Cluster Flies
During the fall, many flies may enter homes. They usually are unwelcome visitors, especially when they plan to stay for the duration of the winter. One common type of fly is called a cluster fly....
Category: Entomology
Cigarette Beetles
Processed tobacco and tobacco products, are susceptible to cigarette beetle attack. Cigarette beetles often infest tobacco manufacturing and retail outlets. Besides tobacco, cigarette beetles are...
Boxelder Bugs
Boxelder bugs (Boisea trivittata) get their common name from their primary plant hosts, boxelder trees (Acer negundo). They have piercing-sucking mouthparts and feed mainly on seeds produced by...
Field Ants
Field ants are in a large group of similar species. Typically, they are found in yards and fields, and are known by many names such as thatching, red or wood ants. The names reflect either the...
Asian Needle Ant
Pachycondyla chinensis (Emery) In Japan, it is known as oo-hari-ari or giant needle ant because of its large and painful sting. In the U.S., we now call it the Asian needle ant. By whatever name you...
Mud Daubers
Description & Habits Mud daubers are wasp-like insects that construct nests from mud. They make a variety of nests ranging from elaborate structures (i.e., multiple tubes several inches long or...
Daddy-longlegs
You see them almost every day, but very little is known about daddy-longlegs, also called harvestmen. They are not spiders, but belong to a group with many different species, called Opiliones. The...
Saw-Toothed Grain Beetle
The saw-toothed grain beetle is a common stored-products pest throughout the world in homes, grocery stores, food warehouses, and grain storage facilities. These beetles feed on a variety of stored...
Midges
If your home or recreation area is near a pond, lake, or a slow moving river or stream, you may have been “swarmed” by nuisance flies you thought were mosquitoes. It is a good possibility that they...
Lovebugs
As you drive down the highways of the southern United States, you may encounter a nuisance in the form of splattered insects on your windshield, hood, and radiator grill. The nuisance may occur in...
Land Planaria
Land planaria are large, ‘slimy,’ flatworms that reach ¾-12 ½ inches in length and 1/8 inch wide. Originally brought to the United States in the soil of potted plants transported from Indo-China,...
Cellar spiders
The name, cellar spider, comes from the location where they are often found: damp cellars, basements, and crawl spaces. They have very long, thin legs and are often confused with the harvestmen or...