Shiny beetle, Australia.
Location: Camp Hill, Brisbane, AUS
March 26, 2011 3:55 pm
Hi there. I was sitting on my balcony on a sunny afternoon at the end of March in Brisbane, Australia when I discovered this beetle clinging to my window screen. I can’t seem to find a picture of this exact beetle anywhere and I would really like to know what it is. Thanks very much for your help!
Signature: Heather, Brisbane AUS
Common Assassin Bug
Hi Heather,
This is an Assassin Bug, not a Beetle. The Brisbane Insect Website identifies your insect as a Common Assassin Bug, Pristhesancus plagipennis.
What is this bug?
Location: Sydney, Australia
March 24, 2011 8:06 pm
Hi, I found this bug in the grass near Hyde Park in Sydney in 2003. Can you please tell me what it is?
Signature: Carey
Cotton Harlequin Bug
Hi Carey,
This little beauty is an immature Cotton Harlequin Bug, Tectocoris diophthalmus, one of the Jewel Bugs in the family Scutelleridae. You may read about it as see images of the adult insect on the Brisbane Insect Website.
Hi Daniel,
Thank you so much for the fast response! I’ve been wondering about this for years and it’s great to finally know.
Thanks again,
Carey
Giant Bugs in Indiana?
Location: Found dead in NW Indiana
March 20, 2011 9:53 pm
Greetings!
I work at a hotel in NW Indiana and happened across this guy in the parking lot. I’m thinking that maybe it hitchhiked on someones car (at least thats what I’m hoping) because I’ve NEVER seen a bug this big in Indiana before… Please help me identify this bug!!! My thinking is that it’s a beetle of some sort.. a few people suggested a cicada but its MUCH bigger then those guys :p
Signature: A little freaked out — Molly
Toe-Biter
Hi Molly,
The Giant Water Bug or Toe-Biter is a local insect for you. You have probably not seen them before as they are an aquatic species that inhabits still bodies of water like ponds, lakes and swamps. As adults, Giant Water Bugs fly quite well, and they are often attracted to brightly lit locations like parking lots, hence another common name, Electric Light Bug. The Giant Water Bug is the largest True Bug in North America, though it is dwarfed by closely related species in Southeast Asia which grows to about five inches in length.
Bedbug?
Location: Upstate New York
March 20, 2011 7:55 am
My son found this on my chair. We searched high and low and found no others. Is this a bedbug? The pic is the best I could do since he is so small. For a size reference, the container he is in is a 2TBSP medicine cup.
Signature: AC
Bed Bug, possibly
Dear AC,
The photo you have submitted is entirely too blurry to make any definitive identification impossible, but it might be a Bed Bug. The general shape and markings appear to match those of a Bed Bug, as you can see from this photo on BugGuide. Most of the Bed Bug ID requests we receive are actually Carpet Beetles, but in your case, we believe you have the real thing. You should immediately seek professional assistance before you have an infestation, and since you have an actual specimen, you can verify the identity of this creature at your Natural History Museum or at a University before you spend the money on any eradication methods.
Is it possible to have one bedbug? I found one on my chair but I went through the entire living room (all furniture, behing furniture, crevices etc) and found nothing. I also checked all beds and mattresses and found no brown or red spots or shells or anything. Could one have gotten in without “infesting” me?
At this point, anything is speculation since the photo is not conclusive. We repeat: “since you have an actual specimen, you can verify the identity of this creature at your Natural History Museum or at a University before you spend the money on any eradication methods.”
1
what’s this bug?
Location: thumb of Michigan
March 19, 2011 2:46 pm
I found this bug on my beige carpet. I couldn’t tell it was a bug until it moved. It is almost like a white fruity pebble. It looks like the carpet. Doesn’t appear to fly.
Signature: Kim
Masked Hunter
Hi Kim,
This positively fascinating creature is called a Masked Hunter, and it is an immature Assassin Bug. The nymphs have a sticky surface that attracts lint and dust, masking the predator by making it blend into its surroundings. Several years ago we posted a photo of a Masked Hunter that was covered in blue fibers from a carpet, and now we have your beige carpet fiber individual as well. Nymphs lack wings, but the black adults are winged and capable of flight.
So this makes me worry that we have bedbugs??? If we found this one does this mean there is more? Thanks!
If you have more Masked Hunter, that would be a good thing. They are sometimes called Masked Bedbug Hunters, but we have started using the shortened name since Bedbug paranoia is sweeping the planet. Nearly every Bedbug identification request we receive is actually a Carpet Beetle. Masked Hunters are not species specific predators.
Summer 2010
Location: 19347
March 18, 2011 9:00 pm
I took half a dozen photos of this guy in Chester County, PA last summer (2010); he looked silvery sitting in full sun on a silver trash can full of birdseed.
Signature: Sue
Wheel Bug
Hi Sue,
Your Wheel Bug is an impressive creature, the largest Assassin Bug in North America.
Wow, maybe this is why I didn’t see any Japanese beetles this
year. Thanks! I’m looking forward to reading your book. 
Sue
Hi again Sue,
If you normally get Japanese Beetles, and you saw none in 2010, you are one lucky gardener. We have images in our Food Chain section of Wheel Bugs feeding on Japanese Beetles, but one lone Wheel Bug could probably not handle the hoards of Japanese Beetles that typically defoliate a wide variety of plants cultivated in the garden. Had you seen an army of Wheel Bugs, that would be a different story. There may be other predators, like insectivorous birds, that are contributing to the gardener’s war against Japanese Beetles. We hope you find the book The Curious World of Bugs as entertaining as Daniel intended it to be.
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