Bug Identifier

What bug is this?

A bug identifier matches the insect in front of you, or the bite it left behind. The tool above covers the bugs people ask about most: mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, no-see-ums, biting flies, bees, and wasps. Start with the photo if you still have the bug. Switch to the bite view if the bug is gone and you are left asking what bug is this.

Outdoor bites cluster around the same places. Trails, long grass, lake edges, and camp chairs after dusk account for most of them. If you want a local read on what is active this week, open the bug bite forecast for your state or province.

Identify this bug from the bite

A bug bite identifier is a guess, not a lab test. Three details do most of the work: whether the mark is one welt or a cluster, where it sits on the body, and how fast it started to itch. A bite that shows up within minutes is a different insect from one you notice the next morning.

• Chigger bite relief for a line or cluster of small itchy spots after grass or brush.
• Baking soda for mosquito bites for a single welt that itches right away.
• Hydrocortisone cream for mosquito bites when you want to compare a cream with a stick.
• Stop bug bite itching fast for the first steps after any bite.

What bit me?

What bit me and what insect bit me are the same question with less of the bug left behind. A single itchy welt that shows up fast, often on an ankle, wrist, or neck after dusk, is often a mosquito. A line or cluster of small itchy spots around a waistband, sock line, or behind a knee, a day after tall grass, is often chiggers. A firm mark that stays for days, with a small dark speck still in the skin, needs a closer look for a tick.

Biting flies leave a larger, more painful mark and you usually saw the fly. Bees and wasps leave a single sting with a sharper pain than an itch. No-see-ums leave tiny itchy spots in a group, usually near water at dawn or dusk, and you rarely see the insect.

Bug bite identification

Use the marks this way when you are identifying a bug bite:

• One welt, itches within minutes: mosquito, or a biting fly if the mark is larger and you saw the insect.
• A cluster or line, itches the next day, often at a tight spot in clothing: chiggers.
• Tiny grouped spots near water at dawn or dusk: no-see-ums.
• A firm mark that lasts for days, sometimes with the insect still attached: tick. Remove it and note the date.
• One sharp sting, the insect was obvious: bee or wasp.

This page is a bug identifier for the bite and the insect. It does not replace a clinician if you have a spreading rash, trouble breathing, or a tick you cannot remove.

After you identify the bite

Once you have a likely match, treat the itch and keep the spot clean. Just Bite Me is a natural bug bite relief stick made with beeswax, coconut oil, baking soda, lemongrass oil, and wintergreen oil. It is pocket-sized, so it fits a pack, a car door, or a tackle box. Read how the bug bite stick compares with cream, or find a store on the store locator.

Common questions

What bug is this?

Use the bug identifier at the top of this page. Match the insect you saw, or start from the bite if the bug is gone. Mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, and biting flies are the ones that show up most often.

How do I identify this bug from a bite?

Look at whether the mark is single or in a cluster, where it is, and how fast it itched. A fast single welt points to a mosquito. A cluster after grass or brush points to chiggers. A firm mark that stays for days should be checked for a tick.

What bit me?

What bit me usually comes down to the mark and the place. A welt after dusk is often a mosquito. A line of small itchy spots after tall grass is often chiggers. A mark with the insect still attached is a tick.