Heteroptera
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Small red bugs
January 15, 2010
Found on an avocado leaf. The bugs appear to be “newborns”. Photos were taken with an iPhone and a small magnifying glass.
Paschoal
Parana, Brazil
Hatchling True Bugs
Hi Paschoal,
These are hatchling True Bugs, though we are unable to identify the genus or species, nor are we certain of the family. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to assist in at least a family identification.
Hatchling True Bugs
Fall and over winter visitor
January 16, 2010
I have an insect that is probably 1/2 in long not including the head. It has a rusty color (the wings?) and white lines on the sides under the wings. It seems to be found near my slider to the deck. It also finds its way upstairs. It can makes a low buzzing noise when it clumsily flies around like a helicopter. It’ss slow and easy to catch. I just started to see them with the cooler weather in November and now in January continue to see them. What should I do with them? I don’t like to harm bugs. It has six legs. Here’s one at my blog http://naturalworlds.blogspot.com.
Can we co-exist? Will it eat my house that is mostly wood? Thank you in advance. Your site is wonderful.
tess
northeast USA
Western Conifer Seed Bug
Hi tess,
WE have posted several photos of the Western Conifer Seed Bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, in the past week. This harmless Leaf Footed Bug often seeks shelter indoors when the weather turns cooler. It will not harm your home, its furnishings, nor its inhabitants.
Thank you very much. That is indeed my bug! I won’t be in a hurry to throw them out the door into the cold since, according to what I’m reading, they will let themselves out in the spring.
Thanks again,
teresa
Need insect ID
January 14, 2010
My husband gets this bug on his desk in his 3rd floor attic office about once a month. It is very slow moving. We live in Woodinville, Washington which is about 20 miles east of Seattle.
Susie
Woodinville, Washington USA (Seattle)
Western Conifer Seed Bug
Hi Susie,
We just finished posting another letter of a Western Conifer Seed Bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, that had been smashed, so it is nice to follow that with your photo of a living specimen. Western Conifer Seed Bugs are native to the Pacific Northwest, so this is a local native insect for you. Adults often seek shelter indoors when the weather begins to cool. They will hibernate and become active again when the weather warms in the spring. They are a benign species that will not harm you, your home or its furnishings. Adults and nymps feed on the sap from the cones of conifer trees, so they don’t even damage the host trees.
Daniel,
Thank you so much for the ID and the helpful information.
Susie Egan
www.cottagelakegardens.com
Crawling on the TV in my Daughters room
January 15, 2010
I had woken up at around 3:30am and checked in on my daughter. When I turned on the light I saw this little example of mother nature crawling his way to wherever he was going. So I did what all mothers do when they feel thier children are in danger, and whacked it with a shoe till it stoped moving. I took a close look at it and realized it has a close resemblence to a kissing bug. Which got me very scarred. I like in a well maintained apartment building in Peekskill, NY and it’s the middle of January. Could it really be one of those nasty little blood suckers, or do I owe it a apology and a mtachbox burial. I am very concered because it was so close to my daughters bed. Please if someone could get back to me I would greatly appreciate it.
Sincerest thanks
Karla B. T. (surname withheld to preserve anonymity)
Peekskill, NY 10566
Western Conifer Seed Bug smashed with a shoe
Hi Karla,
This is a Western Conifer Seed Bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, one of the Leaf Footed Bugs that somewhat resemble another family, the Assassin Bugs, which includes the problematic Kissing Bugs or Bloodsucking Conenose Bugs in the genus Triatoma that may spread Chagas Disease. You were astute to recognize the resemblance since they are in the same order of insects, Hemiptera, which includes all True Bugs. The Western Conifer Seed Bug is a benign species that is native to the Pacific Northwest, but since the 1970s its range has increased greatly to include much of the Northeast and Canada, and very recently, portions of Northern Europe. We are going to tag this entry as Unnecessary Carnage, and in order to prevent any retaliations, we are not including your surname in our posting in order to allow you to maintain anonymity. We are doing this because we have received threats in the past from folks whose letters were tagged as Unnecessary Carnage that accused us of libel and warned us they would take legal action against us with frivolous lawsuits. We do not blame you for your first reaction, and we understand your fear of a perceived threat. We hope in the future you will recognize that Western Conifer Seed Bugs, which often seek shelter indoors as the weather cools, are benign, and then promptly relocate them rather than squashing them. A matchbox burial would be sweet, but we think it is unnecessary. We would happily restore your surname to the posting if you give us permission.
