Category: Interesting Bugs
Deep Orange Worms with Black Legs on Passion Vine are Milkweed Assassin Bugs
“I have this worm that is deep orange with black legs” writes this reader about a creature she found on her “passion vine”. Our reader does not provide any photographic evidence of these “worms”, but asks if we can let her know how she can get rid of them.
Did We Come from Worms?
New discoveries in evolutionary science suggest that humans may originally have come from worms, which gives us an excellent opportunity to further stress the importance of worms, not only to our planet, but now to our evolutionary origins as a species. This article will take a simpler approach to a matter that can often be bogged down in scientific terminology, so that our readers can get a basic understanding of this finding and what is going on.
Clear-White Worms in Bathtub are Ant Larvae
A few worms have been found inside a bathtub inside this reader’s bathroom in his home. A photograph of one of these worms next to a cotton earbud tells us that this worm is minuscule in size, clear-white in color, and is dark on the inside.
Should We Let Centipedes Live in Our Homes?
Centipedes are often at the forefront of people’s bug-related phobias, next to spiders. However, the common house centipede can prove to be beneficial to keep inside one’s home, and this article will address the question of whether or not we should allow this to happen.
What is the Kissing Bug, and Why People Rightly Fear It
Oddly enough, the kissing bug is an insect few know of, or have even heard of, despite the threat it has posed and potentially poses to many. This article will address what the kissing bug is, and why this is one of the insects that should not be underestimated.
White Worm-like Creatures on Japanese Maple Tree are Pulvinaria Scale Insects
White worms were recently discovered on the trunk of this reader’s Japanese maple tree in New York City. The worms appear to be short in length, fairly large in girth, with ridges along their bodies, and have a pink/beige head.
Stick Insects Discovered in Dog Vomit
Stick insects were believed to have been found in the vomit of this reader’s dog in Omaha, Nebraska. We wish to warn our reader ahead of time that the images may upset some people’s stomach, which showcase strands of what looks like grass poking out of chunks of dog vomit.
Is it Possible to Transplant Catawba (Catalpa) Worm Trees?
A man sent in a query regarding the planting of catawba worm trees for purposes of harvesting catawba worms to use as fish bait. His question particularly focused whether or not it was possible to dig up an existing catawba tree and re-plant it elsewhere, and if the tree would still attract catawba worms.
Red, String-Like Worm in Bathroom Sink is a Tubificid Worm (Tubifex Tubifex)
A “red, string-like” worm was found in the bathroom sink of this woman in East Texas. According to our “horrified” reader, the worm was “wiggling out of the overflow”, and she has never seen anything like it before.
Reader Finds Snakefly Larvae Around Her Home
We have identified the brown and white creature our reader found as a snakefly larva. We hope that cleaning up and keeping her doors and windows shut will help eradicate these specimens.
Prehistoric Worms Found in the Arctic
Last fall Russian scientists were doing work in Pleistocene Park when they made an amazing discovery. While analyzing samples of Arctic permafrost, they found two nematodes (a.k.a. roundworms) that came back to life after being defrosted in Petri dishes.
What is an Instar?
We often use the term “instar” when discussing larvae and caterpillars. Today, we are going to discuss instars in depth,…
To Get Rid of Centipedes, Take Away Their Food!
Today, we will discuss a question from a reader who would like to know how to eradicate centipedes in her home. The good news is that centipedes do not tend to swarm or invade in large groups. This means it is not usually difficult to control local centipede populations.
Creatures on Dubai Beach Offer Little Identifying Information
Today, we’re addressing a question from a reader in Dubai. She writes because she has found some creatures on the beach, and she’s wondering if they are worms. She adds that it is the first time she has seem such critters there, and she has included a picture.
Tiny Black “Worms” are Actually Millipedes
We have received a question from a reader who would like help identifying the worms, or worm-like beings, that are crawling on the outside of his house after rain. He has included a photograph of the creature next to a quarter for a sense of scale. If we do to identify the critter, our reader would like some advice as to how to get them to go away.
Clear Specimen Discovered in Toilet
We recently received a picture taken by a reader via our Facebook page. She wrote that the item in the photo appeared after she flushed her toilet. She thinks it might be some sort of plant or a worm. The sudden appearance of this freaked her out, and she wonders what it might be.
Microscopic Creature Could be a Woodboring Beetle
We just got a photo from a reader with the following description, “it seems to be microscopic, eats wood like a termite, and the needle nose a the from is some type of saw. It presents itself in the shower/laundry/kitchen areas, and at first I thought it was mold. It is very irritating to the skin and hair. Please identify this.”
Acorn Weevil Larvae Cause Empty Acorns
We just received an unclear message from one of our readers. He wrote to us: most of the acorns have a small hole and the acorns are empty. We aren’t confident we know what he is asking, but we think he might be curious about what would cause a small hole in an acorn and then eat the inside of the nut. If this is not what he wanted to know, we encourage him to write us again with a more precise question.
Large Brown Creature with White Stripe and Appendages
A reader sent us a photo and asked us to identify the creature in it. After glancing at the photo…
Large White Worm Burrowing into Tree is Probably Longhorned Beetle Larvae
A reader who has seen a rather large “worm” that bored holes in trees recently contacted us. They said that the “worm” in ½ inch in diameter, 2 inches long, has a big black head, and a creamy white body with tough skin. They said the “worm” lives in the interior of the tree. They said they at first believed it was a loggerhead worm, but that they are wrong. They didn’t send a photo, or include what type of tree they are referring to, but we will do our best to solve this mystery!