, I can actually tell you ...
bug questions	3/28/2009
Q: Do bumble bees ever get so fat they can't fly? Do bedbugs naturally prefer people or will they eat ... A: Lin Chang: Please understand (for future reference) that I accept three questions TOTAL each day, ...
Wasp Hive?	3/28/2009
Q: I live in Hong Kong Island. This is in Hong Kong, China. This hive was spotted from a distance on ... A: Kieran: Thank you for including the image with your question, and telling me where it was you saw ...
Six-legged Teardrop Hardbodied Bug	3/27/2009
Q: Last year my neighbor asked me if I had fleas and ticks as she had an outbreak. We live in ... A: Ellen: Yes, I can help you. Thank you for including the image with your question. Even though it ...
small grasshopper??	3/27/2009
Q: That was my first guess when my son saw two of these bugs crawling on the ceiling of our shower ... A: Joan: Without seeing the actual insect, I am hard-pressed to make a decisive ID....It does sound ...
Unidentified flying insect	3/26/2009
Q: This is a follow up on a previously asked question which follows: "Im really unsure about this one. ... A: Jessica: Your description had me puzzled for awhile, but I think I have the answer! First of all, ...
Wolf spider	3/26/2009
Q: i was hoping you could help shed some insight on my little rabid wolf spider janet. I live in ... A: Cathy: That 'is' unusual behavior. I hope she's not "mourning" her poor offspring....You are ...
Wolf spider	3/26/2009
Q: i was hoping you could help shed some insight on my little rabid wolf spider janet. I live in ... A: Cathy: How nice to hear from someone who cares about spiders! Please give yourself a pat on the ...
Big black fly	3/19/2009
Q: Eric, I live in AZ now and I saw this big black fly in the patio area, it was flying around the eave ... A: Scotty: This rarely happens: Thanks to your vivid description, I can actually tell you what ...
unkown spider type	3/19/2009
Q: We found another spider in our home located 1 hour north of New York and tried to identify it but ... A: Eric here:-) Thank you for including such a clear image with your question. Leaves no doubt as to ...
What bug is this?	3/19/2009
Q: Looks like a brown lady bug. I found 2 of these so far within the past month. 1 on my curtain and 1 ... A: Biada: Thank you for including the image with your question. It is an adult "varied carpet ...
wasps, I think	3/16/2009
Q: I live in Sydney Australia and I have been reading about ground dwelling wasps because that's what I ... A: G'day, Belinda! Yes, those do sound like wasps. I'm not terribly familiar with the fauna "down ...
Wasp(?) Identification	3/16/2009
Q: Eric, My family found what we believe to be a type of wasp while clearing some of our land to build ... A: Rich: Thank you for including the very nice image with your question. I wonder what kind of camera ...
bugs	3/16/2009
Q: i have this very tiny bug its black with a back shaped like a beetles back and it is very tiny it ... A: Tamra: Well, it could be almost any kind of insect. You don't tell me where you live, and give a ...
Naming	3/15/2009
Q: I am looking for the proper and common name fr this insect taken in October at Tonto Verde Golf ... A: Ann: The image is of a mantis, not a grasshopper. Hard to tell what species, but if this image was ...
single mud case	3/15/2009
Q: I have found little single mud 'houses' on the side of my fence,on the house (stucco) that house ... A: Mary: Thank you for your question. I do wish you had mentioned where on the planet you live (most ...
Orange with black stripe insect indentification	3/14/2009
Q: Found this today (3/14/09) in a windowsill. Searched but cannot identify. A: Kirk: Oh, wow, thank you for including the spectacular image with your question! No question that ...
spiders	3/14/2009
Q: If the spider that mates with the black widow is a male black widow; Why is it so "VASTLY" smaller ... A: Scott: Thank you for a very intelligent and interesting question! The phenomenon you are referring ...
bug bite	3/13/2009
Q: march 11th around 3pm beaumont texas; I was painting and caulking facia boards and eves when i felt ... A: Linda: First, get well soon! I'm afraid that without a much better description, and/or an image ...
Black and Red bug	3/13/2009
Q: I live in Northern Ky. and in the past few weeks I have noticed these lightning bug type bugs that ... A: Melissa: I can just about guarantee that what you are describing are "eastern boxelder bugs," ...
Invisible Shower Bugs!	3/12/2009
Q: I moved about a year ago. Since that time, about 2-3 times a week, I exit the shower with a red ... A: Teri: I honestly don't know what to tell you. Should this become more than a nuisance to you, I ...
beetle type bug in Tahoe	3/11/2009
Q: I have been finding this particular type of bug in my house off and on for the last few years. Over ... A: again, Maureen: Ok, a couple other possibilities. It might be a "darkling beetle" in the family ...
beetle type bug in Tahoe	3/11/2009
Q: I have been finding this particular type of bug in my house off and on for the last few years. Over ... A: Maureen: Unfortunately, the image you included is so blurry as to be essentially useless, but I ...
Strange bug eating plants	3/11/2009
Q: I live in South Texas just 30 miles west of Corpus Christi. In the past 4 months or so we have been ... A: Shannon: An image of the insect would be really helpful, but let me take a stab at it anyway.... I ...
Spiders I've never seen	3/10/2009
Q: Eric, I've attached a picture of a spider I recently killed in my house. I'm going to start taking ... A: Paul: The image lacks detail, but I am relatively certain this is a specimen of the "sowbug ...
Bee, Wasp, or what?	3/10/2009
Q: This insect is about an inch long fuzzy black with a few thin yellow stipes that flies. It looks ... A: Pam: There is no way I can identify what you are describing, and here is why: There are literally ...
luminescent ball	3/10/2009
Q: I saw a bright white light up in a tree late at night that glowed at the intensity and size of a ... A: Tim: You do not tell me where on the planet you live, and it is way too early for fireflies in most ...
tiny white things in my bed	3/9/2009
Q: I am not certain I have lice, but my head itches in the back and along the side by my ears...I'm ... A: again: Thank you for the compliments on my first answer:-) You made my day! Without personally ...
tiny white things in my bed	3/9/2009
Q: I am not certain I have lice, but my head itches in the back and along the side by my ears...I'm ... A: Susan: Unless you have been sharing wool caps, hats, or coats with someone else (especially a ...
tiny black flying insects	3/8/2009
Q: I live in Dayton, Tn and have had a problem with tiny, black flying insects during cold and warm ... A: Lori: Without seeing the insects in question, or at least a decent image, it is very difficult for ...
Bug Identification	3/7/2009
Q: I'm trying to identify a bug that seems to be infesting the frame around my garage door. It's ... A: Rich: I can just about guarantee that what you are describing is the "eastern boxelder bug," Boisea ...
Mystery Prehistoric Looking Bug	3/6/2009
Q: Over the past few months I have found these bugs, dead on the carpet in the bedroom. They are dark ... A: Gina: I can't possibly help you without knowing, at minimum, where on Earth you live. Would also ...
Unknown Bug Bite In Mississippi	3/5/2009
Q: I was just outside when i put my hand down on the porch and a bug got me. I do not know what kind it ... A: Tracie: Without actually seeing the specimen, or at least a clear image of it, I can't make a ...
Odd Beetlesque insect	3/2/2009
Q: I was up at my buddy's house in Honey run (Near Chico California, where I live, and, I though it ... A: John: Sometimes I get perfectly legitimate questions like this, but the person's interpretation of ...
little green bugs	3/1/2009
Q: There is a tree in front of my house and it's leaning to my window, whenever I open the window I ... A: Anzhela: I would thank you for including the image with your question, but....Well, it is one of ...
Little tiny bettle looking bugs in my room only	2/28/2009
Q: I have these little beetle looking bugs in my room. i only see one a a time like every other day. ... A: Meaghan: Chances are that they are 'still' carpet beetles of some kind (family Dermestidae, genera ...
mystery bug in my bathroom	2/21/2009
Q: Recently I've notice what seem to be little black worms (less than 1 cm) crawling slowly across my ... A: Meredith: A definitive answer to this question still eludes me. Many people ask about those ...
Small round gray bugs- what are they?	2/20/2009
Q: I keep finding these little round grayish bugs with black stripes in my bedroom. I never see more ... A: Rachel: I would bet that what you are describing are adult "carpet beetles" in the family ...
Wolf Spider	2/20/2009
Q: i'm facing a bit of a delimma regarding my wolf spider. I live in south central kentucky and about a ... A: Katherine: I am already impressed with your knowledge of wolf spiders! If you can already tell it ...
Bee like bug	2/18/2009
Q: I have some hard shell bugs that are the coloring of a bee, black with yellow stripes across the ... A: Lisa: Nice detective work! You don't tell me where you live, but I suspect it is somewhere east of ...
Which insect is this?	2/18/2009
Q: Location : India Time of Day : Midday It did not move an inch while I observed it but it has wings ... A: Nikhil: Thank you so much for including the image with your question. We don't get many insects ...
unidentified worm/larvae	2/16/2009
Q: I've been sick (nauseous) the past couple of days and finally tonight some kind of worm came out of ... A: Candice: This is a medical question beyond my expertise. Take the (intact) specimen with you when ...
What is this flying bug	2/15/2009
Q: Eric could you tell me what this bug is. We only see a few when we are sitting in are living room. ... A: Erik: Thank you for including the image with your question. The insect is a "dark-winged fungus ...
Red and black bug	2/15/2009
Q: We have many of these red and black bugs living in our Central FL backyard. They are mainly on a ... A: Kaity: Well, lots of different species of insects fit your brief description, so I can't offer you ...
Scorpion Flies	2/15/2009
Q: I Have a report due in 5 weeks from this day February 14, 2009. My subject is anatomy of a scorpion ... A: Sierra: Might help to know 'which' scorpion flies you are writing about. Scorpion flies make up ...
Ants Gender	2/14/2009
Q: my question is regarding the gender of the worker ants. As we all know; they are female, however was ... A: Fernando: Very interesting and intelligent question, thank you. Unfortunately, I don't have a ...
Tiny black bugs (possibly springtails?)	2/14/2009
Q: Canada. I noticed your answer about a bug called a springtail (I believe?)that is attracted to ... A: Rebecca: Well, not all springtails.....spring, so just because they don't jump doesn't mean they ...
small black bug with four wings	2/13/2009
Q: I have these small black bugs with four wings that show up each spring and die. I am not sure what ... A: Salem: Ok, the termites....I don't know if you are in an area infested by the Formosan subterranean ...
small black bug with four wings	2/13/2009
Q: I have these small black bugs with four wings that show up each spring and die. I am not sure what ... A: Salem: Those are termites. At least once per year, termite colonies liberate a new generation of ...
trying to identify reddish brown bug	2/12/2009
Q: i have found two of these bugs, both on my bed. one fell out of a fold of a sheet (i didn't see it ... A: Rebecca: You're entirely welcome. Thank you so much for the sentiments and praise. The company I ...
Fast Bug in Kitchen Near Water, Not Food	2/12/2009
Q: I have been dealing with a lot of bugs in my kitchen lately. When I first started to notice them ... A: Meghan: Thanks for including the images with your question, though in this case I could have given ...
trying to identify reddish brown bug	2/12/2009
Q: i have found two of these bugs, both on my bed. one fell out of a fold of a sheet (i didn't see it ... A: Rebecca: Without seeing at least an image of the creature in question, or, ideally, a specimen, it ...
RE: What is this? Grasshopper or locust or what?	2/11/2009
Q: I saw this insect on my front porch. It wouldn't move. I took a picture of it with my cellphone. It ... A: Traci: Thank you for the image of the Loch Ness Monster! Sorry, I'm kidding, of course. I get a ...
RE: What is this? Grasshopper or locust or what?	2/11/2009
Q: I saw this insect on my front porch. It wouldn't move. I took a picture of it with my cellphone. It ... A: Traci: There was no image included with this question. You also do not state where on the planet ...
2" bug/beetle in our house	2/10/2009
Q: We have just moved into a house on the north shore of Boston (built in 1896), in town near the ... A: Eleanor: I think you are probably describing the western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus ...
NYC Bug	2/2/2009
Q: I have on the 35th floor of a building in Manhattan which has a strange bug infestation. Everyday I ... A: Kimberly: Unless they 'are' a silverfish or firebrat or house centipede, I can't imagine what they ...
tiny brown beetles?	2/1/2009
Q: For quite a while now, I have been finding these small bugs around my house, but it seems that they ... A: Aaron: Without seeing actual specimens, or at least a decent image, there is no way I can tell you ...
BLACK BUG	2/1/2009
Q: WHAT IS THE TINY BLACK BUG AND WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? DO THEY BITE AND ALSO IF YOU SEE ONE ARE ... A: Chris: Thanks for SHOUTING. You do not tell me where you live. There are literally hundreds of ...
Flying bugs	2/1/2009
Q: I live in Atlanta Georgia and since the fall I have these bugs that that gather around my sliding ... A: Steve: You are describing the "eastern boxelder bug," Boisea trivittata, family Rhopalidae (the ...
Tiny Green Bug /W Image	1/31/2009
Q: I am wondering what they are and how to get ride of them. We use the Hibiscus plant to feed are ... A: I've given my recommendation: wash the aphids off the plant, or put a few lady beetles on the plant ...
Tiny Green Bug /W Image	1/31/2009
Q: I am wondering what they are and how to get ride of them. We use the Hibiscus plant to feed are ... A: Paul: Thanks for including the image with your question. The insects are aphids. What is the ...
There's a Worm in My Spider	1/31/2009
Q: My mother squashed a spider the other day and I saw the strangest thing. After it was squashed a ... A: Jesse: I don't know what a "black house spider" is down in Australia. A scientific name is ...
Little black bug	1/30/2009
Q: I have tiny black bugs in my kitchen. They have six legs two antenna. They are light bulb shape, ... A: Emily: Insecticides generally require that the insect CONTACT the poison, and cockroaches are ...
Little black bug	1/30/2009
Q: I have tiny black bugs in my kitchen. They have six legs two antenna. They are light bulb shape, ... A: Emily: What you describe sounds like cockroach nymphs, probably of either the German cockroach ...
odd creature in Caribbean	1/30/2009
Q: during a trip to Saint Lucia in July last year I noticed an odd almost cocoon creature hanging ... A: Andrea: You are probably describing the larval (or pupal) enclosures of a "bagworm" in the family ...
Looks like a cross between a firefly and a stinkbug.	1/29/2009
Q: We've never had problems with this type of bug before, but we've had a lot of ice and snow and a ... A: Beth: I am quite certain you are describing the "eastern boxelder bug," Boisea trivittata, which is ...
House Centipede?	1/28/2009
Q: I was reading your answer on the house centipede and I think I may have had one. However I couldn't ... A: Tracey: You still really don't give me enough information to go on, like how many legs the thing ...
firefly guide	1/28/2009
Q: I've been looking for a guide book that offers more than just cursory information about fireflies. ... A: LOL! Actually, I had put that project on the back burner. I habitually do all this research and ...
the future of interior planting... bugs?	1/27/2009
Q: im currently studying garden design at falmouth university, cornwall, uk, and im writing an 8000word ... A: Samantha: Don't they have a "clean vocabulary university" over there? I would think it would be a ...
Mystery beetle invading home	1/25/2009
Q: I live in nothern New Jersey. Only during this winter have we seen a very strange looking beetle. ... A: Christine: You are within the range of a recently-introduced insect called the "brown marmorated ...
tiny dark 1 to 1-1/2mm thread larvea in dog water	1/25/2009
Q: I find these tiny larvae in the water sitting in the dog tray that I clean once a week. The dog ... A: Stevenie: Insect larvae (even if that is what you are finding, and not a worm of some kind) are ...
Ground floor, flying bug.	1/24/2009
Q: Wife and I have seen dozens of these over the past month in our ground floor family room in North ... A: Jacob: Thanks for including the image with your question. The image is of an "eastern boxelder ...
Black wasp looking insect in my house.	1/23/2009
Q: I brought my outside plants in about 6 weeks ago. I wonder if they are infested. And if so, how ... A: Becky: If the plants are potted in sandy soil, it is possible the female wasps decided to dig their ...
Black wasp looking insect in my house.	1/23/2009
Q: They are not aggressive, they fly relatively slowly, they have been in my house for at least a month ... A: Becky: The image is of a solitary wasp in the family Crabroninae, probably in the genus Larropsis, ...
Insects found from drinking water	1/23/2009
Q: I work for a water utility and a customer brought in a plastic drinking water bottle filled with ... A: Chris: You are correct in that they are fly larvae (or even pupae), but I have no idea what ...
beetles	1/22/2009
Q: I have a bing cherry tree thst has bark boorer beetles the tree is 20 years old all the leafs fell ... A: Joyce: You do not tell me where you live, which might help substantially in identifying what you ...
identification	1/22/2009
Q: I'm Ahalya,studing Agriculture at University of Jaffna,Srilanka.I got this photo of ladybeetle in my ... A: Ahalya: Ok, the image 'is' of a lady beetle, family Coccinellidae, but not like any species I've ...
black bee	1/21/2009
Q: I have identified the bee in my kitchen as a Megachile melanophaea wootoni. My problem is finding ... A: Cindy: Ok, the image is of a mason bee in the genus Osmia. Same family as leafcutter bees, but ...
My tiny mystery...	1/21/2009
Q: I was at my boyfriends house today & we found a teeny tiny tan bug with dark brown spots. It looked ... A: Brittnie: You had to go and mention "boyfriend," didn't you. LOL! Well, I'll help you anyway:-) ...
Un-identified Cocoon	1/20/2009
Q: I was wondering if you could identify this cocoon I found on the ground in rural Colorado. When I ... A: Fred: Well, it is not a cocoon. The image is of the PUPA of a moth of some kind. A cocoon, by ...
Wasp?	1/20/2009
Q: I have seen this large insect, approximate size is 3- 3 1/2" long. It has 3 sections a head, small ... A: Christin: You are most welcome. Adult males of the giant ichneumons do not have the long ...
