an aquatic lawn shrimp?
Wed, May 6, 2009 at 3:11 PM
hi, i have found these swimmers in a stray cat’s drinking bowl that someone has set up in the woods, not far from a busy road. ill take it as the bowl is never dumped out if these lived in them. fortunately i had a big ziploc bag and collected the specimen, and was kind enough to wash their bowl and poured bottled water in it, and was greeted by two grateful beautiful longhaired cats. i was able to collect 11 of them but some died in transit, i placed the little guys in my fishtank and its been a few hours and theyre still okay. i took pictures and a couple videos with my fujifilm camera aided with a 10x triplet magnifier with the intent to send in the photos here, i am actually surprised that on the frontpage was a photo of dead lawn shrimps and they looked very similar to what i have found, except i found my little guys a live and swimming in a kitty bowl.
dogafin
pensacola, fl
Freshwater Shrimp
Dear dogafin,
Your observation that your specimens resembled the Lawn Shrimp was quite astute. We are certain that your specimens are also Crustaceans, quite possibly Freshwater Shrimp in the genus Gammarus. Gammarus and Lawn Shrimp are both in the order Amphipoda. We located a fishing website that has information on Gammarus which are also known as Scuds. The The Backyard Arthropod Project A Field Guide to the North Side of Old Mill Hill, Atlantic Mine, MI also has some good information. We might be way off base here with the genus ID because the location was so odd. We can only guess that at one point the cat bowl was filled with water from a pond inhabited by the Crustaceans. We gladly welcome a professional identification on this somewhat odd sighting.
Freshwater Shrimp
Fri, May 8, 2009 at 6:34 AM
Dear WTB,
I’ve worked on benthos of the Great Lakes and inland lakes in Michigan for close to ten years now and have seen a few amphipods in that time. From these pictures its difficult to say much more than an amphipod. If there’s a pond or lake near by its possible that these could, at the very least, be in the family gammaridae but the could also be Hyallela. The way to determine this is to see if there are accessory flagella (small segmented appendage) on the 4th segment of the first (top pair) of antennae. If there’s no flagellum its Hyallela; if there is a flagellum its more likely to be Gammarus or at least in the family gammaridae.
carterg,
Ann Arbor, MI
Bug cult found dead on kitchen floor.
Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 3:54 AM
I went into my kitchen earlier today and saw brown spots on my floor, I lean in to see what it was. Hundreds of dead bugs lay on my kitchen floor all dead like some kind of bug cult that just drank the cool aid.
I have no idea what kind of bugs these are, they kind of look like little roaches, maybe bed bugs, I dunno.
It was just after a pretty big storm, also I have a punching bag that I brought in before the storm and am hoping they didnt some how come from that…
Geoffrey
Houston, Texas
Lawn Shrimp
Hi Geoffrey,
We have decided that your highly entertaining and descriptive letter and photo of Lawn Shrimp will be our featured Bug of the Month for May. Lawn Shrimp are terrestrial amphipods, an order of Crustaceans. They live in ivy, shrubbery and fallen leaves and go virtually unnoticed until it rains, at which time they enter homes and die in great numbers. They are also called House Hoppers and are in the family Talitridae. According to Charles Hogue in his book Insects of the Los Angeles Basin, the species found in Los Angeles, and quite possibly Houston, is Talistroides sylvaticus. They are gray while alive and turn pink or orange after dying.
