Thousands of pest photos submitted for identification.
7504. Winnipeg, Manitoba. Canada
Number 7504. This is a broad-nosed/short-snouted weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; subfamily Entiminae). They sometimes enter buildings in search of shelter, but do no harm there. See Broad-nosed/short-snouted weevil detailed information .
7503. Central Alabama, temperature about 80 degrees F. Mid August 2024. Pelham, Alabama. United States
Number 7503. This is a robber fly (Diptera: Asilidae), possibly in the genus Promachus – see Robber fly example . Robber flies are ambush predators that dart out to nab insects that fly too close to their perch. They then return to their site to enjoy their meal.
7502. Picture were taken by a friend near his home wanted to know what kind of spider this is because there are small children all around this area. Georgetown, Canada.
Number 7502. This appears to be a common (American) house spider, Parasteatoda tepidariorum – see (American) house spider image . Although they belong to the same family (Theridiidae) as the infamous widow spiders, these are harmless to humans.
7501. Super super small under the stove. Calgary, Alberta. Canada
Number 7501. This is one of the grain beetles (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) in the genus Oryzaephilus, either a saw-toothed grain beetle or a merchant grain beetle. The distinguishing characters cannot be seen in this image. They may feed on a wide variety of items, including cereals, dried fruit, bran, rolled oats, brown rice, walnuts, breakfast foods, macaroni, sugar, drugs, fried meats, chocolate, tobacco, and snuff. They cannot attack perfectly sound grain, but can feed on slightly damaged grain. See Grain beetles detailed information .
7500. Montreal, Quebec Canada
Number 7500. This appears to be a booklouse (Psocodea: Liposcelidae). These basically are nuisance pests, feeding primarily on mould spores including mould that grows from the paste used in the binding of old books and wallpaper, or sometimes they can even feed on the paste itself. They require high humidity in order to persist in an environment. See booklouse detailed information .
7499. Grove City, OH. United States
Number 7499. These are grain beetles (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) in the genus Oryzaephilus, either saw-toothed or merchant grain beetles. They can infest a wide variety of dry stored food products. See Grain beetles detailed information .
7498. Richmond, BC. Canada
Number 7498. This is a broad-nosed/short-snouted weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; subfamily Entiminae). They often enter buildings in search of shelter, but do no harm there. See Broad-nosed/short-snouted weevil detailed information
7497. Calgary, AB. Canada
Number 7497. This is a larva of a ladybird beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), it looks like Adalia bipunctata – see Larva of a ladybird beetle image & ladybird beetle detailed information .
7496. Edmonton, Alberta. Canada
Number 7496. The image most likely is a burrowing/burrower bug in the family Cydnidae; see burrowing bug detailed information .
7495. I got bit on my leg by this spider tonight. I was able to kill it. Not sure what type of spider it is but I can’t find any information about a spider that looks like this in Vancouver. so far the area that it bit sings, has a small welt and red. Any help identifying it would be great! Thank you. Vancouver BC. Canada.
Number 7495. This most likely is a yellow sac spider (family Cheiracanthiidae) in the genus Cheiracanthium. See Yellow sac spider example . Their bite is not considered medically significant; see Yellow sac spider detailed information .
7494. Looks like a carpet beetle larvae without the fine hairs. I squished one and it had guts. Measures 8mm long by 3mm wide. Found half a dozen on the floor under the plastic garbage can against the kitchen wall. Thanks for the help. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Canada
Number 7494. This appears to be a pupa of a muscoid fly such as a house fly. See House fly detailed information .
7493. My son found this beetle on our green (organics) bin and we’ve never seen one before. It was quite large, almost as long as a quarter. We both thought the red “pom poms” on its antennae were cute. Ardrossan, AB. Canada
Number 7493. This is a sexton/burying beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae) in the genus Nicrophorus. There are at least three species having this general appearance that have been reported from Alberta. See https://tinyurl.com/5capanjx
for an example. See Sexton/burying beetle detailed information .
