Pest Identification Photos

7088.        Found this in my screened-in porch. Is this a cockroach? Glenburnie, Ontario. Canada

Number 7088. This is a western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Coreidae). Although harmless, these can become nuisance pests when they enter homes in search of shelter. Click here for more detailed information.

7086.        Been finding these bugs under my baseboard heaters..pls help also I keep getting bites. So not sure if I have 2 different kind of bugs in my place. Toronto, Ontario. Canada

Number 7086. These are spider beetles (Coleoptera: Anobiidae; subfamily Ptininae). They will feed on a very wide variety of organic matter, and sometimes may be pantry pests. Click here for more detailed information. They would not be responsible for any bites.

7084.        Woke up September 21 @about 9:30AM, and went outside on baçc porch 4 a cigarette.. Had a blanket balled up on chair i sit on. I went to remove blanket to sit 4 a smoke and it fell out on ground.. i stomped him out quicc! Lol
He had a big ass stinger lookin thing, so I had 2 sho him im not 2 be tested or played wit so i gave him da biznesss asap 2 establish dominance & sho all tha other neighborhood bugs in area who da bigg homie is!! Cambridge, Ontario. Canada

Number 7084. I’m afraid that you killed a ‘good guy’ (actually a gal); it’s a female Megarhyssa macrurus, a giant ichneumon wasp (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). They use their long ovipositor to bore into tree trunks and deposit their eggs in the tunnels of woodwasp larvae upon which their own larvae will feed. Click here for a video of them in action.

7082.       Please help me to identify this insect. I found it in my kitchen today (September 18). I first thought it was a scorpion but it has two legs which scorpions only have 1. Thank you! Toronto, Ontario. Canada

Number 7082. This is an earwig (order Dermaptera). They are harmless to humans; at most, you might experience a slight pinch from the cerci at the end of their abdomen. Click here for more detailed information.

7080.        Found in the hallway by itself. INUVIK, NT. Canada

Number 7080. This is a larva of a beetle in the family Dermestidae (hide/skin/carpet/larder beetles and allies). These will feed on a wide variety of organic materials, including hides, fur, feathers, wool, dry stored food products, etc. Click here  for some control recommendations.

7096.        Found inside the home, not too long after the furnace was serviced. Nanaimo, BC. Canada

Number 7096. This is a western subterranean termite, Reticulitermes hesperus; it is a reproductive that has shed its wings after a nuptial flight and is seeking out a place to start a new colony. You likely should schedule an inspection by a certified termite control specialist.

7094.        Very tiny insects in my 3rd floor condo in the GTA. Mississauga, Ontario. Canada

Number 7094. These could be grain beetles in the genus Oryzaephilus (saw-toothed and merchant grain beetles). As a precaution, you should check any areas where dry foodstuffs (such as flour, cereals, cake mixes, etc.) for signs of infestation.  Click here for more detailed information.

7092.        I found this on my front door frame. As if it got there over night. Very strange looking. Any idea what it is. I sprayed it with bug spray and it took some doing to remove it. It was glued to the door frame and would not budge. Thanks. Elkridge, MD. United States

Number 7092. This is the ‘bag’ of an evergreen bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Lepidoptera: Psychidae); a serious pest of ornamental evergreens. Click here for more detailed information.

7090.        I have a small grow tent with soil based plants and I think I may have an insect problem. Can you please help my identify them. I pressed on one and took a picture of it on my fingertip using a microscope attached to my cell phone. Can you help please. Ottawa, ON. Canada

Number 7090. This looks like a fungus gnat in the family Sciaridae. Their larvae (maggots) can cause injury to the underground parts of tender plants. They most frequently are found in very damp/wet soil having a high organic content. The best control is simply allowing the soil to dry out as much as practical between waterings.

7088.        Wasp but unsure what kind. It’s about 2-3 cm long and was going for a hole about it’s size underground . This is the only one we think we’ve seen so far. What kind of hornet is it and is it dangerous to humans or pets. Ottawa, Ontario. Canada

Number 7088. This is a great golden digger wasp, Sphex ichneumoneus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae); Click here for an image. They sting and paralyze other insects (usually katydids or grasshoppers) that they place in their burrow as food for their larvae. They are harmless to humans and pets.

