Insect identification pages
Field guides for common North American insects, ticks, spiders, and look-alikes. Identify one from a photo.
Mosquitoes
- Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus
- Cattail mosquito Coquillettidia perturbans
- Common malaria mosquito Anopheles quadrimaculatus
- Gallinipper Psorophora ciliata
- Inland floodwater mosquito Aedes vexans
- Northern house mosquito Culex pipiens
- Saltmarsh mosquito Aedes sollicitans
- Southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus
- Western encephalitis mosquito Culex tarsalis
- Woodland pool mosquito Aedes canadensis
- Yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti
Ticks
- American dog tick Dermacentor variabilis
- Asian longhorned tick Haemaphysalis longicornis
- Brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus
- Deer tick Ixodes scapularis
- Deer tick nymph Ixodes scapularis nymph
- Groundhog tick Ixodes cookei
- Gulf Coast tick Amblyomma maculatum
- Lone star tick Amblyomma americanum
- Pacific Coast tick Dermacentor occidentalis
- Rabbit tick Haemaphysalis leporispalustris
- Rocky Mountain wood tick Dermacentor andersoni
- Western blacklegged tick Ixodes pacificus
Spiders and scorpions
- Arizona bark scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus
- Brown recluse Loxosceles reclusa
- Brown widow Latrodectus geometricus
- Carolina wolf spider Hogna carolinensis
- False widow Steatoda grossa
- Northern black widow Latrodectus variolus
- Southern black widow Latrodectus mactans
- Striped bark scorpion Centruroides vittatus
- Western black widow Latrodectus hesperus
- Yellow garden spider Argiope aurantia
- Yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium inclusum
Biting flies
- Black fly Simulium spp.
- Deer fly Chrysops spp.
- Horn fly Haematobia irritans
- Horse fly Tabanus spp.
- No-see-um Culicoides spp.
- Sand fly Lutzomyia spp.
- Stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans
- Yellow fly Chrysops atlanticus
Ants, bees, and wasps
- Bald-faced hornet Dolichovespula maculata
- Black and yellow mud dauber Sceliphron caementarium
- Blister beetle Epicauta spp.
- Common eastern bumble bee Bombus impatiens
- Eastern carpenter bee Xylocopa virginica
- Eastern cicada killer Sphecius speciosus
- Eastern yellowjacket Vespula maculifrons
- European hornet Vespa crabro
- Honey bee Apis mellifera
- Northern paper wasp Polistes fuscatus
- Pavement ant Tetramorium immigrans
- Pharaoh ant Monomorium pharaonis
- Red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta
- Southern fire ant Solenopsis xyloni
- Southern flannel moth caterpillar Megalopyge opercularis
- Sweat bee Halictus / Lasioglossum spp.
- Velvet ant Dasymutilla occidentalis
- Western harvester ant Pogonomyrmex occidentalis
- Western yellowjacket Vespula pensylvanica
Chiggers and mites
- Chigger Eutrombicula alfreddugesi
- Oak leaf itch mite Pyemotes herfsi
- Scabies mite Sarcoptes scabiei
- Straw itch mite Pyemotes tritici
Indoor insects
- Assassin bug Reduviidae (wheel bug and kin)
- Bat bug Cimex pilosellus
- Bed bug Cimex lectularius
- Boxelder bug Boisea trivittata
- Brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys
- Cat flea Ctenocephalides felis
- European earwig Forficula auricularia
- Giant desert centipede Scolopendra heros
- House centipede Scutigera coleoptrata
- House fly Musca domestica
- Kissing bug Triatoma sanguisuga
- Silverfish Lepisma saccharinum
- Varied carpet beetle Anthrenus verbasci
- Western conenose Triatoma protracta
Often confused insects
- Aphid Aphididae
- Caddisfly Trichoptera
- Cicada Neotibicen / Magicicada spp.
- Clothes moth Tineola bisselliella
- Cluster fly Pollenia spp.
- Common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum
- Crane fly Tipula spp.
- Damselfly Zygoptera
- Dragonfly Anisoptera
- Drain fly Psychodidae
- Firefly Lampyridae
- Fruit fly Drosophila spp.
- Fungus gnat Sciaridae
- German cockroach Blattella germanica
- Grasshopper Acrididae
- Green lacewing Chrysoperla spp.
- House cricket Acheta domesticus
- Hover fly Syrphidae
- Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella
- June beetle Phyllophaga spp.
- Katydid Tettigoniidae
- Lady beetle Harmonia axyridis
- Mayfly Ephemeroptera
- Millipede Diplopoda
- Pill bug Armadillidium vulgare
- Praying mantis Mantidae
- Soldier beetle Chauliognathus pensylvanicus
- Springtail Collembola
- Subterranean termite Reticulitermes spp.
- Walkingstick Diapheromera femorata
- Weevil Curculionidae