# WhatPest > What pest or bug is it? 108 identification guides plus AI photo ID at https://whatpest.com/identify. > Find local pest control at https://whatpest.com/pest-control. All pages are server-rendered semantic HTML — no JavaScript needed to read content. ## Ants - [Acrobat Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/acrobat-ant): Acrobat ants get their common name from their ability to acrobatically raise their abdomen over their thorax and head, especially when disturbed. - [Argentine Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/argentine-ant): Argentine ants are an invasive species originally native to Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and southern Brazil. - [Carpenter Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/carpenter-ant): The first appearance of winged males in a home often causes homeowners great concern, as it signifies that ants are living inside the house. - [Field Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/field-ant): Also known by many other names such as thatching ants, red ants and wood ants, the field ant gets its name from its preference for nesting outdoors. - [Ghost Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/ghost-ant): Ghost ants get their common name from the fact that they are very hard to see due to their pale color and tiny size. - [Harvester Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/harvester-ant): Harvester ants get their common name from their behavior of collecting or harvesting seeds as their primary food source. - [Leafcutting Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/leafcutting-ant): Leafcutting ants get their name from their habit of cutting leaves into small pieces. - [Little Black Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/little-black-ant): The little black ant gets its common name from its very small size and black coloration. - [Longhorn Crazy Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/longhorn-crazy-ant): Longhorn crazy ants get their common name from the workers' habit of running in an erratic, jerky manner when searching for food. - [Odorous House Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/odorous-house-ant): The odorous house ant gets its name from the strong, rotten coconut-like smell it gives off when crushed. - [Pavement Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/pavement-ant): Pavement ants get their name because they make nests in or under cracks in pavement. - [Pharaoh Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/pharaoh-ant): Pharaoh ants get their name from the mistaken belief that they were one of the plagues of Egypt during the time of Pharaohs. - [Pyramid Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/pyramid-ant): The pyramid ant gets its common name from the pyramid shaped structure on top of the thorax. - [Red Imported Fire Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/red-imported-fire-ant): Red imported fire ants (RIFAs, for short) get their common name from their ability to inflict painful bites and stings. - [Thief Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/thief-ant): Thief ants are one of the smallest household ants. - [White-footed Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/white-footed-ant): White-footed ants get their common name from their very light-colored feet. - [Yellow Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/yellow-ant): The yellow ant gets its common name from the yellow coloring of its body. ## Bed Bugs - [Bed Bugs](https://whatpest.com/pests/bed-bug): Bed bugs are small, brownish-red bugs famous for dwelling in beds and feeding on humans while they sleep. ## Birds - [European Starlings](https://whatpest.com/pests/european-starling): European s tarlings were introduced from Europe into New York in the late 1800s, as part of an attempt to bring animals that were mentioned in Shakespeare's work to America. - [Pigeons](https://whatpest.com/pests/pigeon): Pigeons, also known as Rock Doves, are monogamous and will lay one to two eggs which hatch within eighteen days. - [Woodpeckers](https://whatpest.com/pests/woodpecker): The woodpecker is a type of bird that gets its common name from its habit of routinely peck ing wood for food , shelter and attracting mates. ## Cockroaches - [American Cockroaches](https://whatpest.com/pests/american-cockroach): The American cockroach is the largest of the house-infesting roaches and a major pest in the United States. - [Brown-Banded Cockroaches](https://whatpest.com/pests/brown-banded-cockroach): Brown-banded cockroaches are a small species of invasive cockroach es . - [German Cockroaches](https://whatpest.com/pests/german-cockroach): The German cockroach is the most common cockroach species found worldwide . - [Oriental Cockroaches](https://whatpest.com/pests/oriental-cockroach): Believed to be of African origin despite its name, the o riental cockroach is one