What’s This Bug
May 16, 2010
I live in Roanoke Rapids, NC which is right on I95 just before you reach the VA border. It has been in the 90s the last couple of days. When I returned home today from Weekend College my wife showed me two colonies of these bugs. What kind of bug are they? and do I have to worry about them?
Howard L. Bethany
Roanoke Rapids, NC

Eastern Boxelder Bugs

Hi Howard,
This is an aggregation of Eastern Boxelder Bugs, Boisea trivittata.  Both the winged adults and wingless nymphs feed on the seeds of boxelder and maples, but they do not harm the trees.  Most of our reports come in the autumn when large aggregations are formed and the adults sometimes enter homes to hibernate.  When Boxelder Bugs are extremely plentiful, they can be a nuisance, but they are not cause for alarm.  You can read more about Boxelder Bugs on Bugguide.

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What is this Beetle in Vancouver, WA
April 6, 2010
My husband’s brother in Vancouver, WA had many of these beetles on the back of his house, on the windows, deck etc. I thought he’d appreciate my finding out what they are and if they should be concerned or happy. Thank you.
Just found your web site and it is wonderful!
…Annette
Vancouver, WA

Western Boxelder Bugs

Dear Annette,
These are not beetles, but rather, they are True Bugs, Western Boxelder Bugs to be exact.  The Western Boxelder Bug, Boisea rubrolineata, is found west of the Rocky Mountains.  According to BugGuide, they:  “Feed on a variety of mostly woody plant species, but Boxelder (Acer negundo), Silver maple (Acer saccharinum), and other maples (Acer spp.), as well as Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria spp.) are favorites. Ash (Fraxinus spp.) is listed as a common host in literature, but it is usually not a favorite. Flowers and young seeds are prefered, so female trees often support larger populations; however, they also feed from foliage, at sap that leaks from wounds on branches and trunks, and from seeds on the ground. They will sometimes feed on trees of the Rose Family (such as Malus, Pyrus and Prunus), and rarely they may cause some minor damage to commercial fruit crops. They are recorded to feed on plants as diverse as Grass, Alfalfa, and Potatoes. It is even common to see them gathered and sucking fluids from other substances such as discarded human food, or smashed insects such as Grasshoppers and particularly Roaches.“  Western Boxelder Bugs, and their relatives to the east, the Eastern Boxelder Bugs, Boisea trivittata, are not considered to be pest species, but they can become a nuisance when they are extremely plentiful.  Both species may seek shelter indoors when the weather turns cooler.

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Unknown bug in Saline Michigan during warm fall days
November 9, 2009
Hi Bugman, many of these bugs cover my black front door which faces south. They have managed to slip through the bottom of the door into the house where they tend to creep along the floor more than fly around. It has been very warm here in Michigan (above 50 F and sunnier than usual.
Curious, Lorraine
Saline, Michigan USA

Eastern Boxelder Bug

Dear Lorraine,
Eastern Boxelder Bugs create tremendous aggregations that may contain thousands of individuals.  They are not considered a harmful insect, though their presence is often an annoyance when they try to enter homes in great numbers in the autumn to escape the winter chill.

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Swarm of red/black insects
June 13, 2009
Swarm of red/black insects
• Your letter to the bugman (please provide as much narrative and information as possible)    I have what I would describe as a swarm of red and black insects on the side of my house and my neighbor’s house. There are two distinct looking types. One is larger and more black than red while the other is smaller and is more red than black, and there are tinyred ones I can only assume are babies everywhere.
Nathan Elsener
North Central West Virginia

Boxelder Bug Aggregation

Hi Nathan,
Boxelder Bugs like the ones in your photo are one of our most frequently requested identifications.  The Boxelder Bugs frequently form large aggregations of nymphs and adults.  Other than being a nuisance, the Boxelder Bugs are benign.

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