Pest Identification Photos

6036  Hey there, I am from the Cowichan Valley in BC and have just tonight found around 10 of these beetles in my house. They are black, not particularly shiny, quite rounded body with 3 defined segments. They’re all about an inch long or so.  I usually wouldn’t think much of seeing a bug or two get in, being raised around wildlife and forests and all that, but I thought seeing this volume of the exact same size and type of bug in one night might be cause for concern. We first saw in the bathroom, then bedroom and spare room when checking corners and around some laundry. We found a couple dead ones too which were likely stomped by accident. We are pretty clean folk and our place is newly renovated. We only just moved in about 2 months ago. My hope, based on other photos on this site, is that this is just happenstance and they came in as babies on the load of wood I brought in the other day and aren’t pests. I haven’t been able to see an exact match so I’m hoping for help here! I hate creepy crawlers and the fact we keep finding these is going to make it hard to sleep! Thanks! Jane

This is a darkling beetle (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), it resembles Eleodes pimelioides; see https://tinyurl.com/y7hwfl9q for an image. The larvae of these beetles are known as false wireworms, and feed on the roots of grasses. The adults are harmless nuisance pests.  Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6034   Hi. Could you help me identify this bug? I found it dead in my daughters room, at the same time we are trying to figure out what caused bites on her arm. Do you think it’s a bed bug?? It’s about 1-2 mm long. Thank you!  Jackie

This appears to be a plant bug in the family Miridae (see https://tinyurl.com/yc7txyxe for an example), and as such, extremely unlikely to be the source of any bites.  Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6032   Hi – we have a vacation home in Nova Scotia directly on the Bay of Fundy.  These came crawling up the basement foundation and now a few have made their way to the first floor of the house.  Help!

This is a sow bug. They can only survive in damp conditions. Read more about controlling them here: http://pestcontrolcanada.com/sow-bugs-pill-bugs

6030  No idea what this is and tried googling for awhile, photo taken in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada.  Eddie.

This appears to be a Nuttall’s blister beetle, Lytta nuttalli (Coleoptera: Meloidae); see https://tinyurl.com/yag58ncl for images. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6028  Hi,  This is Tiina from Toronto, Ontario. Saw these bugs on the sidewalk in the early evening. They were coming up from the ground in adjacent garden near the base of a tree. They are huge! Shiny, black with menacing looking pincers. What are they?  Tina

This is a stag beetle (Coleoptera: Lucanidae); likely a reddish-brown stag beetle, Lucanus capreolus; see https://tinyurl.com/zny7rzl for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6026  Hi my name is Kaitlyn and I live in Calgary AB. I’m finding these hard shelled black/grey beetles all over my basement apartment. They aren’t coming from one spot because I’m finding them in every room.

This is another short-snouted/broad-nosed weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; subfamily Entiminae), the black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (see https://tinyurl.com/pfjs654), is one of the more commonly encountered species indoors. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6024  What is this bug? Found Northern Ontario.  Thank you!  Stephanie

This is a crane fly (Diptera: Tipulidae) in the genus Tanyptera (formerly Ctenophora); see https://tinyurl.com/y9npojm5 for an image. Their larvae are found in decaying wood.  Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6022    This was found on a compact cranberry bush in Saskatchewan. It is the size of a lady bug.  Friend or foe?

This is a twice-stabbed stink bug, Cosmopepla lintneriana (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Pentatomidae); see https://tinyurl.com/y9ybqct7 for an image and more information. They feed primarily on seeds, and usually are not considered serious pests. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV. 

6020   Hi my name is Tammy from Midland Ontario Canada. Just found this in my house…is it a tick? If no what is it? Thank you for your help.

This is not an insect, but is an arachnid called a pseudoscorpion. They are general predators on other small arthropods and completely harmless to humans. See http://tinyurl.com/ox8sx4o for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6018   I found this bug between my bed sheets after having moved some sweaters onto my bed that were in the kitchen. I live in Montreal, Quebec. We have spring weather right now. The bug seems to have antennae that it uses to feel its environment and walks almost robotically, so I looked up different beetles online. What do you think?   Jessica.

This is a spider beetle (Coleoptera: Anobiidae; subfamily Ptininae) in the genus Mezium – see https://tinyurl.com/ybqkudyq for an example. These can be pests in a variety of dry stored food products; see https://tinyurl.com/mamup5 for a fact sheet that includes control recommendations. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6016   I live in the north Okanagan in British Columbia and have found several of these in my bathroom (over the past few weeks) where my dog likes to lay on the cool lino floor as it is May/June and quite hot here.  This bug is about ¼ inch long.   I am hoping it is not a tick…   Ruby

 This is a bed bug, a much more difficult pest to eliminate than ticks.   Read more about getting rid of them:  http://pestcontrolcanada.com/how-to-get-rid-of-bed-bugs
You would probably be wise to contact a pest professional in your area to inspect and treat the problem. http://pestcontrolcanada.com/british-columbia/okanagan-Thompson 

6014    These have shown up in a basement laundry room. We’ve put out some sticky traps which is where they are showing up. We seem to rarely see live bugs, the ones we see are already dead.  Can you help us identify this?   Regards,    Derek.  St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