of the larger species of cockroach. ## Fleas - [Cat Flea](https://whatpest.com/pests/cat-flea): Fleas are parasites that feed on the blood of any warm-blooded body. - [Dog Flea](https://whatpest.com/pests/dog-flea): Fleas are common parasites that feed on the blood of warm-blooded bod ies . - [Fleas](https://whatpest.com/pests/flea): Fleas are small, flightless parasites that feed on the blood of various warm-blooded animals, depending on the species, and can transmit diseases to their host. ## Flies - [Crane Fly](https://whatpest.com/pests/crane-fly): Crane flies, sometimes called “mosquito hawks” or “mosquito eaters”, are large insects that are often mistaken for giant mosquitoes due to their long legs and slender bodies. - [Fruit Flies](https://whatpest.com/pests/fruit-fly): Fruit flies are a type of fly found throughout the United States that often infest homes containing ripe, rotting, or decayed fruit and produce. - [Gnats](https://whatpest.com/pests/gnat): Gnats are tiny, winged insects that belong to the same insect order as mosquitoes, flies, and maggots. - [Horse Flies](https://whatpest.com/pests/horse-fly): The horse fly is a type of fly that likely received its common name because it is a notorious pest of horses and other mammals. - [House Flies](https://whatpest.com/pests/house-fly): The house fly is the most common fly found in and around homes. ## Lice - [Human Lice](https://whatpest.com/pests/human-lice): Lice are wingless parasites that feed on blood. ## Mites - [Chicken Mites](https://whatpest.com/pests/chicken-mite): Chicken mites , sometimes called bird mites , get their common name because they live on the skin of a wide variety of birds, but especially chickens. - [House Dust Mites](https://whatpest.com/pests/house-dust-mite): House dust mites have received much attention in the early 1990s and again recently. ## Mosquitoes - [Asian Tiger Mosquitoes](https://whatpest.com/pests/asian-tiger-mosquito): Asian tiger mosquitoes, also known as forest mosquitoes, are an exotic species that get their "tiger" name from the single white stripe down the center of their head and back. - [Culex Mosquitoes](https://whatpest.com/pests/culex-mosquito): M osquito es are one of the most bothersome summertime pests . - [Yellow Fever Mosquitoes](https://whatpest.com/pests/yellow-fever-mosquito): Aedes aegypti mosquitoes originated in Africa and were most likely brought to the new world via ships in the early 1900s. ## Nuisance Wildlife - [Bats](https://whatpest.com/pests/bat): Bats are nocturnal, flying animals that are known for inhabiting dark and secluded locations. - [Flying Squirrels](https://whatpest.com/pests/flying-squirrel): Flying squirrels are small tree squirrels. - [Groundhogs](https://whatpest.com/pests/groundhog): Groundhogs are also referred to as woodchucks or whistle pigs. - [Opossums](https://whatpest.com/pests/opossum): Opossums are the only marsupial found in North America. - [Prairie Dogs](https://whatpest.com/pests/prairie-dog): Prairie dogs are stocky, burrowing rodents that live in colonies called towns. - [Raccoons](https://whatpest.com/pests/raccoon): Raccoons are mammals that are rarely seen during the day because of their nocturnal habits. - [Tree Squirrels](https://whatpest.com/pests/tree-squirrel): Tree squirrels get their common name from the fact that they are found in wooded and urban areas with trees. - [Voles](https://whatpest.com/pests/vole): Voles, also called meadow mice or field mice, are rodents with small eyes and partially hidden ears. ## Occasional Invaders - [Assassin Bugs](https://whatpest.com/pests/assassin-bug): Assassin bugs are predatory insects that feed on other bugs. - [Boxelder Bugs](https://whatpest.com/pests/boxelder-bug): Boxelder bugs get their common name from the fact that they are often found on and around boxelder trees. - [Camel Crickets](https://whatpest.com/pests/camel-cricket): Camel crickets get their common name from their humpbacked appearance, which is similar to that of a camel. - [Centipedes](https://whatpest.com/pests/centipede): Centipedes are sometimes called house centipedes or "hundred-leggers" because of their many pairs of legs. - [Earwigs](https://whatpest.com/pests/earwig): An earwig is a type of bug that gets its name from the old European myth that they crawl into people’s ears and tunnel into their brains while they are sleeping. - [House Crickets](https://whatpest.com/pests/house-cricket): House crickets get their common name from the fact that they often enter houses where they can survive indefinitely. - [Ladybugs](https://whatpest.com/pests/ladybug): Ladybugs are also known as lady beetles or ladybird beetles. - [Mayflies](https://whatpest.com/pests/mayfly): Despite their name, m ayflies are not actually flies . - [Millipedes](https://whatpest.com/pests/millipede): Millipedes are sometimes called "thousand-leggers" because of their many pairs of legs, but they