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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Giant Ichneumon: Dead from involuntary insect slaughter

Strange wasp
July 25, 2009
This painful creature was found at my ex-husbands house. It came down from the attic (comforting I know). It has, what looks like, three long stingers about three + inches long. It has yello on its head/antennas and very long back legs and black wings.
Samantha
East Tennessee

Giant Ichneumon: Dead by human hands???

Giant Ichneumon: Dead by human hands???

Dear Samantha,
We are guessing this Giant Ichneumon, Megarhyssa atrata, came down from the attic alive and we are also guessing it is not asleep in this photograph.  We are going to make the leap that is was killed before the photograph was taken.  Giant Ichneumons, despite their frightening appearance, are perfectly harmless.  They are parasitic relatives of wasps and they are incapable of stinging.  What looks like a stinger is in reality the ovipositor of the female and she uses it to lay eggs in the tunnels of wood boring insects like the Pigeon Horntail and other Wood Wasps.  The newly hatched Giant Ichneumon larva then locates the larva of the Wood Wasp and begins to feed upon it.  Coincidentally, we also just received an image of a dead Wood Wasp which we will post next. Since this Giant Ichneumon was killed unnecessarily, we will tag it as Unnecessary Carnage.

I do not appreciate your accusations. It was alive, I had to put it in a container at my ex-husbands house and bring it to mine. It did die on the way over, it was not killed. If I wanted to kill it it would be smooshed, I cannot spray pesticide as my infant is usually close by me. You have been very rude, I will know not to come to you again if I have another question about a bug.
Thanks for your time.

Dear Samantha,
It was not our intention to be rude, but to answer your question as to the identity of your insect, and to try to educate you and others out there about its harmlessness.  The fact that the death of the Giant Ichneumon was involuntary in no way changes that its death was unnecessary, though we are pleased to know that its demise was unintentional.  Insects may die if they are kept for long periods of time in tightly closed containers, and it is surprising how many times unintentional death by suffocation or heat exhaustion occurs, and we are not speaking about insects.  It it is your choice to no longer use this free service that we offer, and we promise we will not force you to visit our site for either educational or entertainment purposes, nor will we demand that you send us additional questions about insects and other arthropods.  In the future, should you have questions about creatures that might potentially harm your infant, you are free to pass over our website and search for your answers elsewhere on the world wide web, and we promise not to blame you for never writing us again.

Posted 25 July 2009 § Ichneumons ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:

Sixth Recipient Nasty Reader Award: Unnecessary Carnage Solpugid dies agonizing death

What is THIS bug?
July 18, 2009
I killed this bug (sorry, I was afraid!) in my garage tonight and was so creeped out I’ve got the heebie-jeebies! I have no idea what it is, can you please tell me? It has large jaws and is appx 3/4 to one inch long.
Creeped out in Colorado
Foothills of the Rocky Mts. in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Solpugid dead from unknown causes

Solpugid dead from unknown causes

Dear Creeped Out,
This harmless Solpugid looks like its final moments were horrific.  Solpugids are fierce predators, but they have no venom and will not harm humans.  Cockroaches and other undesirable household intruders are common prey for this formidable hunter.

Update:  NASTY READER AWARD
After we supplied Creeped Out with the above answer, Creeped Out had the wherewithal to submit the following tirade.  Seems Creeped Out didn’t read the release on our form which gives us the right to post images and letters to the website and to use them in other authorized What’s That Bug publications.  Nowhere in our response did we libel (slander is uttered aloud, and thankfully we have never spoken to her) Creeped Out’s reputation, and we stand by our statement that the final moments of the Solpugid’s life were horrific.  We are very happy we don’t live in Colorado Springs as we might run into Creeped Out and her nasty temper by getting some cosmetic dental work done (info we gleaned from her email address which we will withhold from publication).  Just imagine the horror and potential pain if she ever took her wrath out on someone’s teeth?  Read on and see just how nasty some readers can get after getting free information on the internet.

That was a ridiculous way you used my submission. I would have never given you permission to use my submission if I had known what a wack-job you were. Need you be so melodramatic about a bug (which by the way there are trillions of?!) You do not have my permission to use anymore information of mine including this email! I will be sure not to recommend your site to any of my friends for fear you will slander them too on the web. Sorry I even ASKED you for help.
Creeped out in Colorado

A Reader Comments
Nasty Reader
I just have to comment on creeped out’s nasty email. The entire point of this website and the reason why so many of us bug lovers are so grateful for it is to educate those who may not appreciate the insect kingdom for the amazing necessity it is. Those who are so inclined to “squish” first and ask questions later may think twice had they had known that the poor little Solpugid wouldn’t have even been in their garage if it weren’t for a food source… like COCKROACHES. Whether “There are trillions of them” or not it is just as easy to remove them without killing them or actually be thankful for how beneficial they are. I believe the correct spelling is “whacked out”…AND people in glass houses….
Andrea, Hollywood.

