What is this?
Location: Northern California
November 8, 2011 10:59 pm
I have found 2 of these recently on the kitchen floor and one just now crawling across the carpet! I live in Northern California and it is winter time here!
Interesting pattern….but I’d rather NOT find them in my house…
Cockroach or beetle??? Blegh….
Best advice on how to get rid of them?
Signature: Ms. No Thank You Bugs!
Mediterranean Seed Bug
Dear Ms. No Thank You Bugs!,
Sorry for the delay. We are trying to catch up on unanswered requests. This is a Mediterranean Seed Bug, Xanthochilus saturnius, an introduced species that according to BugGuide is: “Locally abundant in parts of California. Also reported from Oregon and Washington.”
Beetle
Location: East San Diego County, CA
December 13, 2011 10:54 am
We found this bug on Sunday. He was hitting the windows and the door in the evening hours. We’ve seen these kind of bugs before, but only when it rains. It was damp and raining that day and 47 degrees. We are at an elevation of 4,000 ft., near the border of Mexico and California. We found it dead on a bucket the next morning.
Signature: Mark
Rain Beetle
Dear Mark,
While this is not a rare sighting, it is a somewhat unique sighting. Your beetle is a Rain Beetle, a member of the family Pleocomidae and the genus Pleocoma. This is a small family that is limited to coastal regions of the west coast of North America from Washington to Baja. This family is not known from any other parts of the world. There is work needed on the taxonomy of the genus and it would be nearly impossible for us to provide you an exact species identification. According to BugGuide, there are approximately 30 species identified. Many species have very limited ranges, due in large part to the morphology of the flightless female. One can only begin to ponder what conditions once existed that allowed the range expansion and genetic diversity that contributed to the evolution of distinct species where the female of the species is flightless and immobile. The grubs live underground, often at great depths, feeding on the roots of oaks and conifers according to BugGuide. You may find this May 18, 2009 Los Angeles Times article interesting.
1
UCB- Unidentified Crawling Bug
Location: Charleston, SC
December 18, 2011 7:36 pm
Dear Bugman,
I see these little things crawling around, mainly on the first floor of our house. This is one of the biggest that I’ve seen. What is it?
Signature: Brian from Charleston
Silverfish
Hi Brian,
This is a Silverfish, a common household pest. They will eat many stored foods and even some items not normally thought of as food, like the starch in book bindings and wallpaper adhesives. Silverfish are generally found in damp, dark locations.
1
Need Help!
Location: Uruguay South America
December 18, 2011 7:05 pm
Hi, I have been hearing noises in my wood shelves that sound like electricity is running through them. Its off and on so I have been suspicious that it was insects. Then tonight I found this thing crawling on the floor next to the shelves. What is it and is it dangerous? Is it making that electricity sound?
Thank you in advance!
Signature: Petrified Parent
Longhorned Borer Beetle
Dear Petrified Parent,
This is some species of Longhorned Borer Beetle in the family Cerambycidae. The larvae are wood borers. Many members of the family are capable of making squeaking sounds that might be interpreted as sounding like electricity. It is possible that the larvae were in the wood at the time the shelves were milled and that the adults were delayed in emerging. The adult beetles will not harm your family.
1
Thread-waisted Wasp in Portugal
Location: Portugal (37º31’55.23”N 8º26’33.53”W)
November 18, 2011 1:28 pm
Hi,
Please can you help me identify the attached picture of a Thread-waisted Wasp. The picture was taken on 10th September in southern Portugal while it was building its brood chamber which you can see in the picture. The brood chamber was made on a south-facing stone wall 150 mts above sea level and at the end of a few days the wasp sealed the opening.
Thanks and regards,
Frank
Signature: Frank
Potter Wasp constructs nest
Hi Frank,
This is actually a Potter Wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. They construct a mud nest that is provisioned with food for the developing larva. Moth Caterpillars are a common larval food. This posting is postdated to go live in early January.
Dear Daniel,
Thanks a ton.
Ciao,
Frank
PS You can see what others have said about us by visiting this page on Tripadvisor.
www.paradiseinportugal.com
www.birdinginportugal.com
Paradise in Portugal
Quinta do Barranco da Estrada
7665 – 880 Santa Clara a Velha
Portugal
Golden Orb identified
Location: Spring, TX
December 18, 2011 1:44 am
Dear Mr. Bugman,
Thanks to your site and past archives, I’ve think I’ve identified my backdoor friend. I’ve got lots of pictures of her, but this is my latest AND COOLEST! I’m assuming she’s laying her eggs and wrapping them in sort of protection?? I’ll attach pictures first, but would like to know if you take video clips as well? I have her in action!
Signature: Thanks, Melanie
Golden Orbweaver Laying Eggs
Hi Melanie,
Thank you for sending us your images of a Golden Orbweaver laying her eggs. She protects the clutch in a thick silken sac that helps the eggs to withstand the elements in harsher climates. Your post will go live during a brief holiday from the office.
Golden Orbweaver laying Eggs
1
January 3, 2012
Dear Gentle Readers,
We will be on holiday for a week visiting family in frozen Ohio, the new land of earthquakes. We will not be responding to any identification requests for the following week, however, we have postdated some interesting submissions to ensure that there are new postings on a daily basis in our absence. We will return live on January 12.
Winter Snowfly from our archives
1
orange aphid
Location: Philippines
November 26, 2011 9:11 am
hi. your site really sure help people who are interested with all forms of insects that’s why i will try my luck for posting here.
we have this project in school where we are going to identify and classify the insects we see on our surroundings and take a photo of it. so that’s it… i found this cute little aphid in our backyard and i don’t have any clue on what is it. so there i hope you can help me with this. thank you and stay good. =)
Signature: bev
Leaf Beetle
Hi Bev,
This is not an Aphid, but rather, it is a Leaf Beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. Though we were unable to identify the species, we did locate a similar photo from the Philippines on Project Noah.
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