u/zacpritcher

I believe this is a False Bombardier Beetle.

It is the first one I’ve encountered in my home. They generally pop up around cabins and lakefront properties. We’ve gotten a lot of rain. My crawl space has suffered moisture invasion. Perhaps that is serving as a breeding grounds?

Few quick questions.

Is anyone able to verify identification? How many more should I expect to find? Where should I look? What’s the best way to handle them? Are they a menace?

Out of the corner of my eye, on the other side of the room, I I catch a glimpse of something not quite right. Our eyes (or equivalent) lock.

I look away for a brief moment, only long enough to grab a paper towel.

I lingered too long. It is gone.

But where?

Inside of me. Inside of my mind. The devil’s ghost, feasting on every single sleepless second that slips by.

Look, I know these things are beneficial and contribute a lot to maintaining a safe home ecosystem by munching on pests. But dang, they freak me out. Nothing should be able to move so fast while looking like that.