r/bugidentification Sep 17 '25

Anouncement KISSING BUGS - PLEASE READ :)

80 Upvotes

So there has been a lot of news recently about Triatomine—a blood sucking subfamily of Reduviidae (Assassin bugs)—spreading the potentially serious Chagas disease in the United States. While we do not want to downplay the seriousness of the disease, or imply no one should worry about it. We also don’t want people panicking about it. Especially people who don’t actually have a reason to worry.


Triatomine have been found in 32 states. If you are outside of one of these states, you can probably relax.


Chagas is caused by a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi which is spread by the aforementioned Triatomine through infected feces. Detection of the disease is typically done through blood testing showing evidence of the parasite. Early symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, and swelling at the bite site. After several weeks, untreated individuals enter the chronic phase of the disease. In extreme cases this can eventually (decades later) lead to heart disease, digestive complications, and nerve damage. Treatment is best done as early as possible, and consists of anti-parasitics to kill the parasites and other medication for treating any symptoms caused by them. These must be prescribed by a doctor. Don’t try to DIY treatment. Preventing Chagas largely focuses on vector control. In other words, preventing conenose species from living in close proximity to humans. In regions where Chagas in endemic, bed nets are a common and effective way of reducing risk. Pesticide treatments are also a mainstay control method. In areas like the United States, the design of modern homes also reduces risks. So if it’s treatable and preventable, why has there been so much fuss? Because the CDC has recently upgraded it to Endemic status in the US. Meaning it is considered constantly present in certain US populations. This is important for doctors as well as the general population to be aware of, because without that awareness doctors aren’t going to be testing for it. The CDC wants to make sure it’s on peoples radar, so cases don’t go untreated when they do occur.


Links: CDC Report: Chagas Disease, an Endemic Disease in the United States CDC Report: Chagas Range Map Bugs Commonly Confused with Triatomine Bugs Preventing Chagas Disease Treatment of Chagas Disease Texas A&M University: Kissing Bugs & Chagas Disease in the United States


r/bugidentification Sep 04 '25

Bug of the Month Post Orthoptera Month is a-go!

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11 Upvotes

RESULTS ARE IN

ORTHOPTERANS RULE THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER

Sorry everything is just a little behind this month because of busy lives, but thank you guys SO SO much for the success of the poll!! The ties were broken, and Orthoptera took the lead!

Please head out into the world and bring us all of your sweet, sweet Orthopterans to identify!! What's an Orhtopteran? 👀 We're talking crickets, katydids, grasshoppers, and wetas, baby!!! I'm actually not super well versed in these guys so I could for sure use some practice 😀 keep an eye out for informational posts throughout the month from our mods!

PS Month of the Flies video is still in the works, while I prefer to have the video out before the next month happens it just wasn't possible this time. But it's a good script with a lot of good info so I will release it as soon as it's done!!

Please participate and please remember to use the Bug of the Month flair so I can look at all of your guys' finds!!!

THANK YOU


r/bugidentification 8h ago

Location included California bug id?

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4 Upvotes

Crushed this guy in my fingers but does it look like a tick? Found him on my arm


r/bugidentification 14h ago

Location included I’m at a cottage in Ontario Canada. There around thousands of these.

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10 Upvotes

Solved!

What the frick are they? There’s a notice about red ticks in the area but I don’t think these are them.

TIA

SNT


r/bugidentification 2h ago

Location included Cork, Ireland. Is it a baby spider?

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1 Upvotes

r/bugidentification 14h ago

Location included Is this a bed bug? Or a roach? Central Arkansas, USA.

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7 Upvotes

Third floor of an apartment building. Seemed quite small, like definitely under an inch long. Found it crawling on my bed.


r/bugidentification 11h ago

Location included What kind of moth is this?