Creeped Out Comments
Request for revision: Web site says “after we supplied the reader with the above answer”. Please revise that in your notes since you NEVER supplied me with that explanation.  You simply wrote two words “harmless solpugid” in an email and sent it to me. I had to go out on the web site to see the way you presented it and to see your full answer and then I still had to search the web to find out what a “solpugid” was. If you want to be accurate, please adjust your notes accordingly

Ed. Note
Creeped Out is correct.  Our original response to her was a brief two word answer which we sometimes do in an effort to answer as many requests as possible.  Then we spend more time crafting responses that we plan to post.  We do not feel sorry that after supplying a brief correct identification, the burden of further research was placed on the querant.

Creeped Out continues to write to us
It seems I am not the only one with a bad temper judging from your response. Your words were completely unnecessary and unrelated to bugs or your website. I apologized in my initial email to begin with and only became insulted by the way you presented my situation.
I apologize for killing the “solpugid” and I am sorry that I became angry. I didn’t think that this was the first photo of a dead bug you would have seen so I apologize for not being more sensitive to your passion.

Ed. Note:
For the record, we no longer email Creeped Out directly, as feel compelled to keep all lines of communication totally transparent and public.  Also, for the record, though we consider What’s That Bug? to be an insect identification website, we do not shy away from relating the insect world to the grander scheme of things.  We have maintained from Day 1 that we are not scientists, but artists, and as such, we reserve the right to dialog in whatever way we see fit and to not fear letting our freaky flag fly.

Another Reader Comments
Big nasty black thing
July 22, 2009
I was so intrigued by Creeped Out’s diatribe and backstory that I thought I’d let you know there are calm, reasonable people in Colorado as well. Also, I need a bug identified. I’m so sorry I don’t have a photo; I’m too scared of them, and I only see a couple a day. It doesn’t look anything like the photo attached, which I had to do for the form to work. They are 1 1/2″ or so long, black but iridescent (blue or green in sunlight), have a small middle section (thorax?) , very narrow “waist” and a long, skinny back end. They buzz when they fly. I’m scared because I thought I saw one flying away from biting my son; I just need to know how vigilant to be about them! If you can refer me to a lineup, I’m sure I could pick one out, and if I get a picture I’ll write again. Thanks for all you do!
For Heaven’s Sake Feel Free to Post This
western CO
Dear For Heaven’s Sake,
Thanks for your support regarding our latest Nasty Reader Award.  Your insects sound like some kind of wasp, perhaps a Cricket Hunter Wasp in the genus Chlorion, or a Blue Mud Wasp, Chalbion californicum, or some other Thread-Waisted Wasp in the family Sphecidae.  All of them may be viewed on BugGuide, but our money is on the Blue Mud Wasp.

Posted 19 July 2009 § Solpugids and Camel Spiders ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Pustulated Carrion Beetle skewered

Identification
July 14, 2009
The other day i was sitting in my basement when an insect (6 legs) landed on me. mostly black with red dots, large wings and when i brushed it off of me it then emitted a horrendous smell that was so bad i had to change
n/a
southeast missouri

Pustulated Carrion Beetle: skewered

Pustulated Carrion Beetle: skewered

Dear n/a,
This is a Pustulated Carrion Beetle, Nicrophorus pustulatus.  It is one of the Burying Beetles.  BugGuide reports:  “Reported to be a brood parasite of other Nicrophorus (1). Also reported to parasitize the eggs of Black Rat Snakes–see Ecoscience 7 (4) : 395-397 (2000). The beetle larvae destroy the snake eggs, thus, the beetle would qualify as a parasitoid, a relationship usually seen only among invertebrates.”  It appears that this Pustulated Carrion Beetle has been skewered, and we don’t believe it is to enter an insect collection, which would probably qualify it as unnecessary carnage.  In the scheme of things, the beetle stinking you up so you had to change your shirt is not as troublesome as you ending its life as payback.

