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The Wild Pest
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Other Arthropods

The everything-else file — pillbugs, springtails, sea spiders, and oddities.

37 on file

On File
A peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus), vivid green-and-orange body with stalked compound eyes.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs87
Alias
Odontodactylus scyllarus

Peacock Mantis Shrimp

Sees 12 colors. Punches at 50 mph. The flash is hotter than the sun's surface.

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On File
An antlion larva (Myrmeleon formicarius) at the bottom of its sand pit, sickle-shaped jaws visible.
Curious
Six Legs77
Alias
Myrmeleon formicarius

Antlion

Larva digs a sand pit. Hides under it. Ant slides in. Jaws close. Adult is a delicate dragonfly. Unrelated to ants.

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On File
A green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea), pale green slender body with delicate transparent lace-veined wings.
Beneficial
Six Legs75
Alias
Chrysoperla carnea

Green Lacewing

Larva eats 600 aphids. Mother lays eggs on stilts to keep siblings from eating each other. Sold by the kilo.

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On File
A common mayfly (Ephemera vulgata), slender body with three long tail filaments and translucent upraised wings.
Curious
Six Legs82
Alias
Ephemera vulgata

Common Mayfly

Adult life: 24 hours. Sometimes 5 minutes. The order's name means 'short-lived wing.'

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On File
A common pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare), grey segmented body curled into a partial defensive ball.
Beneficial
Six Legs76
Alias
Armadillidium vulgare

Common Pillbug

Not a bug. A land crustacean. Closer to a lobster than to anything in your garden.

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On File
An eastern dobsonfly (Corydalus cornutus) male, large gray-brown body with absurdly elongated curved mandibles extending forward from the head.
Curious
Six Legs80
Alias
Corydalus cornutus

Eastern Dobsonfly

Male carries 4 cm mandibles too long to bite. Larva ('hellgrammite') is a 3-year underwater predator.

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On File
A European mantispid (Mantispa styriaca), small mantis-mimic neuropteran insect with raptorial front legs, triangular head with prominent forward-facing eyes, and four membranous wings, six legs, side profile.
Curious
Six Legs81
Alias
Mantispa styriaca

European Mantispid

European mantis-mimic LACEWING. Larvae burrow into SPIDER EGG SACS and eat the developing spiderlings.

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On File
A Saint Helena giant earwig (Labidura herculeana) preserved museum specimen, large reddish-brown earwig with dramatic dark forceps at the rear, six legs, top view.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs88
Alias
Labidura herculeana

Saint Helena Giant Earwig

LARGEST EARWIG ever known. 8 cm. Endemic to Saint Helena. Now believed EXTINCT (last seen 1967).

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On File
A striped earwig (Labidura riparia), large tan-yellow earwig with two dark longitudinal stripes down the dorsal surface and prominent forward-curving forceps at the rear, six legs, top view.
Beneficial
Six Legs77
Alias
Labidura riparia

Striped Earwig

Largest NA earwig. Major beneficial predator of crop pests. Females provide GUARDED MATERNAL CARE.

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On File
A hellgrammite (Corydalus cornutus larva), large flattened dark-brown elongated aquatic predator with massive curved sickle-like jaws and prominent lateral filaments along each abdominal segment, side profile.
Outlaw
Six Legs85
Alias
Corydalus cornutus

Hellgrammite

Predatory aquatic larva of dobsonfly. 6-9 cm. Massive sickle jaws. Most-prized live bait in NA stream fishing.

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On File
A giant isopod (Bathynomus giganteus), enormous pinkish-gray segmented deep-sea isopod resembling a giant pillbug, fourteen legs, top view.
Curious
Six Legs84
Alias
Bathynomus giganteus

Giant Isopod

Largest known isopod on Earth. 50 cm. Looks like a giant pillbug. FASTS for FIVE YEARS at a time.

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On File
A tongue-eating louse (Cymothoa exigua), pale gray-pink segmented isopod with hooked legs and piercing mouthparts, fourteen legs, top view.
Outlaw
Six Legs85
Alias
Cymothoa exigua

Tongue-Eating Louse

Severs a fish's tongue and PERMANENTLY REPLACES it with her own body. Only known parasite that replaces a host organ.