Wasp?	1/19/2009
Q: I have seen this large insect, approximate size is 3- 3 1/2" long. It has 3 sections a head, small ... A: Christin: Well, your description still leaves lots of suspects on the list. The fascination with ...
identification	1/19/2009
Q: I'm Ahalya,studing Agriculture at University of Jaffna,Srilanka.I got this photo of ladybeetle in my ... A: Ahalya: No image was included with your question. You might try looking at online images of leaf ...
black bee	1/19/2009
Q: I have identified the bee in my kitchen as a Megachile melanophaea wootoni. My problem is finding ... A: Cindy: Wow, I'm going to come out of this looking like an ass no matter how I respond. LOL! My ...
Spider	1/14/2009
Q: I have tried searching on the web to identify a spider I encountered this morning, but have had no ... A: Rollanda: Hey, pat yourself on the back. I'm not claustrophobic or anything, but I have been in ...
black beetle	1/14/2009
Q: I live in the Bordeaux region in france by the coast in the country. In the last week on different ... A: Patsy: No, the serrated appendages are likely its jaws, though many beetles do have saw-like ...
black beetle	1/14/2009
Q: I live in the Bordeaux region in france by the coast in the country. In the last week on different ... A: Patsy: Two "millimeters" long? How did you ever even spot the thing? You must mean two ...
Wildfire Bugs	1/13/2009
Q: I was firefighting in Oregon and Northern California this summer and during the days times when ... A: Sean: I know exactly what you are talking about. I grew up in Oregon, but rarely saw the insects ...
Paper Wasp	1/13/2009
Q: I have several questions - I need to experiment - can paper wasps be cultivated or grown. If a nest ... A: Kevin: I don't have enough information here to help you much. Usually, paper wasps (Polistes is ...
black worms	1/12/2009
Q: So, I have reading a lot on how these black worms are showing up in people bathrooms & showers, even ... A: Bekka: They are, without a doubt, fly larvae. Many, many species feed on mold. The most likely ...
mystery bug	1/11/2009
Q: I have found only a few of these bugs in my basement in 30 years...gray,dusty looking,6 legs, very ... A: Carrie: I 'have' to respond to say thank you! You made my day:-) I am recovering from the ...
mystery bug	1/11/2009
Q: I have found only a few of these bugs in my basement in 30 years...gray,dusty looking,6 legs, very ... A: Carrie: I should be going to bed by now. LOL! Thank you very much for including so much detail in ...
Identify a large worm	1/11/2009
Q: A few years ago I was mowing the pipeline ROW, when we got back to the shop, on the bush hog I was ... A: Martin: It never ceases to amaze me how most of the questions I get from men are nostalgic like ...
Small Worm in Tea Bag packet	1/10/2009
Q: This morning around 9:30, I found a small "worm" crawling out of the outside packet of a tea bag ... A: Cherry: Since I am not being paid for this service, and don't like to leave myself open to ...
Spiders	1/8/2009
Q: I currently have a POW spider. I would like to let it go; but want to make sure it is beneficial and ... A: Cari: Thank you for including the image with your question, as I would have made an incorrect ...
What is this Bug? It's Huge!	1/8/2009
Q: My dog found this in my drive way around 10:30pm. I am in Los Angeles, in the Highland Park area. ... A: Mike and Alice: Thanks for including the image with your question. The creature is even in focus ...
Bug ID	1/8/2009
Q: My husband killed a large bug (over and inch long)in our house today. It was brown in color. When ... A: Cary: You did not even tell me where you live, which would really be helpful. Still, I may have an ...
found a weird bug	1/7/2009
Q: Alright so i live in Massachusetts and i was changing my sheets and i found a bug underneath my ... A: Andrew: You are definitely describing an insect larva of some kind. Unfortunately, without seeing ...
Spider Identification N. Florida	1/6/2009
Q: I live in Tallahassee and am unable to identify a spider whose web my son ran into yesterday. The ... A: Tamara: If the web is round (circular, spiral pattern with 'spokes'), then you are describing an ...
Scorpions	1/6/2009
Q: Eaton, I am a nine year old students who is doing a big project on scorpions. I have learned some ... A: Matt: I really don't know enough to answer your questions. I would recommend joining (free) this ...
A Worm Question	12/29/2008
Q: I found in my bathroom today what looked like something stuck to the wall. Then I saw it move. I ... A: John: You don't say where you live! It is generally imperative that I have this information, ...
Jerusalem Cricket	12/29/2008
Q: I have found two Jerusalem Crickets in Yolo and Woodland, CA in the last year. From my understanding ... A: Sara: Jerusalem crickets are found throughout the western U.S. and southwest Canada, as far east as ...
large flying insect	12/28/2008
Q: I have long believed that as a child, I was witness to a giant dragonfly. It was the early 1960's; ... A: Joni: It is very common for people to exaggerate the size of insects. This is not always their ...
thin hard black bug in So Calif	12/26/2008
Q: For the past few years I have found on my patio and marching across the carpet of my house ... A: Jill: I think that you must be describing some kind of millipede, which is not an insect or an ...
Mantids	12/25/2008
Q: I believe it's the Mediterranean Mantis that lives here in Las Vegas, Nevada. Do you know if either ... A: Tom: It is very possible that the Mediterranean mantis (Iris oratoria) now occurs in Las Vegas, but ...
Archispirostreptos gigas	12/23/2008
Q: I have a giant African millipede that has an extreme overgrowth of setae.( The setae on the ... A: again, Lisa: Well, you don't tell me where you live! LOL! Universities are always a good place to ...
Black 8 legged household bugs	12/23/2008
Q: I have a question. I keep finding very small black bulbous eight legged bugs in my house. I live ... A: Joy: I think you are actually describing an insect with six legs and two antennae.... Try looking ...
nest identification	12/21/2008
Q: About 20 of these nests has appeared in my yard w/in 100 square feet of each other sometime in the ... A: Lee: First, it would help immensely if you told me where on the planet Earth you live. I 'do' get ...
Mystery insect	12/20/2008
Q: This insect was found in my garage. It looked to be 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length. The distintive ... A: Rodney: I had a pretty good idea what you were talking about even before I saw the image, but thank ...
creepy bug in my dorm bathroom	12/20/2008
Q: I'm at school in Boston and while I was in the bathroom this morning I noticed a fairly small bug on ... A: Lisa: Actually, your description fits a fair number of insects and related creatures, but I'll ...
Archispirostreptos gigas	12/17/2008
Q: I have a giant African millipede that has an extreme overgrowth of setae.( The setae on the ... A: I suppose I can get out of this one on a technicality (millipedes are not insects OR arachnids), but ...
Black winged bug	12/17/2008
Q: This morning we found a six legged insect with slender black wings jutting out from the top of its ... A: Rory: Thanks for your very interesting question. Believe it or not, I once worked in the mailroom ...
Mystery Insect	12/16/2008
Q: Greetings. I am a resident of Ontario, Canada (the Southwest region). Yesterday, I noticed a ... A: Peter: I'd say thank you for attaching the picture, but I just finished eating dinner a little ...
Very small black fly/gnat type insects in house	12/15/2008
Q: Bettendorf, IA; beginning 12/1/08 to present, 12/15/08; appearance of numerous small flying insects ... A: Will: Thank you for including the image with your question, it confirms what I assumed from your ...
Pantry and Cat bugs	12/15/2008
Q: What type of bug has three body sections, is red, very small, no wings, six legs, antenae? We've ... A: Travis: Your generic description could fit any number of insects; and you don't specify where you ...
What in the world?????	12/10/2008
Q: I live in Columbus, GA which is in the valley central west of the state (right next to Alabama). ... A: Simeon: Thank you for your question, and including all the relevant information I need to help you. ...
hundreds of tiny bugs on lab	12/9/2008
Q: The other morning after our lab slept in our bed, there were hundreds of tiny blackish bugs, the ... A: Nicole: Your question had me truly perplexed initially. I couldn't understand what a laboratory ...
flesh eating (carion)small black insect...	12/7/2008
Q: Greetings Eric. I live in south Texas first of all, to be specific; Montgomery county which is down ... A: Mitch: It is amazing to me how so many of my questions from men are nostalgic ("I saw this bug ...
possible wood beatle	12/7/2008
Q: I live in Dublin, Ireland. ON a trip to Spain last Christmas I purchased a willow basket. Only a few ... A: Suzanne: I must commend you for having the knowledge and understanding of insect behavior and ...
Grasshopperlookalike with spikes on it.	12/6/2008
Q: My son goes to school in Farmingdale NJ and his friend opened his back pack and out came a bug that ... A: Margaret: Someone needs to take a clear image of this thing and post it to: ...
Grasshopperlookalike with spikes on it.	12/6/2008
Q: My son goes to school in Farmingdale NJ and his friend opened his back pack and out came a bug that ... A: Margaret: Well, believe it or not, that brief description fits a lot of different insects. My top ...
Cicada in the house	12/5/2008
Q: I live in Massachusetts and it's early December. I have been hearing what I think is a cicada in my ... A: Nanci: Well, at this time of year it is very unlikely that it is a cicada. I would suspect that it ...
Is this a beetle?	12/4/2008
Q: I came home and this but was on the chair, not moving. It was daytime and the bug didn't move when I ... A: Katie: You don't state where on Earth you live, but I'm going to say it is probably somewhere in ...
flying bug	12/3/2008
Q: I recently moved to Hagerstown, Md this summer part rural area and noticed that a tick like bug, ... A: Crystal: I can just about guarantee that you are describing the "brown marmorated stink bug," ...
Mystery Insect found in Southern California Pool	12/2/2008
Q: I recently came across of this picture I took of a mystery bug we found in our pool in the summer of ... A: Bianca: I knew what the insect was before I even saw the picture. If only I had a dime for every ...
Can you help me identify this bug	12/1/2008
Q: so I've been finding these small six legged off white and brown with 2 antenna coming off its head ... A: Ryan: The cats can eat silverfish without any ill effects. They are not poisonous or otherwise ...
Can you help me identify this bug	12/1/2008
Q: so I've been finding these small six legged off white and brown with 2 antenna coming off its head ... A: Ryan: Just happened to be online, not normally this fast in reply.... Hard to tell from the image, ...
Please help me identify these bugs!	11/30/2008
Q: I live in Vermont, and noticed these bugs last week (they could well have been around before then). ... A: Jessica: Thank you for including the image with your question, as I would have given a completely ...
now with photo	11/30/2008
Q: I am attaching a photo of a mystery insect that walked into my bathroom the other night. I was only ... A: Donna: Thank you for including the nice, clear image with your question. I guess someone got ...
Yellow worm harms?	11/29/2008
Q: The worms are about half an inch and are a little bright yellow. We have a dog in our house and the ... A: Stephanie: I can't possibly be of help. You don't tell me where the worm is appearing (IN the ...
Very Odd looking bug	11/29/2008
Q: I live in Florida and lately Ive come across this bug, not in large amounts, its random, but Ive ... A: Roy: Ok, great, thanks for the clarification. Please check out the "household casebearer," aka ...
can't indentify a bug	11/29/2008
Q: I'm cleaning out my house, getting ready to move, and have finished the back room when I noticed a ... A: Rebecca: Your question appears to be incomplete. At the least, you have forgotten to state where ...
looked like human hair lice but different	11/28/2008
Q: Can you help me find out what kind of bug I am describing, please? A name and a photo/image of the ... A: Ya: Well, your description could actually apply to several different kinds of insects, but I'll put ...
Very Odd looking bug	11/28/2008
Q: I live in Florida and lately Ive come across this bug, not in large amounts, its random, but Ive ... A: Roy: You might be describing nymphs (immatures, juveniles) of the "masked hunter," Reduvius ...
Please identify	11/26/2008
Q: I traveled to Costa Rica over the summer, and I came across this amazing grasshopper. Can you please ... A: Michelle: Wow. Thank you for the nice image with your astute-) It is so great to hear from ...
"green" ladybug	11/25/2008
Q: I think I might have spotted a bettle. This looks more like a ladybug but greenish color. I was at ... A: N: Don't know what a "bettle" is, but if you mean "beetle," then it was probably a spotted cucumber ...
spit from bugs?	11/25/2008
Q: We live in Arizona for the winter. When we come back, after the house has been closed up for the ... A: Betty: Well, I suppose the discoloration 'could' be caused by an insect....Several insects are ...
worm/caterpilar in bathroom, kitchen	11/24/2008
Q: I'm trying to identify a tan/grey worm/caterpillar found in our upstairs bathroom (one on the tile ... A: Joe: I could have sworn I already answered this question.... Please consider the possibility that ...
small brown beetle like bugs, very small	11/23/2008
Q: At first I noticed them in the kitchen and now all over the house.Hard shelled tiny beetle, brown ... A: Linda: You may have more than one insect at play here....Definitely some kind of "stored product ...
bugs bugs	11/22/2008
Q: I woke up and came into my bathroom but it is infested with bugs a brown back and longer wings we ... A: Sharon: Ok, you don't tell me where on the planet you live, and you give me a description that ...
Identify unknown flying insect	11/21/2008
Q: In the early sunny fall evening Sep or Oct, I walked my dog along the sidewalk, one side having a ... A: Elcie: Thank you for your delightful question! I'm always glad to hear when someone is enchanted ...
Worms in my jets	11/20/2008
Q: My question is reguarding small black worms that are coming out of my bath jets. I read the same ... A: Shannan: For some reason the subject line of your question just makes me laugh:-) For a moment I ...
Please help me identify this stinging insect	11/20/2008
Q: Two days ago my son was sitting on a floor pillow and jumped up yelling that something had just ... A: Barbara: There are LOTS of different kinds of assassin bugs, so there is no 'the' assassin ...
Please help me identify this stinging insect	11/19/2008
Q: Two days ago my son was sitting on a floor pillow and jumped up yelling that something had just ... A: Barbara: Just happened to be online, not normally this fast in replying.... Well, you don't tell ...
tiny brown bug identification	11/19/2008
Q: My roommate found a tiny brown bug crawling (slowly) on her bed at around 5pm and says that she ... A: Allie: Sure I have ideas. Lots of ideas. That is the problem! There are literally thousands of ...
WHAT is this?	11/17/2008
Q: This bug was found in my friends' house. She lives in GA. It looks like a cricket but with many ... A: Jenny: I am delighted that you are "curious" rather than terrified! Thanks for the link to the ...
stinky beetle	11/17/2008
Q: I live in central Illinois, and I was awakened the other night by a beetle crawling on my arm. Not a ... A: Rob: Ok, well, I'm not aware of powder post beetles having defensive secretions....Any way you can ...
Strange bug on dog	11/17/2008
Q: The other day, I noticed what I thought was a dried drop of blood on my dog. I removed it, didn't ... A: Julia: It 'was' a mite. More specifically, it was a tick. Ticks are just really big mites. The ...
tiny biting insects	11/16/2008
Q: I saw a question on your site that a previous person emailed to you about tiny bugs that are only ... A: William: I'm sorry, but without seeing an actual specimen, I can't begin to give you an ...
what kind of bug	11/16/2008
Q: I live in Kansas and this morning at 11am i found a bug in my bedroom on the wall and have no idea ... A: Rachel: Sounds like you are describing a common and totally harmless insect called a "camel ...
Caterpillar	11/14/2008
Q: I would like to know what kind of caterpillar we have in our tree in the backyard. We just noticed ... A: Brenda: Wow, thanks for attaching the image with your question. I am also impressed with the fact ...
stinky beetle	11/14/2008
Q: I live in central Illinois, and I was awakened the other night by a beetle crawling on my arm. Not a ... A: Rob: Thank you for such an intelligent question. You obviously have great writing skills as well. ...
Please help me identify this mystery critter	11/14/2008
Q: Lately I have seen a very small (about 2-4 mm long), tan (which could possibly have brown stripes ... A: Angela: This is when I wish I could charge a dime for every question I got about this critter. I'd ...
Bugs in apartment	11/13/2008
Q: For the past few days I have been noticing these small bugs crawling on the walls, floor, inside the ... A: Erica: Thank you for your question. I'm changing it to "public" because it addresses a beetle I ...
What was that?	11/13/2008
Q: This morning my housemate and I tried to do battle with this huge bug. It was about 3-4 inches long ... A: Taneisha: I love your subject line:-) I like that you still had some positive sentiments regarding ...
Leech ID.	11/12/2008
Q: I found these leeches at my Waste Water Treatment Plant located in North Central Texas(11/07/2008 ... A: Daemeon: Leeches are not insects or arachnids, so they are well outside my area of expertise. ...
Big Black Insect	11/11/2008
Q: I found this mystery insect in our basement, and this is the third one I have encountered. I live ... A: Vanessa: I grew up in Portland:-) At that time, the insect in question did not occur there, at ...
caterpillar	11/11/2008
Q: Please help us identify a caterpillar that we just found in the house. We would like to feed it ... A: Two things are important for the caterpillar to develop properly and complete its metamorphosis ...
box elder bugs	11/10/2008
Q: Eric, I know you feel these bugs are not a problem but I am starting to itch every time I get into ... A: Belle: I'm afraid I can be of no more help here (I know I answered a question from 'someone' about ...
bug identification	11/10/2008
Q: Last Spring of 2008, I installed a green cone in the backyard, here in Seattle, WA. It is used for ... A: Shane: Thanks for including the image with your question. The beetles are "picnic beetles" in the ...
caterpillar	11/10/2008
Q: Please help us identify a caterpillar that we just found in the house. We would like to feed it ... A: Melissa: You don't state where on Earth you found this caterpillar, which could better help me to ...
Box Elder Bugs in my car	11/9/2008
Q: I read where someone else asked you about this. But my husband works at UPS in Atlanta and a alot ... A: I'm sorry to hear that you "hate bugs." Your attitude is really what needs changing here. I'm ...