Like No. 6007, these are rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae); general predators on other small arthropods. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6012  Hello there,  Please help me identify the bugs shown on the attached pictures. They are about 5 mm in length.  My name is John and I live in North York (Toronto) in a townhouse complex where there are more than 300 units. To my knowledge only my next door neighbour and I got our homes infested by these bugs, first last year and then this year as well. This year the bugs appeared about 3 weeks ago and most of them concentrated at the window sill and adjacent areas on the floor.  These creatures fly occasionally but mostly crawl and some reach onto other areas of the house. Others are found dead at the end of day. Since they come from the outside, the condominium corporation brought in a pest control company who applied some kind of spray outside of the house but it was not effective since they keep coming into our places.  Please let me know what kind of bugs are these and how we can get rid of them.   Thank you and best regards,  John

This appears to be a ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Ones like this are general predators on other small arthropods, mainly other insects, and thus could be considered beneficial. If you don’t want them around, simply vacuum them up. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6010   This was found in Armstrong BC Canada. There was another one found that looks like it was shedding it skin.    Shannon

This most likely is a nymph of a cicada (Hemiptera/ Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae); these spend up to 17 years (depending on the species) underground feeding on the sap from tree roots, before emerging and transforming to the adult winged stage. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6008  Hello we live in Shawnigan Lake BC on Vancouver Island and have been seeing these black ants outside and inside our home over the past few days.  How do we get rid of them is it possible to do this on our own? Are these carpenter ants should we be concerned if we leave them alone will they eventually go away?  Thanks,  Vicki

This is a female reproductive carpenter ant, probably Modoc species. The ant has been fertilized and has removed her wings. (See the scars on her thorax)  She will be seeking wet wood to burrow into and start a new nest. She will lay about 70,000 eggs over the next 15 years.   Read more about carpenter ants.

6006   Found dead in my bathroom in Toronto. About the size of a small apple seed. Any ideas? Thanks.

This looks like a burrowing bug, Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Cydnidae); see https://tinyurl.com/omrgrbb for an example. These can be nuisance pests when they occur in large numbers, but they do no real harm. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6004    Found on rope attached to a dock. Six Mile Lake, Port Severn Ontario. May 21, 2017.

I cannot be certain, but these might be larvae of biting midges in the family Ceratopogonidae – see https://tinyurl.com/ybpw4oal for an example. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6002  I have never seen this beetle here before. Found it on top of my backyard gate post in Ottawa, Ontario in mid May.

This is an American carrion beetle, Necrophila americana (Coleoptera: Silphidae). See https://tinyurl.com/k4u7p3y for images and additional information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

6000   Hi, I was finally able to get a good picture of the bugs that were in the rental we moved into .   You mentioned that they were most likely weevils but the pics were blurry … would you mind looking at this pic and , if possible , narrowing down the type ??  Thanks again for your time.

This does indeed look like one of the grain/granary weevils in the genus Sitophilus, see http://tinyurl.com/hl8fkt9 for an example. You should check all food storage areas where you keep dry food items (including bird seed), especially seeds of wheat, rice, or corn (maize), for signs of infestation.  Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5998   Hello!    My name is Travis, and I live in southern Ontario.  We’ve seen a few of these guys in our master bathroom in the past few days and would love an identification.  I hope the photo is clear enough.  My best guess is some kind of sowbug?     They are small (maybe as long as my fingernail, <1cm).  It’s just the beginning of spring and it’s starting to get warm.    I hope I’ve given adequate info.  Thanks!  Travis

This is a terrestrial crustacean in the order Isopoda, and sowbug is one of the common names applied to these creatures. They primarily are scavengers on bits of decomposing organic matter, but some species have been known to damage very tender plant parts. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5996   Can you please tell me what is this bug?  Hang Ha

This appears to be a nymph of Reduvius personatus, a peridomestic species of assassin bug (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Reduviidae) known as the masked hunter. These are reported as having a very painful but not dangerous bite. See http://tinyurl.com/23g4bdy for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5994    Hey just wondering what kind of beetle this is. Found it under the bathroom sink with about 15 more. Lots of sawdust and wood around them. I looked on the site to see if it was posted and couldn’t find one like it.

This is a larder beetle, Dermestes lardarius (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), a peridomestic pest species. See http://tinyurl.com/nw92wz for more detailed information, including control recommendations.

Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5992   Dear Pest Control Canada,    I’ve been finding these little white maggot-like things all over the kitchen floor and occasionally on the counters, but I can’t figure out where they are actually coming from.  They don’t really crawl…they seem to start crawling but then just sort of roll and wriggle and don’t get very far, which is confusing as they keep appearing in the middle of the floor with no discernable source.  They’ve just started in the past few days as it’s finally gotten sunny here in Vancouver, BC.  Do you have any idea what they could be?
Thank you and sincerely,  Shoshana
This appears to be a maggot (fly larva).    They could be dropping from your ceiling through gaps around a light fixture or ceiling fan.  They may be feeding on a dead rodent in your attic.  This is not an uncommon pest problem. 

5990  Is this a baby bed bug?

This is an aphid, aka ‘plant louse’ (Hemiptera/Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae). All aphids are sap feeders, and some can be serious garden/agricultural pests. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5988  These little bugs showed up in our Kitchen late last summer 2016. They are mainly in the kitchen cupboards and often migrate to the south facing windows. They disappeared once the cold weather come around even though they are in the house. In the middle of April 2017  they started showing up again.  I would like to know what they are so that we can figure out how to get rid of them.  We are located in Napanee Ontario Canada.   Harold

These look like drugstore beetles, Stegobium paniceum (Coleoptera: Anobiidae). They and their close relatives, cigarette beetles (Lasioderma serricorne), are cosmopolitan pests that will infest a very wide range of organic materials. See http://tinyurl.com/psebz98 for more detailed information including control recommendations. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.