There is this insect/arachnid I remember from my childhood in Las Vegas. It had a body about the size of a raisin, only it was quite flat. They were red with black spots (larger than ladybugs, but flatter), and the kids in the neighborhood called them "bloodsuckers" for some reason. (I have no idea if they bit or not.) I don't remember them flying, but I could be wrong about that. What insects were they? Scientific name or common name is fine, anything I can use to find out more info.
posted by ErWenn on Nov 7, 2009 - 11 answers

Periodically (maybe a couple or few times a year), I wake up with something on my face that seems like a bug bite. Nothing dramatic; it itches a bit, raises a small welt and then heals. [more inside]
posted by Morrigan on Oct 13, 2009 - 11 answers

Are these mosquito larvae or something else? [more inside]
posted by crapmatic on Oct 4, 2009 - 4 answers

Name that infestation! What the hell are these zombie insects and why do they want access to my home? [more inside]
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly on Sep 11, 2009 - 18 answers

Why aren't tiny insects killed by the impact of a swatting hand? [more inside]
posted by thankyoumuchly on Sep 3, 2009 - 11 answers

Help identify possible source or cause of these bites! [more inside]
posted by exlotuseater on Aug 18, 2009 - 11 answers

What is this insect? [more inside]
posted by rahnefan on Aug 11, 2009 - 2 answers

BugFilter: Found a bug on my bed. Legs are in the wrong location on the body for it to be a bedbug, so what is it? Photo here. [more inside]
posted by roomwithaview on Aug 5, 2009 - 8 answers

How do I save my house plants from a sudden pest infestation? [more inside]
posted by pemberkins on Jul 31, 2009 - 6 answers

Insect ID please. What is this and any tips about reducing their number?
posted by Zinger on Jul 30, 2009 - 21 answers

InsectBiteFilter. Help! Last Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona I was chilling outside and then some insect stung/bit/injected my neck. It was not a bee/wasp/spider/ant. It was a tannish brown color and I think it had transparent green wings but I can't recall for sure. It was about half an inch long. I tried to just forget about it but each day the sting gets more painful. I just hope there's no brood in my neck. Anyone know what kind of critter this could be? And, yes, I know I should go to the doctor but I wanted some hive-mind reassurance that I'll be fine. Thank you so much! Dang bugs.
posted by m_lazarus on Jul 16, 2009 - 13 answers

Insect Identity Crisis: So I took a picture of what I originally thought was a mosquito on a leaf, but upon closer inspection, realized it was something else all together. [more inside]
posted by Atreides on Jun 27, 2009 - 21 answers

I have some questions about pest control in the garden, coupled with mysteriously disappearing plants. [more inside]
posted by backseatpilot on Jun 23, 2009 - 16 answers

What are these two (possibly male and female) insects? Here are two pictures of each. [more inside]
posted by metadave on May 19, 2009 - 4 answers

What is this bug? [more inside]
posted by jjsonp on May 17, 2009 - 7 answers

I'm home alone. Except I'm not. Please help me identify my new visitors. [more inside]
posted by xsquared-1 on Apr 28, 2009 - 11 answers

Why does this bumble bee feel the need to protect my sidewalk from other flying insects? [more inside]
posted by cdmwebs on Apr 28, 2009 - 10 answers

What is this insect that looks sort of like a leaf? [more inside]
posted by Dreamcast on Apr 12, 2009 - 6 answers

There's a live moth living in a package of unopened, spinach. Should I cause a stink with the packing company? [more inside]
posted by bitteroldman on Mar 6, 2009 - 34 answers

Looking for the name of an artist who did a beautiful / disturbing series of photographs of cockroaches (and/or other insects??) being tortured. My memory is vague, but I think one was crucified, one immolated, etc. I also feel like it was a female artist.
posted by miffed on Mar 2, 2009 - 2 answers

Where can I - legally - collect plant and insect specimens, in the southwest? [more inside]
posted by unmake on Jan 23, 2009 - 7 answers

What kind of bug is this? (insect, not programming) http://i41.tinypic.com/308bghs.jpg [more inside]
posted by guptaxpn on Jan 14, 2009 - 7 answers

Hey, what lives inside these weird little pink eggs? [more inside]
posted by peachfuzz on Dec 22, 2008 - 5 answers

The cold weather seems to have caused horrible, alien looking bugs to invade our basement. They are fairly slow moving (unless startled) and look like spiders and grasshoppers mated to produce alien children. They are brown in color, have enormous, Daddy-long-legs type legs (but only six of them), and get pretty far off the ground when they jump. Can anyone tell me exactly what is sneaking up on me when I'm working at my desk at night? [more inside]
posted by roundrock on Nov 17, 2008 - 20 answers

Small pile of hundreds of insect/larvae carcasses found in home – should we be concerned? Have you ever encountered such a thing? [more inside]
posted by dreamphone on Nov 17, 2008 - 3 answers

What is the proper etiquette concerning a cockroach you see in someone else's house? [more inside]
posted by exphysicist345 on Sep 13, 2008 - 23 answers

How long does it take ant traps to work? I used Combat Traps that have the Combat Ant killing Gel inside them. [more inside]
posted by bluefly on Aug 12, 2008 - 14 answers

Help me rid my apartment of ants! [more inside]
posted by grumblebee on Jul 29, 2008 - 27 answers

Do house centipedes leave behind the corpses of their prey? [more inside]
posted by ignignokt on Jul 26, 2008 - 2 answers

We've had a sudden attack of fleas on our pets. That's been dealt with (with liberal doses of Frontline), but it's left me with a huge number of flea bites on my legs. Any suggestions for calming and healing them? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 22, 2008 - 16 answers

A while ago gnats invaded my windowsill (in NY). I sprayed Raid. They died. I cleaned the area. Now, every day or two dead gnats appear on my windowsill. From where I don't know. No trash, no damp areas I see--only a heater/AC unit--and I've never seen gnats fly out of it. The only plants are in the other room; no gnats around them. Where are they coming from and how do I get rid of them?
posted by shivohum on Mar 4, 2008 - 12 answers

Oh the joys of foreign bugs. Please can someone confirm/deny whether this is a cockroach? I'm creeped out to the nth degree. [more inside]
posted by saturnine on Feb 22, 2008 - 20 answers

Why don't we ever see insects as large as a coconut crab walking around? [more inside]
posted by fnerg on Jan 30, 2008 - 15 answers

There are wee slime trails on our carpet every morning. What's making them and how can I get rid of them (preferably without nasty chemicals...) [more inside]
posted by xz on Jan 21, 2008 - 22 answers

Central Texas wasp ID? Small, gray, found indoors hovering around lights? [more inside]
posted by fructose on Jan 6, 2008 - 11 answers

My insect bites are producing progressively larger welts. Should I be worried? [more inside]
posted by dances_with_sneetches on Sep 21, 2007 - 10 answers

Something just bit me! I just got a very painful insect bite or sting. I can' t find the culprit and I've bever been stung or bit by anything other than a mosquito, so I'm not sure if I should be worried. [more inside]
posted by ohio on Sep 16, 2007 - 11 answers

Why do these flies zig zag around the middle of my room in the afternoons if I leave the window open, and how do I get rid of them?
posted by randomstriker on Jul 24, 2007 - 13 answers

AustinBugFilter: Mysterious bite caused a strikingly large welt. What could it be? [more inside]
posted by liet on Jun 27, 2007 - 13 answers

What is this insect that bit me? [more inside]
posted by otherwordlyglow on May 30, 2007 - 15 answers

Could these small, non-itching red welts be caused by bedbugs? [more inside]
posted by fermion on Mar 13, 2007 - 17 answers

What the hell can I ask the doctor for to treat the 75+ insect bites I've just woken up and found myself covered with? [more inside]
posted by t0astie on Mar 12, 2007 - 30 answers

Identify this bug please. Picture inside. [more inside]
posted by RoseovSharon on Mar 3, 2007 - 5 answers

What is this bug (1.5MB, 2848 x 2136 JPEGs), and should I be worried that I'm starting to see them in our home? [more inside]
posted by DakotaPaul on Feb 27, 2007 - 4 answers

I have found destructive insects living in a wool rug (photos 1, 2, 3). I'd like to know what they are, and more importantly, how to prevent them from re-appearing. [more inside]
posted by adamrice on Feb 19, 2007 - 3 answers

Bug identification help; location: Texas. We found this half-inch bug walking on the wall in my son's bedroom. [more inside]
posted by zek on Oct 31, 2006 - 13 answers

A few weeks ago as I was cleaning pots, I saw what appeared to be a bit of cabbage zipping around in the bottom of a big ole crock pot...which turned out to be an unfamiliar-looking spider. Here's a picture of it (and a huge, grosser version). What kind of spider is it? [more inside]
posted by tpl1212 on Sep 3, 2006 - 8 answers

What are these fascinating, extremely loud mechanical-sounding chirps coming from trees during the day in the middle of New York City? [more inside]
posted by gentle on Aug 17, 2006 - 15 answers

Does anyone have reliable techniques for killing spiders you find in awkward places? [more inside]
posted by clarahamster on Jul 24, 2006 - 22 answers

I very stupidly fell asleep on the beach and woke up with an enormous number of unusual bug bites. 24 hours and a whole tube of cortizone cream later they're still here. What kind of bug did I likely encounter, and should I be worrying about this? [more inside]
posted by raygan on Jul 18, 2006 - 11 answers