What Pest Am I? Part One

What Pest Am I? Part One

Insects surround us by the millions on our beautiful planet and one thing we know about these insects is that they’re small. You might see a spider in your home “the size of a whale” but in all reality, we are much bigger than these creatures and often we see a very distant view. Upon closer inspection however, these insects are incredibly detailed and have beautiful, distinctive patterns and markings that we miss being so far away. All we see is that “monstrous” beetle scurrying across the floor but viewed close up, these insects that share our world with us are actually quite beautiful and extraordinary. Now let’s play a guessing game to see if, when viewed in a close up shot, you can guess the insect with the clues provided. You can find the answers at the end of the post.

Mystery Insect #1:

I live on an all liquid diet. I love deliciously sweet nectar from flowers and my days are spent searching for the tastiest ones. My taste buds are actually located on my feet but I drink nectar through a straw called a proboscis which stays curled up under my chin. I don’t just drink nectar though, I also love to slurp mud puddles. Mud puddles are where I get all my minerals from. And boy are those mud puddles tasty! Can you guess what I am?

Mystery Insect #2:

I am one of 8,000 in my species. Yes, there are 8,000 different kinds of my species so we do vary a bit. The oldest of my species dates back to 400 million years ago so you can say we’ve been around the block a time or two. We play an important ecological role, mostly consuming dead and decaying matter, aiding in the decomposition lifecycle. We vary in color from red, orange, purple, green and blue. Can you guess what I am?

Mystery insect #3:

I spend my days in the trees and bushes but I’m very difficult to spot. Camouflaging into my surroundings is one of my most notable traits. The males in my species cannot fly but the females can so the ladies have one coveted super power the men will never have. The females lay thousands of eggs in their lifetimes and these eggs are specially shaped. The egg has a knob on the end which attracts ants. The ants carry our eggs to their hideout where they eat the knob, leaving the rest of the egg intact and protected from predators until it’s time to hatch. One of the most distinguishing things about me? I look like a leaf! Did I just give myself away? What am I?

Mystery Insect #4:

My species and I live throughout the world in about 20,000 varieties, 1200 of which are in North America. The most distinguishing feature on me and all my species are our very long antennae and distinctive jaws, which are larger and more menacing looking on the males. I belong to the beetle family and you can usually find me on flowers, branches, bark and tree limbs. Can you figure out what I am?

Discovering the kinds of insects that roam in and around your home is important so you can determine if they’re a threat or not to your vegetation or if they are infesting around your home. Taking a closer look will help you identify these insects and if you have an infestation, look no further than Pointe Pest Control for guaranteed removal. If you need help identifying your pest or pest infestation click HERE to check out our new pest identification tool. We look out for our customers and have an extensive knowledge on everything pest. Give us a call today!

 

Answers: #1: Butterfly #2: Springtail #3: Spiny leaf insect #4: Longhorned beetle