Skip to main content
63 votes
Accepted

Insect identification - Is this a bedbug?

Unfortunately, you're the first I've seen on here actually to have a bed bug. See this picture from University of Kentucky for comparison: Here is one moving (more footage & info here): Below ...
theforestecologist's user avatar
15 votes

What's this black, white and orange beetle?

Yes this is an adult carpet beetle. Specifically, this is a Common carpet beetle (Anthrenus scrophulariae) See here for more info. 2.5 to 3.8 mm in length. Black head (mostly hidden by the ...
theforestecologist's user avatar
15 votes
Accepted

What species of wasp is this? And how to get rid of them?

These are European paper wasps. (They look very similar to yellowjacket wasps but you can notice the antennae; they are brown here whereas they are black in case of yellowjackets. There are other ...
WYSIWYG's user avatar
  • 35.6k
14 votes

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

To answer your question this is very likely NOT a bedbug. See this answer for a positive ID of (and more info for) a bedbug. However, based on the size and body shape of your specimen, it appears ...
theforestecologist's user avatar
10 votes
Accepted

Tiny insect identification in potted plants

These are a type of hexapod called springtails (Collembola). Common Soil springtails. Source: UMN Extension Springtails vary in size, shape, and color, but most are < 6 mm long (as low as ~1 mm) ...
theforestecologist's user avatar
9 votes

Why do OX5034 GM mosquitos require the presence of tetracycline to survive? What does the drug do in this case?

They don't go into any detail on the sites you link to and I don't have time to look into patents, but from the context it sounds like they may be using a tetracycline repressible promoter. This is ...
tyersome's user avatar
  • 5,683
9 votes

How is (Insect) population control through male sterilization effective

Sterile insects are typically produced by radiation. A sufficient dose is used to cause substantial DNA damage in the gametes of the males. However, this doesn't mean the sperm are completely non-...
Bryan Krause's user avatar
  • 47.2k
6 votes
Accepted

What are these caterpillars eating a potato plant?

I believe this is the middle instar of a Southern Armyworm (Spodoptera eridania) larvae. Or some closely related species in the Spodoptera genus (family Noctuidae). © 2016 Wings, Worms, & Wonder ...
theforestecologist's user avatar
6 votes
Accepted

Why do OX5034 GM mosquitos require the presence of tetracycline to survive? What does the drug do in this case?

The other answers are correct and on the right track, but I will expand on them with the specific mechanism for these mosquitos. The following paper discusses the engineering behind strain OX513A upon ...
canadianer's user avatar
  • 17.9k
5 votes
Accepted

Is this bark beetle going to be a problem?

Stegobium paniceum. (Biscuit beetle, bread beetle, drugstore beetle). Copyright Siga, via Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 2022. Copyright marked, via entnemdept.ufl.edu, fair usage, 2022. Characteristics: ...
Jiminy Cricket.'s user avatar
5 votes
Accepted

What attacked my peach tree?

These are definitely some sort of aphid (small sap-sucking true bugs in the superfamily Aphidoidea). Based on the coloration and shape of the pest and the host plant, my best guess is that you're ...
theforestecologist's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

What moth is this and how do we get rid of them?

That is an Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella. Family Pyralidae. They are very common household pests. https://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/indian_meal_moth.htm They breed in grains or cereals. ...
Karl Kjer's user avatar
  • 7,716
4 votes

This strange looking thing was on the leaf, can you identify what this is?

That is a butterfly chrysalis. Since it is clear, and you can see the wings, it is about to emerge. A chrysalis is the naked pupal stage of a butterfly, as opposed to a "cocoon", which is covered in ...
Karl Kjer's user avatar
  • 7,716
3 votes
Accepted

Insect Identification Request -- brown and white flea-like bug

These are clearly the larvae of the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, to whom cicadas, leafhoppers, treehoppers, planthoppers, and spittlebugs belong: the have an (usually) elongated body shape, often with a ...
bathyscapher's user avatar
3 votes

What type of Insect Egg is this?

