Subject: Big green bug
Geographic location of the bug: Northern Ontario Canada
Date: 04/14/2019
Time: 09:23 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I found this bug in my house a week ago. It was large, shaped like a big almond. It was a beautiful light green colour with delicate translucent wings. The strange part is that it’s still winter here (snow on the ground) and I have never seen a bug like this, even in the summer. What was this doing in my house? What is it? Where did it come from? I put him outside and hoped for the best. Any ideas??
How you want your letter signed: Confused in Canada
Dear Confused in Canada,
We are also confused. We are quite certain that this is a Green Banana Cockroach, Panchlora nivea, but according to BugGuide data, the most northern North American sighting is in Virginia. Your sighting might be explained by this BugGuide information: “nocturnal, comes to lights; does not breed indoors; popular as a pet.” BugGuide make of point of stating: “rarely found indoors and not normally considered a pest.” Perhaps your individual arrived in the country with a banana shipment, or perhaps it escaped from a neighbor who keeps insect pets.
Dear Daniel,
Thank you so very much for your reply! It was indeed the same as the Green Banana Cockroach pics you sent and that I have subsequently looked up! I feel terrible it died an unnatural death, no doubt, in the snow outside. If I had known, it would still be safe and warm, living as a pet with us! I had, indeed, just purchased several bunches of bananas earlier that day. He must have had quite the journey from the tropics to our log cabin in the woods!
If nothing else, it’s given us quite an interesting tale to tell! Without your identification, I doubt I ever would have found it on my own since I was NOT looking at tropical species here in Canada! It was lovely.
Take care,
Sandy