Due to the breakdown of the main A/C unit for the 7 story condo building that I live in, the building is very humid. Many residents are now seeing the presence of silverfish. Would the prolonged humidity and heat be contributing to the silverfish infestation? We have been told bugs in our units is our responsibility. However, how effective is it to treat an individual unit when the silverfish are throughout the entire building? Shouldn’t the entire building be treated? Waterdown, ON
It would indeed be better to have the whole building (or at least all the units reporting an infestation) treated at the same time. Even if you succeed in clearing an infestation in your apartment, it likely might suffer a re-infestation shortly thereafter. You might try seeing how other tenants would feel about suggesting that the management initiate a contract with a reputable pest management concern – see the following commentary from a property manager in the USA:
“I have a 4 story enclosed building with 163 units. One infestation can quickly spread in such close quarters. We have pest control out the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. They treat any units who may have reported an issue as well as the common area hallways and community rooms. When I first came to this community we had a case of the dreaded BB (I can’t even say the words). Our pest company came in and treated the problem which as anyone who has ever dealt with these little buggers knows is a long expensive process. Anyway about a year later the resident who had the infestation filed a suit against us. Thanks to our pest control company and their detailed records of our treatment the suit never went anywhere. Because we had a contract with them the treatment was much less costly then it would have been had we been a new client.
Many times prospective residents have come to our community due to pest issues where they currently live, it has been very helpful to be able to tell them we offer pest control. With all the recent attention in the news regarding BB’s I think it’s something we need to keep if only for a resident’s piece of mind. Awkward moment; when a prospect tells you the reason they are moving is because their current community has a pest infestation.”
7492. I found this on the inside of our screened in deck, hence the name I gave it. I have never seen one of these before and I am almost n74 years old. Just curious. Thanks. y Road, River Philip, NS. Canada
Number 7492. This is a fishfly (Megaloptera: Corydalidae; subfamily Chauliodinae). See Fishfly for details on the life history of a representative species.
7491. On June 8, 2024, found this flying insect on a red runner bean leaf in my garden. Not familiar with it. Wondering what it is attracted to or eating? Toronto, ON. Canada
Number 7491. This is a true fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae); it resembles a sunflower maggot fly, Strauzia longipennis – see True fruit fly detailed information
7490. Lac LA hache, British Columbia. Canada
Number 7490. This is an ichneumon wasp (Hymenoptera; Ichneumonidae); it looks like one in the subfamily Ophioninae. These wasps all are parasitic on other arthropods, mainly other insects; they are non-venomous and harmless to humans. See Ichneumon wasp detailed information .
7489. Started spotting these in random rooms along the baseboards. We have lived here 12 years and never seen anything like this…we have had sugar ants but that is all. Thank you. Delta, BC. Canada
Number 7489. This is a weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); it looks like one of the grain/granary weevils in the genus Sitophilus. If you have any dry seeds such as rice, wheat, or corn/maize in your house, you should check them for any signs of infestation. See Weevil detailed information .
7488. Found among my clothing. Township of Madawaska Valley, Ontario. Canada
Number 7488. This is a pseudoscorpion, a non-venomous arachnid related to true scorpions, spiders, etc. They are general predators on other small invertebrates and entirely harmless to humans. See pseudoscorpion detailed information .
7487. Looked like the form of a black widow but was a metallic brown. Never seen one before. Peterborough, Ontario. Canada
Number 7487. Most likely a comb-footed/cobweb spider (family Theridiidae) in the genus Steatoda. Related to widow spiders, they can deliver a very painful but not dangerous bite if mishandled (personal experience). See comb-footed/cobweb spider detailed information .
7486. What kind of bug is this. Was crawling on my arm while watching tv in bed. Port Hope, Ontario. Canada
Number 7486. This is a grain beetle (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) in the genus Oryzaephilus, either a saw-toothed or merchant grain beetle. These can infest a wide vsriety of dry stored food products, so you should check your pantry for any signs of insect infestation. See Grain Beetle detailed information.
7484. Courtenay, BC…very hot day in May…dozens of these on the back patio, most dead. Almost like an ant swarm? Courtenay, British Columbia. Canada
Number 7484. This is a click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae); it looks like Agriotes lineatus – see click beetle image .
7483. Jackson, Kentucky. United States
Number 7483. This looks like a male carpenter ant, Camponotus sp. See Carpenter Ants Identification & Control .
7482. Found in basement suite. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Canada
Number 7482. This is a terrestrial crustacean in the order Isopoda; they go by numerous common names, including sow bugs, woodlice, and roly-polys. They are for the most part harmless scavengers on decomposing organic matter. See Terrestrial Crustacean detailed information .
7481. We have lots of these in the house in the last few weeks. They have an orange area in the middle of the body and some have wings. We put out sticky pads to capture them. New Bothwell, Manitoba. Canada
Number 7481. This is a rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). The vast majority of these beetles are general predators on other small invertebrates; there is no need to control them. See Rove Beetle Detailed Information .
