Please Identify This NJ-based Insect
April 1, 2010
Hello. Thank you for reviewing my request. Please assist with an identification. We have recently had a LOT of rain, and before that snow, in Northern New Jersey. I have a bathroom built just over the ground. I have seen two of these insects so far in the bathroom, so I presume they may have been living in the dirt and were “uprooted” by all the rain. They move very slowly. I am just interested to learn what they are. Thank you.
Al
Northern New Jersey
Western Conifer Seed Bug
Dear Al,
This is a Western Conifer Seed Bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, a species native to the Pacific Northwest that greatly expanded its range beginning in the 1960s. It is a harmless species that often hibernates inside homes when cold weather arrives. It is frequently noticed by the unknowing “land lords” when warmer weather approaches, and the insects become active again.
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Is there a bug that looks very similar to the Western Conifer Seed Bug that is found in Ontario, Canada?
The Western Conifer Seed Bug is found in Ontario. Other Leaf Footed Bugs in the family Coreidae are also found in Ontario.
Thanks!