Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Interior insect

I found this insect working its way up the bathroom wall Sunday while I was flossing. I love the sharp triangular shape of the wings. If anybody knows what it is, or where it fits among the hexapoda, let me know. It was less than a quarter-inch long, which made for challenging photography, and a less than perfect shot. The macro feature on my Canon G9 isn’t bad, but the flash just washes things out at close distances. I went with the house lights; the camera’s own shadow begins to be a problem as I close in.

The day before, I had my first mosquito of the year, also in the bathroom (moistest place in the apartment?). The critter above lived another day, the mosquito, I’m afraid, not so much.

2 responses to “Interior insect”

  1. Hard to tell from the dorsal shot, but I’m wondering if this might be a booklouse (Psocoptera) – one of the “miscellaneous” orders between the orthopteroid and hemipteroid orders.

  2. I came across the exact same thing yesterday at work. When I grabed it with a paper towel the sharp back sliced my finger. My finger is still hurting. If anyone knows what this is please let me know.

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