Pest Identification Photos

6966.          Million of them in the backyard, are they harmful? Waterloo, On. Canada

Number 6966. This appears to be a nymph of a hairy chinch bug, Blissus leucopterus hirtus (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Blissidae). These can cause damage to lawns/turf;  Click here for more detailed information.

6964.         July 2020 saw this fly on my plant outdoors. Have never seen one with this colouring before. Should I be wary? Kanata, ON. Canada

Number 6964. This fly is a friend. It is in the family Tachinidae, and the larvae of all species in this family are parasitic on other arthropods, mainly other insects.

6962.      These look like tiny bees. They swarm by the 1000’s over my lawn, in cedar shrubs, and higher into lower branches of my beech trees. …from May to July. Looks like they hatch from the soil?? – mainly on sunny days. They appeared about 3 years ago and seem to be getting worse each year. They are only about 1/2″ – 5/8″ long. Wings are folded over the back when resting, unlike in the photo ( this one is dead). Any idea what they are, and should I be concerned? Thanks. Bancroft, Ontario. Canada

Number 6962. This is one of the many species of solitary ground-nesting bees, likely in the subfamily Halictinae. These are valuable pollinators, but some species in this subfamily known as sweat bees will sting if swatted when they alight on your skin (they are attracted to perspiration).

6960.      This bug is eating the leafs of one particular Green Bush, The Bush is dying. There are round holes on the leafs that are close. Some leafs only have their skeleton left. Milton, Ontario. Canada

Number 6960. This is a leaf beetle, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae; it looks like a viburnum leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni), see https://tinyurl.com/y26u3hg6 for images. This is an introduced species; Click here for more detailed information including control recommendations.

6958.         1/2 inch long, brown in colour with light green and orange markings This one is tiny. The adult is more than an inch long. Found in hot weather after a rain. Lakefield, Ontario. Canada

Number 6958. This is a spiny oak slug moth, Thorybes pylades (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae). Click here for images and more detailed information.

6956.      What’s this insect called …never seen one before. Waterloo, Ontario. Canada

Number 6956. This is a scarab beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae); it is a grapevine beetle, Pelidnota punctata. Also known as the spotted pelidnota, the adult beetle feeds primarily on grape leaves and frit, but seldom causes real damage. The larvae feed on rotting wood, usually underground. Click here for more detailed information.

6954.         We found this outside in our backyard on one of our kayaks and can’t figure out what it is. We have not went out in our kayaks at all lately so we couldn’t have picked it up somehow while out on the water so we have no clue how it got here and what it is. London, Ontario. Canada

Number 6954. This is the empty ‘shell’ (exoskeleton) of a cicada (Hemiptera/ Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae), likely in the genus Neotibicen (annual/dog-day cicadas). Click here for a video of the molting process.

6952.      I have been seeing many insects like this since over 2 weeks in my home. This morning I seem to have rolled over one in my bed and it bite me under my tigh and the bite woke me up. I saw it escape quickly in my bed sheets before I killed it. It is about 10 mm long and between the antennas it has small claws like contraptions on the top of its head if you look carefully… What is this insect?? Alma, Quebec. Canada

Number 6952. This is a ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae). These are general predators on other small arthropods, mainly other insects. If this is what bit you, it was strictly reflexive on its part, and the bite is harmless. Click here for more detailed information.

6950.      I found one of these ants on my back walkway. Can you identify it? I found scraping on the pressure treated wood in the stairwell under my back deck. Can you tell me if that is related to the ant? There is a pile of wood scrapings underneath the damage. Thank you. Toronto, ON. Canada

Number 6950. This looks like a carpenter ant (Camponotus sp.), and the scraping in your second image does look like carpenter ant damage. Did the ‘shavings’ look like this Click here? Click here for more information including control recommendations.

6948.          Found it pretty much dead on my lawn in the town of Manila. Canada

Number 6948. This is a sphinx moth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) in the genus Manduca, likely M. quinquemaculata, whose caterpillar is known as the tomato hornworm. Either its wings never expanded after it emerged from its pupa, or something has torn them off. Click here for an image.

6946.             These insects were found late at night 11pm/12am. They were all around the window trying to get into the house. About 20 of them did find their way in the house crawling on the ground and flying around the lights. About 5-10mm long with 4 legs and possibly 2 more small ones under the front portion of the body. The day had been warm (July 6the about 20 degrees all day). A light rain in the evening for about an hour. Please let me know if you need anything else from me. Thank you. St.Albert, Alberta. Canada

Number 6946. This appears to be an aquatic insect known as a water boatman (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Corixidae). They are good fliers, and often are attracted to lights at night. They are completely harmless. Click here for more detailed information.