Posted 14 July 2009 § Carrion Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Dobsonfly Gets Screwed

Flying Ant Demon! With a Stinger.
July 12, 2009
About 2-2 1/2 inches long, 1/2 inch long pinchers. Antennas on head felt like needles. Obviously could fly. 6 legs, stinger on tail size of head. about all i know, my friends uncle put a screw in it because it scared him i think!
Ryan Darveaux
Arrington, KS

Dobsonfly Gets Screwed

Dobsonfly Gets Screwed

Ryan,
This goes way way beyond Unnecessary Carnage.  It actually borders on medieval torture.  This poor male Dobsonfly was perfectly harmless, and now it is dead.

Posted 13 July 2009 § Dobsonflies and Fishflies ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:

Mortally Wounded Cicada

HUGE FLY LIKE BEETLE THING
Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 12:20 PM
This disgusting bug was up on the top of my roof (2 story). It was making a really loud noise that sounds like electricity. I used the hose on it and it fell to the grass. From far away I could see the grass moving. I continued to hose it. Then I dropped a toy on top of it and heard a crunch. I then got my camera!
Angela in West Richland, WA
West Richland, WA

Cicada

Cicada

Hi Angela,
You have probably mortally wounded a harmless Cicada, an insect that produces one of the definitive, iconic sounds of summer. Cicadas are considered to be the loudest insects in the world. We especially like your likening the sound to electricity, like a Tesla Coil, though we do not at all condone your actions after you heard the Cicada calling to a potential mate from your roof.

Posted 30 June 2009 § Cicadas ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:

Two Dead House Centipedes killed hours apart

PLEASE IDENTIFY THIS DISGUSTING BUG FROM PITTSBURGH
Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 8:58 PM
Help Bugman!!!
This type of bug has appeared 3-4 times in our house in the past 1-3 weeks.
Tonight I had to take a picture of it after we killed it.
It’s got to be poisonous, it’s terrrrible looking.
It’s got like 6 or 10 legs and it is just uggggly.
We live right near a ‘forest’ and honestly, JUST now, my roomate discovered another one as I’m typing.
Help! PLEASE!!!
What should we tell our exterminator!!!
What should we buy to protect ourselves
Thank you so much
Henry
Pittsburgh, PA, in basement 2bedroom living quarter

House Centipede Smashed

House Centipede Smashed

Unnecessary Carnage?
Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 6:29 PM
First, I must say there are some great pictures on your site. I scrolled through everything to try to find an answer, but I don’t even know what category this fits into. You may be able to tell that this bug was squished, so I’ll give you details the picture might not show. It’s just over an inch long and its antennae were quite long (almost as long as the body?) Unfortunately I can’t tell whether it has legs or not, but its underbelly appears to have several tiny ridges. The 3 vertical stripes are quite distinctive. I live in Windsor, ON (directly across the border from Detroit) and found it in my bedroom this evening. We’ve had some water damage in the house and also have carpenter ants (which I confirmed from several pictures here – thanks!). As well it has been humid here lately, so I’m not sure if that’s a factor.
Any insight you could provide would be appreciated.
Many thanks, Cheryl
Windsor, ON

House Centipede Extinguished

House Centipede Extinguished

Whoops! Cancel that email!
Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 8:07 PM
Sent you an email earlier tonight entitled “Unnecessary Carnage?” and have discovered, to my embarrassment, that it is in fact a house centipede. I moved so quickly to kill the poor bugger that I didn’t see all of the legs (and wasn’t about to pick its corpse apart to investigate).
I’ve bookmarked your site so I can identify the next critter that makes itself known! ;-)
Many thanks (again), Cheryl
Windsor, ON

Dear Henry and Cheryl,
You have both unnecessarily exterminated a harmless House Centipede. They do look frightening, and though they have venom, the venom is harmless to humans in the extremely unlikely scenario that they might bite someone. You are far better off having House Centipedes patrolling your homes at night, dispatching Bed Bugs whose populations are on the rise, than you would be getting bitten by the Bed Bugs. No exterminators are necessary.