Strange Wasp lie insect	11/9/2008
Q: I found two to Three wasp like bungs crawling around my windows I killed them and mushed them to a ... A: Katie: I don't understand how you can be so polite to me, but so merciless on those insects, before ...
Grasshopper Like Creature	11/9/2008
Q: What are these "mutated grasshopper like insects that I have seen in my home as well as my mothers ... A: April: Most all insects with chewing mouthparts can bite, how else would they eat?:-) The ones you ...
bugs on cat	11/8/2008
Q: my cat has odd bugs on him. They are like fleas but they do not jump and have no wings. I have ... A: Tina: Did I just answer this question? They could very well be bed bugs, but without more ...
bug/cocoon	11/7/2008
Q: The cocoon is about the size of a peppercorn and is similar in weight. I'm not sure how many grams. ... A: Brian: You don't say where on Earth you live (I'm assuming Earth since I haven't gotten questions ...
What bug is it?	11/7/2008
Q: Last night, around 9:45, I saw a small, light brown bug on the wall above my bedroom nightstand. No ... A: First off, you have my sincerest empathy regarding your cat. I don't have one, but am very fond of ...
looks like cotton-	11/7/2008
Q: but up close, CREEPY tiny prehistoric looking oval shaped bugs with long pointed tails! Help! I live ... A: Dana: Without seeing actual specimens, or at least a clear, relatively detailed image, I can't be ...
Tiny winged bug in Florida	11/6/2008
Q: We live in Naples, FL. I've noticed many of these tiny winged bugs outside our garage. Mostly I've ... A: Liz: Thank you for trying (with the image:-). Unfortunately, I can't help you. Florida has LOTS ...
Please ID spider from MD	11/6/2008
Q: I found a spider on the basement of my house in Columbia, Maryland. My basement is a ferret shelter ... A: Fili: Thank you for attaching a (clear!) image with your question. The spider is an adult female ...
spider	11/6/2008
Q: I woke up having felt something bite my arm i hit at it then felt a bite on my side. i brushed it ... A: Scott: Thank you for including the image with your question. The spider is an adult male jumping ...
BIG bee	11/5/2008
Q: My son and daughter live in Virginia. Called and described this bug. About 2 inches long, looks ... A: Becky: You give a very nice description of a solitary wasp known as the "cicada killer," Sphecius ...
bug	11/5/2008
Q: I recently saw a bug in my house, actually my dog found it. It was about 3 inches long. I think it ... A: Seana: You don't even tell me where on the planet you live. Without a lot more detail I cannot be ...
Bugs in bathroom	11/5/2008
Q: I have been finding small brown bugs in my bathroom in Brooklyn, New York. At first I was worried ... A: Ryan: I am confident that what you are describing are the larvae of carpet beetles (family ...
BUG ID	11/4/2008
Q: Yesterday my husband and I observed a mystery bug in our son's room at bedtime (around 8:30 PM). It ... A: Lauren: I'm very flattered, thank you:-) By the way, marmorated stink bugs are vegetarians. They ...
tiny crawling, worm-like bugs	11/4/2008
Q: I have noticed a lot of tiny, crawling, worm-like bugs showing up in places such as my shoe boxes, ... A: Fay: You are likely describing some kind of insect larva. Larvae are even harder to ID than adult ...
BUG ID	11/3/2008
Q: Yesterday my husband and I observed a mystery bug in our son's room at bedtime (around 8:30 PM). It ... A: LOL! No apologies necessary:-) I just happened to be online, not normally this fast in ...
small black worms??	11/3/2008
Q: I live in Central Jersey...and over the past two weeks, I have seen three of these 1-inch long black ... A: Sarah: Just happened to be online, not normally this fast at replying... Sounds like you are ...
Spider ID	11/3/2008
Q: NE Florida. This spider has a web from the corner of our garage to a light pole near the house. Has ... A: Lori: Just happened to be online, not normally this fast in reply.... Thanks for including the ...
insect in my house	11/2/2008
Q: I live in n.e. ohio. I have a bug that looks simular to the kissing bug yet it has long bent back ... A: Toni: Without seeing at least an image of the insect in question, it is difficult to give an ...
Jerusalem cricket and mystery mounds of dirt	11/2/2008
Q: Over the past couple of weeks, we have noticed weird mounds of dirt in our (unpaved)driveway...they ... A: Tammy: I suppose the insect and the mounds of soil 'could' be related. Jerusalem crickets ...
bugs	11/1/2008
Q: I live in S.W.Ontario. Now the weather is getting cool we have had several of these insects,between ... A: Douglas: Thank you for including the image with your question, though in this case the description ...
Mystery Bug	10/31/2008
Q: I live in Anchorage, AK. A few months ago I was putting my daughter to bed when a strange ... A: Therese: You might have to define "many" when it comes to the number of legs. It sounds like you ...
Caterpillar/Spider	10/31/2008
Q: there was this caterpillar bug on my bathroom wall, but it had huge thin legs that went out, bent, ... A: Mark: You are describing a "house centipede," Scutigera coleoptrata. They are common indoor ...
? insect larvae or what?	10/31/2008
Q: In the last week I have found 5-6 small pea sized black shiney objects in my upstairs in my bedroom ... A: Deb: Lived WHERE for 15 years?! Sorry, but it is a real handicap to me when people don't state ...
Bug ID	10/30/2008
Q: What is this? It's about 2.5 inches long and has some sort of fang thing coming from it's head. ... A: Holly: Thank you for including the image with your question. Nice picture! Most folks seem to ...
found an interesting bug... now what?	10/30/2008
Q: I live in Saskatchewan in Canada and I was working at a local extra foods when I was told there was ... A: Sara: I suspect the raspberries came from elsewhere other than Sakatchewan? I assume the woman ...
Bug Identification Help	10/30/2008
Q: I just moved into a new house out in the country (Northern Illinois) - I noticed in one of my window ... A: Chris: I think you may be referring to "oil beetles" in the genus Meloe, family Meloidae (the ...
little larvea or bug	10/29/2008
Q: I found a dead little white larvae in my house on the floor. It measure between 1 and 2 centimeters. ... A: Jennifer: Have you been splitting firewood? The larva is that of a longhorned woodboring beetle ...
weevils	10/29/2008
Q: My question relates to another you already answered. I have what I think are grain weevils in the ... A: Lerin: You may (probably) have root weevils entering your home. They are abundant in your neck of ...
Not a Woolly Aphid	10/28/2008
Q: I am looking to identify a bug. It looks like a gnat; small with clear wings, comes in swarms, ... A: Suzy: Forgive me, but I beg to differ with you. What you describe is indeed a "woolly aphid." ...
spider (?) identification	10/28/2008
Q: A friend of mine has a relative in Texas. They have a strange looking spider building a web on the ... A: Tammy: Thanks for attaching the image with your question. Not a bad image, but I still can only ...
Small bugs in safe	10/27/2008
Q: Use a small fireproof safe to store documents. Being fireproof it becomes very damp inside. Have ... A: Glenn: Here is what you do: Open the safe. Remove contents. Send all cash-related documents to ...
large black-body insect sting/bite	10/27/2008
Q: I and friends were backpacking along Buffalo River in Arkansas Saturday Oct.25th. I heard what ... A: Barry: Wow, I have no positive ID for what nailed you, though a few suspects come to mind: ...
What is this flying black bug?	10/23/2008
Q: Last fall and this fall, the front side of our house (where the sun is) has been overtaken my black ... A: Jo Anne: You don't tell me where you live! I am going to assume it is somewhere in North America, ...
egg sacs	10/23/2008
Q: I have found in a couple places in the garden white egg sacs, about four each time. The first time ... A: Meredith: Well, in this case you do have some cause for concern. The egg sacs you describe fit ...
walsp, cow killer ?	10/23/2008
Q: I have an invasion of wasp near hedges in my backyard, they swarm when i mow the lawn. only see them ... A: Maurice: I thank you for your description, I just wish you had mentioned where you live! The fact ...
mystery bug/bee?	10/22/2008
Q: I was outside my classroom when I saw a very large looking bee? HE was about 1.5 inches long mostly ... A: Kellee: I can think of at least two kinds of insects this could be, but I'll start with the most ...
fast crawling,brown, skinny, 1 inch long with about 30 legs	10/22/2008
Q: My name is Xavana and I live in Sacramento, Ca. I live in a house with 6 large trees in my front ... A: Xavana, Monie: You are describing a harmless creature called a "house centipede" (Scutigera ...
bugs/insect	10/21/2008
Q: i have been finding a brownish blackish spider in our bedroom only. these spiders seem to appear ... A: Salma: Without seeing at least a clear image of the creature, I can't conclude what it is from ...
spiders?	10/21/2008
Q: I live just north of Chicago, and I find a lot of spiders and webs in my house. Over the past ... A: Helen: Unless your blinds are living, breathing animals, the spiders aren't the ones doing the ...
Food Infestation	10/21/2008
Q: I have found these bugs all over our kitchen. I have found them in powdered dry food goods, in ... A: Ryan: Insects have succeeded because they are persistent. They also have strong jaws, and flimsy ...
Att. Photo	10/20/2008
Q: Att. is a photo of a swarm of insects that appeared out of nowhere at the far end of our backyard a ... A: Martin: Well, the ants in the image of the swarm are definitely NOT carpenter ants. I'm not in the ...
What is this ??? I had over 100 on me ...	10/20/2008
Q: Can you help out? I was walking in the wood, more precise, in Quebec, Canada and suddenly I add over ... A: Frederic: Thank you for including the image with your question. Yes, you probably should be at ...
Food Infestation	10/20/2008
Q: I have found these bugs all over our kitchen. I have found them in powdered dry food goods, in ... A: Ryan: Several kinds of moths infest the foods you describe. You might even have more than one ...
baby spiders	10/19/2008
Q: I was at the Catoctin mountain zoo in Maryland today, October 18th. It was about 11am, and I noticed ... A: Bryell: Those were not spiders. You are describing "woolly aphids" in the genus Eriosoma. The ...
dirt dobbers	10/19/2008
Q: Can dirt dobbers sting people? Thank You, Kelli Wendel A: Kelli: I think you mean "mud daubers," which are solitary wasps of several different kinds. ...
Mimics a predator	10/19/2008
Q: I found this under a pile of brick I was moving. It was a moist location, there were slugs & ... A: Ken: Thank you for including the image with your question. It leaves no doubt what your mystery ...
small larvae	10/18/2008
Q: Do silverfish come in maggot form? I'm not sure how to word this intelligently :-) but as I ... A: Dee: You offer some very intelligent questions, please don't apologize:-) Silverfish are ...
Small Black bug	10/18/2008
Q: We have a small black bug that reminds you of a pepper flake and not any bigger than that that gives ... A: Christine: You don't tell me where you live, which might help somewhat, but the description you ...
larvae identification	10/17/2008
Q: Found this critter in a water drop. I have seen a couple others in the yard. Any idea what it is ... A: Laurie: Thanks for including the interesting image with your question...It is a fly larva of some ...
Please help	10/17/2008
Q: After pouring through countless sites, we are positive that we have been observing CARPET BUG LARVAE ... A: Thornton: Don't know what to tell you. I doubt the larvae and the other insect are related, though ...
Also have white bugs in my house	10/17/2008
Q: I live in San Francisco and have recently been finding tiny white bugs, particularly on my ... A: Kristin: Ok, thanks for the images, which are of "booklice" in the order Psocoptera. I don't know ...
Jumping bug	10/16/2008
Q: We've suddenly noticed a brown-colored, sort of spidery looking insects with back legs like a ... A: Karen: I got an identical question just the other day.... You are describing "camel crickets" in ...
Also have white bugs in my house	10/16/2008
Q: I live in San Francisco and have recently been finding tiny white bugs, particularly on my ... A: Kristin: You are likely describing springtails, primitive invertebrates in the class Collembola ...
silver bud in bedding	10/16/2008
Q: i went to make the bed earlier and their was a silver bug sort of slithering around. i did kill it, ... A: Dena: Cleanliness and indoor insects rarely have anything to do with one another. It is rarely ...
mystery scorpion-like spider	10/15/2008
Q: I live in Ontario & have found a bizarre spider that i'm hoping you can tell me about. yesterday it ... A: Lisa: I think you are simply describing a spider that was in the process of molting (shedding its ...
grass carrying wasps	10/14/2008
Q: I have cleaned out all 50 of my casement windows of nests created by grass carrying wasps. What a ... A: Connie: I must say I am pleasantly surprised by your reply, thank you. Yes, you can attach the ...
grass carrying wasps	10/14/2008
Q: I have cleaned out all 50 of my casement windows of nests created by grass carrying wasps. What a ... A: Connie: I lived in Cincinnati for eleven years, in apartments that barely had windows at all. I ...
little blue flies	10/14/2008
Q: I just returned home from out cottage near Algonquin park in Ontario, Canada and around 4:30pm until ... A: Shannon: You were seeing "woolly aphids." Normally wingless, they have a dispersal generation that ...
mystery bug	10/13/2008
Q: I found a bug in my kitchen in Westchester County, NY. I did some research to find out what it was, ... A: Laura: Thanks for your question. I cannot give a definitive response based only on your brief ...
worms in bathroom	10/13/2008
Q: We bought a log home about 4yrs ago. Ever since then, right around the spring time and into the ... A: Julie: Sounds like you are describing small millipedes (Myriapoda), which are not insects or ...
Spider ID	10/13/2008
Q: We found a spider in Auburn, Michigan and cannot identify it. It has a LARGE ROUND body and long ... A: Melissa: Thank you for attaching the image with your question, as it leaves no doubt as to what you ...
Mystery bugs/beetles	10/12/2008
Q: We live in Chicago. For the past 6 years, like clockwork, in the summer (from about late June to ... A: Rand: The cycle you describe does not fit boxelder bugs, either. I would need to see at least a ...
Wingless Crickets?	10/12/2008
Q: I have a lot of what appear to be wingless crickets in my garage here in Diamond Bar, CA, which is ... A: Greg: You are describing "camel crickets" in the family Rhaphidophoridae. The common genera in ...
Mystery Bug -	10/11/2008
Q: Ok, we have a grouping of bugs in our backyard that are the cutest little things. We live in the ... A: Jenni: What a delight to get a question describing insects as the "cutest little things." You ...
Countertop Kitchen Bugs	10/11/2008
Q: Over the past month or so, I have once in a while caught sight of a black bug run across the ... A: Barbara: You don't give me the one piece of information that usually helps the most: WHERE YOU ...
Bugs found on my sofa	10/11/2008
Q: I was vacuuming my living room couch today and found a small bug which led me to tear the couch ... A: Breaz: Thank you for giving me detailed information, and attaching the image with your question. ...
parasitic wasps	10/10/2008
Q: Can you please identify the wasps and methods of indoor control? A: Zee: Your attached image is not a wasp at all. It is a fly of some kind, and no, the image is too ...
little black bugs suddenly appeared	10/10/2008
Q: I have noticed seeing about half dozen of these small, approx 1/4", black with what looks like a ... A: Maria: Could be any number of different insects: rove beetle, earwig, immature (nymph) of some ...
BROWN BUG WITH WINGS COMING IN THROUGH WINDOWS	10/10/2008
Q: WE HAVE THESE BROWN BUGS WITH WINGS THAT LOOKS LIKE BEETLES, COMING THROUGH THE WINDOWS. THEY SEEM ... A: Javalise: WHY ARE YOU LEAVING THE WINDOWS OPEN? LOL! Sorry, couldn't resist.... You don't tell ...
beetle help	10/9/2008
Q: i hope you can help, within the last few weeks to month we have been infested by these red/black ... A: Lynn: No need to panic. Thanks for attaching the image, as it leaves no doubt as to the identity ...
Mystery Insect	10/9/2008
Q: I have never seen an insect like this before and I grew up in Michigan and have travelled all over ... A: Charles: Thank you for attaching the image, as it leaves no doubt what you have there. The insect ...
Huge yellow and black banded bee	10/8/2008
Q: I live in Southern New Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia. I have seen very large bees that have ... A: Virginia: Your description fits many different wasps and bees in your area. My list of suspects is ...
catapillar	10/8/2008
Q: I found a small caterpillar on my truck this morning. I live in Tampa, Fl. ..I believe it may have ... A: William: I assume you mean "caterpillar," the correct spelling of the name for some insect larvae. ...
mystery bug	10/7/2008
Q: I have found on several occasions on my carpet, bugs that looks exactly like fleas. They are ... A: Merle: Without a lot more information, including where on the planet you live, I can't be of much ...
small bug in house	10/7/2008
Q: Hey- I have a bug problem in a 4 yr old home in Oregon. They are very little, 2 pin heads, black and ... A: Paula: I grew up in Oregon, but your description reminds me only of adult carpet beetles, family ...
bugs in my house	10/7/2008
Q: I have these light green/ white bugs in my house. They are small about the size of a quarter of a ... A: Sarah: I'm afraid your description fits literally hundreds, if not thousands, of different kinds of ...
hive or nest of some sort	10/6/2008
Q: My neighbor has a nest that I have never seen before. He was stung by the insects so they must be a ... A: Jane: You are describing the nest of a yellowjacket of some sort, and almost certainly that of the ...
tiny solid colored bug	10/6/2008
Q: For months, I have been finding small groupings of tiny brownish solid colored bugs everyday dead at ... A: Rhonda: Saw your post over at Bugguide.net. They are some kind of 'stored product pest' in the ...
never seen this bug before	10/6/2008
Q: twice now in the afternoon in central illinois on sunny days we have seen a bug six legs, greenish, ... A: Sara: Great description of a "wheel bug," Arilus cristatus, one of the assassin bugs in the family ...