can actually have anywhere from 30-90+ pairs of legs, depending on the species. - [Periodical Cicadas](https://whatpest.com/pests/periodical-cicada): Periodical cicadas , sometimes referred to as 1 7 -year cicadas , are large, flying insects that are known for the loud buzzing noise that males make to attract female mates. - [Pillbugs](https://whatpest.com/pests/pillbug): The pill bug, sometimes referred to as "rollie pollies", is the only crustacean that has become completely adapted to spending its life on land. - [Scorpions](https://whatpest.com/pests/scorpion): Scorpions are nuisance pests that are closely related to spiders, mites and ticks. - [Silverfish](https://whatpest.com/pests/silverfish): Silverfish get their name from the bug’s silvery, metallic appearance and fish-like shape and movements. - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://whatpest.com/pests/spotted-lanternfly): The Spotted Lanternfly is a relatively new invasive species to the United States. - [Springtails](https://whatpest.com/pests/springtail): Springtails are tiny critters that get their unique name from their ability to hop around, which resembles an action similar to that of fleas . - [Stink Bugs](https://whatpest.com/pests/stink-bug): The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) earned its name from its tendency to release an odor when disturbed or when crushed. ## Other Pests - [Giant Water Bugs](https://whatpest.com/pests/water-bug): Giant water bugs, commonly nicknamed toe-biters, sewer cockroaches, and electric light bugs, are large, predatory insects found in slow-moving bodies of water. - [Kissing Bugs](https://whatpest.com/pests/kissing-bug): Unlike their loving name, kissing bugs are a type of pest called a reduviid bug, known to bite and suck blood from their victim's face (as well as other body parts). ## Rodents - [Deer Mice](https://whatpest.com/pests/deer-mouse): Deer mice are a species of rodent that get their name because their fur closely resembles that of a deer, but don’t be fooled by this deceptively cute rodent. - [House Mice](https://whatpest.com/pests/house-mouse): The house mouse is the most commonly encountered and economically important of the commensal rodents. - [Norway Rats](https://whatpest.com/pests/norway-rat): The Norway rat commonly referred to as the street or sewer rat, is believed to be of Asian origin, arriving in the U.S. - [Roof Rats](https://whatpest.com/pests/roof-rat): The roof rat is the smaller of the two commensal rats, as the Norway rat is larger in size. ## Spiders - [Black Widow Spiders](https://whatpest.com/pests/black-widow-spider): Black widow spiders get their common name from the popular belie f that the female eats the male after mating, a phenomenon which rarely happens in nature. - [Brown Recluse Spiders](https://whatpest.com/pests/brown-recluse-spider): Often identified by a dark brown violin shape on its back, the brown recluse spider is predominantly found in the Midwest and Southeast of the United States. - [Crab Spiders](https://whatpest.com/pests/crab-spider): Crab spiders are a group of spiders that get their name from holding their front two pairs of legs out to the side, like the way a crab holds its claws. - [Fishing Spider](https://whatpest.com/pests/fishing-spider): Fishing spiders (also known as fisher spiders) get their name due to their unique hunting style. - [Grass Spider](https://whatpest.com/pests/grass-spider): As their name suggests, grass spiders are frequently found in grassy areas but sometimes make their way indoors searching for food. - [Hobo Spiders](https://whatpest.com/pests/hobo-spider): The common name for the hobo spider comes from its presumed method of expanding its distribution by hitching rides with humans along major highways in the Pacific Northwest. - [House Spiders](https://whatpest.com/pests/house-spider): Adult female house spiders have an almost spherical abdomen and are roughly 3/16-5/16" (5-8 mm) in length. - [Joro Spiders](https://whatpest.com/pests/joro-spider): Joro spiders are an invasive species that was first discovered in Georgia in 2014 and has since spread to several counties. - [Jumping Spiders](https://whatpest.com/pests/jumping-spider): Jumping spiders are a type of spider that gets its common name from its ability to jump, which it uses to catch prey. - [Long-bodied Cellar Spiders](https://whatpest.com/pests/long-bodied-cellar-spider): Cellar spiders are a species of spider belonging to the group of animals known as “arachnids .” There are both long-bodied as well as short-bodied cellar spiders . - [Orb Weaver Spiders](https://whatpest.com/pests/orb-weaver-spider): Orb weaver spiders, often referred to as orb weavers, are a type of arachnid named for the circular (orb) shape of the webs they create. - [Wolf Spiders](https://whatpest.com/pests/wolf-spider): Unlike most spiders, wolf spiders don't hunt with webs. - [Woodlouse