7480. My client originally thought her cat and son’s dog had fleas and bought medication from us. The owner claims she gets bugs on herself and has developed a rash on her back. She had a fumigator come to her house and says it seemed a bit better since. Yesterday she brought us the bug in the picture. Is it a carpet beetle? What is the best way to get rid of them? Cochrane, Alberta. Canada
Number 7480. This appears to be a larva of a dermestid beetle in the genus Trogoderma. They will feed on a very wide variety of seeds as well as dead insects and animals, cereal products, candy, cocoa, corn, corn meal, dog food (dried and ‘burgers’), fishmeal, flour, oatmeal, milk powder, spaghetti, spices, peas, wheat, barley, and pollen. In grain, they cannot feed on whole grain, but can feed on broken kernels that are usually present. The best control is prevention; start by examining all potentially infestable products in your home, discarding anything that appears to be infested. Then, give all storage areas a thorough cleaning. In the future, store all potentially infestable products in sealable glass, plastic, or metal containers.
7479. Found in kitchen pantry. Also appears to have burrowed in charcuterie board. Burlington, Ontario. Canada
Number 7479. This appears to be one of the grain beetles in the genus Oryzaephilus (Coleoptera: Silvanidae). They can be pests in dry stored food products such as flour, baking mixes, dry cereals, dry pet food, etc. I suggest inspecting your food storage areas for any signs of insect infestation. See Grain beetles detailed information
7478. I have been finding these beetles (?) crawling inside our house in random places at least once day for the past few weeks. They can fly but almost never do, move very slowly and are easy to pick up. Approx 5 mm in lengths. It is February, we live in Black Mountain area of Kelowna, lots of trees around. Kelowna, BC. Canada
Number 7478. These are beetles in the family Dermestidae (hide/skin/carpet beetles and allies); it looks like Megatoma variegata, a species native to the Pacific Northwest – see Beetles – Dermestidae detail information
A friend of mine recently had bed bugs. Thankfully, it seems they were caught early, and after two sprays two weeks apart they seem to be gone. Erring on the side of caution, I’m wondering when it will be safe to have my friend over to my place again, or to go visit him at his place? I know bed bugs aren’t exactly “contagious” but I’m concerned about one possibly hitching a ride on a jacket, tote bag, backpack, etc. And, of course, I don’t want to make my friend feel bad. I can’t find any good information online about this. Could you please help me out? Toronto
Don’t take/wear anything with you that you cannot fit into a large (contractor size) plastic bag after your visit. Then see https://tinyurl.com/4vhdwnkn for suggestions on using either heat or cold to kill any unwanted hitchhikers.
Adult German cockroach was seen and killed on Dec 16 but my son had seen small dark bugs in the kitchen about a week ago. The place was sprayed yesterday on Dec 21st. They notified us that no further treatments were required. Will one treatment get rid of all of them? Where can I buy bait etc. to ensure none survived? I’ve looked and looked and I can’t find anything in Canada.
German cockroaches are notoriously difficult to bring under complete control. I suggest using ‘Roach Motels’ as monitoring devices, and if cockroaches show up in them, schedule another treatment. In the meantime, the insect growth regulator (IGR) Pyriproxyfen should be available in Canada – see http://tinyurl.com/yckcpc38 It usually is marketed under the brand name NyGuard.
Can a larva get inside a humans ears and mouth? Gulfport Mississippi
Yes, this can occur, but very uncommonly, and then usually associated with other underlying factors. See http://tinyurl.com/3duchw6v and http://tinyurl.com/3kwx59sx for oral (mouth) and http://tinyurl.com/yhndh338 for aural/otic (ear) cases.
7477. Not sure what those flies are, I have a few of them in the house ( bathroom, kitchen ). The weather is fairly cold at this time of the year. Could it come from one of my plants? Thank you. Gatineau, QC. Canada
Number 7477. This appears to be a dark-winged fungous gnat (Diptera: Sciaridae). Although usually just nuisance pests, larvae of some species can damage roots and other soft plant tissues of potted plants that are in contact with soil. They need very moist/wet soil in order to thrive, so one of the simplest control measures is simply to let the soil dry out as much as practical between waterings. See Dark-winged fungus gnat control suggestions .
7476. Port au Choix, Newfoundland and Labrador. Canada
Number 7476. This is a moth in the family Geometridae; their caterpillars are known as loopers, inchworms, or spanworms. This is a huge family, but only a few specie are serious pests. See Geometridae Video Clip
7475. Found late at night in the kitchen walking (slowly) on the kitchen counter. Aproximately the size of an American dime. Pelham, Alabama. United States
Number 7475. This is thread-legged bug (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Reduviidae; subfamily Emesinae). Most are general predators on other small arthropods; some specialize on spiders, and may steal the spiders’ prey as well. Very interesting insects that many people never see.