Death-watch and Powderpost Beetles	10/5/2008
Q: I am an entomologist and recently had a friend ask me about Death-watch and Powderpost beetles. A ... A: If you are an entomologist and don't know the answer, then I'm not sure I'm qualified to take a stab ...
worm-like insect in bed	10/5/2008
Q: I was about to climb into bed when I noticed a very small insect crawling around on the sheets. It ... A: Rachel: More than 90% of my questions that have such a description turn out to be answered with: ...
unknown bug	10/5/2008
Q: http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn177/cole558/alistairsyuckybug2.jpg ... A: Nicole: Thank you for the link to those very clear images! Makes my 'job' (volunteer as it is) ...
Identify a worm	10/4/2008
Q: I have found a couple of worms in my back yard. Between 5 to 9 inches and have a shovel shape head ... A: Leland: You are describing some kind of terrestrial "flatworm," which is not an insect, so that is ...
What Is This?	10/4/2008
Q: I live about 30 miles outside of Oklahoma City, and this is the second bug like this that I have ... A: Stephanie: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. The insect in the picture is a ...
Insect Identification	10/4/2008
Q: I need help identifying this type of bug that constantly keeps getting into the house (mostly ... A: Caitlin: You give a pretty fair description of what I strongly suspect are specimens of the "brown ...
Prehistoric looking bug	10/3/2008
Q: My children found some strange looking creatures. We live in Quemado NM and they were in a pond ... A: Kari: I think you are probably describing "tadpole shrimp," a type of freshwater crustacean adapted ...
bug found on clothes	10/3/2008
Q: I have been finding small larvae like bugs on our clothes and laundry. They are brownish, grey in ... A: Karen: There was no image attached with your question. The most likely suspects would be: Larvae ...
What is this	10/3/2008
Q: Can you tell me what this is A: Jennifer: Thanks for attaching the image with your question. I can just barely make out a blurry ...
small black worms coming the shower wall	10/2/2008
Q: I have small black worms coming out of my shower wall. The worm are 1/4 in. to 3/8 in. long, with ... A: Kristy: I'm afraid I can't offer a conclusive ID without seeing actual specimens, or at least ...
Need help to identify bug	10/2/2008
Q: I am trying to identify a very tiny black looking bug that has been showing up in our bathroom for ... A: Bob: Wow, you sure did go to a lot of trouble to get that incredible image! Good thing, too, as it ...
bugs	10/2/2008
Q: This bug is a small hard worm like bug that can be found in moist areas in the house ,(bathroom , ... A: Tom: Was there supposed to be an image attached? From your description I can't tell if you are ...
Small/Tiny brownish bugs in kitchen/bathroom	10/1/2008
Q: I moved into a new apartment last July (I live in CT) and for the first few months my roommate and I ... A: Katelyn: You are probably describing "springtails," order (or class) Collembola. Not all species ...
flea-like biting insect	10/1/2008
Q: I went outside two evenings ago to wait for some friends and ended up scurrying inside. I was ... A: Jo: Thank you for giving the best description that you could, under the circumstances, and ...
Mystery bug!!!! Help it looks a bit worrysome	10/1/2008
Q: I found this bug in my sink and my basement today. It has alot of legs but they are delicate like a ... A: Amanda: You are probably describing a "house centipede," Scutigera coleoptrata. They are very ...
Deadly Wolf Spider	9/24/2008
Q: Ok I have been trying to identify this spider, I have been told it is a wolf spider, but a deadly ... A: Brandy: What you have is a harmless, native wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. Yes, they are ...
Bug Identivication	9/24/2008
Q: Recently, I have noticed a small brownish bug with black spots crawling in one room of my house (my ... A: Anita: I am puzzled by your description. The only insect I can think of that remotely qualifies ...
little gnat sized spiders	9/24/2008
Q: I live in eastern Nebraska and last week as I was getting ready for bed I noticed several small dark ... A: Lora: Well, thank you for including the image that confirms they are indeed spiders and not bed ...
Black furry spider with giant fangs and black and red striped legs	9/23/2008
Q: I was driving to work and stopped at the 7/11 down the street from me in northern NJ. Before I got ... A: Eva: Well, without seeing the image, or the spider itself, I'm a bit hard pressed to make an ...
Beetle or cockroach??	9/23/2008
Q: I am from St.Paul, Minnesota (urban area) and had thought I had found a cockroach in my cupboard a ... A: J: Does sound like a beetle. Roaches of most types will run rapidly when approached. Since about ...
paper nest	9/23/2008
Q: 30 miles n. of seattle wa. paper hive in maple tree. approx soccer ball size. entrance hole near ... A: Tom: You are describing a nest of the bald-faced "hornet," Dolichovespula maculata, which is NOT a ...
Grasshopper?	9/22/2008
Q: I'm going to include a couple of pictures of something that I found dead in my back yard, could you ... A: Jessica: You don't state where you live, but I'll bet it is a relatively dry, arid place somewhere ...
black bugs	9/22/2008
Q: Eric- We work in the Port of Tampa in Tampa, FL. We have seen some strange bugs in our time here. ... A: Christine: I can't tell what it is either, from your brief description. I'm surprised you don't ...
cicada killers	9/22/2008
Q: i just moved into a new house in cecil co, md about a month and a half ago, and have noticed that we ... A: Krystal: The behavior you describe is typical not of cicada killers, but of the social wasp known ...
Ant?	9/21/2008
Q: I was recently on vacation at the Historical site of Jamestown in Virginia. This large fire engine ... A: Karyn: You are without a doubt describing a "velvet ant," which is actually a wingless female wasp ...
Nightly resident	9/21/2008
Q: We live in Northeast Florida and have recently discovered a rather large, golden brown spider that ... A: Chris: If the web is a lovely round spiral shape, then you are describing some kind of orb weaver ...
mystery bug in my kitchen drawers/cabinets	9/21/2008
Q: Within the last month or so I've noticed these bugs in my cabinets (first in my mixing bowls, then ... A: Denise: I was pretty sure I could tell you what you have there....until you said this is in Puerto ...
tiny worm made home on lilac leaf	9/20/2008
Q: My poor lilac bush is only about a foot tall, just sprouted this summer and has already had to ... A: Abby: Your image is of caterpillars called "leaf rollers." Most leaf rollers, leaf folders, and ...
wasp/hornet	9/20/2008
Q: tonight we had a wasp/hornet fly in the house. It was the biggest one I have ever seen. My husband ... A: Michelle: Well, it 'was' a cicada killer....Why your husband couldn't catch it and release it is ...
Is this a katydid?	9/20/2008
Q: Attached is the best picture I was able to take of an insect that I found on my patio in Pasdena, CA ... A: Angela: Yes, your image is of a katydid, probably the fork-tailed bush katydid, Scudderia furcata. ...
big huge bee looking thing	9/19/2008
Q: we had a bee looking thing trapped in our window it was at least 2 inches possibly more if you ... A: Cindy: You don't give me very much to go on, not even your location. I get questions from all over ...
What is this bug?	9/18/2008
Q: I found it on my flip flop after it tickled my foot. It then went on the carpet and the dog tried to ... A: Lorelie: Thank you for such a vivid description! Leaves no doubt what it is. I bet you live in a ...
Mystery biting and/or stinging insect	9/18/2008
Q: We have recently been bitten or stung (don't know which) by a small, less than 1/4 inch bug which is ... A: Steve: Without actually seeing a specimen, I cannot begin to even guess at an identification. My ...
Unknown bugs	9/18/2008
Q: Recently i been finding these little bugs that look like big red ants. but they have wings. i been ... A: Jill: They are not bed bugs if they have wings. Without actually seeing a specimen, I cannot be ...
pod worm	9/17/2008
Q: My husband found these almost oval, flat "pods", or maybe cocoon is a better word. Anyway, they ... A: Laurie: You are probably describing the larvae of the "household casebearer," aka "plaster ...
mud house on outside of garage	9/17/2008
Q: I found a mud house built on the outside of our garage on Saturday (9/13, 6PM, Lorton, Virginia) ... A: Forgive me, but I really hate the "kill first, ask questions later" queries I get. I collect ...
Beetle shed skin?	9/17/2008
Q: I just moved into a country house and found a shed skin attached to our maple tree beside the house. ... A: Courtney: I would bet that you are describing the shed exoskeleton (insects don't really have ...
can you tell me what this bug is?	9/16/2008
Q: I currently live in Suffolk, VA. I've never lived here before so I'm not too familiar with any of ... A: You give a perfect description of a tick. I would definitely report this to my physician and ...
HUGE bug that looks like something out of The Mist!	9/16/2008
Q: My son and I were sitting in our driveway this evening in Texas. Suddenly, I saw a huge (about two ... A: Jen: Well, your creature was most likely a wasp, but the overwhelming majority of wasps are ...
twig caterpiller	9/16/2008
Q: While doing yard work with my kids we found some very tiny, what looked like inch worms at first but ... A: Kassandra: Thank you for sharing your observations. Yes, inchworms will freeze and disguise ...
tiny round shiny black or deep red, head of pin sized	9/15/2008
Q: I read a post you answered about shiny round black bugs at the end of July of this year. The ... A: Trisha: I wish I could say that the image you attached was of great help,....but I can't. I can't ...
Caterpillar	9/15/2008
Q: Saw 3-4" bright green caterpillar at least 1/2" diameter on mature tomato plant at Home Depot. I am ... A: Sharon: You likely saw a mature caterpillar of the "tomato hornworm," which, if I recall correctly, ...
What is this bug?	9/15/2008
Q: . I see in your profile that you help to identify unknown bugs in North America. I live in northern ... A: Laura: You are very welcome for the previous answer:-) Ah, yes, carpet beetle larvae are 'very' ...
Is it a mud dauber? What species?	9/14/2008
Q: The mud nest pictured in the attached images is on a large rock in the Mad River, in northern ... A: Diane: Well, if wasps were the smartest animals on Earth, then I suppose we'd be in a lot of ...
what is this bug	9/14/2008
Q: I am nine years old and am at my nana's house in Prince Edward County in southern Ontario. I found ... A: Harrison: I think you found a baby bug of some kind, probably a baby praying mantis, or a baby ...
What is this bug?	9/14/2008
Q: . I see in your profile that you help to identify unknown bugs in North America. I live in northern ... A: Laura: You are describing some kind of insect larva. My bet is either fleas or flies. If you have ...
hitchhiker or parasite	9/13/2008
Q: Saw a wasp-like flying bug covered with tiny reddish bugs. It flew off before I could photograph ... A: Carla: I suspect what you saw was either a longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, or a ...
WIERD BUG	9/13/2008
Q: Hey, eric, while doing some yardwork outside today, a member of my family found this bug/insect ... A: Travis: No need to worry, even though it is a wasp, it doesn't sting.... The image is of a giant ...
Insect collection	9/12/2008
Q: My son has been collecting bugs and insects since he was four years old, (He's now 19). He had ... A: Aw-w-w-w-w, what a mom! That is a very generous, thoughtful, and unique idea, but you might be ...
2 inch long black wingless (wasp?)	9/12/2008
Q: I live in Portland, OR (saw you have connections there). Last night, someething was crawling across ... A: April: I grew up in Portland (my first 27 years). Without seeing at least an image of the creature ...
Mystery Bugs	9/11/2008
Q: I'm hoping you might be able to help me identify some mystery bugs that appeared on our porch at ... A: Ginger: Your image is of newly-hatched "leaf-footed bugs" in the family Coreidae. They are "true ...
Mystery bug	9/11/2008
Q: I keep finding these bugs in my house that resemble centipedes but there are only 6 legs at the ... A: Sherri: Hi:-) You are describing insects known as earwigs (order Dermaptera). Without seeing a ...
Curious and Curiouser...	9/10/2008
Q: I have recently noticed the addition of unusual and new insects in the town of Murfreesboro, ... A: Natalie: Well, with that wonderful description you would think I'd know immediately what you are ...
Insect identification	9/10/2008
Q: I am trying to identify what this insect is. I was hoping that you might be able to help. It looks ... A: Trevor: I do not have enough expertise in ground cricket taxonomy to be able to make a more ...
mystery bug	9/10/2008
Q: Not sure this is a insect. It looked a little like a fish. Found on Patio in backyard. It was about ... A: Louis: First off, DO NOT TOUCH THAT! Believe it or not, it is a stinging caterpillar known as a ...
Insect identification	9/9/2008
Q: I am trying to identify what this insect is. I was hoping that you might be able to help. It looks ... A: Trevor: The insect in the image is an adult female "ground cricket" in the family Gryllidae, ...
mystery insect	9/9/2008
Q: my 8 yr old daughter was stung on the neck by a large insect looked like a mosquito. it was black ... A: Cyndi: Your daughter was probably bitten by an assassin bug in the family Reduviidae. Relax, they ...
innundated by "baby spiders" in the NJ Pinelands	9/9/2008
Q: My boyfriend and I were hiking on the East Creek trail in Belleplain State Park oustide the city of ... A: Shelly: You are describing some kind of mite, possibly chiggers, though I'm not positive. Yes, you ...
Mosquitoes	9/8/2008
Q: August and September are usually a quiet time of year here in upstate New York. Mosquities are not ... A: Ted: I have no idea. Mosquitoes are not insects I am intimately familiar with. Please contact ...
Need a bug identified	9/8/2008
Q: I have been getting bitten at night and therefore looking for the bug culprits (bed bugs are quite a ... A: Kevin: Thank you for including the fine image with your question. I know how tiny this species is! ...
bug in back yard, coastal Maine	9/8/2008
Q: what is the name of the bug. I have more pics if you need A: Tom: Your image is of a shield bug, Elasmostethus cruciatus. They are related to stink bugs (and ...
Large Bee Problem	9/7/2008
Q: We have very large, apx. 1 to 1.5 inches long, as thick as an index finger, bees. They have a very ... A: Laura: You do not state where on the planet you live, which would help immensely in this case. You ...
"mystery bug"	9/7/2008
Q: My family and I were recently out picnicking and came across this wasp-like insect. It had almost a ... A: Leah: You are probably describing some kind of "stonefly," an insect in the order Plecoptera. They ...
cockroach or cricket	9/7/2008
Q: I found an insect walking on my ceiling when I got out the shower this evening. From an hours worth ... A: Nick: I GUARANTEE it is not roaches you are dealing with. It would be some kind of katydid or, ...
cockroach or cricket	9/6/2008
Q: I found an insect walking on my ceiling when I got out the shower this evening. From an hours worth ... A: Nick: Thank you for the very thorough description, which leads me to conclude it was some kind of ...
Cricket-like bugs?	9/5/2008
Q: I moved into a new place in June and I am constantly finding "cricket legs" on my floors but no ... A: Teri-Jo: Without seeing the actual appendages you are referring to, there is no way I can help you, ...
Beetle that looks like a Bee???	9/5/2008
Q: We have found on several occasions what we believe to be a beetle in the house. It has 6 legs, the ... A: Amber: The image is awfully grainy, what I refer to as a "Loch Ness Monster" pic. There is clearly ...
bumble bee	9/5/2008
Q: I have see a small bumble bee that I have never seen before ,about/8" long with the markings of a ... A: Mike: Without seeing at least an image or, ideally, the specimen, I can't help you. Besides ...
identify the strange bug	9/4/2008
Q: dont know if it already have been existed on earth for long time. Very strange bug.. I need your ... A: Illeen: I am not going to disclose my private e-mail address. If you really do have images of this ...
Spiny Bug	9/4/2008
Q: I was watching TV in my apartment when I felt what I thought was an ant bite. There was a small ... A: You may be describing the nymph (immature stage) of some kind of assassin bug, family Reduviidae. ...
Ant-Like Creature	9/4/2008
Q: I am located in Florida, Central Florida to be more specific. Just recently I've started seeing ... A: I am quite certain you are describing some type of earwig in the order Dermaptera. They are not at ...
small grayish beetle?	9/3/2008
Q: I went to a camping resort this past weekend, not far from where I live in west Michigan. I was ... A: Shelby: Hope you are feeling better now. Not sure exactly what your insect could have been, but ...
little black bugs in my carpet	9/2/2008
Q: I have noticed little black bugs in my carpet over the past few days. I thought maybe they were ... A: Jackie: If you have already ruled out carpet beetles and fleas (my primary suspects, too), then I ...
A rattle noise	9/2/2008
Q: I am sitting in my living room with the windows closed and I hear a loud rattle noise once in ... A: Sylvia: I suppose it could be an insect. Do you have firewood in your living room? It could be a ...
fuzzy large black wasp in Idaho	9/1/2008
Q: I live in south central Idaho in the mountain foothills. Yesterday I noticed what looked like large ... A: Tom: I grew up in Oregon and never saw anything like what you are describing. The only ...
i saw an unusual bug today and am curious as to what it is and where it's from	9/1/2008
Q: there was this bug inside my work today in south east michigan. it looked like a cross between a ... A: Stacey: Without a much more detailed description, an image, or (ideally) the specimen, I'm ...
HUGE flying insect - North Carolina	8/31/2008
Q: On two recent golf outings in the Charlotte, NC area, I have come across the largest flying insects, ... A: Chris: Your description matches one insect I can think of, except for the color.... Cicada ...
Sting.	8/31/2008
Q: During a trip to a local San Diego beach I was stung by something, it was painful and left a large ... A: First, get well soon! I'm sorry to hear of your experience, but I'm hard-pressed to come up with a ...
Small, dark brown mystery bug	8/31/2008
Q: I just moved into a new apartment in central Missouri, and there's a small (~2mm), dark brown bug ... A: Alan: I applaud you for doing your detective work before coming to me. Way to go! Unfortunately, ...
Spider in my car...	8/30/2008
Q: I'm in central Colorado and found a spider in my car today. It crawled out onto the dash and then ... A: Angela: From your description, it is not a dangerously venomous spider (the western black widow, ...