Spider](https://whatpest.com/pests/woodlouse-spider): The woodlouse spider, sometimes referred to as “woodlouse hunter spider,” gets its name after its prey, woodlice. ## Stinging Insects - [Africanized ("Killer") Bees](https://whatpest.com/pests/africanized-killer-bee): The Africanized bee is a hybrid species of the Western honey bee. - [Bald-faced Hornets](https://whatpest.com/pests/bald-faced-hornet): Did you know the bald-faced hornet is not actually a hornet? It’s a relative of the yellowjacket and other wasps. - [Bumble Bees](https://whatpest.com/pests/bumble-bee): Bumble bees are considered a beneficial insect because they pollinate crops and plants, however, they can sting. - [Carpenter Bees](https://whatpest.com/pests/carpenter-bee): Carpenter bees get their common name from their habit of boring into wood. - [European Hornet](https://whatpest.com/pests/european-hornet): The European hornet, also called giant hornet or the brown hornet, gets its common name from its introduction from Europe into the New York area in the 1800s. - [Honey Bees](https://whatpest.com/pests/honey-bee): Honey bees get their common name from the honey they make using the nectar of flowers. - [Mud Dauber Wasps](https://whatpest.com/pests/mud-dauber-wasp): Mud dauber is a common name for a wasp that constructs its nest of mud. - [Northern Giant Hornet](https://whatpest.com/pests/northern-giant-hornet): Northern giant hornets, often referred to as Asian giant hornets, are the largest known hornet species in the world. - [Paper Wasps](https://whatpest.com/pests/paper-wasp): Paper wasps get their common name from the paper-like material out of which they make their nests. - [Velvet Ants](https://whatpest.com/pests/velvet-ants-cow-killer): Although commonly referred to as the cow killer ant or red velvet ant, this insect is actually a wasp. - [Yellowjackets](https://whatpest.com/pests/yellowjacket): There are several species of yellowjackets. ## Stored Product Pests - [Confused Flour Beetle](https://whatpest.com/pests/confused-flour-beetle): The confused flour beetle ( Tribolium confusum ) is a tiny reddish-brown insect that often sneaks into pantry staples like flour, cereal, dried pet food, and nuts. - [Indian Meal Moths](https://whatpest.com/pests/indian-meal-moth): The Indian meal moth was given its name after an insect scientist found it feeding on corn meal, also known as Indian meal. - [Merchant Grain Beetles](https://whatpest.com/pests/merchant-grain-beetle): Merchant grain beetles are typically not found in grain products, but instead like to attack cereals, cake mixes, macaroni, cookies and chocolate. - [Red Flour Beetle](https://whatpest.com/pests/red-flour-beetle): The red flour beetle ( Tribolium castaneum ) is a tiny, reddish-brown insect that commonly feeds on stored food products like flour, cereals, dry pet food, and pasta. ## Termites - [Conehead Termites](https://whatpest.com/pests/conehead-termite): Originally known as the “tree termite,” the conehead termite thrives by feasting on wood. - [Dampwood Termites](https://whatpest.com/pests/dampwood-termite): As their name suggests, dampwood termites, are a termite species that infest damp and sometimes decaying wood with high moisture content. - [Drywood Termites](https://whatpest.com/pests/drywood-termite): Drywood termites are a termite species known for thriving in hard, dry wood found inside a home. - [Formosan Termites](https://whatpest.com/pests/formosan-termite): Formosan termites are a subterranean species of termite with three distinct castes: alates (or reproductive), soldiers and workers. - [Subterranean Termites](https://whatpest.com/pests/subterranean-termite): S ubterranean termite s can cause the most damage of any termite species. ## Ticks - [American Dog Ticks](https://whatpest.com/pests/american-dog-tick): Also known as the wood tick, the American dog tick gets its name from the fact that adult ticks prefer to feed on domestic dogs, coupled with the tick species being found only in N - [Asian Longhorned Ticks](https://whatpest.com/pests/asian-longhorned-tick): The Asian longhorned tick is a newer species of tick found in the United States. - [Blacklegged (Deer) Ticks](https://whatpest.com/pests/blacklegged-deer-tick): The blacklegged (deer) tick is a notorious biting arachnid named for its dark legs. - [Brown Dog Ticks](https://whatpest.com/pests/brown-dog-tick): The Brown Dog tick gets its common name from its overall reddish brown color , and because it is common ly found on domestic dogs. - [Lone Star Ticks](https://whatpest.com/pests/lone-star-tick): The lone star tick gets its name from the single silvery-white spot located on the female's back. - [Rocky Mountain Wood Ticks](https://whatpest.com/pests/rocky-mountain-wood-tick): The Rocky Mountain wood tick gets its name from its primary distribution being in the Rocky Mountain states, such as Colorado, Idaho and Montana, amongst others.