Archive for category: Send your photo for identification

6214 In the last week, thousands upon thousands of these tiny tiny beetles have appeared on my fence and house siding. They seemed to suddenly appear out of nowhere. They come in 2 colors (solid black and patterned). This is the first year I’ve noticed them, but this is also the first year I’ve had a lawn or fence (sod laid last fall, just bare ground with no plants prior as I live in a new development). Are these just harmless beetles that have all hatched at once and will disperse on their own in the coming weeks or do I have a pest problem on my hands? Thanks so much!

Number 6214 – These are flea beetles, leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae; tribe Alticini). Some species can be very serious garden pests; the one you imaged looks like a Phyllotreta sp. – Click here for more detailed information,

6212 – Please help identify. From Samarth park, Surat Gujarat India

Number 6212 – This is a caterpillar of a moth in the family Noctuidae (owlet moths). It belongs to a subset of that family that includes many pest species such as cutworms and armyworms, but I cannot provide a more specific i.d. at this time.

6210 I am not sure what this bug is, my wife has seen the bugs at least 3 times. From Toronto Ontario

Number 6210 – This is a spider beetle (Coleoptera: Anobiidae; subfamily Ptininae) in the genus Mezium. These beetles are cosmopolitan nuisance pests that sometimes can infest dry stored food products, Click here for detailed information and also Click here for more information.

6208  Found this guy on my screen door over the last couple nights around 11 pm. From Prince George, British Columbia.

Number 6208 – This is a type of scarab beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) that often are called May beetles or June bugs as they usually are most commonly seen in those months. They are attracted to lights at night, but are rather bumbling fliers and thus frequently seen on the ground under outdoor lights. Their larvae (white grubs) feed on roots of grasses and can be serious lawn/turf pests.

6206 – Spider Identification

Number 6206 – This is a male orb-weaving spider (family Araneidae); likely in the genus Araneus. All orb-weaving spiders are harmless to humans.

6204 I have a lot of small, brown worms, coming out onto my garage floor, what are they? A friend said they were “Wire Worms”. They come in, curl up and die. How can I kill them before they get in?

Number 6204 – This is a millipede (class Diplopoda). Ones like this are harmless scavengers on decomposing organic matter that may become nuisance pests when they get indoors. They need ample moisture in order to thrive, so simply keeping your dwelling as dry as possible will discourage them.

6202 I was letting the dog in and this thing flew into the house. I grabbed it to put it back outside and the jerk either bit or stung me! Nowhere near as bad as a wasp or bee sting but still a little stabbing pain for 15 min or so. The bug looked to be a little over an inch long from tail to head. From Winnipeg.

Number 6202 – This is an ichneumon wasp (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in the subfamily Ophioninae. These primarily are parasitic on the larvae/pupae of moths (one species parasitizes larvae of a scarab beetle). Although not venomous, they can give a sharp ‘sting’ with their needle-like ovipositor (personal experience).

6197  Found this beetle inside my home and don’t know what it is. Can you please help identify and how did it get inside!

Number 6197 – This is not a beetle; it is a western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Coreidae). These often enter buildings in search of shelter, but do no harm there. Click here for more detailed information.

6195 What kind of spider is this?

Number 6195 – This is a wolf spider (family Lycosidae). These are active hunters that have good eyesight; they do not spin a capture web. They are not aggressive towards humans, but large specimens can deliver a painful bite if handled carelessly.

6193 We have had a number of these in our basement lately (April 2018, North Vancouver, B.C.) primarily, but not always, in the bathroom. They are about 4-5 mm in length with black backs/wings with a distinct brown patch towards the head. I’m not sure if they can fly… they sometimes seem to jump. Thank you for any assistance you can provide!

Number 6193 – This looks like a leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae); if they can jump, they may be flea beetles (tribe Alticini in said family). to the best of my knowledge, none of these are household pests, yours likely are simply accidental intruders.

6191 We’re in Montreal’s West Island area. We have these bugs in the house and they’re usually found in pasta but also marshmallow etc. in the pantry.
I haven’t seen them before and am wondering whether they came in some flour or something.

Number 6191 – This is a weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), based on your narrative it most likely is one of the grain /granary weevils in the genus Sitophilus. These often infest stored grains such as wheat, rice, corn (maize), etc. as well as dry stored food products made from grains (such as pasta). See elsewhere on this site for additional information including control suggestions. Click here

6189 What is this bug? At first I thought it was a Kissing Bug or Boll Weevil but upon comparing stock photos online, I don’t think so.

Number 6189 – This is a nymph of Reduvius personatus, an assassin bug (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Reduviidae) known as a masked hunter. This is an introduced species likely of European origin that is frequently found indoors where it feeds on the insects and other arthropods it finds there. It is reported to have a very painful (but not dangerous) bite; Click here for more detailed information.