7086.      We had a nest of very large dark orange wasps last year, similar to the fat blue ones I have seen before. This is a wasp found in August. This is not the biggest I have seen but really want to know what they are. Burlington, Ontario. Canada

Number 7086. This is a European hornet, Vespa crabro (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), an introduced species. Click here for details on its life history.

7084.        An employee Found this crawling around on a roof next to a large maple tree. Never seen anything like it before. Vankleek Hill, Ontario. Canada

Number 7084. This is a monkey slug caterpillar, Phobetron pithecium (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae). Contact with its hairs reportedly can cause dermatitis as well as painful inflammation in some cases. Click here for more detailed information.

7082.        I took this picture in August of 2020. I can’t find it anywhere in order to identify it. Murillo, Ontario. Canada

Number 7082. These are dogwood spittlebugs, Clastoptera proteus (Hemiptera/Auchenorrhyncha: Clastopteridae); Click here and Click here.

7080.        Very curious as to what type of hornet this. I’ve never seen one like this before at our cottage. Coldwater, Ont. Canada

Number 7080. This is a European hornet, Vespa crabro (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), an introduced species. I have found these to be less aggressive than their cousins, yellow jackets. Click here for more detailed information.

7078.          Black with yellow stripes around its butt, it didnt seem aggressive but looked like it could sting. Looks similar to a hornet but way skinnier and its unlike anything I’ve seen. Trying to figure out if this is what caused my allergic reaction. Truro, NS. Canada

Number 7078. This is an ichneumon wasp (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). These all are parasitic on other arthropods, mainly other insects; they lack a stinger and are harmless to humans. Click here for an image

7076.          I believe they are cigarette beetles. Toronto, ON. Canada

Number 7076. Based on the appearance of the antennae, these more likely are drugstore beetles, Stegobium paniceum (Coleoptera: Anobiidae). Control recommendations for both species are identical; Click here for details.

7074.        What kind of bug is this? Does it bite? Is it a bug that can turn into an infestation? Kelowna, BC. Canada

Number 7074. This is a nymph of 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.

7072.      KLEMTU, British Columbia. Canada

Number 7072. These are German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (Blattodea: Ectobiidae), a peridomestic species difficult to bring under complete control. Click here for some control recommendations.

7070.          Wondering what this Insect is, I thought it was an immature dragonfly, there are about 50 on this dying tree. Are they harmful? Do I just leave them alone? Turkey Point, Ontario. Canada

Number 7070. This is a giant ichneumon wasp, Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, in the genus Megarhyssa; likely M. macrurus. It is a female in the act of boring through the tree wood in order to lay her egg in the tunnel of her prey, the larva of a wood wasp in the family Siricidae. They are harmless to humans as well as to the tree. Click here for details on their life history.

7068.         Found this in our crawlspace. What is it? Oro-Medonte, ON. Canada

Number 7068. This is a mature larva/prepupa of a rodent bot fly (Diptera: Oestridae; subfamily Cuterebrinae) Click here for details on their life history.

7066.         Found in our yard on August 19th. Regina, Saskatchewan. Canada

Number 7066. This is a pigeon tremex, Tremex columba (Hymenoptera: Siricidae). They lack a stinger (what looks like one actually is their ovipositor); Click here for more detailed information.

7064.         Hello! I found this bug on a bedroom wall by the window, in a rural part of northern Nova Scotia. We had spent the day at Waterside Beach, and it’s possible this came from the beach home with us — though the house is also in a rural setting surrounded by fields and some trees. I’ve been told it’s possibly an assassin bug, maybe a kissing bug, and it could be a western conifer seed bug. I have children staying here and my main concern is safety. Many thanks in advance! Scotsburn, NS. Canada

Number 7064. This may be a nymph of 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.

7062.         They come out by the hundreds, only on hot sunny days, along the foundation and my deck. Glen Haven, Halifax. Canada

Number 7062. This looks like a nymph of a hairy chinch bug, Blissus leucopterus hirtus (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Blissidae), a lawn/turf pest – Click here for details including control recommendations.