6944.             Please can you tell me what this is. I’m worried to walk barefoot in the grass. Thank you. Richmond, BC. Canada

Number 6944. This is a jumping spider (family Salticidae) in the genus Phidippus, likely Phidippus johnsoni; Click here for an image. They are harmless to humans.

6942.         Sumbitch got hit five times with a flyswatter before I killed it. Waynesboro, Tennessee. United States

Number 6942. This is a male velvet ant (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), likely in the genus Timulla. These are parasitic primarily on ground-nesting bees and wasps, and the wingless females (sometimes called ‘cow-killers’) have a wickedly painful sting. Males lack a sting, and are harmless.

6940.      Hello, Please let me know what this is. Toronto Canada, photo taken June 20 – 25. Thank you very much. Maria. Toronto, Ontario. Canada

Number 6940. This appears to be an assassin bug known as a masked hunter (Reduvius personatus; Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Reduviidae), a cosmopolitan species often found indoors and reputed to have a very painful ‘bite’- Click here for more detailed information.

6938.      Found a few in canola field. Seem to eat the stems just under the flowers. Crazy j, Sk. Canada

Number 6938. This is a blister beetle (Coleoptera: Meloidae) in the genus Lytta; they look like Nuttall’s blister beetle, Lytta nuttalli  Click here for an image.

6936.         Found indoors, is about 3-5mm long. Never seen before. Any ideas? Holland Landing, Ontario. Canada

Number 6936. This is a larva of a carpet beetle (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) in the genus Anthrenus (varied carpet beetle and allies). Click here for detailed information.

6934.      Found this bug on the bed sheet cover early one morning. Waipahu, HI. United States

Number 6934. This is a lady beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae); ones like this are general predators on small, soft-bodied arthropods such as aphids and scale insects. Click here for an image

6932.      Toronto, Ontario. Canada

Number 6932. This is a comb-footed/cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae, possibly a triangulate cobweb spider, Steatoda triangulosa. They are harmless to humans, and may eat more dangerous spiders, Click here for more detailed information.

6930.      Do you know what this is? The closet I could find online was an Emerald Ash Boarer except it doesn’t have a green shell just translucent brown wings. Sunderland, Ontario. Canada

Number 6930. This is a cuckoo wasp (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae). These are parasitic on (primarily ground-dwelling) solitary bee and wasp species; Click here for additional information.

6928.       In Calgary, AB, It seems every year in June when the weather is warm and rainy, I keep finding this little black beetle crawling up walls or coming out from under baseboards in my bathroom, basement and kitchen/near the back door. The ones in the basement are like this little guy in the picture but I also find bigger light brown ones.
The black ones are slightly smaller than a ladybug. What is it, why do they keep coming back year after year and how do I eliminate them??? Calgary, AB. Canada

Number 6928. This is a broad-nosed/short-snouted weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; subfamily Entiminae). These weevils often enter buildings in search of shelter, but do no harm there. You really cannot eliminate them short of hermetically sealing your house. Click here for an example.

6926.        There a been a number of these small less than 5 mm flying bugs around our 4th floor apartment that last few evenings. We find them on the couch or flying around the living room. Waterloo, Ontario. Canada

Number 6926. This is a rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), they are general predators on other small arthropods. Some species can secrete a noxious fluid that can cause eye/skin irritation. Click here for some examples.

6924.        Lanark, Ontario. Canada

Number 6924. Great find! This is a wasp-mimicking mantisfly, Climaciella brunnea (Neuroptera: Mantispidae); Click here for images and more information.

6922.        Hello, So over the past three weeks I have found 4 of this bugs. 3 of them were on the upstairs bathroom floor. One of them was in the bathtub right by the drain. From what I can see they are dead. They just appear overnight. I found the one in the picture this morning. The one in the tub was two days ago. There is no window in that bathroom. There is a bathroom fan that could be a point of entry? Not sure. Attached are the pictures from this morning. Thank you, Susan.

Number 6922. This is a beetle in the family Scarabaeidae of the type known as May beetles or June bugs. They are good (albeit clumsy) fliers that are attracted to lights at night and often accidentally get indoors. They will do no harm there. Click here for some suggestions.

6920.        Hi wondering what type of insect this is? Cobble Hill, BC. Canada

Number 6920. This is a sawfly in the family Cimbicidae; most likely an elm sawfly, Cimbex americana. Click here for more detailed information.