small brown crustacean in house
Fri, Nov 28, 2008 at 10:39 PM
I live in Southern CA and we’ve had heavy rain the last few days. Since this morning we are finding small brown bugs that look like a crustacean and kind of like a maggot. They are in the front rooms of the house and on the front patio. Could they be from the rain and what are they? The picture attached is from the web, but the look almost identical. Thanks
Lauren
in house in Southern CA
Lawn Shrimp
Hi Lauren,
What a wonderful photo of Arcitalitrus sylvaticus, a Lawn Shrimp, according to BugGuide, or House Hopper, according to Charles Hogue in Insects of the Los Angeles Basin. According to BugGuide: “These are rarely seen except when flooding or lack of moisture forces them to abandon their home in the soil in search for suitable conditions. At such times they often end up dieing on pavement or in homes and become a nuisance. Once they start appearing, there’s not much that can be done except to sweep them up- pesticides are pointless, because by then they’re already dieing or dead. The best solution is to keep the numbers down the rest of the year by keeping the soil from staying too moist- in California, especially, they’re a sign of overwatering. Physical barriers like weather-stripping can also help to keep them out of homes, but their bodies are flat and narrow, allowing them to slip through surprisingly narrow cracks. ”
Turquoise Bug That Looks Like a Bee
Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 5:54 PM
I was taking pictures of bumblebees in my yard and saw this beautiful blue bug that hovered by the same yellow flowers. Do you know what it is? It looks like a mutant bumblebee in shape! The color is amazing. Thank you in advance for any information you can provide me. Hopefully it is not a pest that I have to worry about in the garden.
Sandi
Boca Raton, FL
Green Orchid Bee
Hi Sandi,
When we first posted a photo of a Green Orchid Bee, Euglossa viridissima, a few years ago, it created quite a stir. Now according to BugGuide, this tropical species is well established in Florida.
¶
Posted 20 November 2008
§
Bees
‡
°
Slaters Nutrition
Sun, Nov 2, 2008 at 1:08 AM
Hi There
Do slaters have omega 3 fatty acids
I’m planning for peak oil
Edward
Tasmania
Slater
Hi Edward,
We believe David Gracer would be better qualified to answer your questions about the nutritional value of a Slater or Sea Louse, a Marine Isopod. We can’t help but wonder if you are contemplating an appearance on the television series Survivor or just planning for a global disaster with the accompanying food shortage.
Greetings,
Yes, I’ve eaten these guys, and theyíre not bad. I can’t speak to individual species [I never keyed mine out], but there ís a history of documentation on the consumption of woodlice, rolly-pollies, pillbugs, and sowbugs, all of which are terrestrial isopods like this one here. Holt discussed them briefly in his landmark 1885 ìWhy Not Eat Insects?î According the English folk medicine belief in the doctrine of signatures, these isopods were used as medicine because some species rolled into a pill shape. Despite its own disclaimer, this URL features a few recipes.
http://www.geocities.com/~gregmck/woodlice/recipes.htm
Next year I may well farm these ëbugsí in a fishtank environment, and try these preparations for myself.
Best,
Dave
Pill bugs
I was looking at your site and noticed the bit about Rolly Pollys. Growing up in New Orleans, we always called them Doodle Bugs. I have since moved to Birmingham, AL and they call them Rolly Pollys. Just thought you might like to have that for your knowledge base.
Kevin
Thanks Kevin,
We have always associated the common name Doodle Bug with the Ant Lion Larvae.
¶
Posted 11 November 2007
§
‡
°
blue sow bug
I just wanted to know if a blue sow bug is rare? Or why it is blue. I thought it was very pretty looking.
Thank you,
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Our guess on this, and we must emphasize the guess part, is that your Pill Bug might be freshly molted and has still not darkened to gray.
Update: (04/28/2007) blue wood lice dear folks
in regard to the blue woodlouse you posted: it is infected with an iridovirus. here is a link to a page with more woodlouse information– http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/7649/woodlice/wliceod.htm although these little blue guys are pretty–the first time i saw one, i thought it was a lapis bead and tried to pick it up; boy was i surprised when it uncurled!–they are, unfortunately, on their way to being compost. thanks for all your good bug work!
patty
Hi Patty,
Thank you so much for a most awesome update, correction and link to information.
¶
Posted 27 April 2007
§
‡
°
Please help identify these home invaders
Hello!
