western black widow spider
7512. Spiders found in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Number 7512. This is a western black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus, the only medically important spider in Alberta. See western black widow spider detailed information .
Thousands of pest photos submitted for identification.
Orb weaver
7511. Spiders found in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Number 7511. This spider is a harmless orb weaver in the genus Argiope, most likely A. trifasciata.
Non-biting midge
7510. What is this bug? All of a sudden I have them all over in every room!!! Two Rivers, WI United States
Number 7510. This is a non-biting midge (Diptera Chironomidae). Harmless nuisance pests. See Non-biting midge detailed information .
Reproductive termite
7509. Vancouver, British Columbia. Canada
Number 7509. This a reproductive termite that has shed its wings; it looks like a Pacific coast dampwood termite, Zootermopsis angusticollis. See Reproductive termite detailed information .
Larder beetle exoskeletons
7508. What are these ??? Hollow shells, and are super small. I found them whilst cleaning; and there’s TONS of them. Conception bay south, Canada
Number 7508. These are shed ‘skins’ (exoskeletons) of a beetle in the family Dermestidae (carpet/hide/larder beetles and allies). These most likely are in the genus Dermestes such as Dermestes lardarius (larder beetle) – see Larder beetle detailed information .
Giant water bug
7507. Is this a giant Asian water beetle. What do I do with it. Found it at our daycare. Same, Red Earth Creek, Alberta. Canada.
Number 7507. This is a giant water bug (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Belostomatidae), possibly a Lethocerus sp.; these are native, not Asian. See Giant water bug detailed information .
Termites
7506. Hi there, I was referred by a friend that you helped identify pests. We found about 30 of these in our house one day after the first rain in awhile. The summer temperature just recently dropped. Thanks for your help!
Number 7506. These are termites that have have shed their wings and are looking for a place to set up housekeeping. You probably should schedule an inspection from a certified termite control specialist. See Termites detailed information .
booklouse
7505. Hi, I find these dotted around the house. Sometimes in the bathroom or on a windowsill. Theres always only one or two. They were first found in a bathroom where we had a birds nest removed from the exhaust vent. Are these booklice ? Ontario, Canada.
Number 7505. Yes, this is a booklouse (Psocodea: Liposcelidae). See booklouse detailed information .
Broad-nosed/short-snouted weevil
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 .
Robber fly
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.
(American) house spider
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.
Grain beetles
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 .
Booklouse
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 .
Grain beetles
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 .
Broad-nosed/short-snouted weevil
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
Larva of a ladybird beetle
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 .
Burrowing/burrower bug
7496. Edmonton, Alberta. Canada
Number 7496. The image most likely is a burrowing/burrower bug in the family Cydnidae; see burrowing bug detailed information .
Yellow sac spider
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 .
Muscoid fly
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 .
Sexton/burying beetle
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 .
Bugs infestation
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.”
Fishfly
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.
True fruit fly
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
Ichneumon wasp
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 .
Weevil
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 .
Pseudoscorpion
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 .
Comb-footed/cobweb spider
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 .
Grain beetle
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.
Click beetle
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 .
Male carpenter ant
7483. Jackson, Kentucky. United States
Number 7483. This looks like a male carpenter ant, Camponotus sp. See Carpenter Ants Identification & Control .
Terrestrial crustacean
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 .
Rove beetle
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 .
Larva of a dermestid beetle
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.