Questions tagged [entomology]

The scientific study of Insects. If the question is about some other group of arthropod use 'arthropod' tag.

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39 votes
1 answer
9k views

Insect identification - Is this a bedbug?

This bug was found on a couch in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The couch, and the two beds in the room show no signs of other bugs. Is this a bed bug that I should worry about or something harmless? It ...
13 votes
2 answers
3k views

What insect is this? (India)

Can anyone tell me what kind of insect (if it is one) is this...!! Or is it the pupa of some insect? Well I don't think that the whole big thing is the insect itself, it appears to be just a kind of ...
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10 votes
1 answer
11k views

Questions about insects eating flour and living in the cracks of a wooden cutting boards

I have a large wooden cutting board which is used in my kitchen mainly for preparing egg pasta. The wood type is Populus (poplar or aspen or cottonwood). The main ingredients used with the cutting ...
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

What kind of insect can this be? This appears to be just a shell after and insect went through a metamorphosis process

What kind of insect can this be? This appears to be just a shell after an insect went through a metamorphosis process.
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7 votes
1 answer
7k views

Identify this smooth-cocoon worm from Southern India

I couldn't identify which species these worms belong to. I believe they're insect larvae. They measure approximately 5 to 10 mm in length, and are common in the southern states of India. They carry ...
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21 votes
2 answers
3k views

Identifying a creature that appears to be a worm wrapped in a cocoon

This creature was found on a bed. At first, I thought it was a piece of lint, but then it suddenly moved. I picked it up in a paper towel and put it in an eye cream containers, which it is currently ...
  • 211
15 votes
7 answers
17k views

How to protect my mounted insect specimens from ... insects?

I have a modest collection of insect specimens that I caught, prepared, mounted, and dried myself. I'm entirely an amateur collector, so my procedure may be causing me this trouble now, but here's how ...
4 votes
1 answer
301 views

What is the name of the critter depicted in the attached image?

I found a critter on my bathroom towel. It's really tiny. Maybe 2 milimetres? I placed it on an envelope for the photograph. Can someone identify what it is?
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4 votes
1 answer
14k views

Bug Identification: Is this small tubular, black bug a bed bug?

So I found this tiny bug on my wall in the bedroom of my apartment. I estimate it is about 3mm long by 1mm wide. Is it a bed bug? It does not seem to match any of the pictures I've seen online. ...
4 votes
1 answer
347 views

What small insect is this?

Lately, lots of these little bugs have been lurking in my house in Italy. Should I worry? I'm curious to know what they are. For reference, the 2 cent Euro is 18.75 mm in diameter.
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2 votes
1 answer
1k views

What bug is this? I found several in my flat and I have no idea

what kind of insect is this? is it a moth larvea or a carpet bug?
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6 votes
1 answer
952 views

Identification of an insect from midwest US

I have been seeing them more and more frequently indoors. I am currently in the Midwest United States, weather has been unusually warm for December, and there are many trees nearby. Can someone ...
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1 vote
0 answers
109 views

Varied Carpet Beetle Larvae

I keep finding what I'm 99% sure are carpet beetle larvae on my walls, of all places. Yet when I look around and search thoroughly, I cannot find any signs of an(y) adult Beetle(s). Why/how is this ...
13 votes
3 answers
240k views

Small worm living in some kind of cocoon, what are these animals?

I am curious what animal is this. It is/lives inside some kind of cocoon, about 1 cm in length. They are attached to walls and to the ceiling, but sometimes they fall off. Inside the structure there ...
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6 votes
1 answer
519 views

What species of insect is this?

I saw this insect near a beach in Corsica France:
  • 163
5 votes
1 answer
786 views

What is this animal that hides in dustlike structure?

I'd like help identifying the species of animal in these two photos. There's some dust(or dust-like substance) with something alive inside of it (possibly a larva or I don't really know what to call ...
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4 votes
1 answer
129 views

Identify these two large, colorful dragonflies in Taiwan?

Here are two dragonflies that I photographed today in Hsinchu county Taiwan. They are both quite large, with a body length of about 5 or 6 cm. I often see them in the same pond or nearby marshy area. ...
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3 votes
2 answers
8k views

Insect identification - pantry moth vs clothes moth

Are the following insects a pantry moth or a clothes moth? I live in Europe, if geographical location is of importance in this case. The insects are about 7 - 10 mm in length. For several months I ...
  • 145
0 votes
1 answer
97 views

Is this arthropod non-intrusive and recommended to be left alive?

I am in Portugal (Lisbon) at the moment, and when leaving my room late at night (12 pm ~ 04 am) I usually face about 4 of these arthropods in the corridors: (For reference, the "line" in the image is ...
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Help in identifying an unknown arthropod

I'm not even sure it's an insect: the best I can do is identify it as an arthropod. I captured this slow-moving organism and after a period of observation under high magnification, I concluded that ...
  • 319
5 votes
2 answers
975 views

Species Identification - small insect

I found a few of these walking in the middle of the night (about 3 AM) on a wall in my room near the floor. They are at most a few millimetres long (no more than 2 I would say). I am living in Poland, ...
  • 51
4 votes
1 answer
469 views

What in the world is this critter?

We spotted this thing crawling around a (thankfully empty) bowl in our apartment in Barcelona, Spain. I have never seen anything like it. It appears to be some kind of caterpillar-like insect, but it ...
user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

Taxonomy: Categorising Collembola [closed]

Observe: In some rows (Order, Family), the third column reveals a discerning physical characteristic or body type (...
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3 votes
1 answer
11k views

Small mottled beetle identification

I live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and recently started seeing a bunch of these little guys in my house. They're about 1/8" long (estimate), with brown/black zigzag stripes; it's possible they're ...
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3 votes
1 answer
2k views

What kind of small insect is this?