I have browsed through the common millipedes/centipedes and pantry beetles as suggested and haven’t quite been able to identify the insect invading my home. I believe it may be a centipede. These bugs first appeared en mass (about 40 found in half an hour) in my Toronto home at the end of March. They are very slow and ball up in their hard shells when approached. I do not believe them to be pantry beetles as I do not find them in my kitchen. They seem to be coming in from under the spare room (where there is no basement)where it attaches to the main house. I have hopefully filled the cracks now but would really like to know what these are so I can better prepare to defend my home. I apologize in advance that the 3rd picture is a bit blurry. Thank you,
Karen
Hi Karen,
These are not insects but Crustaceans. They are Terrestrial Isopods commonly known as Pill Bugs or Sow Bugs. Children sometimes call them Rollie-Pollies. They are more of a nuisance than a problem.
¶
Posted 24 April 2006
§
‡
°
what is this?
dear bugmen,
enclosed you will find a strange animal i’ve noticed in lithuania last year in a window of a kavine baras, a bar in vilnius. it must be a kind of mixture between a woodlouse and a cancer and it was 18 cm long! it was taking a sunbath using a feeler to hold itself on the wall. don’t know was it alive or not… do you know what it is???greetings from berlin
mona
Hi Mona,
We are researching your fascinating creature. It looks like a marine isopod to us, and we suspect it was placed in the window of the bar, dead, as a conversation piece.
Update: (02/14/2008) Mystery isopod answer
Hello.
I was having a look at your sow bug area and I saw the photo of “Mystery isopod ( 20/03/2006 ). It is a marine isopod called Saduria sabini.
Alberto Delrio
Thanks Alberto,
We love getting old mysteries solved.
¶
Posted 20 March 2006
§
‡
°
My Fiancé hates these things
We’ve had these crawling around our basement here in Bloomington MN for the last few weeks. Any idea what they are and how to get rid of them?
Thanks, Chris
Hi Chris,
These are Sow Bugs, terrestrial Isopods. They proliferate in dark, damp areas.
¶
Posted 17 March 2006
§
‡
°
what bug is this?
Hi Bugman,
I was wondering if you know the name of this bug. I found it last week near a river in sydney. From what i remember the bug is about 3-4cm long. Thank you in advance.
Cheers,
Phylis
Hi Phylis,
This is some type of Isopod. We found a photo of a marine specimen from Australia that looks very similar. A common name is Australis is Slater.
Little shrimp-like bugs
Sometimes I find a bunch of these little guys dead on the floor of our downstairs bathroom during ant season, the little corpses sometimes attract ants. What is it?
Geoff Waters
Glendale, CA
Hi Geoff,
This is a Lawn Shrimp or House Hopper, Talitroides sylvaticus, a terrestrial crustacean. They become most evident just after rain when they are found dead inside homes. They are not a problem, just a nuisance.
¶
Posted 21 December 2005
§
‡
°
What’s This Bug?
Hi, my girlfriend found this bug dead in our kitchen floor. Can you tell me what it is?
Thanks
This is a terrestrial arthropod known as a Pill Bug or Sow Bug. Children call them Rollie-Pollies because they roll into a ball..
¶
Posted 17 December 2005
§
‡
°
Pillbug
Hi,
We also call this a tumblebug, or a doodlebug. I’d never realized what cute little faces they have until I took these photos.
Love, Marian
Thanks for the image Marian.
¶
Posted 10 July 2005
§
‡
°
Yard Shrimp
Thanks to your site, I have found that the bug that has been infesting a specific area of my utility room are lawn shrimp. And, as you said in the previous message, indeed we have been having rain here in North Central Florida ( Ocala ). They lay dead by the tens of dozens between my utility room outside door and the cat’s feeding dish. However, there is no sign of them in the food dish itself. I can find no sign of them outside the house or anywhere else in the house. There is no real concentrated pile of them to suggest they have a specific spot where they are staying in my house. I see no signs of them in daylight but just an hour or two after sunset they suddenly appear with many dead and a few dying. They indeed look like tiny rusty colored shrimp. They move slow and appear more black when alive than the rusty brown when dead. Dead or not, it’s not a nice site first thing in the morning. So, now that I have identified the pest thanks to your site, how can I keep them out of my utility room or kill them outside without making a toxic mess that my cat may get into?