Unnecessary Carnage Update
September 18, 2009
My Unnecessary Carnage :(
I just found your website while researching the bug that I have squished (although not confirmed). I was sitting in my darkened living room in the wee hours of the night and caught some rapid movement from the corner of my eye. I quickly turned on a light and settled back on the sofa. Perhaps five minutes later I saw a large bug on my ceiling, which through your site I have identified as a House Centipede. I have seen other bugs of this type and have not been bothered as they are a fairly small bug and the only things that really bother me are spiders – I’m arachnophobic after a traumatic (for me and possibly the spider) experience but I don’t typically kill spiders just make sure I know where they are at all times, avoid them if possible or await their relocation or sadly, their ‘remo val’. Alas, I digress – back to the event from today. As I said I have seen others of this type of centipede before and they didn’t bother me but this specimen was quite large. It appeared to be at least 2 inches long, and looked much bigger/wider due to the many legs. Since it was on my ceiling and they move so fast I felt I had 2 options: leave it or try to get rid of it. I chose the second and grabbed my broom. I swatted at it and it fell to the floor, camouflaged by the beige carpeting and dashed for the nearest hiding spot, under a cabinet, with me swatting at it. I am not positive that I extinguished its life and kept a vigil for 5-10 minutes and didn’t see any signs of it. I think their speed would impede their safe removal in the future. Is there any way to safely remove them? I find bugs fascinating when I happen upon them outside. I am originally from Eastern Canada and have been living and enjoying the variety of bugs here – I was very excited to see a praying man tis and even a Hercules beetle. I don’t go out of my way to look f or them but feel the need to do something if I see them and I’d much prefer to escort them safely outside. I am sorry that I killed (maybe) the bug and would really appreciate some feedback.
Sincerely Apologetic,
Sarah in VA

Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your nice letter.  Since it came in as a comment not connected to a specific post, we are attaching it to two previous letters with the shared subject matter of House Centipedes killed unnecessarily.  First off, we are going to let you off the guilty hook because we don’t believe you killed that fast little bugger.  House Centipedes are quite evasive.  As far as advising you on how to best remove them, we don’t really have any suggestions.  House Centipedes seem quite fond of human domiciles, and they easily enter homes.  As you noted, they are so quick, it is difficult to capture them.  Dare we suggest that you just learn to coexist?  Since you are arachnophobic, the House Centipede will most likely help keep your indoor spider population under control as well as feasting on other undesirable intruders like cockroaches.

Posted 02 June 2009 § Centipedes ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Assassin Bug Squashed

Orange bug with striped legs
Sat, Apr 11, 2009 at 6:45 AM I have found several orange bugs about 1/4″ in length in my house. They appear to have wings and 6 legs with yellow/black stripes on them. They have 2 antennas well. I found them crawling on the edges of doors. Any info you can provide would be great. Thanks!
Lauren
Ellicott City, Maryland

Assassin Bug: Unnecessary Carnage

Assassin Bug: Unnecessary Carnage

Hi Lauren,
This is an Assassin Bug, Pselliopus barberi, and the species has no common name. It appears as though your specimen was squashed in a tissue, and this was an example of Unnecessary Carnage, since this insect is a beneficial predator thay will not harm your home. If mishandled, it may bite.

Posted 11 April 2009 § Assassin Bugs ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Crayfish: Mangled by Dog or Dispatched by Dog Owner?

Found in some leaves
Wed, Mar 11, 2009 at 7:09 PM
I found my dog attacking one of these last night and it sure does look like a scorpion to me, but living in Indiana I have been led to believe that they are not native to this area. We have recently had a lot of water activity and this was found nighttime on cement…i think they are living in some leaves that blew onto the cement. I would really like to get at least an idea of what type of bug this is.
Ashley H.
North Eastern Indiana

Crayfish Carnage

Crayfish Carnage

Hi Ashley,
This is a Crayfish or Crawfish, or Crawdad in the South, a freshwater Crustacean that can survive on land, in damp conditions, that is found throughout much of the U.S.  We are uncertain if the mortal wounds were inflicted by your dog or by you, but we are posting this image to our Unnecessary Carnage page nonetheless.  Crayfish are edible and taste much like lobster.

Posted 12 March 2009 § Crustaceans ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:

Water Scorpion pummelled to death

What is this thing?
Wed, Dec 31, 2008 at 7:26 AM
Found this bug by the open overhead door at the metal shop I was working in. It was September I believe. I kept it alive and scooped him up with a piece of paper and took it outside, however the owners son proceeded to smash it repeatedly with a 5 lb dead blow hammer, of course I was wroth with him for it. He smashes all the weird bugs that seem to show up in large numbers around the shop also. Found a luna moth that had been knocked down by a robin, and I saved a praying mantis that was over 4 inches long this fall! Don’t know what this thing is, had small hooks on the end of it’s strange mantis like front legs. Some damage to it in the picture, probably as a result of flying into the stockroom of a metal shop! if you could identify it, I would be grateful.
Matt
Western NY state, USA

Water Scorpion smashed to death

Water Scorpion smashed to death

Hi Matt,
We are very sorry to hear that this unfortunate Water Scorpion has been pummelled to death by an insensitive insect hater.  The Water Scorpion in the genus Ranatra is a predatory aquatic insect that can fly and is sometimes attracted to lights.  Water Scorpions get their name from the painful bite they will deliver if they are mishandled, but the species does not aggressively bite humans.

