Bug on flower
Location: Swaziland, Africa
January 21, 2012 1:29 pm
Hi,
I found this bug while visiting the Hlane Game Park in Swaziland. It was in January (Summertime and rain season in this side of the world…)
I really can’t classify it so I decided to ask for your assistance.
Thanks and all the best,
Luigi
Signature: Luigi
Checkered Beetle we believe
Dear Luigi,
In our opinion, this is a Checkered Beetle in the family Cleridae. We are linking to the BugGuide page of Checkered Beetles though they are North American species. You should be able to see the similarities. They are described as: “Body usually long and narrow, covered with bristly hairs and often marked with red, orange, yellow, or blue; head usually wider than pronotum; pronotum sybcylindrical and narrower than elytra; antennae vary considerably and are of great diagnostic value within the group.”
Correction Courtesy of Karl
Hi Daniel and Luigi:
It’s called a Felt Blister Beetle (Hycleus burmeisteri) and it is actually a Blister beetle in the family Meloidae. The Field Guide to Insects of South Africa refers to it as Mylabris burmeisteri (probably an older synonym) and provides a description and some interesting information. As with most Blister Beetles, it is best not to touch. Regards. Karl
1
Not sure what kind of bug this is.
Location: Syracuse, NY
December 6, 2011 10:23 pm
Can you help me identify this bug? They show up every now and then.
Thank you
Signature: Brian
Larder Beetle
Hi Brian,
You are being troubled by Larder Beetles, a cosmopolitan species that infests stored foods. Check the pantry for old food items and the source of the infestation. See BugGuide for more information.
1
small black bug
Location: southwestern pennsylvania
January 5, 2012 9:17 pm
I am having a lot of these small black bugs in my house. Can you please identify and tell me how to get rid of them. It is Jan 1st 2012. And were are in winter. Sorry for the pic it is too small to get a good pic. That is a penny in the pic. Thanks
Signature: Donks
Grain Weevil
Dear Donks,
This appears to be a grain weevil. Look in the pantry for infested grain products like rice.
Thankyou, they were coming from a bag of bird seed that was being stored until summer.
Small bug found on guest bed!
Location: Central FL
January 15, 2012 10:53 pm
I found this bug while changing the bedsheets on our guest bed. It hasn’t been used for almost a year and I have been doing some cleaning in there. I went in today to lay down some clean sheets and found this little guy on the foam topper that lays on the mattress. I really hope it’s not a bedbug! I searched the creases of the mattress and between the mattress and box spring but couldn’t find anything else. I have guests coming in four days. Should I be worried?
Signature: Elizabeth
Carpet Beetle
Dear Elizabeth,
In our opinion, this appears to be one of the Carpet Beetles in the family Dermestidae, a group that includes many household pests. Many of the Carpet Beetles look very similar, and yours is a close match to a Megatoma variegata which we found on BugGuide, though it is only represented on BugGuide from the western states. We are not terribly concerned with the range report on BugGuide as Carpet Beetles tend to be cosmopolitan in their distributions. Carpet Beetles feed on a wide variety of organic fibers and substances including wool rugs an upholstery, taxidermy specimens, fur coats, museum specimens, pet hair and even stored foods. They will not bite your house guests.
Thanks for getting back in a timely manner! Glad to hear it isn’t anything serious. Thanks again!
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
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
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.
1
Longhorm Weevil?
Location: South-East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
November 12, 2011 8:56 pm
Dear BugTeam,
Thank you for such a wonderful site: I often spend hours browsing all the different insects from around the world. 
I was wondering if you would be able to help me identify this beetle I found on my washing this (mild November) morning. It looks like a weevil, but the antennae have me stumped: I’ve never seen a weevil with such long, furry antennae before.
Many thanks for your help,
Signature: Jen
Longicorn
Dear Jen,
This is some species of Longicorn or Longhorned Borer Beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It appears to be posing on a fingertip, which would imply that it is quite small. We are having trouble finding a species identification. Your mention of the furry antennae is noteworthy. Though tufted antennae are not rare among Longicorns, they are often a distinguishing feature. We could not find an exact match on the Brisbane Insect website, however, there is one example identified as belonging to the genus Pentacosmia that looks similar to your beetle. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to assist us in this identification.
Unknown Longicorn
1
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