/r/whatsthisbug

Photograph via //r/whatsthisbug

Bug identification! All insects, spiders, crustaceans, etc. welcome!

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ID Request Just Sharing Other

Frequently Asked Bugs

Carpet Beetle House Centipede Wheel Bug
Cicada Dobsonfly Household Casebearer
Cockroach Water Bug Oil Beetle
Mole Cricket Jerusalem Cricket Silverfish

Please also read our Wiki

Submit a bug!

WELCOME TO R/WHATSTHISBUG!

Got a photo of a bug you'd like identified? Submit it here and we'll try to figure it out! Best view for ID is top-down, well-lit, low-contrast photos. Pictures are preferable to videos for ID requests but we'll work with what you have.

I don't need an ID, but can I share a cool bug? Yes! This subreddit is also a community for any arthropodic discussion. But remember, every ID is needed! If you know the identity of your bug, do share it with the community!

Can I submit a dead bug for ID? Yes, but please bear in mind it’s always easier to ID living specimens. While we realize that extermination is sometimes necessary, comments promoting gratuitous violence against arthropods, or causing unnecessary suffering, (“kill it with fire” etc) will be removed. Linking to subs that explicitly promote hatred is not allowed.

DO NOT post pictures of bites or stings. Post pictures of the bug only. We CANNOT diagnose injuries or identify insects/spiders that allegedly caused bites. Seek medical advice before our advice if you didn't see a bug biting you.

Do not ask for home or garden pest control advice. Check /r/pestcontrol, /r/gardening or /r/Bedbugs for helpful info.

If your submission does not appear in the "NEW" bucket, message the mods to check the spam filter.


SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

  • Indicate the geographic location.

  • Provide a descriptive title. Avoid inflamatory or anti-bug rhetoric like "WTF is this nightmare fuel?" or "Do I need to burn my house down?"

  • Take the clearest and most detailed photo possible. Videos are OK, but pictures are best for IDing.

  • Indicate the size excluding antennae - the more precise the better.

  • Provide any other information you feel could help! If you could not take a photo of the bug, a detailed description (or even a drawing) may work.

  • Advertising items for sale or linking to shop sites (Etsy, ebay, etc.) is not allowed.


IDing GUIDELINES

  • Helpful answers only. Helpful answers are those that lead to an accurate identification of the bug in question. Joke responses, repeating an ID that has already been established hours (or days) ago, or asking OP how they don't already know what the bug is are not helpful.

  • Cite/Link a source whenever possible. Our "ID Guides" section below has some good ones. A search engine result page is not enough.

  • Don't make blind/random guesses. Our goal is to provide positive leads; false leads are counter-productive, e.g. "similar looking" is rarely good enough at the species level. If one is unfamiliar with the taxon, practice diligence, e.g. check other members of the taxon, as well as those of higher taxa. Especially for medically significant bugs, if you aren't 100% sure, leave the ID to someone more knowledgeable.

  • No medical or veterinary advice beyond identifying dangers and linking to a reliable resource such as CDC. Personal opinions and anecdotes will be removed. CDC Links: Ticks - Fleas - Kissing Bugs - Mosquitoes - Bed Bugs

  • We are not a pest control sub. Do not offer pest control advice beyond basic removal or exclusion of the bug in question or links to reliable sources or related subs such as /r/pestcontrol, /r/gardening, or /r/Bedbugs.

  • ID guides tend to be regional. While BugGuide.Net is popular, it only pertains to arthropods in the U.S. and Canada. For bugs outside the U.S. and Canada, try to search for a guide specific to that region. For example, if you want to ID a butterfly from Brazil, this would be a great guide.

  • In BugGuide.net, click on the "Browse" tab to switch to an ID-friendly, taxonomic view.


ID GUIDES BY REGION

Americas

North America

Central and South America

Europe

Australia

Worldwide


GLOSSARIES


FRIENDS OF r/whatsthisbug

Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens by Beetles in the Bush

/r/whatsthisbug

1,170,306 Subscribers

1

Found at work, Charlotte NC

German roach?

0 Comments
2024/12/05
12:48 UTC

31

This was in the corner of my eye when I woke up.

12 Comments
2024/12/05
11:29 UTC

1

How can i clean this little bug? White, very small and round, what are this, and how can i eliminate them?

2 Comments
2024/12/05
10:13 UTC

1

What's this?

2 Comments
2024/12/05
09:49 UTC

1

What just hatched in my gerbil enclosure?

We have had bed bugs before, but supposedly were rid of them. This doesn’t look like that, either. They’re skinny and weirdly tall, and appeared in the last few hours. I’m assuming they came out of the hollow parts in the plastic platform. He gets old cardboard boxes for chewing but has cedar bedding.

Gerbil was also alive as of a few hours ago, and I have not woken him up so he wouldn’t disturb / be disturbed any more than needed by these things. He gets his enclosure completely reset every month.

8 Comments
2024/12/05
09:05 UTC

5

Who is this studious creature? (Portland, Oregon)

2 Comments
2024/12/05
08:58 UTC

1

is this real/what is it

https://reddit.com/link/1h74p1z/video/n1zmmjeorz4e1/player

i have no clue what it is if its real. its so bizarre looking.

3 Comments
2024/12/05
08:36 UTC

5

Is this a German roach? I'm kind of freaking out.

5 Comments
2024/12/05
07:46 UTC

1

Found in pantry (Arizona, USA)

1 Comment
2024/12/05
06:49 UTC

2

What are these little spots on the leaves? Pests? (Crossposted)

What could these spots be? They remove easily with a scrape but they don’t stay away. Plant appears healthy otherwise. Indoor/outdoor plant. Fingernail for size. Hoping they are not pests but unsure what else they could be.

3 Comments
2024/12/05
06:46 UTC

1

What type of egg?

What type of bug eggs are these? This is my sister's bug home, she has rolly pollys or pill bugs in there. Southern Idaho is the area.

2 Comments
2024/12/05
06:02 UTC

1

Tiny string bug literally what is this

This is literally the best possible photo I could get of it because it was so tiny but I swear this isn’t a piece of lint. It was flying around and moving. This is terrifying. What is this bug 😭

5 Comments
2024/12/05
06:00 UTC

2

Need help with identifying

Located in Oregon. Found in a drawer in room. About 2 inches.

2 Comments
2024/12/05
06:00 UTC

1

what is this???? i was literally abt to take a shower..😭😭

11 Comments
2024/12/05
05:12 UTC

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