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On File
A coconut crab (Birgus latro), enormous reddish-brown terrestrial crab with massive chela (front claws) and long walking legs, top view.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs88
Alias
Birgus latro

Coconut Crab

LARGEST land-living arthropod on Earth. 4 kg, 1 m leg span. Climbs trees and opens coconuts.

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On File
A giant vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus), dark brown-to-black scorpion-like arachnid with massive heavy pedipalps and a long whip-like terminal tail, eight legs, top view.
Curious
Six Legs83
Alias
Mastigoproctus giganteus

Giant Vinegaroon

Looks like a scorpion. Sprays CONCENTRATED VINEGAR. No venom. No sting. Just weaponized acetic acid.

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On File
A chigoe flea (Tunga penetrans) free-living adult, very small dark wingless insect with powerful hind jumping legs, magnified scientific specimen.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs90
Alias
Tunga penetrans

Chigoe Flea (Jigger)

Female burrows INTO your foot. Stays embedded 4-6 weeks. Affects 20M+ people worldwide.

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On File
A mantisfly (Mantispa styriaca), slender pale green body with raptorial green forelegs, four translucent veined wings folded back, six legs total.
Curious
Six Legs85
Alias
Mantispa styriaca

Mantisfly

Lacewing that evolved into a mantis. Larva hitchhikes on spiders to eat their eggs.

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On File
An owl fly (Libelloides macaronius), elongated body with four bright black-and-yellow patterned wings folded back, enormous bulging compound eyes, long club-tipped antennae.
Curious
Six Legs79
Alias
Libelloides macaronius

Owl Fly

Dragonfly look-alike that's actually a lacewing relative. Giant owl-eyes. Butterfly-club antennae.

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On File
A snake fly (Raphidia notata), elongated dark brown body with dramatically elongated prothorax neck held vertically and head reared up, four veined wings folded over back.
Beneficial
Six Legs76
Alias
Raphidia notata

Snake Fly

Insect with a 'snake' neck. Tiny ancient order — 270 million years old. Only in the Northern Hemisphere.

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On File
A velvet worm (Peripatus juliformis), elongated soft-bodied dark blue-gray segmented body with many pairs of stubby unjointed legs, on damp forest floor.
Curious
Six Legs86
Alias
Peripatus juliformis

Velvet Worm

Squirts adhesive slime to trap prey. 540 million years old. Closest living relative of arthropods.

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On File
A body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus), tiny pale tan wingless insect with six legs and short antennae, magnified scientific specimen.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs83
Alias
Pediculus humanus humanus

Body Louse

Vector of typhus that killed 30M+. Dated origin of human clothing. Lives only in the seams of your clothes.

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On File
A crab louse (Pthirus pubis), tiny pale tan wide flattened wingless insect with distinctive crab-like body shape and strong claws on the legs, magnified scientific specimen.
Outlaw
Six Legs78
Alias
Pthirus pubis

Crab Louse (Pubic Louse)

Crab-shaped louse. Host-jumped from gorillas to early hominins 3-4 million years ago.

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On File
An oriental rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis), tiny laterally-compressed dark brown wingless insect with powerful hind jumping legs, magnified specimen.
Apex Outlaw
Six Legs91
Alias
Xenopsylla cheopis

Oriental Rat Flea

Vector of bubonic plague. Killed 200+ MILLION humans across history. Most consequential insect ever.

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On File
A caddisfly (Helicopsyche borealis) larva inside a snail-shell-shaped case made of sand grains, on a stream rock.
Beneficial
Six Legs86
Alias
Helicopsyche borealis

Caddisfly

Larvae build portable cases. French artist had caddisflies build cases from gold and gemstones.

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On File
A firebrat (Thermobia domestica), elongated silver-and-tan-mottled body tapering to three tail filaments, with long antennae.
Curious
Six Legs74
Alias
Thermobia domestica

Firebrat

Silverfish's heat-loving cousin. Lives behind ovens at 40°C. 400 million years old.

