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IPM for Maine Homeowners
Pest Identification Assistance
Link to our Fact Sheets page
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Further Help - Additional Pest Management Resources for Maine homeowners
Pest ID Heading
Did you find your critter indoors or outdoors, and how was it moving?

NOTE: This is not an exhaustive list, but contains those that are most commonly found by homeowners in Maine (especially those critters that are considered household pests and/or a nuissance).
Indoors:
Flying
Jumping
Walking or Crawling [including Spiders]

Outdoors:
Flying
Jumping
Walking or Crawling [including Spiders]


Flying (Indoors)
Bark Beetles: html || pdf Photo Link
Blow Flies: html (IA State) Photo Link
Carpenter Ant Queen (or smaller, male drone): html.|| pdf
-- See also 'Flying Ants'  -- additional photo (via UMN)
Click for a photo of a winged Carpenter Ant queen
Clothes Moths: html || pdf (U.KY) Photo Link
Cluster Flies: html || pdf Photo Link
Crane Flies: html (Texas A&M) Click for a crane fly photo
Drain Flies: html (Ohio State) Photo Link
Flesh Flies: html (IA State) Photo Link
Flying Ants: html (Colorado State - includes photos)
-- See also the Ants section of our Fact Sheets
Fruit Flies: html (Iowa State) Photo Link
Fungus Gnats: html (Ohio State) Photo Link
House Flies: html (U.Florida) -- See also Cluster Flies, as they are often mistaken for House Flies. Click for a house fly photo
Indian Mealmoth: html (Penn State) Photo Link
Western Conifer Seed Bug.(Penn State) (resembles a wasp in both appearance and in sound while buzzing/flying around a room) Click for a western confier seed bug photo
Yellowjackets || Wasps.||.Hornets: html || pdf || y En Español (U.KY)
Baldfaced Hornets (Iowa State Univ)
Wood Borers
(can hitch a ride on firewood that is brought indoors)
1). Longhorned Beetles: html (IA State) Photo Link
2). Metallic Wood-Boring Beetles: html (U.Minnesota)
Photo Link
3). Horntails (wasp-like): html (Cornell) Click for a horntail photo

Walking or Crawling (Indoors)
NOTE: The.Y symbol next to a specimen means it can also fly.
Ants:.See the 'Ants' section of our Fact Sheets page
Bed Bugs: html || pdf
html (Cornell - includes photos)
html.(U. Kentucky) En Español (includes photos)
Booklice (psocids): html || pdf.(Penn State)
Photo Link
Carpet Beetles (adults and larvae): html || pdf
Click for a carpet beetle photo
Centipedes || Millipedes || Sowbugs/Pillbugs: pdf (U. of Maryland) (includes photos)
Cockroaches: html || pdf
Click for a photo of some cockroaches
Earwigs: html || pdf
Click for a photo of an earwig adult
Grain Beetles (in kitchen, garage, or any room where grain, dried fruit or bird seed is stored): html || pdf
Click for a photo of some grain beetles
Lady Bugs Y (Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle): html (USDA) (includes photo)
Lady Beetles in Homes: html (Cornell)
Larder Beetles (often in or near pet food or pet food dishes): html || pdf
Click to see a picture
Masked Hunter Y: html (U. Minnesota)
Click to see a picture of an adult Masked Hunter - a kind of assassin bug
Millipedes: html || pdf
Click for a photo of some millipedes
Silverfish: html.(Ohio State)
Click for a silverfish photo
SPIDERS: html || pdf
Grass Spider (Iowa State Univ.)
(more Spider photos)
Western Conifer Seed Bug.Y (Penn State)
Click for a western confier seed bug photo
NOTE: The.Y symbol next to a specimen means it can also fly.

Jumping (Indoors)
Fleas: html || pdf Cat Flea (photo)
House Crickets (often in basements): html (U.Florida) Photo Link
Jumping Spiders: html (wikipedia) (includes photos) Click for a photo showing an example of a Jumping Spider (more photos)
Springtails: html (Univ. of Arizona) || html (wikipedia) Click for a photo showing springtails

Flying (Outdoors)
Maine Forest Service reminder:.Don't transport firewood!
Bark Beetles: html || pdf
Blow Flies: html (IA State) Photo Link
Blueberry Maggot Fly: html || pdf (includes photos)
Carpenter Ant Queen: (or smaller, male drone) -- See also 'Flying Ants'  html.|| pdf
additional photo (via UMN)
Click for a photo of a winged Carpenter Ant queen
Chinch Bugs: html || pdf Photo Link
Cluster Flies: html || pdf
Codling Moth (apple pest): html || pdf (U.KY) (includes photo)
Crane Flies: html (Texas A&M) Click for a photo of a crane fly
Flesh Flies: html (IA State) Photo Link
Flying Ants: html (Colorado State - includes photos)
-- See also the Ants section of our Fact Sheets
Fruit Flies: html (Iowa State) Photo Link
House Flies: html (U.Florida) Click for a photo of a house fly
Japanese Beetles: html || pdf Click for a photo of Japanese Beetles
Longhorned Beetles: html (Iowa State Univ) Photo Link
Asian Longhorned Beetle (Maine Dept. of Agriculture) (includes photo) (Bangor TV5 News)
Plus.ID Help: ALB or Not ALB? (Cornell)
Note: The invasive Asian Longhorned Beetle has not yet been confirmed in Maine. The nearest confirmed infestation was found in Worcester, MA.
Rose Chafer: html (U.Minn) Click for a picture of some Rose Chafer adults
Sawflies: European Apple Sawfly (Cornell)
European Pine Sawfly (OSU)
Photo Link
(assorted)
Tarnished Plant Bug: html.|| pdf Click to see a picture of a Tarnished Plant Bug
see also Canada page: English or Français
Yellowjackets || Wasps || Hornets: html || pdf || y En Español (U.KY)
Baldfaced Hornets (Iowa State Univ)
Vegetable Pests
Asparagus Beetles: html (Penn State) || html (K.State) Click for a photo of an asparagus beetle
Blister beetles: html (U.Florida) Click for a photo of some blister beetle adults
Cabbage Maggot (adult): html || pdf || Photo Link (Cornell)
Cabbageworm (adult): html || pdf.Click for a photo of imported cabbageworm - all life stages
Corn Earworm (adult): html.Click for a photo of corn earworm - adult and larvae
Cucumber Beetle: html || pdf.Click for a photo of a Striped Cucumber Beetle
Diamondback Moth: html (U.Florida) Click for a photo of a diamondback moth (plus larva and cocoon/pupa)
Japanese Beetles: html || pdf.Click for a photo of Japanese Beetles
Tarnished Plant Bug: html.|| pdf.Click to see a picture of a Tarnished Plant Bug -- see also Canada page: English or Français
Wood/Tree Borers
Longhorned Beetles: html (IA State Univ) Photo Link
-- see also Asian Longhorned Beetle (invasive pest!) (Maine Dept. of Agriculture) (includes photos) || Plus ID Help: ALB or Not ALB? (Cornell)
Metallic Wood-Boring Beetles: html (U.Minnesota) Photo Link
Horntails (wasp-like): html (Cornell) Photo
Maine Forest Service reminder:.Don't transport firewood!

Jumping (Outdoors)
Flea Beetle (adults): html.(Colorada State Univ. Ext.) (includes photos) -- see also Blueberry Flea Beetle: html || pdf.(UMaine) (includes photos)
Froghoppers (a.k.a. Spittlebug adults): html (Oregon State Univ.) || Photo Link
Grasshoppers, Crickets and Katydids: html.(includes photos)
Jumping Spiders:.html (wikipedia - includes photos) Click for a photo showing an example of a Jumping Spider (additional photos)
Leafhoppers: html || pdf.Click for a photo showing springtails(additional photos)
Springtails: html (VA Extension) || html (wikipedia) Click for a photo showing springtails

Walking or Crawling (Outdoors)
NOTE: The.Y symbol next to a specimen means it can also fly.
Ants:.See the 'Ants' section of our Fact Sheets page
Centipedes || Millipedes || Sowbugs/Pillbugs: pdf (U. of Maryland) (includes photos)
Chinch Bugs: Y.html.||.pdf.|| Photo Link
Click Beetles: Y.html || pdf.Click for a photo of a typical Click beetle a Maine homeowner would be likely to see|| additional photo (including larvae/wireworms)
Earwigs: html || pdf.Click for a photo of an earwig adult
Gypsy Moth Caterpillars: html || pdf.Click for a photo showing a gypsy moth caterpillar (plus moths) plus Photo Link (closer view of caterpillars)
Lady Bugs Y (Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle): html (USDA) (includes photo)
Lady Beetles in Homes: html (Cornell)
Leaf Beetles: html (wikipedia)
  • Lily Leaf Beetle (larvae and Y adults): html (UMaine) || html (UMass)
  • Viburnum Leaf Beetle (larvae and Y adults): html (Cornell)
Longhorned Beetles: Y html (Iowa State Univ) || Asian Longhorned Beetle (U.Vermont) (includes photos) || PlusID Help: ALB or Not ALB? (Cornell)
Millipedes:.html || pdf.Click for a photo of some millipedes
Spittlebugs (larvae): html (Oregon State Univ.) || Photo Link
Tarnished Plant Bug: Y html.|| pdf.Click to see a picture of a Tarnished Plant Bug -- see also Canada page: English or Français
Tent Caterpillars: html || pdf (UMaine) || also html (U. of Missouri Extension) Click for side-by-side photos of both Forest Tent Caterpillars as well as an Eastern Tent Caterpillar
Ticks: html || pdf.Click for a photo of an American Dog Tick see also the Maine Medical Center's Ticks in Maine page for Lyme disease information, tips and photos. They will also identify ticks for you.
Western Conifer Seed Bug_Y (Penn State) Click for a western confier seed bug photo
Woollybear (Tiger Moth) Caterpillars (U.Missouri Extension): Banded Woollybear || Yellow Woollybear
NOTE: The.Y symbol next to a specimen means it can also fly.
Vegetable Pests
Asparagus Beetles: Y html (Penn State) || html (K.State) 
Blister Beetles: Y html (U.Florida) Click for a photo of some blister beetle adults
Cabbage Looper (inchworm): html (U.Florida) Click for a photo of a cabbage looper - larval stage
Cabbage Maggot (larva): html || pdf || Photo Link (NCSU)
Cabbageworm (larva): html || pdf.Click for a photo of imported cabbageworm - all life stages
Colorado Potato Beetle (larvae and Y adults): html || also html
Corn Earworm (larva): html.Click for a photo of corn earworm - adult and larvae
Cucumber Beetle: Y html || pdf.Click for a photo of a Striped Cucumber Beetle
Cutworm (larva): html || pdf.Click for a photo of cutworm larvae
Diamondback Moth (larva): html (U.Florida) Click for a photo of a diamondback moth (plus larva and cocoon/pupa)
Fall Armyworm (corn pest): html.Click for a photo of a Fall Armyworm larva
Flea Beetle (larvae): html(Colorada State Univ. Ext.) (includes photos) -- see also Blueberry Flea Beetle: html || pdf.(UMaine) (includes photos)
Hornworms: html (K.State) Click for a photo of three different hornworm caterpillars
Mexican Bean Beetle (larvae and Y adults) (rare except perhaps in southern Maine): html (U.Florida) (includes photos) Click for a photo of Mexican Bean Beetle
Spider Mites: html || pdf (UMaine) || html (ME Forest Service).Click for a photo of a kind of spider mite
Squash Bug: Y html || pdf.Click for a photo of a Squash Bug
Stink Bugs: Y html (NCSU) || Photo Link (Iowa State)
Tarnished Plant Bug: Y html.|| pdf.Click to see a picture of a Tarnished Plant Bug -- see also Canada page: English or Français
Wireworms: html || pdf || see also html (specific to Maine potatoes)
NOTE: The.Y symbol next to a specimen means it can also fly.
Spiders
html.(Penn State) (includes photos)
see also:
html (Joint publication between Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa)
html.(Univ. of Kentucky) (includes photos)
Click for a large assortment of photos of spiders and their identifications at BugGuide.netYou can find many additional spider photos at BugGuide.net, as well as throughout the following individual spider pages:
Barn Funnel Weaver: html.(Penn State) (includes photo)
Crab Spiders: html.(Michigan State Univ.) (includes photo)
Fishing Spider (fairly large in size): html.(Penn State) (includes photo)
Grass Spiders: html.(Penn State) (includes photos)
Marbled Orbweaver: html.(Penn State) (includes photos)
Yellow Garden Spider: html.(Penn State) (includes photos)
Wolf Spiders: html.(Penn State) (includes photo)
NOTE: People have varying sensitivity to spider bites. In rare cases, some individuals with highly sensitive or weakened immune systems may have a significant to severe reaction to a bite from an otherwise nonpoisonous spider, and there are many spiders that homeowners mistakenly suspect to be the Brown Recluse [follow link for Ohio State Univ. Fact Sheet]. Misdiagnoses are thus very common. (US Distribution Map for Brown Recluse)

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