What kind of spider is this? A Yellow Sac?	8/29/2008
Q: In the past several years I've been seeing these little translucent golden-ish spiders on my car at ... A: Cindi: Your image did not come through with your question. Various arachnologists have accused me ...
i need to know what this insect is	8/29/2008
Q: it looks like some sort of leaf bug, although it has 6 legs, 2 anteena, and what looks to be a claw ... A: Hunter: As luck would have it, I lived in Cincinnati for eleven years, before moving to Missouri ...
Half grasshopper, half beetle maybe??	8/29/2008
Q: I came across this bug on my screen of a side window of my house. We live in a fairly new ... A: Heather: Your description is of a "wheel bug," Arilus cristatus, one of the assassin bugs in the ...
Strange Insect	8/28/2008
Q: I live in Jerome, PA Saw the insect Aug 28th at around 7:20 AM When I was in the bathroom in the ... A: Michael: You are probably describing a "camel cricket" in the genus Ceuthophilus, and a female at ...
bees	8/28/2008
Q: I noticed about a football size beehive in a tree in our yard- southeast Michigan. Black and white ... A: Joyce: You are describing a nest of the bald-faced "hornet," Dolichovespula maculata (actually a ...
Help me identify?	8/28/2008
Q: Today as I was cleaning a friends bedroom I came upon a small spider(?) it was about 1/8 to 1/4 inch ... A: Holly: You give a nice description of a "pseudoscorpion," an arachnid related to true scorpions, ...
biting bug	8/27/2008
Q: I live in manhattan and its not a roach or bed bug. its looks like a black ant but with clear wings ... A: Katie: Without seeing at least an image (and ideally a specimen) of the insect in question, I can't ...
mystery insect	8/27/2008
Q: I saw an insect just after dusk crossing the street. It had jumping legs in the back. It looked like ... A: again, Terrence: Ok, you are correct, the picture was of no help. LOL! Thank you for trying, ...
insect	8/27/2008
Q: What is the flying rather large bug that starts out in a brown shell that will climb the trunk of a ... A: Jill: You give a wonderful description of cicadas. In the eastern U.S., the common ones are in the ...
mystery insect	8/27/2008
Q: I saw an insect just after dusk crossing the street. It had jumping legs in the back. It looked like ... A: Terence: I can't help you if you don't tell me where on the planet Earth you saw this creature. ...
Shield Backed Bug	8/26/2008
Q: I live in Houston, Texas. I had submitted a couple of pictures of these shield backed bugs to Whats ... A: Tracy: First, your insect images are magnificent! What a treat to look at:-) Your nymphs and ...
unknown flying beetle	8/26/2008
Q: I recently found a bug or beetle that is approximately 2 inches long and about 1 and 1/2 inches ... A: Rachel: Thank you for doing your homework ahead of time and telling me what you think your insect ...
fairy bug	8/26/2008
Q: I found a bunch of tiny little flies outside my door and they looked like little fairies. They had ... A: Karoline: You give a delightful description of "woolly aphids." I know, quite a comedown from ...
gaint water scavengar beetle???	8/25/2008
Q: would these live under my kitchen cabinets where the sink and dishwasher are? i have seen bugs twice ... A: Cheryl Ann: I just happened to be online, I'm not usually so quick to respond.... Without seeing ...
my praying mantis	8/25/2008
Q: seems to have gone quite lethargic- can't lift it's front legs- one antenae is drooping..how can i ... A: Alicia: I am not an expert on raising mantids, and there could be any number of reasons why yours ...
Trying identify - 3" long body with yellow stripes along the body, 6 long legs	8/25/2008
Q: This is second time I've seen such bug in our garden, unfortunately I couldn't find any information ... A: Sorry, just kidding:-) Thank you for including the image with your question, as it leaves no doubt ...
Trouble finding info	8/20/2008
Q: I just saw a spider in my house, I believe it jumped out of my shoe. It was about an inch long, ... A: Ann: No apologies necessary. You seem like a genuinely concerned citizen:-) I really have no idea ...
Trouble finding info	8/20/2008
Q: I just saw a spider in my house, I believe it jumped out of my shoe. It was about an inch long, ... A: Ann: Well, obviously the spider wanted to challenge you to a game on the Playstation:-) But ...
green skinny bug with stinger	8/20/2008
Q: I live in Washington state and was gardening today when I felt a sharp sting on my hand. I thought ... A: Tamie: I don't know that I have enough information to give you a concrete answer. I grew up in ...
Mystery Coating	8/20/2008
Q: I am trying to identify a mystery coating on a leaf of one of my shrubs. I noticed the coating ... A: Sarah: Very interesting question. Unfortunately, without seeing the object(s), I can't give you a ...
White and black insect identification - NW Indiana(Gary)	8/19/2008
Q: I am curious as to what this insect is. It was on a client as we were shooting some family beach ... A: Jodi: Thank you for including the image with your question, it leaves no doubt what the insect is. ...
black ant like bugs in bathroom	8/19/2008
Q: I live in San Antonio Texas. I found a long trail of little black bugs in my bathroom. They were ... A: Mary: I am quite sure that what you are describing 'are' ants. You give a pretty good description ...
What is this guy?	8/19/2008
Q: These photos were taken by a friend of mine in Harper Woods, MI (Detroit area). I live across the ... A: Andrew: Thanks for the link to the pictures. Very nice images! They are of a "tiger bee fly," ...
What was that!!!	8/19/2008
Q: One day at a local cafe in MN, some co-workers and came across the oddest bug any of us has ever ... A: Rena: I can't tell from your description what it was you saw. Besides the fact that there are ...
tiny winged ant invading our house	8/18/2008
Q: I live in southern B.C. and have been getting really hot weather recently. 3 days ago I came home ... A: Alexis: Chances are that you have ants swarming. At least once a year ant colonies release new ...
scorpion beetle?	8/18/2008
Q: Near Perth Ontario, August 17/08. I've been searching google for over an hour and give up! The ... A: Sharon: You are describing some kind of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. There are ...
Black bugs	8/18/2008
Q: !1st of all thanks for talking my question... We keep getting small flies in our windows. The bugs ... A: -): Without seeing actual specimens, I can't readily identify what they might be. There are many, ...
mite-like bugs	8/18/2008
Q: Over the years I've noticed all sorts of different, mysterious, almost microscopic insects which I ... A: Julian: The red mites are probably "red clover mites," Bryobia praetiosa, which can be very ...
Tiny sesame shaped bugs.	8/18/2008
Q: I have been seeing these tiny bugs around my house within the last month or so and they are making ... A: Denise: Just happened to be online. I'm not normally 'this' quick to reply... Unfortunately, your ...
Mystery bug	8/17/2008
Q: I live in Northwest Indiana and have some large flying insects that I would like to know if you can ... A: Jill: You are describing the eastern cicada killer, Sphecius speciosus. They are solitary wasps ...
Strange spikey bug	8/17/2008
Q: My husband found a strange little bug this summer here in eastern North Carolina. It had 6 legs, it ... A: Lisa: Without seeing the creature, or at least an image, I am really hard-pressed to say what you ...
Webs on horse feces	8/17/2008
Q: I have been visiting my parents in Northern Idaho this summer with my small children. While walking ... A: April: Without seeing the actual webs, I can't even tell you if it was a spider that created them. ...
moth balls & insects	8/17/2008
Q: Do moth balls kill or repel insects? A: Carol: Moth balls are made with the active ingredient naphthalene, and are designed to repel ...
pesky katydids	8/17/2008
Q: How do you get rid of them? I've observed them throughout the day, but mainly at night and I've seen ... A: If you are seeing them indoors, then they are not katydids, but "camel crickets," in the family ...
A larva that glows	8/16/2008
Q: There is what looks like a single larva in my yard,(Tucson AZ)that glows a bright green. It is about ... A: James: You must live in the foothills. Here in mid-town I don't ever get anything that exotic:-( ...
spider with 10 legs	8/16/2008
Q: I picked up my 2 year old son from day care the other day, and the baby sitter found a black shinny ... A: Tosha: No cause for alarm. Male spiders of virtually all species, including those normally ...
Beetle ID wanted	8/16/2008
Q: I found this beetle on our grape vines. It didn't look like it had chewed on any leaves, was just ... A: Patricia: You probably won't believe this, but the common name for the beetle in your image is the ...
A bug that look's like a bee??	8/16/2008
Q: I live in Tacoma WA and all Summer I have noticed 1 or 2 of these bugs in my flower garden now the ... A: Jody: No worries, you are describing some kind of beetle that is mimicking a bee. There are ...
mystery insect eating my clematis	7/29/2008
Q: I live in Amery WI (NW Wisc.)...these insects seem to come every year, one day I don't see any, the ... A: Kim: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. I can say definitively that the insect ...
what the hell?	7/29/2008
Q: I've seen one a couple times, flying around our machine shop,during the summer in Maine,USA. About ... A: Jim: You are probably describing some species of "crane fly" in the family Tipulidae. There are ...
Red winged black body flying & crawling???	7/29/2008
Q: I live in central Arizona and we have a black creature with red wings. It flies and crawls like a ... A: Margaret: There are several insects in Arizona that fit this description, but most of them are ...
HUGE bug	7/29/2008
Q: I live in NE CT and know several people who have recently seen a huge brown bug never seen before. ... A: Shelly: The only thing I can think of that you might be describing is a "dobsonfly," Corydalus ...
Staw nests inside window tracks	7/28/2008
Q: My family and I were sitting outside on our deck in CT this past weekend and noticed a rather large ... A: Grass carrier wasps are solitary insects, meaning each female constructs her own nest. They are so ...
UNKNOWN BUG	7/28/2008
Q: I HAVE RECENTLY FOUND SOME BUGS IN OUR HOUSE ON THE BEDS AND FOAM PADDING I DID RESEARCH TO SEE IF ... A: Charlotte: It sound like you are probably describing springtails, organisms in the class ...
mystery bug	7/28/2008
Q: I love the bug world ! Between 4:30 and 5:00 pm this evening I was swimming in the Blanco River in ... A: Robin: Sounds like an idyllic afternoon! Sounds like you found a young dragonfly nymph of some ...
YIKES	7/28/2008
Q: We have what we call "lash bugs". We live in an old house in Massachusetts. These bugs look like ... A: Your subject line sure got my attention:-) Thanks for your question and your very unique ...
Ground Hornets	7/27/2008
Q: I have got what I am calling ground hornets drilling holes in my back yard. They sometimes swarm. ... A: Please stop! These are not hornets! What you are describing are solitary female wasps called ...
do aphids bite people?	7/27/2008
Q: I had an aphid like bug bite me...I live in a woody area near seattle and it was around ... A: I hope you are feeling better now. It is no fun to get bitten by any creature! The aphids you have ...
Little Green Bug!	7/27/2008
Q: I live in central Ontario, and have been regularly encountering this little guy over the past couple ... A: Angela: Oh, wow! Thank you for sharing the very lovely image with your question! What a colorful ...
mystery insect	7/27/2008
Q: I have had an insect in a jar for a week (so i caught it on Aug.21) and couldn't convince anyone to ... A: Carol: Wow, you must have discovered time travel if you collected the insect on August 21 and came ...
spider ID	7/27/2008
Q: I have this large orange spider, with a white vertical stripe on it's back in my Eastport Maine ... A: and for attaching the image with it. The spider is an adult female "orb weaver" in the genus ...
help with identification	7/26/2008
Q: photographed a bug today that i have never seen before. wasp-like body in beautiful shades of ... A: Susan: Thank you so much for attaching the lovely image with your question! Leaves no doubt that ...
iDENTIFICATION NEEDED!!!!	7/26/2008
Q: I live in Lincoln, NE and I was with my family at my brother's baseball game July 24th at 7:30 p.m. ... A: Alyssa: Please don't panic:-) Thank you for including your location, and such a vivid description. ...
Auplopus mellipes sting	7/26/2008
Q: I have identified the red legged spider wasp as the culprit that recently stung my wife on the ... A: Cliff: First, my sincerest best wishes for your wife's speedy and complete recovery. That may be ...
Tiny Cream Colored Bug	7/25/2008
Q: Ok i have a 10x13 room that is my 5 month old sons room he has not slept in it yet. i went to lay ... A: Crystal: Ah, ok, I left out another suspect that is usually encountered with far less frequency: ...
Tiny Cream Colored Bug	7/25/2008
Q: Ok i have a 10x13 room that is my 5 month old sons room he has not slept in it yet. i went to lay ... A: Crystal: Thank you for your question. I gather you or your husband, or both, are in the military, ...
a strange large black beetle thing	7/25/2008
Q: I am no bug expert, so I hope my description will be good enough to identify! I live in southern ... A: I loved your vivid and hilarious description of the insect and its behavior (as well as your own:-) ...
Tiny litte round balck bugs found in bed	7/24/2008
Q: I went to bed last night and found what seemed like hundreds of these little tiny round black bugs ... A: Jennifer: Oh, dear. The image you attached has itself been misidentified! The mating pair of ...
Ligh Brown Bug w/ Spots	7/24/2008
Q: I need help in identifying a bug. I have found three in my home. I live on the Mississippi Gulf ... A: Robert: Not positive, but I think you may be describing a harmless beetle, the "grapevine beetle," ...
Bugs in the yard	7/24/2008
Q: Sorry, it is late and I didn't read directions. The bugs previously described are in Knoxville, TN. ... A: Vivian: Well, I am rather puzzled. There certainly are wasps with bright orange antennae, but all ...
So sorry - forgot to attach the photo!	7/23/2008
Q: I'm sorry, my original question was this: "Hi, a friend sent me this photo today. He took the ... A: Larissa: Thanks for attaching the image:-) It is no wonder you did not recognize the insect.... ...
tiny black flying insect	7/23/2008
Q: I know you are an expert in North American insect identification but I thought I would ask for your ... A: Miriam: Thank you for your question, I am flattered to be your choice:-) Unfortunately, I'm not ...
help identifying stange insect	7/23/2008
Q: there were silk like wispy chalk like floaters flying through the air almost like squid appendages, ... A: John: Thank you for your question. Normally, it would help if you included the location where you ...
Mystery bug	7/23/2008
Q: As a A/V volunteer for all experts, I am very fond of this site. You seem to be the expert who might ... A: Well, I would be surprised if you brought any kind of flying insect back from the Dominican ...
Little orange bugs	7/22/2008
Q: The other day i had these little orange and black bugs on my car window...they were about the same ... A: Candace: I cannot give you a firm identification based on such a generic description, though I do ...
black widow	7/22/2008
Q: my mom just got a couple of spider bites about a week ago and shes not doing the best at recovering. ... A: First, my sincerest best wishes for a swift, full recovery from your ordeal.... I am really curious ...
A big Fly	7/22/2008
Q: I live in Massachusetts and over the past 3 weeks (early July)we have seen and been bitten by these ... A: Frank: I'm not sure how far horse flies can travel, though they can certainly fly very well, and at ...
A big Fly	7/22/2008
Q: I live in Massachusetts and over the past 3 weeks (early July)we have seen and been bitten by these ... A: Frank: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. I was pretty sure what you were ...
wierd flying insects	7/22/2008
Q: I have lived in western PA for the past 3 years. This year a flying insect with a wispy long forked ... A: Scott: Do you live near a river or lake? The only insect that makes sense from your description is ...
tubes on exterior of house	7/21/2008
Q: I have two small tubes coming down from the upstairs of my house over my front door. They are side ... A: Michele: Termite tubes would extend from the ground up, not the other way around, and the images ...
Bugs Eek!	7/21/2008
Q: What kind of bug is that in the picture. We been finding them all over the house all this month. ... A: Sabrina: Thank you for including an image with your question. The insect in the image is an ...
Air Conditioner Bugs	7/21/2008
Q: Location: McCook, IL. Date Observed: 7/20/08 Time of Day:10:15 p.m. The bugs I observed looked like ... A: Liz: Thanks for the concluding sentiment:-) Same to you.... Without seeing the actual organisms I ...
what kind of spiser is this	7/21/2008
Q: ok so i killed this spider today and i was wanting to know exactly what kind it was! i have a one ... A: Francis: Thank you for attaching the image with your question, as it is now clear what kind of ...
Orange flying insect	7/21/2008
Q: I am unsure what I found. I live in Kissimmee, FL and I found an orange insect with a blue head and ... A: Tiffiney: Thank you for including an image of the insect you found along with your question. It ...
Pest identification	7/20/2008
Q: Residence in Kansas City. Today, up against the foundation, I found numerous funnel shaped burrows ... A: Robert: The insects are not pests. In fact, they might be your first line of defense against true ...
Ground Hornets	7/20/2008
Q: I believe I ran into a ground hornet nest on Friday. I was able to successfully get rid of them ... A: Jamie: This is really a medical question at this point, and you might want to ask it of a medical ...
bee digging a hole	7/20/2008
Q: I saw a very interesting and fascinating bee today, and would like to know what it was. I live in ... A: You made some correct assumptions, too. The insect in question was a female thread-waisted wasp in ...
orange hairy insect..	7/20/2008
Q: my boyfriend at a hazardous waste site in Beaty,NV found an insect that has an orange bee like body ... A: Brittney: Oh, boy, just what everyone wants to hear in the same sentence: "hazardous waste" and ...
wasp identification	7/19/2008
Q: Can you identify this critter, swarming around Tampa FL? A: I can tell exactly what it is from the picture. It is a male "sand-loving wasp" in the genus ...
Wasps	7/19/2008
Q: Eric I live in Berne Indiana which is in the northeast part of the state. I saw a very large ... A: I'm pretty certain that what you are describing is a female giant ichneumon wasp in the genus ...
Identification Requested	7/19/2008
Q: Would you know the identity of this insect? Wasp? I am located in Pittsford, VT. Thank you in ... A: Seymour: Thank you so much for attaching the nice image with your question! Nice camera work:-) ...
Velvet Ants	7/18/2008
Q: Our front walkway in Georgia is infested with velvet ants. To the point that people are afraid to ... A: First of all, if they are "flying," then they are either male velvet ants (that can't sting), or ...
