Pest Identification Photos

5760 Found in our yard  we live in Georgetown Ontario.  Peggy 

This is a nymph of a cicada (Hemiptera/Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae), likely in the genus Neotibicen. These usually are called either annual cicadas (some emerge every year after spending two to five years underground) or dog-day cicadas (because they usually emerge in late summer). Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV. 

5758  Hello,  I have been finding 2-3 of these a month in my (finished) basement in Calgary Alberta, year round.  They are often dead when I find them.  They move slowly and have a strong shell.  The largest was nearly 1 cm long but almost always they are around 7-8mm.  I think they are ‘Weevils’ but they don’t have the long snout that all other weevils seem to have.  If you could help me identify them I would be very grateful.  Tips for getting rid of them would also be good.  We don’t have any food downstairs, and I’ve never seen one anywhere near our kitchen.  Best, Rob

This is a broad-nose/short-snouted weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; subfamily Entiminae). It might be a black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus – see http://tinyurl.com/zjc5mfg for an image. These weevils often enter buildings in search of shelter, but do no harm there.  Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5756   Randy from Alberta. Just noticed him hanging around my backyard and you can hear those 4 wings as it Flys. About 2.5-3″ long from head to stinger. 

This is wood wasp (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) in the genus Urocerus, it looks like Urocerus flavicornis; see http://tinyurl.com/gptjc33 for an image. Their larvae tunnel in the wood of dead/dying/unhealthy trees. Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5754  These worms have been destroying my strawberries.  Found near Winnipeg, MB.  Dave

These ‘worms’ actually are millipedes, arthropods in the class Diplopoda. Some species will indeed damage tender plant parts (including soft fruits) that are close to or on the ground. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5752  The attached photo is a bug that crawled out of a plum pit that my daughter was eating. They are from BC and I had just bought them today. Please tell me what this bug is. Thank you, Angela

This is an earwig (order Dermaptera). Earwigs are very common nuisance pests that usually do little if any actual harm; occasionally, they may cause damage to very tender vegetation. See http://tinyurl.com/h5m54vn for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5750  Thanks for the help,  we are being invaded in central Kelowna near the downtown core.  The bugs have been covering our buildings and it is hard to keep them out.  They look a little like a boxelder bug but lack the red marks, and they are about 1/8 inch long in the small version with a mostly red body,  and about a quarter inch long or more in the larger version. I really need to get them out of my home and off my door and walls,  please help. Armand

This appears to be a nymph of a bug in the superfamily Lygaeoidea, such as a dirt-coloured seed bug (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae). These tend to be nuisance pests that do very little actual harm. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5748  Hi. My name is Sarita.I live in Surrey, BC,. We have a lot of bees (picture attached) in our house. I need your help how we can remove them and their nest. Thanks. Sarita.  Enclosed: indoor pictures of bee.

 This is not a bee.  It is a Yellowjacket wasp.  If you can find the nest and it is easily accessible there are aerosol pesticides that can be sprayed into the nest, but use caution and plan an escape route.  You could also call an experienced pest professional and avoid the risks.   http://pestcontrolcanada.com/british-columbia/surrey

5746   Hi, this bug is in my firewood. Some just under bark, and some in middle of wood. 

This is a pupa of a wood wasp known as a horntail (Hymenoptera: Siricidae). Their larvae tunnel in the wood of dead/dying trees, where they often fall victim to giant ichneumon wasps in the genus Megarhyssa – See http://tinyurl.com/jahprf2 for details. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5744   Hi, my name is Ronna. I found this bug in my back yard in Moncton, NB on a hot sunny July day.  What is it?

This is a nymph of a stink bug (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in the genus Podisus. Bugs in this genus are known as soldier bugs, and as general predators on many other arthropods often are considered beneficial by gardeners. See http://tinyurl.com/hhywusm for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5742   Hello,  My name is Joy and I live in Jemseg, NB.  Encountered this spider in my raspberry patch last evening.
Thanks. 

This is an orb weaving spider in the family Araneidae; it looks like Araneus marmoreus, known as the marbled orb weaver. This species is highly polymorphic, exhibiting a very wide range of individual variation in colour patterns. See http://tinyurl.com/zyq5dmu for more detailed information on this species. All orb weavers are harmless to humans. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5740  IDENTIFY WHAT TYPE OF BUG THIS IS PLEASE AND THANK You. I was in Florida a few months back. Is it possible it might have came from the beach? Found it in my laundry room where all the scuba, beach items are kept. Please let me know ASAP Cheers! Debbie

This is a nymph of an assassin bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) known as the masked hunter (Reduvius personatus). This is a peridomestic species with a wide distribution, and it does have a reputation for a very painful (but not dangerous) bite; see http://tinyurl.com/23g4bdy for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5738  Could you please identify this spider for me. I have quite a few lurking around. They hide during the day and are only on Web in the early evening and night. Seem harmless enough. Just want to make sure. I think this is his underside

This is an orb weaving spider (family Araneidae) in the genus Araneus; a specific i.d. is not possible from this view. All orb weavers are harmless to humans. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV. 

