/r/whatsthisbug

Photograph via //r/whatsthisbug

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

Filter posts by type:

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

1,170,173 Subscribers

5

Is this a giant wood moth?

SE Queensland, Australia. Found this guy while blowing leaves. Was already deceased when discovered, roughly 10cm long (head to bottom of wing)

1 Comment
2024/12/02
08:09 UTC

2

Small brown bugs

I keep finding them randomly on a wall in my house here and there. Any ideas? Thanks!

3 Comments
2024/12/02
05:52 UTC

9

moth found on ground (central texas)

1 Comment
2024/12/02
05:31 UTC

2

The Pholcidae (daddy long legs)

I have a few but not many and I leave them alone because they do help catch other unwanted guests so they contribute to rent in some way lol but yeah this isn’t what I wanna see really and I do NOT want to kill them but I do not want that many daddy long legs in my closet really clustered in an area. What to do…. Btw I do not like spiders, just as long as they stay in the corners we are cool…

1 Comment
2024/12/02
05:02 UTC

2

WHAT IS THIS, FLORIDA HELP

5 Comments
2024/12/02
04:19 UTC

3

What is this bug?

We live in the outer Raleigh, rural area in North Carolina.

4 Comments
2024/12/02
04:13 UTC

2

I might be stupid but what is this ..

Is this a cockroach??

4 Comments
2024/12/02
03:48 UTC

148

Wtf laid those eggs and why are the ants chilling with them

Spotted on my front door in a tropical southeast asian country.

A bunch of ants just chilling on top of/next to 2 rows of bronze eggs.

What bug laid these eggs and why are these ants chilling on them??

10 Comments
2024/12/02
03:38 UTC

3

Caterpillar, Victoria australia.

Roughly 6 cm long. Found on a Eucalyptus botryoides. Location in Victoria australia.

0 Comments
2024/12/02
02:42 UTC

1

Found this Bug Traveling in Costa Rica

Outrageously long antenna and 3-4 inches long. Some type of katydid or grasshopper we assume, but wondering if anyone knows exactly which one. We are staying in Cahuita on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.

2 Comments
2024/12/02
02:31 UTC

3

Was found on the sunny coast, any idea?

1 Comment
2024/12/02
02:03 UTC

2

Keep finding these in my basement

Live in mideast US

3 Comments
2024/12/02
01:05 UTC

3

Who's this guy

Found in Surprise, AZ about 3" long

4 Comments
2024/12/02
00:10 UTC

2

Found in toilet after week long vacation (with an earwig)... What is it? Central FL

Both were alive - I think they fell in from the exhaust fan directly above toilet bowl. There can be a cockroach here and there it being Florida but I've studied up on roaches and don't think this is one (I spray hardcore and keep up on it)

2 Comments
2024/12/02
00:06 UTC

15

Tiny tiny moth (about half a cm)

Tiny little moth I found on my desk, I'm not sure if it's a type I should get rid of, or if it's a baby.

Found in Maryland, USA

9 Comments
2024/12/01
23:54 UTC

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