These are probably cockroach cases, or oothecae, that may contain up to 50 eggs, depending on species. It looks like they are oothecaes of German cockroaches. You can read more about baby ...
JasonExpert's user avatar
2 votes

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

I had a bed bug infestation a few months ago. That picture looks like it could be a bed bug that hasn't fed in a while. But, the overall body shape looks more like a flea.... Bed bugs look different ...
Ryan's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes

What is the contribution of the cockroach to the ecological environment?

You must read this article: “Most cockroaches feed on decaying organic matter, which traps a lot of nitrogen,” Kambhampati said. “Cockroach feeding has the effect of releasing that nitrogen (in ...
CP3O's user avatar
  • 121
2 votes

What type of Insect Egg is this?

I think these are cockroach oothecae. These are small casings that contain many eggs. Quoting from wikipedia Female cockroaches are sometimes seen carrying egg cases on the end of their abdomens; ...
Serotonin's user avatar
  • 522
2 votes
Accepted

What is the impact of the invasiveness of the European Starling in North America?

First, for the record, I do not know the North American Starling situation well. However, I know of one study (Koenig, 2003) that failed to find strong effects of Starlings on other cavity nesters (i....
fileunderwater's user avatar
2 votes

What moth is this and how do we get rid of them?

This is probably a common flour moth or a similar pyralid species. It has probably laid eggs in some cereal-derived products (pasta, cous cous, but also rice, oatmeal and the like) of your kitchen. ...
LinuxBlanket's user avatar
  • 1,313
2 votes
Accepted

Tiny dark-colored bug ID in Amman-Jordan

These are very likely flour beetles (Tribolium spp) of some kind. These small (~3mm) reddish-brown beetles are some of the most widespread and common pests of stored food products worldwide [source]. ...
theforestecologist's user avatar
2 votes
Accepted

What is this insect? And does it eat aphids on plants?

Based on the head morphology and the upper limb visible on the first picture, I would say it looks like a mantis. The length of the abdomen also confirms the same. The internet is also full of ...
zzzp's user avatar
  • 1,099
2 votes

What are these bugs eating my lumber?

These are larvae of some species of wood-boring beetle. It is quite possible you've had multiple species eating your various species of wood. Many species of boring insects have white, segments, worm-...
theforestecologist's user avatar
1 vote

Insect Identification Request -- brown and white flea-like bug

I think this is a springtail which lays it's eggs in young plant and moist soil and as you said, It bended it's abdomen by placing it on tape ,when they are stimulated ,they open their hidden tail ...
Vidushi Aggarwal's user avatar
1 vote

Species identification: 2.5mm (3/32" or 1.5/8") brownish ant in highrise apartment

According to the pest control expert, the ants are likely pharaoh ants. It matches the description on the Wikipedia page in all respects: Colour Size Pervasiveness in indoor environments throughout ...
user2153235's user avatar
1 vote

What species of wasp is this? And how to get rid of them?

Stay vigilant. As you've noticed, once wasps get established in an area, they'll reproduce and spread out. Continue to watch for and eradicate nests. Hardware stores will sell a variety of chemical ...
user76491's user avatar
  • 119
1 vote

What moth is this and how do we get rid of them?

I know this question is old but for the possible sake of later readers, with respect to mentioning plastic bags - at least some, if not all of the moth species commonly known to infest households do ...
somebody_other's user avatar
1 vote
Accepted

Green insects on gooseberry plants

The species name of this insect is the gooseberry saw fly. There are three related species, I think this is the pale spotted gooseberry sawfly because it has a pale green head. They usually have black ...
RHA's user avatar
  • 3,685
1 vote

Debug Fresno; why are the released mosquitos said to be sterile?

Males are effective sterilization vectors You can think of male mosquitos as fertile only in theory. Any mating of these mosquitos will generate no offspring whatsoever, so they are effective sterile ...
André LFS Bacci's user avatar

Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible