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28 votes

What coastal creature leaves braid-like trace that has clear landing and take off points?

This is almost exactly the opposite of what you think it is - it is actually from a burrowing animal, so instead of flying, it is actually burrowing into the sub-surface liquifaction layer of the sand ...
bob1's user avatar
  • 11.3k
25 votes
Accepted

What is this red bug infesting some trees in southern Germany?

As per Aravona's comment, this is a firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus). According to Wikipedia, they are not dangerous and nothing to worry about. German version has way more info about this than the ...
undefined's user avatar
  • 481
21 votes
Accepted

Identify this insect found indoors in Ireland with a double tail and antennae

This is, I believe, a silverfish. This is the picture from the Wikipedia article; A silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) is a small, primitive, wingless insect in the order Zygentoma (formerly Thysanura). ...
Darren's user avatar
  • 2,443
19 votes
Accepted

Is this tick or spider?

This is definitely a tick. If it were a spider it would appear that the legs all come from a central point, as spider bodies are separated into segments, whereas tick bodies are not. There are two ...
bob1's user avatar
  • 11.3k
17 votes

What is this dime sized black bug with white on the segments near Loveland Colorodao?

Probably a woodlouse which is a type of crustacean in the suborder Oniscidea. Source: a-z animals They are globally distributed, except in polar regions and arid deserts, and are also known by the ...
wanderweeer's user avatar
  • 2,790
13 votes
Accepted

What will this bright green caterpillar with small turquoise spots turn into?

It's the Great Peacock Moth Caterpillar. See Wikipedia for other images, including a painting of the moth by Van Gogh. Saturnia pyri, the giant peacock moth, also called the great peacock moth, ...
ab2's user avatar
  • 24.3k
12 votes

What coastal creature leaves braid-like trace that has clear landing and take off points?

I too think it's from a burrowing animal. Instead of crab I would say it is some kind of lugworm/sandworm. I found this similar image: https://www.plainpicture.com/de/images/1443397 The keywords for ...
daign's user avatar
  • 221
11 votes
Accepted

What insect makes this hissing type sound, especially in the summer?

Its very hard to distinguish from that sound clip but my guess as to what you are hearing is probably cicadas depending on your location. They can sound like a buzzing or hissing noise and generally ...
Nate W's user avatar
  • 2,664
10 votes
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What is this black and yellow-striped caterpillar with four toothbrush-looking tufts of hair along the top?

That is a White Marked Tussock Moth. The long, spiky tufts of hairs give fair warning to anyone or anything that tries to touch this species' larva. The caterpillar is covered with them and the ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar
10 votes

What is the species of this green and orange spider?

I am fairly sure that you’ve found a Crab Spider based on the entry in this website, which looks nearly exactly like your photo.
fyrepenguin's user avatar
  • 2,599
9 votes

Is this a Tick or spider

While it is difficult to say for sure without a higher quality photo, I am almost certain this is a spider. This is because spiders have clear definition between the head and the abdomen, with an ...
bob1's user avatar
  • 11.3k
8 votes

What is this round, shiny black bug, about 10mm long, found in Singapore?

Based on the poor-quality of the photos (and my limited knowledge of Singapore insects) it would be very difficult to definitively ID this to species. However, based on the shape and size, you're very ...
theforestecologist's user avatar
8 votes
Accepted

What is growing in these cocoon-looking structures found on a mountain in Massachusetts, USA?

We went back today and spoke with the naturalist, Cindy, who's part of a team that cares for that property which includes hundreds of acres. These are webbed nests filled with hundreds of ...
Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL's user avatar
8 votes
Accepted

Is this a dragonfly or a damselfly?

This is a dragonfly. Damselflies place their wings alongside their body when resting. Dragonflies can not do this, once they had their first flight after hatching. So when you see their wings ...
Peter1807's user avatar
  • 1,522
8 votes

What is this tiny round shiny black bug that bites?

Looks like a fully engorged deer (black-legged) tick. Can't tell from your picture whether it's larva or nymph. Here's a size comparison photo: https://news.psu.edu/sites/default/files/styles/...
ND Martin's user avatar
7 votes

What is this dime sized black bug with white on the segments near Loveland Colorodao?

