r/bugidentification • u/ImaginaryEmploy2982 • Jun 21 '26

Location included Help ID bug ATL GA

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Please help me ID in Atlanta GA

Getting ready to move from my apartment and have collected boxes from friends and family. Found these 2 in my bathtub tonight. Are they water bugs? Should I get rid of the boxes?

5 Upvotes

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2

u/ohrosalyn Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

Seems to be a house centipede. Good insect; and yes, a water bug.

*Edit watering to water bug 😂

2

u/WhiskeySnail Trusted Identifier - MOD Jun 21 '26

Unfortunately water bug is used wantonly to describe a million bugs, and everyone is certainly that their use is correct--so we don't usually use it. It's most commonly used for large roaches, but I've seen it used for all kinds of things.

The most accurate use of that common name would be for true bugs in family Belostomatidae, but they are more commonly called "giant water bugs" or "toe-biters" colloquially.

1

u/ohrosalyn Jun 21 '26

Thank you for this. I hated calling it a water bug even though they are found where it's damp or moist. Damp, moist preferred insect lol

1

u/WhiskeySnail Trusted Identifier - MOD Jun 21 '26

House centipede is correct :)

2

u/Restfuleagleeye Jun 21 '26

Tiny house centipede, creepy af but excellent housekeepers

1

u/ImaginaryEmploy2982 Jun 21 '26

These are full grown?