What Bug Is This?

[The UnDoug]

Hello,

These little beetle-like bugs seem to appear annually in our urban Philadelphia home.

We often find them on their backs, seemingly unable to right themselves. They crawl around otherwise, and we've never seen them fly, so I don't think their capable of flight. They are about the size of a pencil eraser (the kind built into a pencil).

They appear for a month or so, then we don't see them again for a year.

Thanks for any info you can provide.


P.S. I submitted an ID request to "whatsthatbug.com," as well.

[michaelb]

I would call them click beetles, harmless and common. Now with beetles there are more different kinds then any other life form on earth (maybe, just making that up), so finding the exact one can be tricky. So I could be wrong.

[StingMe]

Definitely not a click beetle (Family: Elateridae) - they are much more slender bodied. This looks more like what would generically be called a carpet beetle (Family: Dermestidae). There are lots of dermestids and they come in many shapes, sizes and colors...

michaelb's right though - there are more than 350,000 species of beetles on our little planet

[OWC Jamie]

I have some yellow and black carpet beetles that I only see in the middle of Summer in the kitchen.
Kinda havta get down on the floor and peel the carpet back from the cabinet to find them, though.
(I don't like ants so I tend to clean a bit more thoroughly in the Summer)

[NewtonMP2100]

....RYFs......!!! bed bugs....????

[Robert M]

Newton,

Absolutely, positively, not bedbugs. Heck, bedbugs aren't beetles at all. They're an entirely different type of bug. However, what kind of beetle is in the photo, I can't say. Unfortunately, beetles come in a slew of different shapes, sizes and colors. And, to the best of my knowledge, one of the distinguishing features of many beetles is flight. The hard carapace opens to reveal wings. Can they all fly? Not sure.

I'm pretty sure the one in the photo isn't a click beetle. Like StingMe said, they tend to be more slender and have some color. My parents get them because they jump from trees that are close to the side of the house and in turn make their way inside. Can't remember off the top of my head if they fly but they definitely jump. I've seen it!

I've seen carpet beetles that look like the one in the photo. The good news is they aren't numerous. I've seen just a few in my apartment over the years. Unfortunately, they tended not to stay in the rugs. I've also never seen a live carpet beetle. They're all dead and crispy by the time I've found them.

It's too bad I can't say that about lady bugs and clover mites. I live in a "Ladybug" building and have to deal with them each fall. They are _very_ annoying. Clover mites only appear in the spring. Not many but enough to be readily seen on the window sill. Annoying since they leave a huge reddish smear upon squishing. It isn't blood. Just the actual color of the mites themselves. Unlike ladybugs which are opportunistic biters (and voracious predators of aphids), clover mites are vegetarian and harmless to people. It's amazing how such a tiny bug can leave such a _huge_ smear of reddish orange.

Robert

[guymac]

It looks like one of the carpet bugs.
Google it under the name kitchen beetles (images) and you will see it immediately!