5736  Bug for identification please. July 24, 2016. Brant County, Ontario. Lister.

This is a male eastern dobsonfly Corydalus cornutus (Megaloptera: Corydalidae); Their long, forceps-like mandibles apparently are used primarily in courtship, they have little leverage and are incapable of inflicting more than a light pinch to humans skin. On the other hand, the much shorter mandibles of the female (see no. 5735) are very strong, and their bite can draw blood. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV. 

5732   Please help me identify these bugs eating my plants.  My name is Maureen.  I live in Thunder Bay Ontario Canada.  The photo was taken today july 20th.  It has been a very wet summer – hot right now.  The bugs were found on my Lilly plant outside.  Thank you.

Asian lily beetle. They will completely destroy your lilies if left unchecked. Best way to get rid of them is manually killing them with needle nose pliers or fingers. Check lilies every day. Pierre Henri.

5730   Hi, I found this little guy on my concrete patio. It is a about 1.25 inches in length when the head was up and tail not sort of curled like in the photo. The insect was alive when I took the photo and was playing dead. I do Live in Edmonton Alberta and have never seen something like this. Just wondering what it was..      Thanks. The Van Der Kley’s

This is a beetle in the family Silphidae (carrion/burying/sexton beetles); it looks like Nicrophorus guttula – the yellow-bellied burying beetle, see http://tinyurl.com/gv92rbj for an image. These beetles locate and bury the carcasses of recently deceased small mammals or birds, and then deposit their eggs on the carcass that their larvae will feed upon. Some species exhibit a fair amount of parental care for their offspring. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5728  This spider was found on a outdoor deck at Christina Lake in southern B.C. on the 28th of June on a hot afternoon in the shade. It was aproximately 2 inches long. Thanks for help with I.D. Is it poisonous? We have babies and young children. Should we worry?

– This is an orb weaving spider in the genus Araneus. Like the vast majority of spiders, it has venom glands and thus technically is venomous, but all orb weavers are harmless to humans. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5726   Found around Valemount, British Columbia on 7/8/2016.   Roberta

This might be one of the so-called ‘tailed frogs’ in the genus Ascaphus. If so, it would have a short, stubby tail between its hind legs (cannot tell for certain from your image). See http://tinyurl.com/jgvaset for an example. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5724  Found this while I was on my bed. I think it pinched my finger when I was brushing it off my pants… Just wondering what it is. I am in Saskatchewan Canada. Thanks ! Paulina

This 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.

5722   Hello,  Found about 5 in the last week.  Always in kitchen. Started seeing them in mid June. In Montreal, Quebec. About 1cm in length. Don’t remember seeing any during the winter. Seem to see more of them in the house when it’s warm and humid outdoors (we usually have the a/c on pretty high)  Thank you.  Mario. T 

This is a click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae). They are accidental intruders that will not cause any damage to anything in your home. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5720  My mother took this picture at her cottage in Porter’s Lake NS Canada.  My mother said that the dragon fly was eating this other bug (brown one) she was wondering what kind of bug it is.

This is a nymph and newly emerged adult Hagenius brevistylus (Odonata: Gomphidae), a dragonfly known as the dragonhunter, as it commonly captures and feeds upon other dragonflies. See http://tinyurl.com/ju2f3we for more detailed information on this interesting species. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5718  My name is Aaron, I just moved into a house in caledon Ontario. I have these little white insects with black spots making webs all over several of the bushes around my property. The bushes don’t look dead yet, but they look like they are being consumed by the nests of these bugs. I was hoping someone could tell me what they are, and more importantly what to do about them. Thanks.

This is an ermine moth (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae); their larvae spin webs in which they feed as a group. There are several species that look very much alike; see http://tinyurl.com/z3gvvwg for an example. Control recommendations include physical removal of the webbing ‘nests,’ and application of a pesticide registered for use on the affected plants – see http://tinyurl.com/hefgkna for detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5716  My name is Rebecca, I live in Barrie Ontario. My son loves catching and collecting bugs. He found this one in our back yard. I’ve looked it up on line and the closes I can find to it is a wasp Beatle. But the information I’m getting is they are almost extinct and are in Europe. Would love more info so I can let my 4 year old bug hunt know what he has.

This is a carrion/sexton/burying beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae) in the genus Nicrophorus; it looks like N. tomentosus – see http://tinyurl.com/jojmhew for an image and http://tinyurl.com/hhdhbhn for more detailed information on its life history. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5714  Photo taken June 25, 2016 in Williams Lake, BC. Thanks for your help in identifying. Debbie.

These are moths in the family Sesiidae; they look like Paranthrene robiniae, known as the western poplar clearwing moth; see http://tinyurl.com/zfrwrfd for some images. Their caterpillars tunnel in the wood of poplars and willows as well as ornamental birches, often in trees already weakened by wood-boring beetles. Many wasps in this family appear to be wasp mimics. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.