What is the scientific name? Loxosceles reclusa.Is it a pest in your home or garden? No, but it does kill and eat household pests like roaches.In very rare, extreme cases, the destruction involves muscles and tendons and can require reconstructive surgery. Brown recluse bites can sometimes result in runaway tissue destruction, which can occur over several weeks. They are brown/gray, medium-sized, and inconspicuous, so coming in contact with them can happen without you knowing it. There are other Loxosceles recluse spiders in the Southwest and Hawaii, and they all have similar habits, living in dark corners and prowling around at night looking for prey. The most common and widespread recluse spider in North America is the brown recluse, species Loxosceles reclusa. Recluse spiders get a lot of bad press, and some of it is well-deserved. Brown Recluse Spiders (Family Sicariidae) You can almost always identify this bug by these unique pincers.ġ / 2 6. What interesting facts or behaviors does it exhibit? Earwigs are the only large group that have well-developed 'pincers' on the tail instead of on the head as mouth-parts.

What is the scientific name? Earwigs make their own order, Dermaptera.

What does it eat? Plants, smaller insects, and organic matter.

They are seldom a pest, though if there are enough of them, they can do some damage to leaves.

Is it a pest in your home or garden? Not usually.

Note that these are not like the mandibles that some insects, like the stag beetle, use for actual combat and self-protection. The pincers are used in mating, and unless it's an absolutely huge earwig and you put your little finger right in the middle of their pincers, they won't get to you. Earwigs (Family Forficulidae)Įarwigs look fierce, thanks to those huge 'pincers' on the tail.

What interesting facts or behaviors does it exhibit? Assassin bugs are part of the order Hymenoptera, the 'true bugs.' This means, among other things, that they don't metamorphose like butterflies or beetles-the young versions are called 'nymphs' and look a lot like the adults.Įarwigs look fierce but they're completely harmless.

What is the scientific name? Many species in the family Reduviidae.

What does it eat? All kinds of other insects.

Is it a pest in your home or garden? No-assassin bugs help control pest species and caterpillars, so leave them be.

Does it sting or bite? Yes, larger species can give you a painful jab.

Once the prey is dead and its insides are liquified, they suck everything out through their beak. These insects kill by using a large, hypodermic-like 'beak.' They grab their prey, stab it with their beak, and inject a liquifying poison. Some kinds are known as ambush bugs: these hide inside flowers, waiting to grab and kill flies, butterflies, and even bees and wasps.

Assassin bugs are the death-dealing ninjas of the insect world, and their camouflage and stealth are legendary. Assassin Bug (Family Reduviidae)Īssassin-or ambush-bug identification is pretty easy-it's finding them that's difficult. What interesting facts or behaviors does it exhibit? Up close, it resembles a tiny moth.ġ / 3 4.What is the scientific name? Family Psychodidae.What does it eat? The larva eats bits of gunk from inside your drains.Is it a pest in your home or garden? Yes, although it won't hurt anything.Does it sting or bite? No, this insect is harmless.

They are harmless and won't hurt anyone, although you may have the urge to get rid of them just because they're bugs and they're in your house. The larvae breed in drains and even if your house is clean and your drains are well-kept, you may see a moth fly or two. As the name suggests, they look like little moths but are actually flies in the awesomely named family Psychodidae. If you have a bathroom or a basement, chances are good you have seen these little insects on the wall. Moth flies are common bathroom and basement pests.īy David Short from Windsor, UK - Owl midge (fp), CC BY 2.0, 1.

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