When we were kids, we used to call these stink bugs. When bothered, they stick their rears in the air and we were always told to stay away from them. When I Googled stink bugs, though, none of them looked like this guy.
They're all over the place here, especially in the garage and under/around the door mats. Is it perhaps in the same family as the stink bug? Any way to control them? We keep stepping on them on the way to the house. :-(
Kathleen
Don't step on them....I belive they are beneficial
I belive it might be this one: http://bugguide.net/node/view/5497
http://bugguide.net/node/view/3015
This message was edited Oct 25, 2004 4:56 PM
No it's not a close ralative to the "Stink Bug". What you have looks like a Beetle and the sticking the rear up points towards a "Darkling Beetle"
http://www.pnl.gov/pals/resource_cards/darklingbeetles.stm
http://www.coestatepark.com/darkling_beetle.htm
added another link
This message was edited Oct 25, 2004 6:41 PM
Thanks, Panamon, that seems right. Seems they are sometimes called 'stink beetles' too, so my childhood memory wasn't far off. We had a large load of shredded redwood bark delivered recently, which might explain the sudden increase.
Wish it would have been a beneficial, though. :-( We have a lot of seedling plants and more to come, so we'll have to watch what's happening.
Hello, I have these in my garden too. Are they particularly bad? I don't have an overabundance, but will be more diligent on eradication if they're destructive. Please advise. Thanks!
Darkling beetles are not destructive as far as I know. They are detritus feeders I believe.
Sorry, but what is 'detritus'? Thanks for the response.
detritus = dead plant bits, misc. organic material
Thanks much. I'm learning a ton on this site!
