Inadvertent Carnage
February 22, 2010
Hi, WTB,
I’ve been enjoying getting acquainted with your site over the past few days. Thanks to “kkroeker” and to Eric Eaton for the ID of the Humphrey’s Grasshoppers.
Here’s a sad photo of totally innocent, inadvertent carnage. I had spent a little bit of time one morning in a small meadow where I usually find something to shoot, and where I am always looking for walking sticks because of past success in finding them there (Southern Arizona, foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains, about 4,400 ft, mid-September).
After returning home and a quick change of clothes, I was getting back into my car when I was shocked and saddened to see this poor specimen on my car seat. Apparently, he had hitched a ride on the back of my pants and suffered the 30 minute ride home under a couple hundred pounds of oblivion.
The poor thing was not quite finished, but all the kings horses and all the kings men …
I had pretty much forgotten about the incident until a few days later when I was washing the white canvas pants that I had been wearing that morning and found a fairly detailed, shroud-of-Turin-like stain below the left rear pocket.
This was an arthropod whose life ended prematurely.
Denny Schreffler
Walkingstick crushed during a car ride
Hi again Denny,
Thanks so much for sharing this poignant tragedy. It reminds us of a letter we received several years ago from a person who inadvertently stepped on a pair of mating Oil Beetles. We believe this might be Diapheromera covilleae, the Creosote Bush Walkingstick or Greasewood Walkingstick based on images posted to BugGuide.
Can’t recognize that bug
February 17, 2010
Hi there,
First of all I got to say I had no idea such website existed. I found it very helpful although I dont know if I can recognized the bug I am looking for.
I moved into a new apartment last August and I have seen this bug couple of times already. Last time today, 5 minutes ago to be exact.Usually I see it flying in the kitchen or livingroom. It’s all black, it flies and has 6 legs I believe with 2 of them longer than the others. I have no idea where it comes from and how to permanently get rid of it. I’ve been seeing many bug in my life in many different locations in the world but never this. Does it cause any damage/ bites? Thank you
Kasia
Bronx, New York
Ensign Wasp dead from unknown causes
Hi Kasia,
Since your letter indicates that five minutes prior to writing to us, you saw the insect flying, and your photograph depicts an Ensign Wasp that is in no condition to fly, we are going to tag your letter as Unnecessary Carnage. Ensign Wasps in the family Evaniidae parasitize the eggs of Cockroaches, so if the wasps are present in your home, it is a good indication that there are cockroaches as well. The Ensign Wasp is beneficial in that it will reduce the number of cockroaches that plague you, and we would recommend allowing the Ensign Wasps to thrive. Though they are wasps, they will not sting you nor harm you in any way. You may search BugGuide for more information on Ensign Wasps.
Ensign Wasp
Dangerous , deadly or painful bugs.
February 11, 2010
I was looking for a way to identify a few bugs in my home. It would be helpful if the search included criteria such as how many legs , wings etc.
Also , I can’t understand why you would include an unnecessary carnage page and not have a page dedicated to which insects known to man actually are dangerous , deadly or have a painful sting or bite even if they are not venomous.
It renders the UC page pointless if you don’t list all the bugs which aren’t unnecessarily killed.
Sure I love living things , but not if they bite or crawl into my ear when I’m sleeping.
So please include a list of those bugs . It’s very hard to find the information elsewhere .
TM
Hi TM,
We just might take you up on this suggestion. We can call the page Justifiable Homicide. We would definitely put Argentine Ants and Aphids at the top of the list. Some creatures like Black Widows might be dangerous, but we could never include them on a Justifiable Insecticide, though they might be sub-categorized on that page.
Flying At or Wasp?
January 19, 2010
Hi,
I live in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. The other night I woke up and found several large bites on my chest. I was thinking bedbugs but my girlfriend has no bites. Its happened to me several times. The difference is I sleep on top of the covers and she usually is bundled up under. So Im thinking that might rule out bedbugs. Then this morning we found this bug in the bedroom. What is it and can it be the culprit thats biting me? The bites first feel like acid on my skin and stings real bad then they becomes very itchy. Thanks for your help.
Eric Stone
Crown Mountain, St. Thomas, USVI
Stilt Legged Fly, a victim of mistaken identity
Hi Eric,
It is not our mission to demonize our readership, but rather to educate, which is why we are tagging your letter as Unnecessary Carnage. This is a Harmless Stilt Legged Fly in the family Micropezidae. It did not bite you, so that culprit is still awaiting identification. Stilt Legged Flies are noteworthy for the manner in which they wave about their prominently marked front legs as though they were trying to signal something.
