Forum Discussion

GabeU's avatar
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV
7 years ago

Any idea what this bug is?

I found it in my kitchen sink this evening.  It didn't bite me when I scooted it into my hand to put it outside.  It was about an inch long.  It liked to crawl a bit once I picked it up, but it wasn't super fast.  

 

I went through a huge list of bugs in Western NY state and I couldn't find it. 

 

Edit:  I now realize that I should have taken it out of the sink and put it on a white surface before photographing it.  I'm sure the red of the sink is skewing the color a bit.  

 

  • Oh goodness... *shudders*

     

    Funny enough, I was driving to work today and felt something weird on my leg, and I grabbed it, thinking it was something stuck to my sock. Nope! It was a bug. Found it again later crawling up my stomach and felt a little bit of relief as I realized it wasn't a bee, but I still have no idea what it was. Was black with what seemed like a blue butt (or whatever the proper term for that end part of their body would be :P). I pulled over and stepped out of my car, never did see where it went after that :( 

    • GabeU's avatar
      GabeU
      Distinguished Professor IV

      I most certainly would have felt relief in discovering it wasn't a bee, too.  Years ago I had a bumble bee fly in the window and land on the front of my shirt when I was driving down the road, and let's just say that I'm glad no one was behind me, as I slammed on the brakes.  It was almost a reflex.  And, thankfully, I was able to get out and get it off of me before it stung, though it was probably stunned from the whole ordeal, so it's possible that stinging me was the last thing on its tiny mind.  :p 

      • Brooke's avatar
        Brooke
        Alum

        Yikes! I was stung by a bee before I can even remember. My mother said the bee flew to the back where I was seated, landed near my eyebrow and stung me. Probably why I am deathly afraid of them now :( 

         

        But that's how my day was sort of today, thankfully no one saw me and I'm also thankful I didn't hit a curb or anything when I went to pull over while trying to keep an eye out for the bug. Realizing now how dangerous driving with bugs can be! 

  • I know what it is: It's something that wouldn't last long around me.
    #IHateBugs

    • maratsade's avatar
      maratsade
      Distinguished Professor IV

      I love bugs (not to pet them or anything, -- I just find them fascinating), but some of the bugs here in "the colonies" (j/k) are nightmarish.

      • GabeU's avatar
        GabeU
        Distinguished Professor IV

        I was wondering if it was maybe some type of queen.  Whatever it is, it's nothing like anything I've ever seen, and it wasn't aggressive or anything like that.  

         

        I think I'll find a popular insect board and post it on there, as I'm really curious as to what in the heck this thing is.  

  • maratsade's avatar
    maratsade
    Distinguished Professor IV

    What the fork is that thing? It looks like an elongated, flightless bee.  

    I was stung by bees often as a child, as my grandfather raised bees. Those stings hurt like the dickens. 

  • As maratsade suggested, I think it's some sort of wingless wasp mimic, similar to the wasp mimic beetle or a type of cockroach that mimics a wasp/hornet. But I am no insect expert; that's just a (somewhat) educated guess!
    • maratsade's avatar
      maratsade
      Distinguished Professor IV

      Yeah, to me it looks like a sort of flightless bee/wasp thing, not at all like a cricket (I looked up the mole cricket, but that looks very much like a cricket).  But then I have little to no experience with bugs, so I'm deferring to the people who know more about them.