Subject: Weird biting insect
Geographic location of the bug: Southeast Nebraska
Date: 11/21/2017
Time: 12:17 PM EDT
What the heck is this? It was in my house and latched onto my boyfriend’sneck when he tried to brush it away. It was not a painful bite but it did latch on.
How you want your letter signed: Karen Heusinkvelt
Dear Karen,
This is a Checkered Beetle, and they are not dangerous to humans. Based on this BugGuide image, we suspect it is either Enoclerus vetus or a related species in the same genus. According to BugGuide: “larvae and adults are predacious; adults may feed on pollen, some species are attracted to carrion and ‘stored animal products.'”
Thank you! I posted the picture on Facebook and nobody around here had ever seen one. Thanks again!