Thanks,
Wesley J Burdine
Ocala , Florida
Hi Wesley,
Sorry we can’t help you with any erradication advice, but at least your problem now has a name and you can contact local experts. We couldn’t decide if we liked your backlit picture better than the flash photo, so we posted them both.
I actually found a friendly deterrent to the Lawn Shrimp. While trying to find the least toxic method to control them because of concern mostly for my cat, I first tried the powder that you sprinkle on your carpet to get rid of fleas. I sprinkled some around the doorway and also just off the edge of the concrete walkway. This has deterred the Lawn Shrimp without killing them in the yard.
Thanks much,
Wesley J Burdine
¶
Posted 14 June 2005
§
‡
°
What is this bug
Hi,
Recently, I found 5 – 10 bugs on the carpet of my family and living rooms each day . They are dead and dried out. I live in southern California. Can you tell me what bug it is?
Many thanks.
Eric
Hi Eric,
You have a type of terrestrial amphipod known commonly as a Lawn Shrimp or House Hopper. According to Hogue: “During or just after a rain, residents in various parts of Los Angeles County are sometimes startled to find a number of these amphipods in their houses. The creatures are usually dead when found and are a nuisance merely by their presence. It is likely that the House Hoppers seek the dryness of buildings when their natural habitats become flooded.”
¶
Posted 09 January 2005
§
‡
°
hey can u please tell me wat bug is this , I found it in my bathroom and I’ve seen a lot of them lately that’s why I’m bothering to learn more about them because I’m curious. And I have three dogs so I don’t know if the bug might be hurtful. I hope you can recognize it from my pictures it was hard to get a good picture because they are so small. And I took the pictures with my camera phone. If not I hope this description helps as well. Well, its about an inch long has 6 pairs on legs . grayish and antenna as well. and two little things like in the rear don’t know how to explain it. hope you can figure out what it is , because I don’t thing it’s a centipede. Anyways, thank you.
oh PS. I live in NJ.
Diana
Hi Diana,
Your have terrestrial isopods commonly known as Pill Bugs, Sow Bugs or Rollie-Pollies. They can get very numerous and can become a nuisance, but they are basically benign. They sometimes secrete an obnoxious odor. They will not harm your pets.
¶
Posted 02 January 2005
§
‡
°
whats my bug
I have this bug in my house and I see the out side as well. They are usually under rocks and plant pots or in the hidden places like under a couch or chair. They have 6 legs on either side, 2 little hair-like spikes on it’s hind end, and anouther 2 anntenas on it’s head. They are always a grayish colour. These two pictures are the largist I have ever seen (aprox.1cm).
You have a terrestrial isopod commonly called a Pillbug, Sowbug or Rollie-Pollie. They are relatively benign, though they can get very numerous.
¶
Posted 14 November 2004
§
‡
°
Help please
Hello,
After the last hard rain 10 days ago, these bugs have been coming out every night, they look black, are about 1/4 inch long and jump around from out of the grass onto my porch. They seem to be attracted to light, because each morning I find hundreds of their little dead copper colored bodies all over my front and back porch. In the 2 years I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen them before. What are they?
Thanks very much from San Dimas, CA
Janet Boydell
Hi Janet,
You are being plagued by Lawn Shrimp, a colorful name for a type of terrestrial Amphipod. Terrestrial amphipods live on the surface (top 1/2 inch) of mulch and moist ground. After rains, large numbers of amphipods can migrate into garages or under the doors of houses. There they soon die their color changing from brown, green or black to red upon death. They migrate out of rain-soaked soil to drier areas where they usually end up dying. Most species are active at night. Here is a site with additional information.
Thank you very much!
Hi and thanks so much for getting back to me. By the way, your website is wonderful…my son thinks it’s so cool that you posted our question and then answered us. Very helpful and useful! I’ll pass it on.
Best to you,
Janet
¶
Posted 10 November 2004
§
‡
°
Bug with weird markings
It looks like pillbug or a sow bug, but what’s with the markings?
It is indeed an Isopod, one of the Sow Bugs, but I am unsure about the markings. Looks to be almost phosphorescent.
¶
Posted 11 August 2004
§
‡
°
rss
