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Post by ginabina on Jun 9, 2020 10:01:41 GMT -8
Hi! My friend keeps finding these beetles in her house, and I have looked everywhere to identify them. We are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The body is brown, and the tip of it's butt is shiny blue. They're skinny and long. She said she hasn't seen one fly yet besides one trying and failing to. The only things I can find that even look close to it are blister beetles and woodland ground beetles but they aren't the right colors. Sorry the picture isn't the best. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!  |
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Post by Paul K on Jun 9, 2020 13:37:44 GMT -8
Looks like it is blister beetle: Lytta nuttalli.
I’m not an expert in Coleoptera so someone else would have to confirm.
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Post by bandrow on Jun 9, 2020 17:27:23 GMT -8
Greetings, neighbor! I live in Gibsonia, so in a global sense, I'm right next door. Your beetle looks like a species of Oedemeridae - the 'false blister beetles' - and in particular, Nacerdes melanura. This species - called the 'wharf borer' was introduced from the Old World into the U.S. in the early 1900's and is fairly common in our area. The larvae infest wet, decaying wood and can be common in homes if there is wet wood somewhere, usually in basements. Here is a link to the species on BugGuide - there is more information and images there for you to examine... Nacerdes melanura on BugGuideHope this helps! Bandrow |
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Post by Paul K on Jun 9, 2020 18:54:03 GMT -8
So to speak I was fooled by mimic 🤪
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Post by bandrow on Jun 10, 2020 6:47:42 GMT -8
Hi Paul, Yes, you were!  Oddly, the worst blisters to my skin that I have ever experienced were from a species of "false blister beetle" in the Florida Keys. This oedemerid was coming to the light sheet and would get under my shirt collar and up into my sleeve. I would just wipe them away, but in the morning, I had a number of very shallow, fluid-filled blisters around my neck and upper arm, some over an inch in diameter. They did not affect the skin very deeply, kind of like a bad sunburn, and dried and healed in a couple of days. Those were certainly not "false"!! This reminded me - there was an article in a local Key Largo newspaper while we were there, talking about those beetles. In it, they used a picture of a tiger beetle, labeled as "blister beetle". I'll see if I can find that and post an image... Cheers! Bandrow |
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Post by ginabina on Jun 10, 2020 8:02:10 GMT -8
Hi Bandrow, Hello neighbor! Thank you so much for the identification! I sent it to my friend, and she said that was exactly it! We both really appreciate it. Do you know if these bite? That's our big concern right now. She also found another kind of beetle last night and has had a few more since. If you would give that one a look, too, that'd be great! She said they're a little bigger than half a centimeter and dark brown.   She's always had a bug problem with click beetles and various ground wasps I've identified over the years, but this year is seeming to be all new ones. Thank you so much! Gina |
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Post by bandrow on Jun 10, 2020 19:23:30 GMT -8
Hi Gina, Glad to be of help! As for the Nacerdes melanura - no worries about it biting - they are harmless. Their presence does indicate some damp wood somewhere, so it might be wise to give the area a once-over to see what might be damp, and start in the basement, if there is one. The other specimen is a little unclear, but it looks a lot like a carpet beetle - a member of the family Dermestidae commonly found in homes. There are several species, all very similar. Here is a link to information about the genus: black carpet beetlesHope this helps! Bandrow |
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Post by bigrichpgh on Jun 11, 2020 8:59:54 GMT -8
I think im getting the ines in the fist pic. Im also in Pittsburgh. What can i use to get rid of these? I have a picture dont know how to post it tho
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Post by bandrow on Jun 11, 2020 9:41:34 GMT -8
Greetings,
Yes - the specimen in your avatar image is Nacerdes melanura as well. Looks like Pittsburgh is having a bumper year for these! I'm not a pest control guy but I would suspect that finding their host wood and reconciling that would be the way to get rid of them. The adults are harmless, and the larvae are breeding in already-compromised wood, so they're more an indication of a different problem, than a problem themselves.
Start in the basement, or in any other place that there may be damp wood - it will likely be in the general vicinity of where you're seeing the beetles...
Cheers!
Bandrow
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Post by bigrichpgh on Jun 11, 2020 10:03:36 GMT -8
Great thanks bandrow
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Post by Adam Cotton on Jun 11, 2020 10:58:40 GMT -8
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