weird spider scorpion thingy :S
Location: Canada, house
March 7, 2011 12:21 am
i was working in the bathroom today removing old grout, and on a piece of sticky tack, i found what i think were spiders (3)…. they had 6 legs and 2 pincers similar to a scorpion or i guess a crab it was idn about 1/8 of an inch and brown obv they were dead n had been there for some time, but i have seen them in my house alive before
what is it?? and should i be concerned
Signature: The Frannuman
Solifugid
Dear Frannuman,
Most of the North American reports of Solifugids, commonly called Sun Spiders or Wind Scorpions, that we receive come from the arid Southwest. BugGuide indicates sightings from British Columbia. Solifugids are fierce predators, but since they do not contain venom, they are not considered to be dangerous to humans, though we imagine they might produce a painful bite if carelessly handled.
Hawaiian salt water gerride
Location: Maui west side
March 7, 2011 10:49 pm
These striders are out in the waves of the Lahaina area. I only see them in smooth water, they go somewhere else when the wind comes up. Those back fins are used for speed, I have not been able to get a photo of a live one. It looks like they can dive under water, but I’m not positive since they are so fast they seem to disappear. Is there an ID for ocean striders?
Signature: w
Pelagic Water Strider
Dear w,
Thanks for sending these photos of Pelagic Water Striders found in the open ocean. Your observations are quite informative. We have located an online pdf originally published in 1937 entitled “Biological Notes on the Pelagic Water Striders (Halobates) of the Hawaiian Islands, with Description of a New Species from Waikiki (Gerridae, Hemiptera).” The article identifies the pelagic species Halobates sericeus and indicates another species Halobates hawaiiensis, which is found closer to shore, apparently in calmer waters. Here is an excerpt from this published paper by ROBERT I. USINGER : “The reputed diving ability of these bugs is a subject of considerable controversy. Thus Murray,3 Walker,4 and Henry5 state positively that these bugs dive beneath the surface, while Hay6 and Delsman7 were unable, under any circumstances, to induce them to dive. My own observations are as follows. Neither in captivity nor under natural conditions was I ever able to force Halobates nymphs or adults to dive beneath the surface. In Micronesia I have stood in shallow water amidst many thousands of these bugs and have tried in every way to frighten them or force them to dive. They jump frequently and may move in this way so quickly that they seem to disappear. On the other hand I took a glass plate and forced a number of individuals a foot or two below the surface, holding them there to observe their actions. They were able to swim with very jerky, awkward movements first downward, thence out beyond the edge of the glass and up toward the surface where they quickly broke through the surface film to freedom.“ BugGuide indicates that the genus Halobates contains: “The only true marine insects. Can be found in the open ocean“, but BugGuide does not have any images.
Pelagic Water Strider
Bug found in my sink
Location: Aberystwyth, Wales, Britain.
March 8, 2011 3:28 am
Hi,
I went to get sone water from the sink this morning and was greeted by this bug staring back at me. It moves and looks quite like a centipede but moves pretty quickly. Also it clearly wasn’t happy to be near water.
Please help me figure it out as this is my Uni room so obviously I’m sharing a much smaller space with the thing than most and it’s really creeping me out.
Signature: Cheers Alex
Silverfish
Hi Alex,
This common household pest is known as a Silverfish.
2
Couple of Brown Bugs
Location: Singapore
March 8, 2011 9:27 am
Hi there,
I remember asking this a couple of days here, maybe my question did not push through this site. Anyways, I found a couple of brown colored bugs, one in a park, another during our macro photo session with some friends here in Singapore. Nobody could rightly identify them. Maybe you would know them, guys. Thanks a lot.
Signature: Giovanni
Broad-Headed Bug
Hi Giovanni,
In our opinion, both of your insects look like Broad-Headed Bugs in the family Alydidae. You may compare your images to photos of North American species posted to BugGuide.
Broad-Headed Bug
woolly bear caterpillar
Location: Rancho Bernardo, CA
March 7, 2011
Good Evening!
I discovered hundreds of these caterpillars in a vacant lot near my house. I have always known these cute little guys as woolly bears, but are there different types of woolly bears? Also what is the specific moth they turn into?
Weather: Rain in January then the first really warm weekend they were everywhere
Thank you so much for the information
C. Knapp
Woolly Bear
Dear C,
This is a caterpillar of a Tiger Moth in the subfamily Arctiinae. They are commonly called Woolly Bears and there are many different species with similar caterpillars. This might be the caterpillar of the Nevada Tiger Moth, Grammia nevadensis, which is pictured on BugGuide.
Daniel,
Thank you for the quick reply. Yes, this does look like the Nevada Tiger Moth caterpillar. I have a few in a container so I will keep an eye on them.
Thanks again. This site is wonderful!
C. Knapp
I live NEAR San Francisco, but about 25-30 min away
Location: Redwood City, California
March 7, 2011 6:03 pm
can you identify this bug?
found about 5-6 around my kitchens window sill, whiped them up and flushed them down the toilet [last night].
2 more appeared today.
they’re really tiny, about hm, a bit bigger than a pen’s head.
ick.
Signature: xblueduckx
Varied Carpet Beetle
Dear sblueduckx,
This is a Varied Carpet Beetle, Anthrenus verbasci, and you can read all about it in our archives or on BugGuide. We have been responding to several identification requests each day for various species of Carpet Beetles and their larvae.
what flying insect is it?
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
March 8, 2011 12:47 am
I don’t know what is it, it is a little bigger than mosquito. can you tell me what is it?
Signature: daisugi, Indonesia
Derbid Planthopper
Dear daisugi,
This is a Derbid Planthopper in the family Derbidae. BugGuide, a website dedicated to the identification of North American insects, credits Andy Hamilton with this statement: “Nymphs of Derbidae feed on fungi. Adults just seem to hang around on vegetation waiting on others passing by.” Previous submissions to our website of this obscure family have been from Singapore, Australia and Ohio in the USA.
Derbid Planthopper
Crazy bugs
Location: Spring, TX
March 7, 2011 12:52 pm
What are these? Help!
Signature: Mary
Wheel Bug Hatchlings
Hi Mary,
These are newly hatched Wheel Bugs. They are beneficial predators.
Thanks! Someone said they eat caterpillars. We raise butterflies. I’m not sure I’ll view them as beneficial. : )
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