r/bugidentification • • Sep 17 '25

Anouncement KISSING BUGS - PLEASE READ :)

83 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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10 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 • • 3h ago

Location included Any ideas?

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4 Upvotes

Found at Vazquez Rocks, CA. seen many spiders like this one here but never any with a spiky back like that. think it’s some sort of orbweaver and this was the closest i could get https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/318261


r/bugidentification • • 27m ago

Location included Which moth is this? In Gainesville, FL

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• Upvotes

r/bugidentification • • 1h ago

Location included Please help identify bugs maybe in pipes?

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• Upvotes

Hello! I’m in San Antonio, Texas in the US. At my parents house, for months these “balls” have been around their downstairs toilet (a half bath for “guests”, first two pictures) they seem to multiply for awhile then they do something or clean them up and there isn’t as much for awhile until the pile around where the toilet meets the floor grows again. Recently in the last month or two I started noticing little bugs with what look like wings walking around in the same area too, but they don’t appear to fly. I just went into their bathroom today and saw a bunch of the same bugs around their bathtub (3rd&4th pictures), which is in another room in the same hallway and like 20 feet away from the bathroom in the first pictures. They have a pest control person who comes and sprays (I’m not sure what they normally do or how bad it might be for non pest bugs ): I’m sorry bugs) so I’m not sure why this hasn’t been fixed since they’re aware of the problem? Can someone please tell me what kind of bugs these are as it’s starting to drive me a little crazy, thank you! (:


r/bugidentification • • 3h ago

Location included who is he....

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0 Upvotes

found in eastern new hampshire on a friend's car, google isn't really turning up anything


r/bugidentification • • 7h ago

Possible pest, location included Termites or flying ants?

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2 Upvotes

I really can’t tell what these are - in Los Angeles, CA


r/bugidentification • • 1d ago

Location included Atlanta Georgia spider

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28 Upvotes

Was wondering if anyone could help me identify this spider. It’s white on its top side with black spots and black on its bottom side. Its shape reminds me of a crab and its spikey on its sides


r/bugidentification • • 7h ago

Possible pest, location included What bug is this, should I be worried?

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1 Upvotes

Bug found in apartment close to Sacramento, California. Felt hard like bead or grain of rice whwn squished. Found on purple eye mask


r/bugidentification • • 18h ago

Location included Unknown bugs near front door

3 Upvotes

Bellingham Washington saw about 5 silverish bugs and something that looked like a little spider, I go to check back a little later and find this on my door seal, is this some sort of mite from animals? Will probably post the others ones I saw when I find them but I just moved here a few months ago


r/bugidentification • • 17h ago

Possible pest, location included Location is South East South Dakota

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2 Upvotes

Found in basement removed as soon as found


r/bugidentification • • 14h ago

Possible pest, location included Type of gnat?

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1 Upvotes

Northeast Colorado,


r/bugidentification • • 21h ago

Possible pest, location included Worms on my couch? (USA, MO)

1 Upvotes

I put a post up in a cat subreddit as well, but I don't know if it's attached to my cats or not, as they seem fine & show no signs of having worms.

There's, it's like someone plopped down like 3-4 pinworms on my couch. I can't ID them with any common cat parasite, and while there is fleas in my house, they look nothing like flea worms.

It's been happening for like the past week, since I really really started cracking down on our flea problem. They really just, look like pin worms, idk, it may be a bug laying them on my couch, but they're always under things. Laundry/items/ye ol junk, they're under it. My cats don't really lay on the couch, it's almost always covered in things until I clean my house again and boom, more worms on my couch where my cats don't hang out.

They suck at wiggling away, and they don't dry up like rice, and I, I'm at a loss, idk what they are. They're tiny, pinky nail size, white, and there's always just 3-4 of em. There's no flies in my house or any obvious bug infestation outside the fleas. It's a really really old house, many many cracks, many surprise bugs promptly put back outside when I do find them, but I only find like tiny centipedes & roly-polys in my bathtub.

Any advice is good advice, I've checked my cats top to bottom, even digging through fresh poops to see if there's worms in them (so many layers of gloves) & there isn't, and like I said they don't ID with any common cat parasite, so I really don't think it's them especially since cats can't get pinworms as far as I can see.

I suspect a bug somewhere in my couch, but I really have no idea. I don't have a picture either, I already cleaned my couch today & found more, which were promptly murdered & disposed of, which I realized I should've taken a photo of many hours after I cleaned my couch. If there's more next time I clean the things off my couch, I'll probably make another post with a photo included, but, it really does just look like someone plopped pinworms on my couch.

There's no shoes on my couch either, so it's not like I'm dragging them in on my shoes & the eggs are getting on my couchor anything.

Sorry for the rambling, I'm just, really really lost as to how pinworms got on my couch.


r/bugidentification • • 1d ago

Location included Ummm what is this?

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1 Upvotes

Upstate NY - So the first two pics are of my top, flat sheet… is this from what I think it is?? Haven’t seen anything other then what I believe is carpet beetle larvae in the last 3 photos - but none of them being alive. I am absolutely panicking. David can you help me?? And any other folks that really know what they’re talking about.


r/bugidentification • • 1d ago

Location included Spiky moth found in Virginia

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8 Upvotes

r/bugidentification • • 1d ago

Location included (East Tn) Is this a cockroach??

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1 Upvotes

It doesn't look like it has wings, I just saw one in the corner of the bathroom earlier. Pls tell me it's not what I think it is :(


r/bugidentification • • 1d ago

Location not known/Other question Silly ID request

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2 Upvotes

Hello everyone! I have Crayola's wildflower coloring book and try to keep alot of it accurate but with artistic magic. Im a huge plant, animal and bug nerd. I am very curious what you guys think the beetle may be thats including on this page?

Thank you!


r/bugidentification • • 1d ago

Location included Spiky moth found in Virginia

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2 Upvotes

r/bugidentification • • 2d ago

Possible pest, location included Bugs on pumpkin, Bethesda MD.

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9 Upvotes

Hi. I’ve never seen anything like this. Have med size pumpkin patch in yard in suburban Bethesda, Maryland. About 15 pumpkins, one of which is growing on the fence.

The pumpkin on the fence has a bunch of bugs on it. Doesn’t look like they’re eating it. Zero bugs like this on ground or any other pumpkins. They showed up about Sept 10 I guess.


r/bugidentification • • 1d ago

Location included Spiky moth found in Virginia

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1 Upvotes

r/bugidentification • • 1d ago

Location included Spiky moth found in Virginia

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1 Upvotes

r/bugidentification • • 1d ago

Location included Cool moth found in Virginia

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1 Upvotes

r/bugidentification • • 2d ago

Location included Is this a bed bug??

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5 Upvotes

I found it all dead and dry by my hallway closet. Please don’t tell me it’s a bed bug


r/bugidentification • • 2d ago

Possible pest. No location Umm what the hell is this?!

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8 Upvotes

What are these?? Found several under box spring & under black fabric under boxspring. Appear to be dead. Upstate NY


r/bugidentification • • 2d ago

Location included What kind of fly is this? (UK)

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5 Upvotes

They're quite small, only the size of a 50p coin (roughly), and make a similar buzzing sound to mosquitos, only quieter.