# Another "what's this bug" question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 17, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564 "2010-08-17T20:10:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/1 "2010-08-17T20:10:19Z")
Spotted on my kitchen counter today. I picked up a pile of papers sitting there and this critter scuttled out from under and disappeared over the edge. It didn’t resemble any roach I’ve ever seen, and wasn’t as fast as a roach. The glimpse I got looked like it might have a segmented body. About an inch to two inches long, half inch wide, black. Pacific Northwest. Any ideas?
---
### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/2 "2010-08-17T20:31:17Z")
Could be a [carpenter ant](http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=carpenter+ants&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=XvFqTOvOMpy8tAO85_jUBw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CEcQsAQwAw&biw=999&bih=636).
---
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/3 "2010-08-17T20:33:54Z")
> [@picunurse](#):
>
> Could be a [carpenter ant](http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=carpenter+ants&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=XvFqTOvOMpy8tAO85_jUBw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CEcQsAQwAw&biw=999&bih=636).
Thanks: no, don’t think so. It was boxier looking.
---
### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/4 "2010-08-17T20:34:54Z")
I’m afraid that that doesn’t narrow it down very much. “Large black arthropod that doesn’t look like a roach” leaves a lot of possibilities.
---
### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/5 "2010-08-17T20:39:34Z")
It’s the bigfoot dung beetle. It’s found only in the Pacific Northwest.😉
The description given leaves too much to choose from.
---
### Author:  [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/6 "2010-08-17T20:47:32Z")
How many legs? It might be a house centipede and if so you may have to burn down your house and move somewhere else to escape the evil. _shudders_
---
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/7 "2010-08-17T21:56:03Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> I’m afraid that that doesn’t narrow it down very much. “Large black arthropod that doesn’t look like a roach” leaves a lot of possibilities.
Yeah, sorry. It didn’t seem to want to have a conversation, and I was so surprised to see it, I didn’t get a clear look. Hopefully it will find its way out.
---
### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/8 "2010-08-18T03:27:32Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Yeah, sorry. It didn’t seem to want to have a conversation, and I was so surprised to see it, I didn’t get a clear look. Hopefully it will find its way out.
My best guess then will have to be the rare and elusive Portlandian Big Black Bug.🙂
---
### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/9 "2010-08-18T03:57:20Z")
My guess is it was a beatle. Probably Ringo Starr.
---
### Author:  [@curious11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curious11)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/10 "2010-08-18T04:00:53Z")
A potato bug?
[http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ\_ENUS269&q=potato%20bug&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1306&bih=1009](http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS269&q=potato%20bug&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1306&bih=1009)
“shudder”
edit: okay, Jerusalem Cricket? [Jerusalem cricket - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_cricket)
---
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/11 "2010-08-18T16:53:20Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#):
>
> My guess is it was a beatle. Probably Ringo Starr.
Jokes aside, I’m thinking that it may have been some sort of beetle. I’ll have better dreams if I believe that, so I’m going with it.
---
### Author:  [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-whats-this-bug-question/550564/12 "2010-08-18T18:36:16Z")
[Earwig?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwig)
Whenever someone asks me about a bug, this is my go-to answer.