Crickets / Iowa Insect Information Notes
The field cricket is one of the most common household accidental invader insect pests. There are several species of field crickets ranging in size from 1/4 to 3/4 inch, but the best known is the black field cricket, a large, shiny black insect. ... [... more]
Iowa State University |
Sawtoothed Grain Beetle
The sawtoothed grain beetle is an insect pest in stored grain and a common household pest found in dry, stored food products. Sawtoothed grain beetles attack almost any dry food but are most likely to be found in cereal products such as flour, ... [... more]
Iowa State University |
Pseudoscorpions
Pseudoscorpions are a common arachnid closely related to scorpions, mites, ticks and spiders, but they usually go unnoticed because of their small size. When they are noticed is when they accidentally invade homes and wander into sight. They are ... [... more]
Iowa State University |
Acrobat Ant
Several species of small to medium-sized ants are occasional pests in and around the home. One of these is named the acrobat ant because of the way the worker ants carry their abdomens above the rest of the body as if they were performing a ... [... more]
Iowa State University |
Mold Mite / Iowa Insect Information Notes
Mold mites comprise a large group of similar species that are quite difficult to tell apart. Common members in this group of tiny mites include the cheese mite, flour mite, and grain mite. They are also known as tyroglyphid mites. Mold mites are ... [... more]
Iowa State University |
Horsehair Worm
The horsehair worms are interesting threadlike roundworms that resemble the "hair of a horse's tail or mane." These long, active worms may be observed during late summer or fall in streams and ponds, but are more commonly noticed in domestic ... [... more]
Iowa State University |
Guide to Common Ants in Iowa (wingless workers only)
Prepared by Donald R. Lewis and Laura Jesse, Department of Entomology, Iowa State University This document is also available as an easily-printable PDF. Thief Ant or Grease Ant, Light brown to yellow Thorax silhouette uneven in side view Abdomen ... [... more]
Iowa State University |
Bat Bug / Iowa Insect Information Notes
Bat bugs are moderately common in Iowa, and are found in houses and buildings that are infested with bats. The bat bug is a very close relative to the bed bug. The two species look so much alike that microscopic examination is needed to ... [... more]
Iowa State University |
Chiggers / Iowa Insect Information Notes
The term chigger is a common name used to describe the larval stage of mites that are parasitic on warm-blooded animals, including people. Chigger bites characteristically cause intense itching and the formation of small, reddish welts. Chiggers ... [... more]
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Field Ant / Iowa Insect Information Notes
The name field ant is used for a large group of ants commonly found nesting in fields, meadows and lawns in Iowa. Field ants are probably our most commonly observed kind of ant. They are primarily medium sized (about 1/4 inch long), ... [... more]
Iowa State University |
Earwigs / Iowa Insect Information Notes
Earwigs are a fairly well-known insect, from folk lore if not from actual experience. The earwig is the insect reputed in superstition to purposefully crawl into the ears of sleeping persons for the purpose of burrowing into the brain to lay ... [... more]
Iowa State University |
Mealworms / Iowa Insect Information Notes
The mealworms are common, widespread insects that occasionally infest stored products. The larvae are elongate and cylindrical ("worm-like"), hard-bodied and yellow to golden brown in color. The mealworm adults are nocturnal, black, hardshelled [... more]
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