Found in central florida in the bath tub. Its about the size of a pencil marking, very small. What is it?
2 votes
0 answers
530 views

What is this insect found commonly in coastal India? [duplicate]

I have lived in two cities on the western coast of India and I have seen quite a few of these insects(?) in both places. It basically has an outer cocoon of sorts, which looks a lot like dirty lint. ...
18 votes
1 answer
12k views

What is this black and white worm in a white case?

The case is very small and it's an off white color. The thing living inside can come out of either end. It's a black and white looking worm. It will poke its head out and move everywhere! They are ...
4 votes
1 answer
3k views

What are these tiny, swarming, jumping bugs?

I built a small plywood box in my yard (on Long Island, NY, USA) for some stray cats about a year ago. I didn't bother waterproofing the box, and so over time the box has gotten damp. About two weeks ...
4 votes
1 answer
373 views

Help identifying tiny jumping bug

I've found a few of these bugs hanging out on my desk. There aren't many. Maybe 5-10 at any given time. Are they a type of springtail? I couldn't find an image in searching that made me say, "That's ...
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3 votes
1 answer
921 views

Is it possible to identify this chrysalis?

At least I believe it's a chrysalis. I found it hanging from my gate the other day. I'm in Western Arkansas: More photos here
2 votes
2 answers
261 views

Bug Identification: Tiny Bugs in Fairport NY

We have been finding a ton of these tiny bugs (pin head size or smaller) outside on our patios, outdoor tables, on the grill, etc. What are they and how do we get rid of them?
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2 votes
1 answer
60 views

Unknown aquatic larvae

These critters have taken up residence in standing water in a small terrarium. It is home to several frogs and lizards. If they will coexist peacefully, I have no objection. If they will harm plants ...
2 votes
1 answer
222 views

Can Anyone Identify This Insect?

I keep seeing these bugs on a wall in my house in Istanbul (Turkey) walking up and down generally during evening and night. They are about 1 mm long and have a brownish color. I see more of them ...
-1 votes
1 answer
353 views

What is this hard shelled insect in my house?

I moved to a new city in west India last year and I've since, on several occasions, seen this insect on walls and it's usually climbing using its head. It has a greyish long shell and moves in a very ...
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103 votes
2 answers
13k views

Can HIV be transmitted via mosquitos?

It is known that HIV is usually transmitted by direct blood or body fluid contact between an infected individual and a healthy person (like blood transfusion or needle sharing): Suppose a mosquito ...
46 votes
1 answer
40k views

Why do cockroaches flip over when they die?

This question has always mystified me since young. For beetles, I can reason that they flip over because they have a higher centre of gravity causing them to be in unstable equilibrium when they tuck ...
21 votes
2 answers
4k views

What is this yellowish insect?

I found this insect inside of my shoe. It is approximately 1cm in length and less than half a centimetre wide. It was found in the Netherlands, in the province Gelderland. Close shot Distant shot ...
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17 votes
1 answer
859 views

Help me identify this insect from Bangladesh

I have seen this insect flying literally everywhere in Dhaka city (Bangladesh) over the last two months. It's small -- around 1-1.5 inches long. It's not an agile flyer and can be easily grabbed by ...
9 votes
2 answers
459 views

What's the name of this bug from Toronto, Canada?

It's about 3 millimetres in length. Found on September 10, 2015.
  • 524
8 votes
2 answers
10k views

Can ants sense food from a long distance?

I recently had ants find and then swarm to a food container that I put down on a desk. I'm curious as to whether an ant would have needed to get lucky (i.e., discovering the food after crawling up the ...
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6 votes
3 answers
9k views

Why does a cockroach not die even after decapitation?

Why does a cockroach not die after its head is cut off?
6 votes
2 answers
5k views

I found a bug on my bedroom floor. Is this a bedbug?

I found this insect on my bedroom floor. I'm worried. I hope this is not a bed bug. Size: 3-4 mm
5 votes
1 answer
3k views

Small black slow-moving insect showing up in the home

In the past few weeks (winter) I've started to notice these insects crawling about various places of the home. Slow-moving like a beetle. Black all over. Hard to see but they have two prongs sticking ...
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2 votes
3 answers
165 views

Is there any disease in common between human and insects?

I am not asking about disease transferred by insects. I am wondering is there any disease that commonly make both human and insects sick?
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

Tiny dark-colored bug ID in Amman-Jordan

I live in Amman-Jordan and I keep finding this bug species on my walls. I saw four till now on the walls of another room. A little bit bigger than the first one. Click on all photos to open full-...
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66 votes
2 answers
9k views

Do ants or other insects sleep, and if so why?

I was thinking yesterday about insects (as there was a spider in the house, and I couldn't help but think of anything else, even though they aren't insects), and I started to wonder if ants sleep? ...
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33 votes
2 answers
3k views

Why doesn't blood remain on a mosquito's proboscis in quantities that could spread blood-borne diseases?

We know that HIV can't be transmitted by mosquitos, and nor can other highly virulent viruses that are transmitted through blood and bodily fluid exchanges, such as Ebola (thankfully!). Marcus Junius ...
25 votes
1 answer
4k views

What kind of creature is this?

I saw this on Facebook today and have tried researching it myself, but I have had no luck.
19 votes
1 answer
4k views

Is this a hornet?

I live on the 2nd floor of an old apartment building in Vancouver BC (Canada). A couple of years ago we had an issue with a hornets nest that was difficult to remove because of its location. They ...
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18 votes
1 answer
4k views

How do ants follow each other?

I was observing ants in my house.They all were going in a straight line and also some of the ants were coming back through the the same line. I took some water and rubbed the line with my finger, ...
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