Mystery Beetle	7/18/2008
Q: I'm attaching a couple of out of focus photos of a beetle I found on my snap peas this morning. ... A: Keith: Thank you for attaching the two images to your question(s). Despite being blurry, I can ...
beetle or roach?	7/18/2008
Q: Could you please identify this insect for me? I found this particular one dead. I am attaching an ... A: and for giving me all the particulars needed to identify the insect. Actually, you are quite ...
What is this beetle	7/17/2008
Q: This guy joined a company function, we were amazed at the colors. The picture doesn't show two ... A: Al: I'm sorry, but there was no image attached with your question. Please post your image to ...
mysterious bug	7/17/2008
Q: Okay, so on my wooden porch and stone steps I found a strange bug. It is small, beige, and what i ... A: Brittany: I'm thinking this might be one of the "bagworm" caterpillars in the family Psychidae. ...
Identifying a black flying wasp?	7/17/2008
Q: I have observed in my scree garden (combination of peat,soil and gravel) in south east Michigan the ... A: Robin: Thank you for such a vivid description of the insect, and including all the vitals, such as ...
springtails living in clothing?	7/16/2008
Q: So glad I found your site! I live in Pittsburgh, PA and recently found these tiny 1mm bugs crawling ... A: Colin: I love your sense of humor! Thank you for making my day. I am in the county courthouse ...
mysterious bug	7/16/2008
Q: Okay, so on my wooden porch and stone steps I found a strange bug. It is small, beige, and what i ... A: Brittany: I just happened to be online. Not normally so fast.... I cannot help you without having ...
brite gold bug	7/16/2008
Q: july 15-08 6:30 pm my wife and I found A look like a ladybug it was on are snow peas it was very ... A: Joel and wife: You found a specimen of the "golden tortoise beetle," Charidotella sexpunctata ...
unknown bug	7/16/2008
Q: recently I have discovered very small bugs in my house. I started seeing them in the bathroom at ... A: again, Jill: Again, keep the house bone dry, especially during times when moisture leaks into the ...
I need help identifying this bug	7/15/2008
Q: There is species of bug that my cat keeps attacking and bringing inside the house. it reminds me ... A: It still had me puzzled at first, but now I can assure you it is definitely a harmless creature. ...
caterpillar?	7/15/2008
Q: Please see if you can identify this type of critter for us! We just found it inching along on our ... A: Cee Cee: Thank you for attaching the image with your question, as it leaves no doubt as to what you ...
biting insect	7/15/2008
Q: I am at wits end...there is a flying, biting insect that is in 2 rooms of our house. It appears that ... A: No-see-ums (aka "punkies") are biting gnats in the family Ceratopogonidae. They are aquatic in the ...
small flying/biting insects	7/15/2008
Q: We live in Brevard County Florida in a rural area surrounded by canals. Lately we have noticed small ... A: Amy: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. Unfortunately, I can only make out that ...
bug	7/15/2008
Q: What is the bright red fuzzy bug crawling in the mountain preserve in North Phoenix, AZ? The past ... A: Mardi: You are most likely describing a species of "velvet ant" in the family Mutillidae. Velvet ...
re: found strange bug	7/14/2008
Q: It changes colors to blue to gray . It has a total of 6 legs with "grippers " on the bottom of them ... A: I have visited your part of the country. Very nice area to be living! You give a very good ...
insect I've never seen before	7/14/2008
Q: this bug has the head like an ant with jaws that clamp together. it has a very long neck and has ... A: Mike: Sounds like you might be describing some kind of female ichneumon wasp, family Ichneumonidae. ...
bite marks with red dot in center	7/14/2008
Q: I live in a suburb of chicago and have been for the last two months getting these "mystery bites" ... A: ... I would continue monitoring the symptoms, and report to your doctor if anything strikes you as ...
wasp	7/14/2008
Q: We live in Rhode Island and found a large wasp flying around our house yesterday. I have never seen ... A: Denise: You are welcome, but blue mud daubers (Chalybion californicum) are larger than half an ...
orange insects	7/14/2008
Q: Eric- I have some tiny orange bugs in my backyard that bite. I think they fly, but it might be a ... A: Thrips come in many different colors, depending both on the species, and what stage of development ...
wasp	7/13/2008
Q: We live in Rhode Island and found a large wasp flying around our house yesterday. I have never seen ... A: Denise: Thank you for your question. Unfortunately there are so many wasps that fit your ...
Flies in the middle of Lake Ontario	7/13/2008
Q: I've been salmon fishing in Lake Ontario for many years now around the Niagara Region and have ... A: But, Tom, YOU are the source of food! Seriously, though, most biting flies are aquatic in the ...
Long Orange Bug	7/13/2008
Q: I was walking down my stairs at around midnight when I saw this bug I've never seen before. I live ... A: Andrew: Thank you for including all the relevant information with your question, including where ...
mystery insect	7/13/2008
Q: Seen in Durham, NC, in early July 2008 at 645am on the dry sidewalk of a residential community ... A: Erica: Despite some discrepancies in your description, I believe what you saw was a "Kew Greenhouse ...
Golden orb spiders (Nephila clavipes)	7/13/2008
Q: These banana spiders were a welcome part of my (Fort Lauderdale)garden fauna until about the time ... A: Derek: I am slightly confused by the names you are using for what I assume is one spider. I am ...
mystery bug	7/12/2008
Q: I live in upstate new york and on a tree three days ago me and five of my family members found a ... A: Amy: I think you might be describing a horntail woodwasp in the family Siricidae. Some species can ...
yellowish tiny biteing bug	7/12/2008
Q: around yard bad at pool... will land on you and bite you how can i kill them or keep them away from ... A: With all due respect, how can I help you when you don't tell me where you live, what time of the day ...
Bitten by a beetle?!?	7/12/2008
Q: metallic, and dropped it on my shoulder. I didn't realize it was there until I brushed my hand past ... A: Erin: Please forgive me for being at wit's end, but in this last batch of questions, only one ...
mothbee?	7/12/2008
Q: i was at the pool and there was a bee stuck in a puddle well it looked like a bee can you tell me ... A: James: Why don't people ever tell me WHERE on the planet that they saw the mystery insect? I get ...
Looking for identification of this beetle	7/11/2008
Q: Can you tell me what kind of beetle this little fellow is? Shot in North-Central Vermont at dusk, I ... A: Bill: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. Makes my job much easier:-) The ...
Unknown insect	7/11/2008
Q: I feel stupid even asking foe help but I Tried to identify it myself and was unable to do so. That ... A: Matt: There are no stupid questions. That is why I am here:-) Thanks for attaching the image, ...
Bugs losing wings in droves	7/11/2008
Q: It's July 11th in Phoenix, AZ, and there was a monsoon overnight with A LOT of rain. I looked out my ... A: Brandi: You witnessed a swarm of ants or termites. The winged individuals are called "alates" and ...
bug question	7/11/2008
Q: I keep finding these tiny bugs in our basement. We recently finished our basement. I dont know if ... A: Lori: You don't tell me where you live, but not sure that it matters in this case. What you ...
Wondering about an insect I saw tonight	7/11/2008
Q: I live in central NY near Syracuse. While walking on my break at work I encountered an insect just ... A: Geff: You give a pretty vivid description of a female "pigeon tremex," Tremex columba, one of the ...
Unidentified Damselfly of TN	7/10/2008
Q: My niece found this Damselfly?-I think it is a Damselfly, but I would like further identification-I ... A: as it leaves no doubt as to what you have found. Though the insect does look very much like a ...
bug id- maybe waterbug	7/10/2008
Q: i just got new neighbors about 3 months ago. recently ive been noticing tiny black/dark brown bugs ... A: Kimberly: You don't say where you live, which might or might not be helpful. Certainly, in this ...
Termites in London?	7/10/2008
Q: I hope you can help with my query. I would like to know if termites do currently exist in the UK. I ... A: Jamie: I do believe you have termites in the UK (they are widespread insects), but I also do NOT ...
desert lurking	7/10/2008
Q: Greetings doc: what we have here is something i think is right up your alley of expertise. i have, ... A: LOL! I am very flattered, thank you, but I hold no doctoral degree.... Could be that you found a ...
small house spider	7/10/2008
Q: We recently bought a home that has been empty for 2 years. We noticed in the dining area, there are ... A: Chris: Without seeing actual specimens, it is difficult for me to ascertain whether they would even ...
little beetle?	7/9/2008
Q: I keep finding theses little beetle type bugs. well not sure if they are beetles or not. its about ... A: Elizabeth: I wonder if you might not be describing a "larder beetle," Dermestes lardarius. You ...
Can you ID this bug for me? Carpet beetle?	7/9/2008
Q: I woke up several times last night to bugs crawling on me. I panicked at first thinking we had bed ... A: No apologies necessary, the image is more than adequate to tell you that the insects are one of the ...
insect identification?	7/9/2008
Q: Sitting on my computer. Small black insect with front part raised up, back part curled bright red ... A: Ann: Sitting on your computer? Must be awful difficult to type! LOL! Sorry, couldn't resist. ...
green and red flying bug	7/9/2008
Q: I reside in Illinois and I noticed a bug that I had never seen before in my vegetable garden. It ... A: Shelly: You might be describing the "squash vine borer" moth, Melittia cucurbitae, which is ...
unknown bug	7/9/2008
Q: Eric, I work in the Wasatch Mountains in Utah at a boyscout camp. I've seen a really odd looking ... A: Amy: You might try looking at images of the giant ichneumon wasp Megarhyssa nortoni. Females have ...
biting larva	7/8/2008
Q: We moved to Northern Indiana summer of 2006. Spring of 2007 my daughter got these messy bites on her ... A: Calla: It would be black fly ADULTS, not larvae, that would be doing the biting. The larvae live ...
Bug I.D.	7/8/2008
Q: Need your email address to send two photos for insect I. D. A: Please consider posting your images to: http://www.bugguide.net in the "ID Request" section. That ...
tiny black flea-like bug with wings	7/8/2008
Q: We have recently noticed a bunch of dead or almost dead tiny black flea-like bugs in one area in my ... A: Karen: Difficult to diagnosis this from your description (very few insects are so distinctive as to ...
Little white larvae or worm question and ID	7/7/2008
Q: I found a white worm larvae scooting along on my kitchen floor when I was sweeping to mop. I do ... A: Leigh: Thank you for attaching the image with your question. Unfortunately, it is impossible for ...
beetle?	7/7/2008
Q: I live in Maryland and I keep seeing this large bug (about 2 inches in length and about 1-1.25 ... A: Rebecca: I'm sorry, everything I can think of is either the wrong size, wrong color, or wrong body ...
Large bug after LOTS of rain	7/7/2008
Q: I am in Charlotte, NC and spotted this bug on the back patio on 7/6 around 10pm. Its the largest ... A: Heather: Thank you so much for including the image, as it leaves no question as to the identity of ...
Black Beetle/bug	7/7/2008
Q: at 8:45 pm today, July 6, 2008 a bug crawled from under our television stand. It was all black, ... A: Sharon: Well, unfortunately, this is just the kind of "generic" insect that usually remains a ...
beetles?	7/7/2008
Q: We are in Vacaville, Californai and are doing some constructions in our back yard and have an open ... A: Andrea: What you are describing is likely a "true bug" in the order Hemiptera, suborder ...
worm identification	7/6/2008
Q: My son called my saying he found a mass of small worms that were in his house. He said that they ... A: Carol: Thank you for your question. I hope you are not squeamish. Here goes.... The larvae are ...
beetle?	7/6/2008
Q: I live in Maryland and I keep seeing this large bug (about 2 inches in length and about 1-1.25 ... A: Rebecca: I think you might be describing a giant water scavenger beetle, Hydrophilus triangularis ...
flying insect black with yellow stripes	7/6/2008
Q: for the past 2 or 3 summers we have had black flying insects with 2 yellow stripes that bore holes ... A: Vickie: Ah, then you are talking about "cicada killers," Sphecius speciosus. There is a nice ...
tiny scorpion like bug	7/6/2008
Q: This weekend we found a tiny (1/2 inch-3/4 inch long) bug in the sand at the Columbia river in ... A: Molly: Actually, by entomology standards, that is a pretty large animal:-) It might have very ...
mystery black fling insect by the thousands on our river bank and house???	7/6/2008
Q: We came out of our house this morning to find thousands of black flying insects resting all over ... A: Beth: So they just "fling" themselves around, do they?:-) LOL! I love the typographical errors I ...
flying insect black with yellow stripes	7/5/2008
Q: for the past 2 or 3 summers we have had black flying insects with 2 yellow stripes that bore holes ... A: You don't give me very much information here, having omitted where you live, what kind of habitat ...
bug nest in bark	7/5/2008
Q: Can you identify the insect that makes a1/8" diameter hole through bark (redwood) and inside weaves ... A: Sally: Not sure that the hole in the bark and the ring of material inside are related.... Several ...
What insect is this?	7/5/2008
Q: I recently discovered an insect out on the screening of our porch. It's about 1 1/2 in. to 2 in. ... A: Nykki: Thank you for the link to the images, and the nice written description as well. The insect ...
larva eating my fir tree-fast!	7/5/2008
Q: I have noticed my fir tree dying for about a week, today I realized that some type of insect is ... A: Ed: The insects are "bagworms" in the moth family Psychidae, and probably the "evergreen bagworm," ...
yellowjackets ?-underground	7/4/2008
Q: i'm here in riverside, ca. and have 50 or more flying bees flying over about 20 to 25 small holes, ... A: Allan: Please stop what you are doing! The insects you describe are SOLITARY female bees or wasps ...
mystery bug	7/4/2008
Q: there was a bug on my door and i it looks like a moth with a scorpion tail. I want to know what it ... A: Chris: Thank you for attaching the nice image with your question, as it leaves no doubt what you ...
Possible steel blue cricket hunter wasps	7/4/2008
Q: We live in Olympia, Wa. and can't seem to get rid of some type of bee or wasp that are living in our ... A: Shaniqua: Thank you for your question. I grew up in Portland, Oregon, and in my experience, the ...
Trying to identify a large, black beetle	7/4/2008
Q: Just yesterday(July 2nd, 2008) around 7:00~7:30pm, my girlfriend found a strange insect hanging ... A: Paul: You are no novice by any stretch! I'm very impressed with your existing knowledge (not many ...
Insect swarm	7/3/2008
Q: I live in Western Pennsylvania. I have a beautiful flowering magnolia bush in my yard. Over the ... A: I would bet money that your magnolia is covered with aphids or scale insects. Those insects secrete ...
tiny white bugs inside - on electronics	7/3/2008
Q: My staff came into work this morning, and all along one wall (an outside wall) they found tiny white ... A: Michael: I'm assuming the insects (or whatever they are) are indoors, and that your electronics are ...
bug identification	7/3/2008
Q: I really hope you can help my dad has this bug in his yard we don't know if it's good or bad. I've ... A: You are right, it is a beetle! Thank you for including the image with your question, as it leaves ...
a mystery insect in my flowerbed	7/3/2008
Q: there is a bug eating tomatoe plants in my flowerbed it appears to be a stinkbug but it has a bright ... A: I'm afraid that you have not given me nearly enough information. Where on the planet do you live (I ...
Small larvae?	7/2/2008
Q: On Saturday while weeding a flower bed, I suddenly felt stinging sensations in an area about 2 ... A: I'm sorry that you are suffering, and I hope you get well soon! Surprisingly, there are many ...
indoor plant bug identification	7/2/2008
Q: i have an indoor banana tree in my nyc apt. i have noticed, after repotting (with new bagged soil,) ... A: Sivan: I would bet on the 'pest' being "dark-winged fungus gnats," family Sciaridae. They commonly ...
Flying wasp?	7/2/2008
Q: I have what appears to be a large flying wasplike insect that has both red and yellow on its body. ... A: Joyce: First, we have to determine whether these are social insects or solitary ones. If many, ...
Spider	7/2/2008
Q: There was a good sized spider walkin on my wall outside tonight approx.12:30am. I live on Oahu I ... A: Michele: It was likely a female huntsman spider, Heteropoda venatoria, or a related species. ...
Mystery very small red/brown flying beetle	7/2/2008
Q: I've read several questions attempting to ID small brown flying beetles in homes. I live in KS, but ... A: Jim: You are most likely describing a carpet beetle (family Dermestidae, especially genera ...
mystery bug	7/1/2008
Q: We live in Western Washington and have a large yard with many trees, plus a garden. The other day my ... A: In that part of the country, gee, I have no idea. I grew up in Portland, Oregon, and never ...
an interesting 'wasp' nest	7/1/2008
Q: Eric, Can you identify this nest? I have never seen one like it. The flying insect that is ... A: Vicki: Thank you for the image with the question, makes my job much easier:-) The nest is a paper ...
really weird dead bug i found in my pool	7/1/2008
Q: its june 30..and im in texas.. i found it floating in my pool. its about 1 in. long. Its oval shaped ... A: Kelly: Closest thing I can think of is a "house centipede," Scutigera coleoptrata, a common indoor ...
Tiny Black Lawn Bug Bites People and Pets	6/30/2008
Q: I live in california and we haven't been able to get rid of these bugs. At first we thought they ... A: Shawna: It is almost impossible to make a diagnosis in this case. First, you need to be more ...
mystery bug	6/30/2008
Q: I live in an apartment in Bowling Green, OH. I keep finding these tiny small bugs crawling on my ... A: Lindsay: You are probably describing a beetle of some kind, or perhaps a "springless" springtail, ...
"dirt dobbers" & spiders	6/30/2008
Q: We destroyed several mud nests in our carport. They were full of small spiders. Some nests had larva ... A: James: The "dirt dobbers" are known as "mud daubers," wasps in the genera Sceliphron, Chalybion, ...
