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Q: Identify this insect found in my san Francisco home ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Identify this insect found in my san Francisco home
Category: Science > Biology
Asked by: sfmarq-ga
List Price: $10.00
Posted: 09 Oct 2004 12:10 PDT
Expires: 08 Nov 2004 11:10 PST
Question ID: 412542
Today I found quite a few of these insects all over the floor in my
home. I have never seen them before, nor have I seen any of them
alive. I have posted an image of the insect at
http://www.sequence.com/mark/insect.html

Request for Question Clarification by lot-ga on 09 Oct 2004 14:14 PDT
Dear sfmarq

The reason why you 'might' not have seen any of these alive
is probably because they belong to the crustacean family
http://wri.sdstate.edu/album%209/pages/DSC01122c_png.htm
and 'should' live in the sea?

I couldn't find an exact match or name presuming this are land
creatures, but do you by any chance live by the sea, and they are
somehow introduced into your house?

regards

lot-ga
Answer  
Subject: Re: Identify this insect found in my san Francisco home
Answered By: googleexpert-ga on 09 Oct 2004 17:35 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hi sfmarg,

Your insect visitors goes by many names:
Lawn Shrimp, Terrestrial Amphipods and its 
scientific name Crustacea: Amphipoda [1]

Some facts about where Lawn Shrimp pop up:

Terrestrial amphipods live on the surface (top 1/2 inch) of mulch and
moist ground. After rains, large numbers of amphipods can migrate into
garages or under the doors of houses. There they soon die. Amphipods
do not have a waxy layer on their exoskeleton as do insects. They lose
or gain moisture from their environment. Too much of a water loss
results in desiccation while too rapid a gain is also lethal. This is
why they migrate out of rain-soaked soil to drier areas where they
usually end up dying anyway. Most species are active at night.[1]

About Insect removal or management:
There is no chemical control recommended. Improving drainage will
reduce the likelihood you will see them again.[2]

References
-------------
[1] http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_IN377
[2] http://duval.ifas.ufl.edu/agriculture/hohorticulture/gardenqa/052504.html

[Search Strategy]
"shrimp like" cockroaches

Hope that helps you.

-googleexpert

Clarification of Answer by googleexpert-ga on 09 Oct 2004 18:45 PDT
Thank you very much for 5-Star rating! 

I appreciate it .:)
sfmarq-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars

Comments  
Subject: Re: Identify this insect found in my san Francisco home
From: pinkfreud-ga on 09 Oct 2004 16:17 PDT
 
I think Lot is right. These certainly look like some sort of
crustacean critters from the sea. Attack of the Land Shrimps?

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