harmless boxelder bug

5831 Hi my name is Sarah and I have come across 2 bugs so far in my home both the same and I have no idea what it is , I was wondering if you could let me know what it is and is it harmful as in should I go to a doctor and get treated if someone got bit by one. I live in Sudbury Ontario.  This bug is about the size in between a nickel and a dime , it has red lines on its back, in the photo I have attached I appears to look like a fly but it had like a hard looking shell on its back with I wouldn’t say whiskers in the front of its face but one on each side of face. Thank you so much.   Sarah

This is a completely harmless boxelder bug (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Rhopalidae; Boisea sp.). These basically are nuisance pests that do little if any real harm – see http://tinyurl.com/pr9y98a for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.