Subject:  Identify Bug Please
Geographic location of the bug:  Keene, NH USA
Date: 11/06/2019
Time: 04:13 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  All I know is it gives off an awfule scent. What kind of bug is it and where is the scent coming from?
How you want your letter signed:  Frank F

Caddisfly

Dear Frank,
This is a Caddisfly, an insect with an aquatic nymph, so Caddisflies are generally found near a source of water.  We cannot ever recall any scent when we have encountered Caddisflies, nor can we recall reading about strong smells associated with Caddisflies, so we tried to research the matter.  There is no mention of an odor emanating from the insects in the Central Arizona Project page on Caddisflies nor is there a mention of an odor on the Encyclopaedia Britannica page.

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Subject:  Bugs all over the house
Geographic location of the bug:  Upstate, SC
Date: 04/16/2019
Time: 05:33 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Our neighbors and I are trying to figure out what type of bug this is. They have recently exploded in our neighborhood and we’ve never seen them before.
How you want your letter signed:  Confused new home owner

Caddisfly

Dear Confused new home owner,
You have no cause for concern.  Do you live near a body of water?  This is a Caddisfly.  Caddisflies have aquatic larvae that are known as Caseworms that are used as bait by many fishermen. 

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Subject:  Need Help to Identify this Insect
Geographic location of the bug:  Lanark County, Ontario, Canada
Date: 01/13/2019
Time: 01:58 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hello,
I have been unable to find any insect anywhere on the internet that looks like the one that I photographed in Lanark County, Ontario, Canada, in June of 2018. It is on the leaf of a Sumac tree, if that helps to determine approximate size.
Appreciate any assistance you can provide in identifying this insect.
Thank you.
How you want your letter signed:  Stu

Zebra Caddisfly

Dear Stu,
This is a Caddisfly in the order Trichoptera, a group of mostly drab, mothlike insects with aquatic larvae, meaning they are generally found near a source of water where the nymphs are able to develop.  Your individual is very brightly colored, and we quickly identified it on BugGuide as a Zebra Caddisfly, Macrostemum zebratum.  According to BugGuide:  “adults Jun-Jul”, so your sighting was right on schedule.

Zebra Caddisfly

Hi Daniel,
Thank you for the quick identification. It is amazing that, once you have the identity, how many images you can now find on the internet, but beforehand, I couldn’t find any!
Your note that they are generally found close to a source of water was spot on… the Sumac trees were within twenty-five yards of the Mississippi River.
Thanks again,
Stu

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Subject:  Evening Visitor
Geographic location of the bug:  Central Austria
Date: 10/08/2018
Time: 02:24 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Dear Daniel, it’s a cool fall evening here in Austria and I opened my windows just to get a little fresh air. Suddenly, this little fella started circling the overheard lamp. I thought it was a moth based on its behavior, but it landed and it’s clearly not a moth. It’s about 2 inches  long with the antennae. Any idea what it is?
How you want your letter signed:  N. Fritz

Caddisfly

Dear N. Fritz,
This is a Caddisfly in the order Trichoptera, and they really do resemble moths.   Caddisflies have aquatic larvae known as Caseworms that build shelters for themselves from twigs, pebbles or shells with each species making a very specific type of case.

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Subject:  What is this creature?
Geographic location of the bug:  Hartford County, Connecticut
Date: 09/24/2017
Time: 08:55 PM EDT
Hellooooo Bugman. It’s great to see your site as active as ever. I sent you an inquiry years ago and you were able to help. Thank you! Could you please help again? We have been seeing several of these guys and I thought they were roaches at first! The body looks more like a moth to me, but the antennae look more like a beetle. The wings stand up at an interesting angle.
How you want your letter signed:  Thanks again! Annie

Caddisfly

Dear Annie,
This is a Caddisfly, and your observation that it resembles a moth is understandable.  Entomologists tend to agree that the Caddisfly order Trichoptera does share many similar traits with the Moth order Lepidoptera.  Do you live near a body of water?  The nymphs of Caddisflies are aquatic and they are commonly called Caseworms.

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