Frequently Asked Questions
I have a question about bugs! Can you answer it?
Yes! If you have a bug-related question, use the “Ask the Bugs!” link at the top of the page to fill out the short question form. We will post your question and answer on the blog page. If you do not want your name associated with your question publicly, feel free to leave the Name section blank.
Can you identify this bug I found?
Bug identification is not the main focus of this website, but if you have another question about a specific bug you found, we would be happy to help! If you would like to identify a bug, we would recommend starting with iNaturalist, which has a finely-tuned photo recognition software that can usually help with identification. If that doesn't quite work, we love the Facebook group Insect Identification! There are lots of professional entomologists and knowledgeable hobbyists that can help you identify your bug, no matter where you live in the world.
Why should I trust the information on this website?
The internet makes it very easy to look up almost anything these days, but not everything on the internet is true. Sometimes, people post their opinions and call them facts, or post information they heard from someone else without checking to see if it is true first. Here at Girl Meets Bug, Gaby the human works very hard to find reputable sources of bug facts! As a graduate student, she has spent many years learning how to research and find correct information, and she uses those skills to help us! If you don't trust what you read here, you can follow the links in the body of the blog posts or at the end of each post in the References section; there you can read the original scientific study, interview, or other reputable source that informed the post!
How do I find a study from the References section?
Most of the time, you'll be able to find sources by clicking on the linked text in the body of the article. Occasionally, sources might only be available in print, stuck behind paywalls, or refer to an interview we did with an expert. In those cases, scroll down to the References section and find the corresponding number in brackets. Each entry in the References section gives the reader information about how to find the source. Here’s how to tell where a particular source came from:
When a link to an article is not available, you may be able to look it up in the journal that published it, or by its DOI, which is sort of like a Social Security Number for the article. If you are a student, you may have access to scientific journals for free through your school. If not, look up the name of the study on Google Scholar and look at the information listed. Most of the time, the authors of the study and their contact information will be listed. If you email the authors, they will often be willing to send you a copy of their study for free!
Where is this blog based?
We are writing from Ohio, however our blog covers most of the United States and some of Canada. While the human specializes in Midwestern bugs, she also knows a lot about bugs from the rest of North America, and she can always research bugs she doesn't know yet!