Posted 31 December 2008 § Toe Biters ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Ground Assassin Bug from Australia

Orange/Black Beetle/Hornet ? NSW
Sat, Dec 13, 2008 at 3:57 PM
My husband found this bug under his sleeve driving it’s spike into his arm yesterday. It got 4 stings in before it wore a size 9 dunlop volley.
Apparently it packed quite a punch, his arm still red/swollen/itchy 24hrs later. Just curious what bug this is? Doesn’t appear to have wings! Looks like a cross between a hornet & a beetle type bug.
Newcastle NSW Australia
Shell
Newcastle NSW Australia

Ground Assassin Bug

Ground Assassin Bug

Hi Shell,
A little bit of research revealed that this is a female Ground Assassin Bug, Ectomocoris decoratus, which we located on the Geocities Website of Brisbane Insects.  Males of the species are winged and fly while the females are winged.  Interestingly, we found some of the same photos and illustrations on a Brisbane Insects website with a different URL, but the species was listed as Ectomocoris patricius.  We also found a PDF online that states:  “Several other assassin bugs bite people in Queensland. … Ectomocoris decoratus, a fast-moving species with winged males and wingless females, is strikingly coloured in blue-black and orange.  It occurs under loose bark and may be encountered when gardening or clearing vegetation.  Because of its colour and speed, victims of this assassin bug often believe they were stung by a wasp.”  We are not exactly sure what a size 9 dunlop volley is, but it sound like it contributed to the squashing evident in your photos.  Assassin Bugs, except for a few blood sucking species, are thought of as beneficial predators, so we feel compelled to also tag your posting under Unnecessary Carnage.

Ground Assassin Bug

Ground Assassin Bug

Posted 13 December 2008 § Assassin Bugs ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:

Tree Stink Bug swatted in the basement

Unidentified Flying Bug
Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 8:50 PM
I never started noticing these bugs before this year. I’ve killed lots of bugs in my family’s house, because I live in our basement. I first started noticing these bugs outside on my car. They were well camouflaged, flat, and every time I saw one I swore it was pentagonal. I have just recently discovered that these flat beetlish things can fly. I just killed two in under five minutes that were flying around the overhead light in our basement. They looked like large moths when they were flying, but when I smacked them down with a flyswatter they were smaller, their underbellies a yellowish-cream color. Their inside fluids smell terrible, like moldy soap scum or dull mothballs.
I’m sorry I’m only giving you a picture of a dead one. They looked greenish outside, but in the picture I discovered they were brown. I just want to know if there’s some kind of infestation going on in my house. Sorry to be so negative, but I once had a bad experience with a spider looking bug laying eggs in my hair and now want to kill all bugs.
The insides were yellow and red, if that helps.
A flustered murderer
Arlington, VA

Brochymena Carnage

Brochymena Carnage

Dear Flustered Murderer,
You have swatted a Stink Bug in the genus Brochymena, commonly called Tree Stink Bugs. Stink Bugs and other Hemipterans like the Western Conifer Seed Bug often enter homes for shelter when cool weather sets in. They will not damage your home and they pose no threat to you except for the annoyance they may cause. Brochymena species are predatory on other insects, most notably caterpillars.

Posted 28 November 2008 § Stink Bugs and Shield Bugs ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Exterminated Harmless Tailless Whipscorpion in Trinidad

brown beetle/spider?
Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Hi,
Cleaning out my back storeroom, I came across this insect. I got so scared, I emptied half a tin of insecticide on it before it died. It has six long legs, two large mandibles at front and two very long antennae. It’s black with brown spots/stripes and its body is about 1-1.5 inches in length.
Cheers
shurland
Trinidad, West Indies

Exterminated Tailless Whipscorpion in Trinidad

Exterminated Tailless Whipscorpion in Trinidad

Hi shurland,
Tailless Whipscorpions are fierce looking, but they are totally harmless unless you are a small Arthropod or other creature that becomes prey to this shy nocturnal hunter.  We haven’t posted an image to our Unnecessary Carnage page, so we will be posting your letter and image.

Posted 22 November 2008 § Scorpions, Whipscorpions and Vinegaroons ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

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