Bugs in my Kitchen
January 12, 2010
I’m noticing many of these bugs that are always showing up mostly in my Kitchen. They appear mostly during the colder months. They are 6 legged mottled brown in appearance with a light/dark rear edge that gives it a jagged look. Each bug always show up as roughly the same size each time – about 1/2″ long x 3/8″ wide. They are slow moving and I think they have wings.
Thanks for your help!
Gary Schneider
Central NJ
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Hi Gary,
The reason you are finding Tree Stink Bugs in the genus Brochymena in your house is that they seek shelter indoors when the weather begins to cool. They hibernate and become active again in the spring. They will not harm your home, its furnishings, or its inhabitants.
Corrected by Eric Eaton
Hi, Daniel:
The “tree stink bug” is actually a “brown marmorated stink bug,” Halyomorpha halys, a fairly recently introduced species from Asia that is becoming widespread. Pennsylvania was the site of its introduction, so no doubt they are quite common there now. They are well known for congregating on, and sometimes inside, homes and buildings during the colder months. They are harmless, though don’t smell very good if you grab one.
Eric
Type of bug needs I.D.
January 9, 2010
Just found this bug with an aquarium order I received this week. Found it in a tank with some guppies. I really have no idea what it is or how it came to be. I would appreciate it if you could identify it.
Scott
PA
Water Scorpion
Hi Scott,
This is a Water Scorpion in the genus Ranatra and there is information on BugGuide. Water Scorpions are predatory True Bugs and they will eat the guppies, so you should not keep it in the tank. Prey is captured in the raptorial front legs and the sucking mouthparts will drain the prey of its fluids. The Water Scorpion may have been introduced on plants. Water Scorpions, like many other aquatic insects, can make interesting pets, but as they can fly, you should keep the tank covered. Interestingly, we have a section in the book manuscript we are writing entitled “What’s That in the Aquarium” that is devoted to aquatic insects sometimes encountered by the aquarist.
January 7, 2010
Hi,
Thanks for that information. I’ve attached two more photos, a close up of the green bug, and one that shows very little detail, but how the little brown ones were spread on the deck. This a 84m long 18m beam ship covered in this way!!!
Regards, Alan
UK
Ed. Note: Found on ship Off coast of Mauritania
Unknown Jewel Beetle
Hi Alan,
We wish your photo showed the head and mouthparts. We believe this is a Jewel Beetle or Metallic Borer Beetle in the family Buprestidae, but we are unsure what species. We will post the image to get assistance from our readership. Mauritania issued a stamp in 1970 with a Jewel Beetle, but it is not your species. We are also linking to your previous letter with the unusual phenomenon of Hemipterans swarming your ship.
Correction courtesy of Eric Eaton
Hi, Daniel:
The brown bugs on the ship are something in the family Coreidae (leaf-footed bugs, squash bugs). The green “beetle” is actually another true bug, a shield bug in the genus Callidea or Calliphara. It is easier to tell from the distant image than the close-up! The awkward angle of the close-up does make it appear to be a buprestid, I agree.
Wish I could be of more help. The coreids should be easy for a European entomologist to identify, but I’ll keep looking, see if I can come up with something.
Eric
Stink/Shield Bug from Knoxville, TN
January 7, 2010
Hello,
I found this little insect crawling across the ground at the Knoxville Zoo, Knoxville, TN, during our summer vacation this past August. I believe it is a stink or shield bug, but I haven’t been able to find photos of any species with the same crisp pink trim and overall pale color of this bug. Could you help?
GinnyGray
Knoxville, TN
Tree Stink Bug
Hi GinnyGray,
We have decided to allot a bit more time than usual to provide you with a response, and that means sifting through numerous pages on BugGuide. We have decided that we will just being indicating possibilities and then make a guess as to the actual identity. There are some similarities to Euschistus inflatus, notably the pink edges, but that species seems to be limited to Utah according to BugGuide. We wonder if perhaps it might just be a light, possibly recently metamorphosed Brown Stink Bug, Euschistus servus. According to BugGuide: “Body is oval with the underside being slightly concave and the abdomen narrow. Entire dorsal side grayish yellow with dark brownish-gray punctures becoming denser at the edges of the pronotum. The last two antennal segments (fourth and fifth) are darker in colour. The ventral surface usually has a pinkish tinge. Cheeks large passing the clypeus in length and more pointed. The humeral angles of the pronotum are rounded.“ We will post your letter to see if anyone writes in with suggestions, and we will also contact Eric Eaton for his opinion.
