What's this flying bug? - Ask Extension
This orange bodied, black backed insect with funky antenna flew into our home tonight. What is it? I am in scappoose.
Knowledgebase
What's this flying bug? #407904
Asked June 18, 2017, 1:24 AM EDT
This orange bodied, black backed insect with funky antenna flew into our home tonight. What is it? I am in scappoose.
Columbia County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for attaching the images because they reveal your insect is a male adult glowworm. They are beetles in the family Phengodidae. The adult females and larvae (youngsters) are the life stages capable of glowing. The males are the only ones able to fly. The complex structure of the males’ antennae make it easy to detect the scents released by the earth-bound females. The goal, as you might guess, is to mate.