Thanks Daniel,
I appreciate the info. I will let my friends know on Facebook what the fly is and tell them to be kind to it. I will also add a link to my website to yours and let people know that you guys have the answers. Mahalo!
Thanks, Eric Stone
Unknown insect from Puerto Rico
December 19, 2009
My mother in law found this in her home in Puerto Rico, I have no idea what it is and I only have pictures. It black with tan spots on the black. Have 6 tan legs and the back look like horns. the head looks like an ant! (for some reason it somewhat similar to the insect drawing on the left of page). Can you help? Sadly my in laws don’t know any better and they already kill it…its a shame…i hate to kill insects!
Joel
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
- Earwig
Hi Joel,
Sometimes we just send a quick identification answer to questions, and letters we plan to post take additional time. Though we already informed you this was an Earwig, we are touched by your letter and want it to appear on our website. We thought species identification might be easy since the markings are so prominent, but alas, BugGuide does not have any photos that resemble your lovely spotted Earwig. Earwigs are generally nocturnal insects that sometimes do damage to garden plants and produce. They are otherwise harmless to humans, though the name originates from the belief that earwigs will crawl into the ears of sleeping people, which probably occurred with more frequency when people slept on straw beds. The forceps at the end of the abdomen can pinch slightly, but we doubt they can ever break through human skin.
- Earwig
It would be an honor to be on the page! I love your page and this is the third insect I send for identification! Keep the good work.
Update from Karl
December 23, 2009
Hi Daniel:
I believe this earwig is probably Doru albepes (Forficulidae: Forficulinae) which occurs throughout the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Information is hard to find but I did find one description that indicated a body length of 8-15 mm, with forceps 2.5-10 mm (males) and 2-3 mm (females). So this would be a male. The Earwig Research Centre website has several photos and drawings, including a female, male and male forceps (cerci). The individual in Joel’s photo appears to have a yellow patch on the side of the abdomen which I haven’t seen in any description for this species. I suspect that there are color variations that would account for this, but I suppose it could also be another closely related species. Regards.
Karl
¶ Posted 20 December 2009 § Earwigs ‡ ° Also tagged: large wasp-type bug with long ‘tail’
November 17, 2009
This bug came in when we opened our back door one evening a few nights ago. Sorry, my husband squished it. The envelope it’s sitting on is a business-sized (10 inch) envelope for size reference. It’s very dark or black with a long jointed looking body, black wings and the really long tail that totally creeps me out. 
Scaredy Cat
North Texas/DFW
Squashed Giant Ichneumon
Dear Scaredy Cat,
This is a female Giant Ichneumon, Megarhyssa atrata, and she is perfectly harmless. The tail, though it looks like a stinger, is actually an ovipositor. With her long ovipositor, the female Giant Ichneumon drills into diseased wood to lay an egg on the larva of a wood boring insect, the Pigeon Horntail.
after reading your site for over an hour the night that I posted, I learned the purpose of that long tail thingy. Wish we wouldn’t have squished her. It was fear-induced carnage. 
With 3 cats and 2 children she probably wouldn’t have lasted long anyway!
Thanks for responding and confirming what I found on your site. We also have great photos of a wooly caterpiller that looks like what the Japanese Monster Mothra was based upon. Can we just submit photos even when we know what the bug is?
Kim
Hi Kim,
You may submit photos, but please use our question form and provide your location. Also, please do not submit more than one species of insect per letter. We are very happy to hear you were able to make your identification without our assistance.
¶ Posted 18 November 2009 § Ichneumons ‡ ° Also tagged: Thank you
October 3, 2009
I just submitted a question for you, and forgot to tell you how much myself and my boys enjoy your site. I have two boys, 8 & 3, who are fascinated by bugs. While I am not squeamish of bugs, and don’t believe in unnecessary carnage, I am not an expert or even a student of insects.
I also homeschool my boys. Your site, and bugguide.net have helped me immensely in identifying various specimens that they find. Both sites have also helped me turn their curiousity into a teaching moment. Your unecessary carnage comments have helped me make the same points to them, (it isn’t just momma’s opinion anymore) and my oldest has gained an understanding of each creature having a place in the cycle of life.
Thank you for your labors!!
The Koelbls of Noth Alabama
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