Tree Stink Bug
Thank you so much for your prompt response! I examined photos of brown stink bugs before submitting, but I failed to find many photos of adults or nymphs with such a distinct pink pattern. The paleness of the wing membrane also seems atypical for an adult, so I also suspected that it may simply have recently metamorphosed. Hopefully, you guys will unearth a more definite ID.
Thanks again!
Eric Eaton provides identification
Hi, Daniel:
This is indeed a stink bug, a recently-molted adult in the genus Brochymena. The wing membrane has yet to attain any pigmentation, and remains soft. It will eventually darken and stiffen.
Eric
Shield bugs
January 7, 2010
A while back I was working on a ship in Mauritania. These shield bugs arrived on board in a squall 30 miles off the coast. 80% of the vessels deck areas were covered in them. What are they, and what would cause them to be in a squall so far from land in such numbers??
Great site, Alan
Off coast of Mauritania
Swarm of Hemipterans
Hi Alan,
What a bizarre occurrence. We wish you provided a close up photograph of an individual insect. First, the majority of the insects seem to be the same species, but there are some bright green individuals that look more like beetles, possibly Leaf Beetles in the family Chrysomelidae or Jewel Beetles in the family Buprestidae.
Swarm of Hemipterans and a beetle
The swarm itself does not appear to be Shield Bugs, but they are True Bugs, possibly some plant feeding species in the superfamily Lygaeoidae. We wonder if one of our readers can explain this unusual phenomenon. We are guessing it was a population explosion that somehow got swept out to sea.
Swarm of Hemipterans
Correction courtesy of Eric Eaton
Hi, Daniel:
The brown bugs on the ship are something in the family Coreidae (leaf-footed bugs, squash bugs). The green “beetle” is actually another true bug, a shield bug in the genus Callidea or Calliphara. It is easier to tell from the distant image than the close-up! The awkward angle of the close-up does make it appear to be a buprestid, I agree.
Wish I could be of more help. The coreids should be easy for a European entomologist to identify, but I’ll keep looking, see if I can come up with something.
Eric
Are these insects Beetles ?
January 3, 2010
I spotted these insects jointly gathered in
a backside of a small plant leaf.
Hari Iyer
Thane, Maharashtra, India
Unknown Immature True Bugs from India
Dear Hari Iyer,
These are not beetles, but rather True Bugs in the order Hemiptera. They are immature specimens that will become winged adults. We are not certain of the species.
Update and Correction from Eric Eaton
January 9, 2010
Daniel:
The unknown immature true bugs from India are nymphs of “cotton stainers” in the genus Dysdercus, family Pyrrhocoridae. Nice pictures.
Eric
Is this a true or stink bug?
December 30, 2009
We found this dead bug in our warehouse a couple of weeks ago. Then we found your website today and spent most of the afternoon going thru submitted pics and responses. What a way to spend a quite afternoon at work!
Handly Working, Dave
Columbus,Ohio
Tree Stink Bug
Dear Dave,
We can’t help but wonder if you were handily working, or hardly working. This is a Tree Stink Bug in the genus Brochymena. They often seek shelter indoors when cold weather approaches and they will not damage the home, its furnishing, nor the inhabitants. As a point of clarification, all Stink Bugs are True Bugs, but not all True Bugs are Stink Bugs.
Giant Bug in Rockhampton, Australia
December 30, 2009
Hi! I just found this picture in my photos from my Australia trip this year, and this bug I just can’t figure out. It can definitely survive in water ( we fished it out of the pool after a few hours and it flew away ), and it must have gotten in there by itself so it can probably swim as well. It has pretty huge claws and makes a lot of noise, and flies and runs pretty fast. I know that a lot of locals didn’t know what it was either, so maybe it’s new to the area or doesn’t come out every year. We saw it in April as far as I can remember, and it started out with just a few and then we started to see them all over. I attached a picture with an australian ten cent coin for size info. I’ve been trying to figure out what it is but I can’t find it anywhere, help would be really appreciated 
Maja Schubert
Rockhampton, Australia
Giant Water Bug
Hi Maja,
This is a Giant Water Bug. In the U.S., they are commonly called Toe-Biters.
