# Can anyone identify this insect? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 28, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057 "2003-02-28T03:26:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/21 "2003-02-28T08:43:41Z")
Where did you find it? ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/22 "2003-02-28T10:52:51Z")
Um, if you’ve got time to take pictures of it, don’t you have time to squash the bastard? Works for me. I live in the subtropics and my motto is to squash first ask questions later. ---
**Author:** ![Erroneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71c47a/32.png) [@Erroneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erroneous)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/23 "2003-02-28T11:05:17Z")
He’s Lord Chixzl, from the planet Fnerb, and he brings a message of peace. Darn good thing you didn’t squash him. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/24 "2003-02-28T11:20:59Z")
My girlfriend found him crawling out from underneath the heating/AC vent (which is on the wall at the baseboard). I flushed Lord Chixzl down the toilet. I hope he doesn’t mind 😛 I’m also thinking that it has to be some kind of nymph or larva. Maybe I should’ve put him in a jar to see what he’ll grow into. I be he would’ve turned into a **Tingler** , though 😃 Thanks guys. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/25 "2003-02-28T14:15:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by troub \* > \*\*I flushed Lord Chixzl down the toilet. I hope he doesn’t mind 😛 > \*\* His species uses toilets as para-dimensional portals. They gave humanity the plans for the toilet in 1857 when they first entered our Solar system. You’ve just put him in the equivalent of an inter-galactic taxi, and I’m sure he’s grateful. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/26 "2003-02-28T14:21:20Z")
Oh dear. Should we be crapping in them, then?? ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/27 "2003-02-28T14:26:17Z")
Why not? Why should intergalactic taxis be any different from the ones in Baltimore? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/28 "2003-02-28T14:27:08Z")
I’ve been to Baltimore. Good point. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/29 "2003-02-28T19:34:55Z")
Could it be a young [silverfish](http://www.life.uiuc.edu/Entomology/insectgifs/thysanura.gif) ? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/30 "2003-02-28T20:18:57Z")
That back and forth about intergalactic taxis and toilets had me busting a gut, guys. Thanks. I have to go to the doctor now. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/31 "2003-02-28T20:20:15Z")
After investigating both thrip larvae and silverfish, I have to say I’m really thinking it looks a lot like a silverfish, if you added long antennae and ?cerci? I showed the photos to a coworker, and he said silverfish immediately (however also noting that it lacks the usual appendages). According to [this site](http://www.kiwicare.co.nz/information/silverfish.html) their development can take up to \*\*four years:eek: \*\*, so maybe it takes awhile to grow those appendages. Adults are supposed to be 1/2" to 3/4" long, so this guy obviously had some room to grow yet. The above linked site also says they like to frequent ducting, which jives with where we found it (crawling out from underneath the heating vent). So, I can tell my girlfriend we don’t have to worry about it eating the rafters, but it’ll eat our cereal, clothes, and books. Crap :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/32 "2003-02-28T21:04:12Z")
Well, **troub** , you’ve got quite the little stumper there. My guess was some kind of beetle larva. But I passed it by a couple of my entomologist colleagues, Annette and Henry, here at the Smithsonian, and here is part of Annette’s reply: > [@](#): > > Henry said it didn’t look like a beetle to him. So, I took a much closer look, and decided the easy way out would be if you just step on the thing. I see that you have anticipated this advice, and flushed it. This makes it much easier on everyone. Annette thought it might be a webspinner, or [Embiopterid](http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/compendium/webspi~1.html#where). I don’t think it is, as they are mostly tropical, and differ in some other details. However, I also don’t think it’s a earwig, louse, termite, booklouse, silverfish, thrips, or any of the other guesses so far (some of which haven’t been bad, though). Despite my colleague Henry’s opinion, IMO the best bet at this point is still a beetle larva. We have requested additional opinions. PS. I just received an e-mail from Annette after I told her you flushed it: > [@](#): > > An excellent decision. ---
**Author:** ![Emperor\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/33 "2003-03-01T05:10:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by deb2world \* > \*\*Could it be a young > [silverfish](http://www.life.uiuc.edu/Entomology/insectgifs/thysanura.gif) ? \*\* Nice picture **deb**. If you look in the corner you can see an immature form that lacks the antennae and butt doodlemabobbers (cerci?). Looks pretty gosh darned dang close to what you have in the pictures. My best uess is an immature silverfish larvae. Is it true that when they reach full size, they will swarm out of heating ducts in the thousands? 😉 [sub]while they don’t actually do this, it is always wfun giving random strangers the heebie jeebies[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/34 "2003-03-01T15:09:56Z")
After careful entymological examination, I am prepared to state conclusively that what you have is the larval form of the One-Eyed, One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/35 "2003-03-01T18:41:37Z")
Perhaps it is/was an undiscovered species. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/36 "2003-03-01T22:38:46Z")
From the link deb provided, it looks like a silverfish nymph. Or possibly a firebrat. But it’s tough to say. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/37 "2003-03-02T01:36:19Z")
I don’t have a link, but my 3 yr old brought me a book to read to him with all sorts of animals in it, and Lord Chixzl looks just like the woodlouse picture. For citation, I offer _Readers Digest Children’s Book of Animals_ by Sally Grindley (illustrated by Stuart Trotter) c.1992. The offending insect is on page 10. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057/38 "2003-03-02T01:47:44Z")
Woodlice are crustaceans (specifically, isopods), not insects. They have 14 legs, not 6. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-insect/158057.md?page=1)