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Monthly Archives: March 2020

The House Pseudoscorpion (Cheliferidae cancroides)

Posted on March 3, 2020 by BUGGING YOU FROM San Juan Island Leave a comment

I got the coolest picture of a bug on Friday!

House Pseudoscorpion (*Cheliferidae cancroides*)
2/28/2020
San Juan Island
photo by T. Santora

House Pseudoscorpion (*Cheliferidae cancroides*)

This little creature was photographed on February 28, 2020 by Trever Santora on San Juan Island, WA.

It’s a Pseudoscorpion! Found on the windowsill of his house and no larger than a tiny sesame seed, I believe it to be an immature House Pseudoscorpion (Cheliferidae cancroides).

Keep an eye out for these. They’re quite harmless to humans and can’t sting or bite you. Pseudoscorpions are predacious and beneficial because they eat other organisms that are pests. Some live in birds’ nests and eat the mites that can build up and harm nestlings.

Since they don’t have wings and can’t fly, pseudoscorpions move around by phoresy. That means they’ll hitch a ride on someone who can! Not just birds, but bees, wasps, and flies can also provide a free lift.

Check out https://bugguide.net/node/view/728962 for more information.

Thanks for reading 🌻

Long-horned Leaf Beetle (Plateumaris germari)

Posted on March 3, 2020 by BUGGING YOU FROM San Juan Island Leave a comment

I really enjoy the days when I have an opportunity to go over insect images I’ve taken, but haven’t yet had the chance to identify. This small (approx 7-8mm), metallic beetle is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It’s a Long-horned Leaf Beetle (Plateumaris germari). They are associated with aquatic habitats and this specimen was found near a wetland habitat on San Juan Island, WA., May 12, 2015. Yes. I’m slow at getting around to sorting things, but was happy to share this one today.