I see these everywhere where I live (Central Texas). We usually call them "pill bugs" or "rollie-polies" (usu. young children). It shouldn't do you or anything you own any harm; they mostly just ...
rydwolf's user avatar
  • 171
7 votes
Accepted

What is this very small bug with brown and tan spots?

This is almost certainly one of the Dermestidae, known as skin bugs or carpet beetles. I think this is probably a varied carpet beetle (Anthrenus verbasci) They are a common world-wide pest and the ...
bob1's user avatar
  • 11.3k
6 votes

What is the rather large bug with a green body, black stripe down the middle, 8 orange legs , two large antenna and large chompers?

That is a camel spider, they became famous on social media when the US invaded Iraq in the middle east where they are more common, and the troops started taking pictures and sending them home. ...
ShemSeger's user avatar
  • 53.7k
6 votes
Accepted

What type of insect is this orange-camouflaged creature?

That is a species of longhorn beetle called Aristobia approximator. There are two or three different species that live in my region but I wasn't familiar with this particular one which is quite ...
Gabriel's user avatar
  • 5,065
6 votes

Identify this insect found indoors in Ireland with a double tail and antennae

I just wanted to say that they are not considered a pest as some comments are telling you, they are considered beneficial. From the German Wikipedia article roughly translated: "Silverfish in low ...
ctsmd's user avatar
  • 61
6 votes
Accepted

What is this large green larva found in Southern United Kingdom?

Someone has identified the image for me: the larval stage of the Poplar Hawk Moth. From its size they supposed it was close to pupating. It is a large moth: 6-9 cm wing span.
Weather Vane's user avatar
  • 4,785
5 votes
Accepted

How can I identify Woolly Adelgid on a Hemlock tree?

As far as I can see, only your original picture from 2016 shows sign of woolly adelgid. The tree is not in focus since the point of the picture was the doves, but here are some clues: The white dots ...
Olin Lathrop's user avatar
  • 21.5k
5 votes
Accepted

What type of centipede is this?

From what i can tell, and the little bit of research i did it appears to be a "Flat backed millipede" or part of the Polydesmida family, of which there are a huge variety and many are hard to tell ...
Nate W's user avatar
  • 2,664
5 votes
Accepted

Flying insects enjoying broccoli flowers

It is a species of scarab beetle. It looks very much like "Tropinota hirta" (hirta means hairy) which is quite common in the Mediterranean region, but might also be Tropinota squalida. They are fruit ...
user22542's user avatar
  • 166
5 votes

What is this tiny round shiny black bug that bites?

An additional suspect besides the tick family is another member of the Acari - mites. There are a number of mite species that affect humans, the most common and well known of which is the Scabies ...
bob1's user avatar
  • 11.3k
5 votes
Accepted

What kind of spider is this half dollar sized brown one with a darker brown body and a lighter brown strip down its back?

Definitely a wolf spider (i.e., family Lycosidae). Possibly Hogna frondicola or some closely related species. Source: Spiderid.com The white ball is an egg sac. From Wikipedia: wolf spiders ...
theforestecologist's user avatar
5 votes
Accepted

Identification of tiny bug, from Poland

The lack of body segments and the elongated proboscus indicates that it is most likely a tick. Ticks are all blood-sucking and can carry a range of diseases, some of which are quite dangerous, such as ...
bob1's user avatar
  • 11.3k
5 votes
Accepted

Orange backed wasp (UK)

That's not a wasp, it's a type of hover fly. According to the Nature Spot website it's called a Volucella zonaria: This is a hornet mimic and is one of our largest and most spectacular hoverflies ...
Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2's user avatar
4 votes

What is this tiny round shiny black bug that bites?

I don't think it's a tick. it leaves a red spot Ticks cling to the bite spot and embed themselves ever deeper. If the bug left on it's own instead of being removed, I highly doubt it's a tick. ...
Vorac's user avatar
  • 7,001
4 votes

What bug is this behind my drapes?

They are definitely not ticks, those are way smaller and flat. These look much bigger, especially compared to the window. I cannot see it clearly, but my first guess would be that it's a vine weevil. ...
Akabelle's user avatar
  • 2,852

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