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The varied carpet beetle is a globally distributed pest beetle that can be found on every continent, sans Antarctica. They can be found anywhere from bird’s nests to inside homes. These beetles are considered an invasive species, even though they occur naturally in some locales. Therefore, the IUCN does not […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The eastern yellowjacket, aka eastern yellow jacket, are considered a pest species due to their nesting in populated areas such as buildings. They face the threats of invasive species, at the hands of the German yellowjacket; predation, by raccoons, skunks, badgers, and bears, pesticide use as a means to kill […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Colorado potato beetle, aka Colorado beetle, ten-striped spearman, ten-lined potato beetle, and potato bug, is an agricultural pest that can be found throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. As you would imagine, they are notorious for infesting and damaging potato crops. They are not evaluated by the IUCN. Colorado […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The European paper wasp is among the most common and well-known species of social wasps. While initially hailing from Europe, they are considered an invasive species in North America. These critters are not evaluated by the IUCN, as they are not only invasive but also highly abundant on 2 continents. […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Gray’s leaf insect hails from Sumatra and the southern part of Malay Peninsula. Their specific epithet bioculatum means “2-eyed” in Latin and refers to the 2 dots located on the abdomen in these insects. These critters face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of deforestation; […]

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The Amazonian giant centipede, aka Peruvian giant yellow-leg centipede, hails primarily from South America, but can be found in the Caribbean as well. These large and ferocious arthropods face the threats of habitat loss and destruction, at the hands of residential and commercial developments, as well as farming and ranching; […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The purple skimmer hails from Florida, in the United States. They are a member of the skimmer family of dragonflies. These stealthy aerial hunters face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of residential and commercial developments, dams and other water management; land pollution, in the form […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The southern wood ant, aka horse ant or red wood ant, hails from Europe, but has a distribution all the way to eastern Asia. Unconfirmed reports state their presence in North America as well. They face the threats of habitat loss and destruction from residential and commercial developments, and clear-felling, […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The European wasp, aka German wasp, or German yellowjacket, hails from Europe, Northern Africa, and temperate Asia. They have spread to Australia, North America, South America, South Africa, and New Zealand. Due to the fact that they are widely recognized as a successful and destructive invasive species in many parts […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The thorn bug is a widely distributed insect that is often considered a pest to many ornamental shrubs and trees. These insects utilize their thornlike pronotum to thwart various predators, such as birds, from eating them. They can be found in Florida and other southern states, Mexico, Central America, and […]

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