Need help identifying this butterfly	6/29/2008
Q: I am pretty sure that this is a swallowtail, but I'd like some confirmation (or at least a ... A: Bill: The image apparently did not download properly, as I cannot view it. I would recommend ...
spider ID	6/29/2008
Q: Please identify this spider for me: It is shiny black, with a smooth body and legs. It has a ... A: Ross: You do not state where on the planet you saw the spider. I must have that basic information ...
Confirmed Medit. Recluse	6/29/2008
Q: After research, I am convinced the spider I trapped in my basement in Ohio is a Medit. Recluse. What ... A: Jessica: Though you have obviously done your homework if you are even 'aware' of the Mediterranean ...
Red speck insects	6/29/2008
Q: My wife is a school counselor at a local school in San Joaquin County in Central California. She ... A: Thomas: I would need to know a lot more before I could hazard an educated guess at what they might ...
Mystery Bug	6/28/2008
Q: It was a little more than half an inch in length,could fly,was what I think in the beetle ... A: Lucas: I suspect that what bit you was not a beetle, but an assassin bug in the family Reduviidae. ...
Beatle Identification	6/28/2008
Q: My brother and I found this bug that I'm sure is some kind of beatle and I'm having a hard time ... A: Leeann: If it is a "beatle," then it has to be John, Paul, George, or Ringo. Well, wait, make that ...
Wasp?	6/28/2008
Q: I live in West Michigan and I found an insect I have never seen before, neither has my dad and he ... A: Heather: You didn't indicate the size of the insect, which might actually help in this case. ...
Wasp or some other type of bee's nest	6/28/2008
Q: What kind of bee builds this type of nest? It is a golfball sized bulb attached to the underside of ... A: Ted: You give an outstanding description of an embryonic nest of the bald-faced "hornet," ...
large yellow winged bug	6/28/2008
Q: I live in Alabama, I found a large winged bug, mostly yellow with just a few dark spots on wings. ... A: Janet: I need more information, please, to even begin to help you. What did the insect resemble? ...
June Bugs?	6/27/2008
Q: I live in Central NY, and was out side around late dusk last night. I was loading some stuff onto a ... A: I am very impressed with your powers of observation, and thank you for including all the relevant ...
Need help identifying this small insect	6/27/2008
Q: While out strolling along a snowmobile trail in Central Vermont I came across this little critter. ... A: Bill: Thank you for sharing your lovely image of a "green lacewing" in the family Chrysopidae, ...
bugs found in bedroom	6/27/2008
Q: I live in Northern New Jersey in a log cabin on a wooded piece of land. I have been finding small, ... A: Patty: You may be describing "deathwatch beetles" in the family Anobiidae. Many species bore in ...
Hard brown bugs in the carpet	6/27/2008
Q: I live in a basement-level condo in Massachusetts. About the middle of June, I started seeing ... A: Angie: I would need to see at least an image of the organism in question. If you have pets, they ...
I found an interesting insect	6/27/2008
Q: my dad found an insect that has the head and arms of a prayingmantis but the body of it is of a bee. ... A: Diana: You don't say where you live, which might help somewhat. I get questions from all over the ...
minute mystery bug	6/26/2008
Q: While sitting on my front stoop throughout the day in CT, I noticed VERY small bugs on me. They feel ... A: Stephanie: Sorry that you are being swarmed by something irritating. The good news is that such ...
biting larva	6/26/2008
Q: We moved to Northern Indiana summer of 2006. Spring of 2007 my daughter got these messy bites on her ... A: Calla: Sounds like black flies (family Simuliidae) to me. They are aquatic in the larval stage, ...
red ants and black ants	6/26/2008
Q: I have been watching a red ant hill in Prescott, Arizona for about four years. The red ants ... A: Bruce: I am impressed by how observant you are! Most folks don't see such little details, if they ...
spider	6/26/2008
Q: I found this red and black hard shelled spider in my back yard in B.C. Canada. I can't seem to find ... A: Danielle: From your brief description, it doesn't sound like a spider. All spiders are pretty much ...
tiny black unknown beetle/bug	6/26/2008
Q: I read a question you answered as a Lygus Kalmii. This sounds a lot like the ones I have invading ... A: Kathy: You are very welcome:-) There are other species in the family Lygaeidae that live in your ...
black and yellow fly/bee at night	6/25/2008
Q: I have lived here for ten yers and never had these before. I have a desk light on by a window after ... A: Michelle: I grew up in Portland! I'm envious, though, of your 'wilderness' home by the ocean.... ...
type of ant?	6/25/2008
Q: I live in the high desert in southern california (U.S) and i've noticed these cute ants. They are ... A: Jimmie: Thank you for your very polite question! There are many, many species of ants native to ...
black and yellow fly/bee at night	6/25/2008
Q: I have lived here for ten yers and never had these before. I have a desk light on by a window after ... A: Michelle: Um, WHERE have you lived for those ten years now? I get questions from all over the ...
tiny black unknown beetle/bug	6/25/2008
Q: I read a question you answered as a Lygus Kalmii. This sounds a lot like the ones I have invading ... A: Kathy: LOL! I can't figure out if you think you have answered your own question, or are actually ...
tiny orange bugs	6/25/2008
Q: we live in WA and in the mornings there are tiny orange mosquito like bugs with black legs. they ... A: Tabitha: Do these insects fly? I suspect they do not, in which case you are probably seeing the ...
Unknown ladybug	6/24/2008
Q: I searched for hours on Internet trying to identify a ladybug which I suspect eating my blackberry ... A: Your insect is not a lady beetle, but some kind of leaf beetle (family Chrysomelidae). ...
scentless plant bug? I think?	6/24/2008
Q: Recently I've had a very weird problem. I left my place of residence for about 2 weeks, and when I ... A: Ben: I grew up in Oregon (Portland), and knowing you are from there would have eliminated all but ...
red ant	6/24/2008
Q: Encountered a red ant colony while walking my dog. Pretty big 3/16-1/4in. long. Very aggressive. ... A: -) You are probably describing "thatching ants" in the genus Formica. Some species build mounds ...
scentless plant bug? I think?	6/24/2008
Q: Recently I've had a very weird problem. I left my place of residence for about 2 weeks, and when I ... A: Ben: It would have really helped to know where on earth you live (I get questions from all over the ...
yellow striped ant/spider eating my tree	6/23/2008
Q: Please help! I have noticed my tree starting to die over the past couple weeks and just today ... A: Chris: Thank you for including the image with your question! Makes my job a bit easier.... These ...
unknown bug	6/23/2008
Q: I live in Kearny, NJ. I have found black hard shelled insects that flies and is a little smaller ... A: Dinora: I need way more information, and I'll show you why: Either you have two different species ...
strange but gorgeous mystery bug	6/23/2008
Q: I have NEVER seen these bugs before! There are MANY of them crawling in the underhang around our ... A: Dawn: The image is of the nymph (juvenile, immature) "wheel bug," Arilus cristatus. They don't get ...
What are these hard reddish brown beetles that are flying around the street lights?	6/18/2008
Q: I live in Northern Alabama, and over the last couple of weeks I have noticed these round, reddish ... A: I am confident that you are describing scarab beetles (family Scarabaeidae), but just what kind is ...
Unknown Bug	6/18/2008
Q: I recently found a bug in my house that I have never seen before and the internet isn't yielding ... A: Zia: Well, your illustration did not come through.... I suppose it could have been a beetle LARVA ...
Unknown Bug	6/18/2008
Q: I recently found a bug in my house that I have never seen before and the internet isn't yielding ... A: Zia: Not really enough information for me to help you much (you didn't even say 'where' you ...
Flying Black Bug	6/18/2008
Q: I live in Hawaii and everyday I see at least one of these huge bumble bee looking bugs. It's at ... A: Aloha! I'm envious of you right now as it is around 109F here in Tucson:-) On to your question.... ...
Red bug	6/17/2008
Q: I live in SE Minnesota and there are little red bugs with six legs and two antennas on my deck. They ... A: Ashley: You are describing nymphs (juveniles, immatures, babies) of some kind of "true bug" in the ...
unknown insect	6/17/2008
Q: Canada and I recently found a large insect on my front door. It was a orange and black striped with ... A: Melanie: A picture is always helpful, but you might consider posting it to: ...
Dog Parasite	6/17/2008
Q: Our dogs get these tiny, tiny tick-line bugs on them. They are blackish dark grey almost metallic ... A: Karen: I've never heard of a "tick-line." Is that anything like a drum line? Do they march and ...
bug	6/17/2008
Q: We have a bug in our yard eating the primrose and strawberry leaves. It's very small and looks like ... A: Lonny: Any way you can furnish your own image of these insects? I need to know if they are ...
Floating, white, feathery type bug	6/17/2008
Q: I was out in my friends backyard and i saw this floating thing, which i thought to be a feather. i ... A: Nick: It just about 'had' to be a woolly aphid or an adelgid, insects related to aphids. Your ...
Beetle in Minnesota	6/16/2008
Q: Eric: Hi. My name is Andrew Seifert, and I'm living in Minneapolis, MN. I came home from a walk ... A: Andrew: Ok, look at the other kinds of stag beetles then, or maybe at the hardwood stump borer, ...
mud nest, it think!	6/16/2008
Q: I live in central Texas, I went down to the creek bed at our home and found a strange looking nest ... A: Tammi: I don't think an insect made this nest. I HOPE an insect didn't make this! Geez, that ...
Large Brown Bug	6/16/2008
Q: I live in Missoula, MT. I have been finding large brown beetle looking bugs dead on there backs. ... A: Caitlin: Oh, boy, so many possibilities here! I need more information. Are the insects appearing ...
Small black wood-boring wasp?	6/16/2008
Q: We noticed small, flying, wasp-looking insects going in and out of holes bored in our cedar ... A: Tamara: I commend you for your very detailed observations. The overwhelming majority of our ...
bug	6/15/2008
Q: We have a bug in our yard eating the primrose and strawberry leaves. It's very small and looks like ... A: Lonny: I'm afraid I can't make an identification based on your description. You don't tell me ...
Multi coloured bees	6/15/2008
Q: in Yorkshire and we now have 3 varieties of what i believe to be bees in my garden. We have normal ... A: Yared: Whoa, whoa, whoa, that's about five or six questions there:-) LOL! I'm happy you are ...
Black Spider	6/15/2008
Q: I live just south of Kansas City, MO and found a black spider in a dark outdoor cabinet. The spider ... A: David: I strongly suspect you have encountered a "false widow" in the genus Steatoda. A widow ...
Beetle in Minnesota	6/15/2008
Q: Eric: Hi. My name is Andrew Seifert, and I'm living in Minneapolis, MN. I came home from a walk ... A: Andrew: You have my sincerest compliments for doing a bit of homework before sending me your ...
Possible yellowjacket?	6/14/2008
Q: Today we found the insects that had made 3 small entry holes in our front yard in NE Ohio earlier ... A: Elizabeth: Ok,...you want to "leave them be," but you "sprayed and retrieved two specimens?" Too ...
Mystery bug in my bed	6/14/2008
Q: Help! I found a bug in my bed and I'm not sure what it is. It is about 1/16 of an inch. The smallest ... A: Diane: I will happily answer your question as soon as I stop laughing hysterically:-) You are not ...
"mystery bug"	6/14/2008
Q: ok, you say you like to identify mystery bugs? well, if you cant help thats fine, but try this. is ... A: Colby: If it had two pairs of legs per segment, then it WAS a millipede. Most folks aren't that ...
Black Bug	6/14/2008
Q: We have an infestation in bags of corn kernals used for feeding wild life of a black tiny bug. It ... A: ..oh, Dear Martha: LOL! Too early in my morning to spell your last name, but you do have my full ...
black dot and larva	6/14/2008
Q: I'm from Montreal, Canada, and have a million questions regarding this particular bug. First, I ... A: Vi: I've shared about as much as I possibly can, unless you have more than ONE stored product pest. ...
Spiders on our windows	6/13/2008
Q: Every year around spring and summertime I always notice the most creepy spiders outside our windows, ... A: Amanda: I'm assuming you ARE a girl:-) No worries. You don't say where you are hailing from, ...
Beetle identity	6/13/2008
Q: http://www.london-se1.co.uk/forum/read/1/89734 An intriguing question has popped up on our local ... A: Tony: Unfortunately, I am not familiar enough with the fauna "over the pond" to be of much help ...
Mystery bug in my apartment!	6/13/2008
Q: I found the weirdest looking bug I've ever seen in my 3rd floor apartment here in Portland, OR. I ... A: Mack: Nice to hear from someone in my old hometown! I grew up in southwest Portland....and I KNOW ...
Mystery "vomit" on lawn caused by an insect?	6/13/2008
Q: I live in southwestern Illinois, not far from St. Louis. This is our first summer here and in the ... A: Haylee: I'm not familiar with the phenomenon you speak of. I would contact either the Illinois ...
MYSTERY BUG	6/13/2008
Q: i have only seen this bug 3 times and i just started seeing this last week and it looks kinda like a ... A: Taylor: I don't have nearly enough information to go on. Where on the planet are you seeing this ...
Mystery bug	6/12/2008
Q: I noticed a swarm (two feet long by six inches wide) of ants in my garage, sprayed and killed them ... A: Chad: You are almost certainly describing "springtails" in the order Collembola. Actually, most ...
flying fuzz	6/12/2008
Q: We saw this tiny, pale blue, flying bit of fuzz last week in Cataloochee Cove, NC (Great Smoky ... A: Ann: I like your guess, and only wish it were so! Hope I don't disappoint 'too' much by revealing ...
INSECT IDENTIFICATION	6/12/2008
Q: Eric I live on Florida`s East Central Coast & have a beetle type insect I would like to identify.It ... A: Dan: Let me answer your question first because it is ALL IN CAPS:-) Must be terribly urgent. ...
black dot and larva	6/12/2008
Q: I'm from Montreal, Canada, and have a million questions regarding this particular bug. First, I ... A: again! Heat might do it, but I don't know what the threshold temperature would be, nor the duration ...
Leaf insect identification	6/12/2008
Q: I been visited several times by a leaf insect (it is on the door right now) I understand it is some ... A: Well, thankfully this is one I recognize, as I'm not very good with insects from south of the ...
BLACK JUMPING SPIDER	6/11/2008
Q: I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THEY ARE HARMFUL TO ME BECAUSE I AM TERRIFIED OF SPIDERS? I DON'T HAVE MY ... A: Shanna: You are describing what are called "jumping spiders." No, I'm not making this up, they are ...
Small red bugs	6/11/2008
Q: (IMAGE ATTACHED) These little red bugs are on a wall outside my apartment in Houston, Texas. I've ... A: Lauren: Thank you for your question and the great image you attached with it. The little bugs are ...
mystery bug is it dangerous	6/11/2008
Q: Ok.. Around 1030 pm I saw some silverish bug .. It crawled really fast.. And it sort of blends it im ... A: Jay: Where do you live? Was the creature indoors? Outdoors? Next time please furnish more detail ...
Not too sure whtat it is...	6/11/2008
Q: I'm hoping you can help me. I don't have any pictures, but lately in my home I've been finding these ... A: Kestrel: One of my favorite birds:-) You are describing "springtails," order Collembola. ...
black dot and larva	6/10/2008
Q: I'm from Montreal, Canada, and have a million questions regarding this particular bug. First, I ... A: No apologies necessary for anything, that is what I am here for:-) My mother's name is Violet, too, ...
Unknown spider/mite on blue ash tree	6/10/2008
Q: I live in Southwest Ohio, and we have a young 20ft tall blue ash trees that has recently been ... A: Christina: You are most welcome! Your compliments made my day:-) I used to work at the Cincinnati ...
mystery insect	6/10/2008
Q: I found this insect late at night outside my Maryland home by the Chesapeake Bay in early June.It ... A: Ariel: I'm perplexed, too! Many insects are nocturnal, so that doesn't narrow the suspect list.... ...
flat, black bug that bites!	6/10/2008
Q: Okay, I have definitely seen this bug before, but recently I felt something (disgustingly enough) ... A: Ashton: I'm sorry to hear of your discomfort, and hope you are doing better now. Not sure I can ...
Moving my Spider Friend	6/10/2008
Q: Eaton, I have an adopted pet spider who has been living in my bathroom windowsill for about 8 ... A: Ben: Your question is such a far cry from my normal ones (like "what was that spider I just ...
Tiny orange bugs that bite	6/9/2008
Q: Hey there! I'm going to throw this question out there, even though I've seen it quite often. We need ... A: Jason: The most likely suspects are "red clover mites," Bryobia praetiosa, which are really, really ...
Mystery bug	6/9/2008
Q: The attached photo is a picture of a bug that was found on a dead maple tree in my backyard (we live ... A: What a delight to get such a polite and informative question! Thank you also for attaching the ...
swimming spiders	6/9/2008
Q: I have huge spiders in my pool. I have had them in past years, but they weren't as big, nor were ... A: Sheri: You don't state where you live, but I will assume somewhere in the eastern U.S.... I ...
insect nest?	6/9/2008
Q: There is an insect nest in the shape of an upside down cone about 3" long that is attached to the ... A: Jim: I just happened to be online. I'm not nearly this quick to respond most of the time:-) You ...
unidentified insect	6/8/2008
Q: I have been searching the web trying to identify these creatures: i first found them crawling on my ... A: Deshana: Booklice are not all that flat, but I don't know that they come in green:-) I'm thinking ...
bug we've never seen before!	6/8/2008
Q: I live in De Leon, Texas out in the country. We have a stock tank full of catfish that we also swim ... A: Lacy: Well, without seeing it, or an image of it, I'm hard-pressed to offer any suspects, either, ...
