Idaho Insect Identification

Idaho Insect Identification

The Idaho Insect Identification is a free service provided by entomologists working with University of Idaho Extension and University of Idaho’s Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology. This service is meant to help you identify insects, arachnids or other arthropods throughout Idaho. Our goal is to provide accurate identification to help you make appropriate decisions. Our team will respond to you as soon as possible once an identification can be confirmed. We may ask follow-up questions to obtain more information via email to provide you with more information regarding your specimens.

Specimen collecting tips

Collection equipment

A variety of collection equipment can make things much easier for you to capture insects. The following are helpful tools you may consider using if monitoring insect populations are important to you.

• Sweeping net — Effective for collecting insects on plants including trees, shrubs, garden plants and crops
• Forceps — Helpful to pick up insects that may sting or bite
• Plastic or glass jars — Useful to trap and capture insects
• Pitfall traps — Helpful to capture ground insects and monitor their movement
• Lure traps — Use a chemical to attract specific types of insects
• Sticky traps — Monitor insects and pests in your house

Taking quality pictures

High quality pictures to confirm identification can be captured by most smartphones. If possible, place the subject onto a background that will make all the features of the specimen apparent. For darker colored specimens use a white background, for lighter colored specimens a dark background. Multiple photos that ensure good angle shots of the feet, wings, antennae or other body segments can be helpful. Please include a size indicator of the specimen by placing a standard U.S. penny or dime next to the specimen if possible. If the specimen is very small (the size of a pin head or smaller) you may need to use a hand lens to get a clear picture otherwise we may request that you ship the specimen to us or take it to a local extension office.  

Killing and preserving specimens

Sometimes it is essential to kill specimens to get a good picture of them or to ship them to a professional. To do so, you want to cause as little harm to the body of the specimen as possible so they can still be identified. A smashed specimen is usually difficult to identify. It is recommended that specimens be killed using one of the following:

• Submersing them fully in rubbing alcohol for a few minutes
• Not recommended for moths, bees, butterflies or anything hairy
• You can leave them in the alcohol and ship them it
• Placing them in a container and leave them in the freezer overnight
• Placing them in a sealed jar with a paper towel moistened with acetone (nail polish remover)
• Leave them in this jar for at least 30 minutes

How to control pests

Just like most doctors, good pest managers want to help people resolve their issues, but many pests like serious medical issues can be a challenge to fix. First off, when you go to see a doctor, he doesn’t write you a prescription before asking about the symptoms. With pests it is the same. We must first identify the pest and understand how big of a problem it is before we look at ways to help the situation. This is the key purpose of this website, to help you identify potential arthropod pests.

Once we have made a confident identification of the issue, we can move on to treatments. Let’s say your doctor finds that you have heart disease. Your doctor will try to offer you a plan that includes multiple venues that will help your health such as a prescription, a change in diet and exercise or a physical surgery. When managing pests, we do the same and consider all our options including the following treatment and examples:

• Biological — Supporting or releasing predators or parasites to help manage pests
• Chemical — Pesticides, baits, poisons
• Cultural — Crop rotations, cleaning your house
• Genetic — Plant breeding for resistance
• Physical — Traps and barriers
• Regulatory — Border inspection services and other laws

Considering all our options will help us create the best long-term solution. Only depending on one type of solution may lower the chances of success.