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On File
A cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis), tiny laterally-compressed dark brown wingless insect with powerful hind jumping legs and short antennae.
Outlaw
Six Legs86
Alias
Ctenocephalides felis

Cat Flea

Most common flea worldwide. Jumps 100× her body length at 100g. Dominant flea on cats, dogs, humans.

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On File
A head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis), tiny pale gray-brown wingless insect with six legs and short antennae, magnified specimen on cream backdrop.
Outlaw
Six Legs79
Alias
Pediculus humanus capitis

Head Louse

Lives ONLY on human heads. Her cousin the body louse dated the invention of clothing.

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On File
An Atlantic horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus), large brown domed carapace with hinged abdomen and long pointed telson tail.
Curious
Six Legs96
Alias
Limulus polyphemus

Atlantic Horseshoe Crab

450 million years old, blue-blooded living fossil, used to test every vaccine on Earth for endotoxins.

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On File
A book scorpion (Chelifer cancroides), tiny brown arachnid resembling a miniature scorpion with prominent pincer pedipalps but no tail.
Beneficial
Six Legs82
Alias
Chelifer cancroides

Book Scorpion (Pseudoscorpion)

Tiny scorpion-cousin in your bookshelf. Eats booklice and dust mites. Hitchhikes on flies.

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On File
An Antarctic deep-sea sea spider (Colossendeis colossea), pale spindly arthropod with a tiny central body and eight extraordinarily long thin legs, dorsal view.
Curious
Six Legs84
Alias
Colossendeis colossea

Sea Spider

Marine arthropod with internal organs IN the legs. Antarctic giants reach 70 cm leg span.

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On File
A snow flea (Hypogastrura nivicola), tiny dark blue-black springtail with elongated body, six legs, on a white snow surface.
Curious
Six Legs80
Alias
Hypogastrura nivicola

Snow Flea

Tiny springtail active on snow. Antifreeze protein keeps her alive at -20°C. Used in medical cryopreservation.

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On File
A booklouse (Liposcelis bostrychophila), tiny pale tan flat-bodied insect with long antennae, magnified specimen on cream backdrop.
Curious
Six Legs73
Alias
Liposcelis bostrychophila

Booklouse (Psocid)

1 mm. Eats the mold on your books. All female. Cosmopolitan museum and library pest.

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On File
A camel spider (Galeodes arabs), tan-colored body with enormous forward-projecting jaws and long pedipalp-like first legs.
Curious
Six Legs86
Alias
Galeodes arabs

Camel Spider

Third major arachnid order. Largest jaws-to-body ratio in arachnids. The fastest arachnid runner.

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On File
A European earwig (Forficula auricularia), elongated brown body with prominent forceps-like cerci at the tail end and short wings.
Curious
Six Legs76
Alias
Forficula auricularia

European Earwig

Practices maternal care. Did NOT inspire her name — the ear-burrowing myth is false.

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On File
A harvestman (Phalangium opilio), small oval body with no waist segmentation and eight extremely long thin legs spread evenly.
Beneficial
Six Legs74
Alias
Phalangium opilio

Harvestman (Daddy Long-Legs)

TRUE daddy long-legs. NOT a spider. No venom. No silk. Eats solid food. 410 million years old.

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On File
A silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum), elongated silver-scaled body tapering to three tail filaments, with long antennae.
Outlaw
Six Legs81
Alias
Lepisma saccharinum

Silverfish

400 million years old. Predates wings. Lives 8 years. Mates by floor-deposited sperm packet.

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On File
A springtail (Folsomia candida), small pale white-cream elongated body with six legs and antennae, magnified specimen on cream backdrop.
Beneficial
Six Legs81
Alias
Folsomia candida

Springtail

100,000 per square meter of soil. Catapults itself with a spring-loaded tail. Survives -60°C.

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On File
A tailless whip scorpion (Damon variegatus), flattened mottled body with spiked raptorial pedipalps held forward and extremely long thin antenniform first legs.
Curious
Six Legs81
Alias
Damon variegatus

Tailless Whip Scorpion

Looks terrifying. Completely harmless. 60 cm of antenna-leg sensors. Featured in Harry Potter.

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