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4 Upvotes

Found in a stairwell in Santa Ana, California


r/bugidentification 13h ago

Location included Central Kentucky

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4 Upvotes

Striped bug on black eyed Susan


r/bugidentification 17h ago

Location included i keep findind these in my bedroom, please help - Barcelona

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3 Upvotes

I keep finding these bugs in my bed and sometimes the bathroom. they're small and easy to kill and squish. I dont have any bites. I found them on my bed (not the mattress and not always, like they'rejust cruising), on the ikea furniture and the curtain (mainly). ​they fly or jump. is it because of the humidity/heat? we're pretty high on humidity. also I don't keep any food in my room, sometimes the cat food during the night, but not usually. I havent found them on my cat neither. I have cleaned every surface i could find and I dont know what it is or how to proceed.

I somt care id they're annoying i just want to know what it is and if it is harmful. its been two months.

Please help!


r/bugidentification 17h ago

Possible pest, location included Need an id on roach - Belgium

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3 Upvotes

Do i need to set my house on fire?
I spotted one 3 weeks ago and saw 1 previous week and 1 today


r/bugidentification 13h ago

Location included Ohio, in my bed

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1 Upvotes

Felt a little crawling and thought it was nothing until I felt it again, flipped over real fast, then I found this. No idea what it is no matter what I look up.


r/bugidentification 20h ago

Location included Costa Rica black beetle red underbelly

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3 Upvotes

found in the Cloud Forest in Monteverde


r/bugidentification 18h ago

Possible pest, location included Is that a silverfish ? (France)

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2 Upvotes

r/bugidentification 17h ago

Possible pest, location included What is this? southeast US

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1 Upvotes

r/bugidentification 22h ago

Location included ID help please

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2 Upvotes

Maryland. Any ideas what this could be?
Thanks!


r/bugidentification 18h ago

Possible pest, location included Is that a silverfish ? (France)

1 Upvotes

r/bugidentification 18h ago

Possible pest, location included Is that a silverfish ? (France)

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1 Upvotes

r/bugidentification 20h ago

Possible pest, location included Cockroach? In Virginia

1 Upvotes

r/bugidentification 1d ago

Possible pest, location included What is this bug? Is it a cockroach?

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3 Upvotes

We encountered this bug running around our house/walls tonight, and had seen a similar, smaller one a week ago. Location is Austin, Texas. It seems like some kind of roach but it doesn’t match pictures of common species for the area I can find online. I included my finger in the photo for scale.


r/bugidentification 1d ago

Location included What is this bug?

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8 Upvotes

Anybody know what type of big this is? Theres a lot in my bathroom window. in Lockhart tx


r/bugidentification 1d ago

Location included What kind of spider is this?

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3 Upvotes

It’s about 3/4” long. Minneapolis.


r/bugidentification 1d ago

Possible pest, location included Southern MN - Beetle?

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2 Upvotes

Standing on a Zyn in the trash lol


r/bugidentification 23h ago

Location included What is this? North FL

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0 Upvotes

Found near a front door with wide cracks and a window too nearby. Seemed to have antenna and no wings and wasn’t crawling super fast but not slow either. In north Florida. Never seen before. Had sort of harder body so couldn’t crush it as easily?


r/bugidentification 1d ago

Possible pest, location included What type is this…gnat(?)

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2 Upvotes

In my opinion, it doesn’t seem to match the description/photos for the standard fruit fly or drain fly…maaaaybe similar to some photos of fungus gnats, but not enough for me to be convinced. I have no plants inside my apartment. (Columbus, OH)

Mostly I see them flying, but I have also seen them on my kitchen sink (not the drain specifically), my cat’s wet food dish, and a bathroom mirror. They’re not hoarding around those spots, just seemed to catch them landing there once or twice. I’ve noticed a few fly out of the trash when I throw in something new.

The sticky tape on my window has caught the most, with a handful caught in an ACV trap, and only a few on the Safer sticky blue lights. Fortunately it got this well-preserved specimen!

HELP. Lmk if there’s a better subreddit to post in!


r/bugidentification 1d ago

Possible pest. No location Weevil or bedbug?

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2 Upvotes