Lygaeid? - Dysdercus mimulus

How far north?

Recently moved to MN (25 miles south of the cities) and the swarm the warm (sunny) side of the house. Otherwise, they swarm the doorbell buttons, outdoor lights when on, and around any door/window edges which aren't tightly insulated when shut. They HATE cold things (ice cubes, wind, nights...)

And I do mean SWARMING! I feel like I'm in some B-grade horror flick.

PS: No discernible odor when killed and no really staining color residue either.

… Samuel SA WALTERS, 3 October, 2007 - 5:02pm

Perhaps you are referring to

Perhaps you are referring to boxelder bugs.
e.g.

… Sean McCann, 3 October, 2007 - 5:12pm

Thanks, Sean...

That's the one.
Thankfully they don't seem to fly around much even when disturbed...like when I go in or out the outer doors.

Know of anything/anyway to keep them away or otherwise distract them w/o killing them?

… Samuel SA WALTERS, 3 October, 2007 - 5:51pm

Moved

Moved from Stainers. Keyed using reference here:

… Boris Büche, 2 May, 2007 - 6:08am

Moved

Moved from Red Bugs.

… Boris Büche, 2 May, 2007 - 6:01am

None of the Above:-)

This is a "cotton stainer" in the family Pyrrhocoridae. Don't know the species, sorry.

… Eric R. Eaton, 5 July, 2006 - 7:45pm

D'oh!

There should be a name for the stumbling kind of misidentification that sometimes happens on these pages (two totally wrong families suggested before the correct ID is finally made). The Alexander Pope effect, perhaps? "A little learning is a dangerous thing..." :)

Fortunately images are easily moved - which I will do now - and I'll know this one next time!

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 5 July, 2006 - 9:08pm

...

Thank you all! I see the bright red ones all the time, I guess I was fooled by the comparatively drab colors of this one.

… Sean McCann, 5 July, 2006 - 10:09pm

Rhiginia or Apiomerus?

Hi, Sean -- This looks to me like a second cousin of the Scarlet-bordered Assassin Bug (Rhiginia cruciata) I saw the other day -- though the white stripes and smaller size here suggest a different species. The Rhiginia page also points to Apiomerus as a genus with the red/black combination. (I'm speaking strictly as a beginner here....)

… Elissa Malcohn, 4 July, 2006 - 1:02am

...

I don't think this is an assassin. The things to watch out for in that family are a stout 3 segmented beak, and tyically a pronounced constriction behind the eyes on an elongate head. Also, the front legs are generally hefty and modified for grasping prey.

… Sean McCann, 4 July, 2006 - 9:22am

It seems quite similar to Neacoryphus

here in guide so I agree it's very likely a Lygaeid.

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 4 July, 2006 - 12:52pm

...

Thanks!

… Sean McCann, 4 July, 2006 - 2:37pm