Green and Yellow beetle	6/8/2008
Q: I found a green beetle today that was about an inch long and skinny. It was shiny and had yellow ... A: Ally: My turn to apologize:-) I have no idea what you found, though obviously you are familiar ...
kitchen bug	6/8/2008
Q: we have been having this bug infestation in the kitchen they are all around the sink on top of the ... A: Rob: You don't say where you are writing from, which could greatly influence my answer.... Here in ...
Extremely tough ant or wasp	6/7/2008
Q: I came across an insect a few years ago that I've never been able to identify. I've never seen ... A: Jo: Your description is quite perplexing. The density of the exoskeleton simply screams "beetle!" ...
bug identification/removal	6/7/2008
Q: Help - we have tiny black bugs in our bathroom. They are so small that we must stare at them to ... A: Alicia: The only creatures that come to mind from your description are "springtails," order ...
Green and Yellow beetle	6/7/2008
Q: I found a green beetle today that was about an inch long and skinny. It was shiny and had yellow ... A: Ally: I'm not sure that what you found was a beetle. You don't say where you found it, either, ...
Bug identification.	6/7/2008
Q: I live in the D.C. area in an apartment on the 4th floor. I found a beautiful spider(? I wish I had ... A: Werner: You have already ruled out what would have been my first guess: the bold jumping spider, ...
large flying insect in chicagoland at night	6/7/2008
Q: Over the past week we have noticed a large flying insect at night that we have never seen before in ... A: Sue: I am not aware of any "new" insects in your area, but your description gives me essentially ...
Unknown spider/mite on blue ash tree	6/6/2008
Q: I live in Southwest Ohio, and we have a young 20ft tall blue ash trees that has recently been ... A: Christina: Thank you for such a vivid description! You leave no doubt as to what they are. Also, ...
large solitary bee	6/6/2008
Q: I have tried to identify a very large bee. We see them rarely around our home in upstate New York. ... A: Donna: Well, the description perplexes me as well. It might help to know 'when' you are seeing ...
strange tiny mystery worm or parasite?	6/6/2008
Q: This is the third time we have come across this in our house. The first time it looked like it was ... A: Does "inchworm" sound better than "death worm?" LOL! Unless there are flesh-eating caterpillars, ...
flying horsefly predator	6/6/2008
Q: I live in north Florida. I have 2 horses. We have 2 flying insects which hover around our horses all ... A: Lisa: You are describing one of my favorite insects, albeit one I've never seen in the "wild." It ...
Luminescence	6/6/2008
Q: Luminescence. I was on a beach fishing in Rincon Puerto Rico, May 20,2008, 10:00 PM, tempature about ... A: Ethan: It was most certainly a beetle of some kind, either a firefly in the family Lampyridae ...
tiny red bug	6/5/2008
Q: my daughter and i were in the front yard in a blow up pool, i had on a white cover and noticed a ... A: Amy: You don't state where you live, but over much of North America, "red clover mites," Bryobia ...
Unidentified Bug	6/5/2008
Q: I live in an apartment in Southeastern Michigan. There is a small pond behind our apartment ... A: Brooke: Ah, ok, well, in that event, I had better suggest what 'else' you might be dealing with: ...
Unidentified Bug	6/5/2008
Q: I live in an apartment in Southeastern Michigan. There is a small pond behind our apartment ... A: Brooke: I need more information before I can even begin to help you. Is this insect aquatic ...
Mystery Spider	6/5/2008
Q: At around 10 this morning, I was in our bathroom brushing my teeth and looked over at our toilet and ... A: Elaine: Sounds like the voyeur spider! Sorry, just kidding:-) Unfortunately, such a generic ...
bumble bee?	6/5/2008
Q: Eric this is our first year with honey bees, and while inspecting the hive I found what I thought ... A: Casey: Well, you got me, I'm not familiar with the Alaska fauna, either. Sounds like maybe a ...
mystery "ant-like" bug	6/4/2008
Q: Eaton. I'm going to attach a picture (or three). Unfortunately, I can't seem to get a really good ... A: Sterling: The image you attached is of a carpenter ant, genus Camponotus. I can't tell from the ...
Bee population dwindling?	6/4/2008
Q: I recently watched a movie about how "Monsanto" seed corporation is monopolizing the seed industry ... A: Joseph: I can't completely endorse your philosophy, but I do pay attention to alternative media ...
Aggressive black bee	6/4/2008
Q: Morning Mr. Eaton, I live in Southeast Texas and while mowing the lawn I was attacked by several ... A: Todd: Well, I wouldn't be totally surprised if you were describing something that has migrated up ...
Aggressive black bee	6/3/2008
Q: Morning Mr. Eaton, I live in Southeast Texas and while mowing the lawn I was attacked by several ... A: Todd: I hope you are feeling better now! The scenario you describe is a very typical encounter ...
Black worms near kitchen sink with PHOTO!	6/3/2008
Q: I've read some of your past answers and you seem to have gotten lots of questions about this ... A: Patrick: Without seeing the creatures under magnification (read 'microscope'), there is no way I ...
pool water	6/3/2008
Q: Well...to make a long story short...the above ground pool had a leak...about 4 inches of water in it ... A: Kimberly: Wow, quite a little ecosystem you had in that pool! I congratulate you for recognizing ...
mystery bug?	6/3/2008
Q: ok there is this weird bug i found on my porch and it looked like a roach but is was kinda small for ... A: I'm terribly sorry, but the description you give is so generic and vague that it would fit literally ...
wasps	6/2/2008
Q: I believe that I have 2 honeycomb pattern paper wasp nests on the outside window sill of 2 sky light ... A: The way you phrased your statement, it says you actually DO enjoy having the wasps around. Good for ...
bug in my garden	6/2/2008
Q: it looks like a fly, shiny black w/tapered smaller body. clear wings when flying it holds its legs ... A: Bonnie: Well, your description still fits many hundreds of different insects. I can think of ...
mystery bugs in my house	6/2/2008
Q: Eric, Thanks in advance for your help. I've seen these bugs in my house recently (picture ... A: George: The insect in the image is a "springtail" in the order Collembola (though most scientists ...
Unique beetle found in Ontario	6/2/2008
Q: ..hope you can help us out. My wife teaches a science unit called "backyard bugs" to kindergarten ... A: Rob: The insect you describe is most likely an "oil beetle" in the genus Meloe, one of the blister ...
found a spider	6/1/2008
Q: A: I probably need more information. Was it found indoors? Outdoors? A shed? Was it in a web? On ...
tiny red biting insects	6/1/2008
Q: The insects I'm talking about do not seem to fly at all. They are scarlet in color and fragile (6 ... A: Richard: You may be describing an immature mite of some kind. Mites are arachnids, not insects, ...
Mysterious insect	6/1/2008
Q: I saw a beautiful insect that was flying and it had a black body and bright orange wings. I thought ... A: Lisa: I can't imagine what else you could be describing, except for some kind of Pepsis ...
springtails maybe?	6/1/2008
Q: Eric, I have been trying to identify tiny bugs in my shower that are about the size of a flea or ... A: Katie: Contrary to the name, not all springtails can jump. The ones in my own shower don't ...
Mysterious insect	5/31/2008
Q: I saw a beautiful insect that was flying and it had a black body and bright orange wings. I thought ... A: Lisamaxty: You should probably teach your daughter to be very cautious of ANY brightly-colored ...
white beetle	5/31/2008
Q: He was gone before I could get back with a camera. Perhaps 3/4" long, white or off white (cream) ... A: Jim: It probably 'was' a scarab beetle. Many species of scarabs spend their larval (grub) life in ...
Mystery spider	5/31/2008
Q: I can't give an exact date, and unfortunately I have no picture, but I can't find anything remotely ... A: Cody: Posture alone does not help to identify spiders. They adopt many different postures ...
Cockroach?	5/30/2008
Q: I was in Houston, TX visiting my parents and saw a bug that I had never seen before. He was probably ... A: Molly: You are describing some kind of praying mantis. There are many species in North America, ...
wasps,yellow jackets	5/30/2008
Q: I have in my attic an large amount of fetal matter that I think is coming from wasps/yellow ... A: Ruth: I am really hoping you meant to write "fecal matter," not "fetal matter." Otherwise, I would ...
Bugs driving me nuts!	5/30/2008
Q: I live in San Antonio TX and have for two years. In the past few weeks my husband and I have ... A: Megan: I have my suspicions as to what you are observing, but I cannot make a positive ...
bugs in my room	5/29/2008
Q: I have been continually bitten while sleeping for the past three weeks or so. I have seen four of ... A: Nora: I'm very puzzled by your description of the creature in question. You are certain it is ...
Mystery Bug	5/29/2008
Q: I went out in my backyard and I found a little bug which looks like a piece of flower seed or ... A: Diana: Ah, thank you for attaching the image with your question. I already had an inkling of what ...
Bee or fly?	5/28/2008
Q: Eric, My family were visiting my parents, who live in the greater Pittsburgh, PA area, this past ... A: David: I'm sorry that your daughter was stung, I hope it didn't ruin her weekend. What you ...
Blood Bugs	5/28/2008
Q: I live in Southeast Indiana, and for the past month, we have had an "invasion" of small bright red ... A: Jacqi: Well, it is a little late for eastern boxelder bugs (Boisea trivittata), which would have ...
Insect behaviour	5/28/2008
Q: This is not a science question at all but all the same if baffles me - perhaps you can answer it? ... A: Lorraine: You might try asking an apiculturist (beekeeper) then, as honeybees are their specialty, ...
Unusual flying insect	5/28/2008
Q: Late one afternoon approximately a month ago, I saw two insects hovering around our azaleas. The ... A: Pam: You give a great, concise description of the adults of the "nessus sphinx moth," Amphion ...
garden beetle	5/28/2008
Q: I live in the Los Angeles area, about 30 miles inland, suburban. We have a small beetle in the ... A: Donna: Thank you for your very detailed description! It shows you are already quite knowledgeable. ...
tiny brown worms that become tiny black beetles	5/27/2008
Q: I have been finding tiny brown worms some are alive some are just a "shell" mostly in the bathroom ... A: Tammie: Ninety-nine percent of the time, descriptions such as yours turn out to be larvae and ...
Insect behaviour	5/27/2008
Q: This is not a science question at all but all the same if baffles me - perhaps you can answer it? ... A: Lorraine: I envy anyone who seems immune to mosquitoes:-) As for the bees and wasps, a couple ...
New home, different bugs	5/27/2008
Q: My family and I are just moving into a new home (new to us but actually a home from the 1930's) and ... A: Ok, the good news is that the image was plenty good enough to make a positive identification. The ...
Tiny reddish bug	5/27/2008
Q: Tonight as I was doing laundry I noticed tiny red bugs on my daughter's dirty clothes. I captured a ... A: You are most likely describing "clover mites," Bryobia praetiosa, which are at most a mere "nuisance ...
small, black mystery spider	5/26/2008
Q: Today I found a black spider with furry legs, large abdomen and a large, yellow dot followed by a ... A: Katelyn: Ok, well, Idaho spider fauna is not well known, unfortunately. I would still stand by my ...
CENTIPEDE TYPE BUG IN THE OCEAN	5/26/2008
Q: On a recent fishing trip on the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada, I saw a centipede ... A: I'm afraid this is a question for a marine biologist:-) There are few insects that live in salt ...
small, black mystery spider	5/25/2008
Q: Today I found a black spider with furry legs, large abdomen and a large, yellow dot followed by a ... A: Katelyn: Well, you don't say where you live, which might help a bit, but I'll give you my usual ...
bugs	5/24/2008
Q: one day i found a bug i thought was a ant but it had red with black strips but i was going to kill ... A: Malcom: It was probably some kind of beetle, but without a lot more detail, including where on the ...
forgot to give location in last question	5/24/2008
Q: I had the question about a possible Western black widow. I live in the MD suburbs of DC, though as ... A: Erika: No worries, though I actually don't remember your question! It is certainly possible for ...
black bug with red strip	5/24/2008
Q: I live in northern NJ and lately we have found this small bug in our house. It is black, small, ... A: Sue:-) You are most welcome. Yes, do get back to me with an image, or more detail.... You can ...
black bug with red strip	5/23/2008
Q: I live in northern NJ and lately we have found this small bug in our house. It is black, small, ... A: Sue: "Small" is relative to us entomologists:-) Thank you, though, for at least telling me where ...
weird looking spider	5/23/2008
Q: We keep finding these weird spiders in our home and no one can tell me what they are. A: That helps narrow the list of suspects. It would also have helped if you had told me where you ...
red bugs	5/23/2008
Q: I have found thousands of little red bugs on my brick patio, patio furniture, planters and even some ... A: Natalie: Chances are that they are "red clover mites," Bryobia praetiosa. They can be abundant at ...
Identify insect eggs	5/22/2008
Q: Eric, can you identify the egg deposits in the enclosed picture. They were taken at a freshwater ... A: Robert: No, I'm sorry, those are unfamiliar to me. I am not even sure they are from an insect (or ...
Bugs on water oak	5/22/2008
Q: I'm in NE Florida, and we have several spots on our water oak that is crawling with these insects ... A: Dwight: Thank you for attaching the link to your magnificent image! Helps me a great deal. The ...
Insect Identification	5/22/2008
Q: I live in Southern California, and tonight around 9:00 pm, on a concrete retaining wall, I noticed a ... A: Karen: What you found was probably the larva of a firefly of some kind, family Lampyridae. ...
identify a tiny bug	5/21/2008
Q: I hope you can help me identify some tiny bugs that showed up in my dryer lint filter. They are ... A: Susan: You are most welcome. Your son did the right thing taking precautionary measures in the ...
Bug with "Head Lights"	5/21/2008
Q: I live in south florida and encountered a large bug crawling along my floor at a pretty good pace ... A: Randy: No mistaking that description for anything else! Oddly, this is the second question from ...
theres a weird worm in lots of places!!!!	5/21/2008
Q: Where i live:(Oahu) Honolulu,Hawaii Color:brown and sometimes theres a hint of white/brown How ... A: Po'okela: Any chance you could take a picture of the thing and upload the image to: ...
identify a tiny bug	5/21/2008
Q: I hope you can help me identify some tiny bugs that showed up in my dryer lint filter. They are ... A: Susan: Wow, how refreshing to get such a detailed and thoughtful message! You have really done ...
Bug	5/21/2008
Q: I am trying to identify a bug that I found on my orchid the other day. I thought there were two ... A: Linda: The "fluff" you describe is actually waxy filaments secreted by the insect to help insulate ...
Bees living underground	5/20/2008
Q: I am from New Brunswick, Canada. My question is about bees that are living in my flower garden. I ... A: Jen:-) Yes, at this time of year, those would be solitary bees. The most common genera include ...
cocoon	5/20/2008
Q: I recently found what looked like a small spill of teflon paste at the bottom of my coal door in my ... A: Dan: Ok, well that would indeed fit with a mantis egg case. Do look at the online images for the ...
cocoon	5/20/2008
Q: I recently found what looked like a small spill of teflon paste at the bottom of my coal door in my ... A: Dan: So what does teflon paste look like? What's a coal door, for that matter? We're speaking two ...
Wasp, Bee or Fly?	5/20/2008
Q: I found this brown one on the floor of my house. They are aggressive and will fly at you. They come ... A: Dan: At least one of the images you provided a link to is of a "deer fly," genus Chrysops in the ...
Tiny Brown Bugs	5/20/2008
Q: I live in Central Ohio and lately I've been seen these bugs. They fly but mostly crawl. When I kill ... A: Sara: How about we figure out what they are first? Applying broad-spectrum insecticides is never a ...
Identifying a little bug	5/19/2008
Q: I live in Sydney, Australia, so I don't know if the little bugs I have found, also exist in America, ... A: Denise: I don't suppose you are single, are you? LOL! Nice to learn of someone else who ...
Small Brown Worm-like bug	5/19/2008
Q: We have recently noticed several small, brown, worm-like bugs that are in our wood casement windows. ... A: Lisa: I'm afraid that in this case I would need to see at least a clear image of the creature in ...
Water Larvae	5/19/2008
Q: Can you tell me what these are? We installed a natural swimming pool last year and now all the ... A: Terri: Really awesome image you attached that leaves no doubt as to what the creatures are: black ...
New home, different bugs	5/19/2008
Q: My family and I are just moving into a new home (new to us but actually a home from the 1930's) and ... A: Rosemary: Your subject line cracks me up:-) Thanks for making my day. I suspect that what you are ...
mites	5/18/2008
Q: mr eaton,i forgot to mention that these are all over my house,i live in west tennessee on a lake A: again, Louise: I stand by my answer that they are probably mites of some sort, and mites, ...
mites	5/18/2008
Q: 1.microscopic flat white,also find black ones.2.white ones are found mostly in the ... A: Louise: Well, it sounds like you may have a problem with mites of some sort. Some are well known ...
Mystery wasp in the Pacific Northwest	5/18/2008
Q: Several summers ago we reseeded our back yard and the following late spring I noticed that there ... A: Jessica: Well, in that case, you could maybe call on my friend, Matthew Shepherd, of the Xerces ...
biting flying insect	5/18/2008
Q: I live in SW Florida, same house, 5 years. For the past year my family has been dealing with these ... A: Jennifer: Well, if someone actually examined specimens, and 'still' couldn't identify the ...
green beetle - What is its name?	5/17/2008
Q: I found this little guy (about 1/2 inch long or maybe a little smaller) on a picnic table at a park ... A: Tracy: Thank you for attaching the image, it makes my job MUCH easier:-) Your insect is.... The ...
Mystery wasp in the Pacific Northwest	5/17/2008
Q: Several summers ago we reseeded our back yard and the following late spring I noticed that there ... A: Jessica: It would really help to see at least an image, if not an actual specimen. I grew up in ...
catapiller	5/17/2008
Q: Mr. Eaton My husband found a big gray 3 to 4 in. long markings like a snake black ... A: Tricia: First, a little spelling lesson. It is "caterpillar." Ok, now to try and identify it.... ...
Spine