Bug identification help

[JJ]

Help! First it was the invasion of the Asian Beetles that look like ladybugs, now we're being overwhelmed with a new bug and I could use some help identifying it.

It is black, has 6 legs and is a half-inch long. Body width of quarter-inch.

It has two antennae, which are almost as long as its body.

It can fly, but it mostly walks on the windows in sunny locations.

When the wings open, they are bright orange, almost the same color as ladybugs. When they are closed, they form a /\\ on the top of the bug body. It's like an orange detail stripe.

They began appearing after our first freeze and just like the Asian beetles, are trying to make their way indoors. There are hundreds of them all over our windows and doors, in sunny locations, and of course every time you open the door, some make there way in.

I'm in Wisconsin and have never seen these before. Any ideas?

Thanks,

[Doug Miller]

Sounds like boxelder beetles. Do they look like this?

[m Ransley]

Boxelder beatles? They are harmless looking to overwinter in your walls.

[JJ]

Thanks Doug,

First trip to the plate and I think you hit a homerun! Trouble is we don't have any box elders and have never had this problem before this fall. I'm a little stumped??

[dadiOH]

The bugs expect you to provide the box elders :)

[Doug Miller]

Your description was pretty thorough.

I imagine one of your neighbors has a box elder. I don't have any on my property either, but I found a large swarm of the bugs on the front of my garage last weekend. Presumably there's a box elder somewhere in my neighborhood. Or perhaps they infest other species of trees as well?

[dicko]

The Boxelder tree is a member of the Maple family so any maple can serve as food for these guys....

They're as bad as ladybugs at this time of year.

I also get inundated with Western Conifer Seed bugs here in N. Illinois. I call them the evil threesome, ladybugs, boxelder bugs, and WCSB. Between the three of them, life is pretty bad at my house...

dickm

.. >Thanks Doug,

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) They began appearing after our first freeze and just like the Asian beetles, :) are trying to make their way indoors. There are hundreds of them all over :) our windows and doors, in sunny locations, and of course every time you open :) the door, some make there way in. :) :) As mentioned they are box elder bugs, which can be found on about 5 different type of trees. Only sure solution is tree removal. Timely tree spraying in the Spring can help the problem in the Fall depending on how big the tree is. Fall spraying of the structure can reduce the numbers that can get in short term...the numbers already in the wall can't be taken care of. Just a nuisance bug that can create an odor when many are in the walls or will stain light colored curtains and carpets.