Willow sees a bug.....or maybe an axe murderer

The problem with cats is that they get the same exact look whether they see a moth or an axe murderer. ~Paula Poundstone

We've been doing a lot of clutter clearing lately.

Over the weekend we had the attic door open to pull stuff out of there that we threw into the big dumpster rented for a week.

Also, we installed the two window air conditioners upstairs and downstairs. In other words, there's been a good deal of stirring things up in the process. These insects seem to have been a part of the deal, unbidden and quite unwelcome.

I researched online last night in an attempt to identify them. We need to know if they are destructive or dangerous, and I'm having a heck of a time finding a photo that resembles them in any of the entomology sites I visited. Maybe a reader will instantly recognize what kind of insect this is. If so, please let me know.

Willow, who floats more than she jumps, caught two of them mid-air in the early hours of the morning after talking to me about them for the better part of the night. She ate both of them, but the second one got the worst of it because both she and Feather performed various experiments on it prior to death....How long will it wobble on the bathroom floor before it tries to fly away again?...If I roll it under the bathroom rug, let's see how long it takes me to figure out where it's hiding. ... One paw or two? ... I bit him, now it's your turn.....

These insects are about 3/4 inch long, appear to have a beetle-type body, black shiny wings, and a red head and thorax. They are basically nocturnal and seem to like crawling around on ceilings. I haven't noticed that they make any sounds, such as humming. When they fly they are graceful in the air. I caught these two last night in separate glasses, took the shots today, and released them outside. They flew away, seeming to have weathered well the stress of captivity and lack of good air.

Willow and I are more than curious and appreciate your thoughts.










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