Arena · Game
Lookalike Showdown
Half of pest ID is telling two things apart that look the same from three feet away. One clue, two lookalikes, ten seconds a round.
One clue, two pests that get mixed up on the job. Pick the one the clue describes. Faster answers and streaks score more.
The pairs
Study up first. Every clue in the game comes from this list.
Termite swarmer vs Flying ant
- Flying ant: elbowed antennae.
- Termite swarmer: broad waist, no pinch between thorax and abdomen.
- Flying ant: front wings noticeably longer than the hind wings.
- Termite swarmer: four equal-length wings that reach well past the body and break off easily.
German cockroach vs American cockroach
- German cockroach: two dark parallel stripes on the shield behind the head.
- American cockroach: about 1½–2 inches long and reddish-brown.
- American cockroach: pale yellowish band around the edge of the shield behind the head.
- German cockroach: lives almost entirely indoors, in kitchens and bathrooms.
Bed bug vs Bat bug
- Bat bug: hairs on the shield behind the head are longer than the width of its eye.
- Bat bug: found with bats roosting in the attic or wall void.
- Bed bug: hairs on the shield behind the head are shorter than the width of its eye.
Bed bug vs Carpet beetle (adult)
- Carpet beetle (adult): hard wing covers, rounded body and can fly to windows.
- Bed bug: flat, oval and wingless; feeds only on blood.
- Carpet beetle (adult): mottled pattern of tiny coloured scales on the back.
House mouse vs Young Norway rat
- Young Norway rat: head and feet look too big for the body.
- House mouse: droppings about ⅛–¼ inch with pointed ends.
- House mouse: large ears relative to a small head.
Norway rat vs Roof rat
- Roof rat: tail longer than its head and body combined.
- Norway rat: blunt nose, small ears, heavy body; burrows along foundations.
- Roof rat: pointed nose, large ears; nests up high in attics and trees.
- Norway rat: droppings with blunt, capsule-shaped ends.
Brown recluse vs Wolf spider
- Brown recluse: six eyes arranged in three pairs.
- Wolf spider: large, hairy, often striped; hunts on the ground at night.
- Brown recluse: plain legs with no bands or spines, and a violin-shaped mark behind the eyes.
- Wolf spider: two large eyes facing forward above a row of four small ones.
Yellowjacket vs Honey bee
- Yellowjacket: smooth, shiny body with bright yellow and black bands.
- Honey bee: fuzzy, golden-brown body.
- Honey bee: barbed stinger; usually stings once and dies.
- Yellowjacket: builds a paper nest, often underground or in a wall void.
Drywood termites vs Subterranean termites
- Subterranean termites: mud tubes running up the foundation.
- Drywood termites: small piles of hard, six-sided pellets below a kick-out hole.
- Drywood termites: lives entirely inside the wood, no soil contact needed.
- Subterranean termites: galleries packed with soil and mud.
Carpenter ant damage vs Subterranean termite damage
- Carpenter ant damage: smooth, clean galleries that look sanded.
- Carpenter ant damage: piles of coarse sawdust mixed with insect parts.
- Subterranean termite damage: wood eaten along the grain with mud lining the tunnels.
Blacklegged (deer) tick vs American dog tick
- American dog tick: ornate shield with whitish-silver markings.
- Blacklegged (deer) tick: small, with a plain dark shield and no white markings.
- Blacklegged (deer) tick: the main vector of Lyme disease in the eastern US.
Drain fly vs Fungus gnat
- Drain fly: fuzzy, moth-like body with wings held roof-like over the back.
- Fungus gnat: slender, long-legged, mosquito-like.
- Drain fly: breeds in the gelatinous film inside sink and floor drains.
- Fungus gnat: breeds in damp potting soil and organic matter.
Formosan subterranean vs Eastern subterranean
- Formosan subterranean: yellowish-brown swarmers that fly at night and gather at lights.
- Eastern subterranean: dark brown to black swarmers that fly in daytime in spring.
Indianmeal moth vs Webbing clothes moth
- Indianmeal moth: wings two-toned: coppery outer half, pale grey inner half.
- Webbing clothes moth: plain golden-buff wings; hides from light.
- Webbing clothes moth: larvae feed on wool, fur and feathers.
- Indianmeal moth: larvae web up flour, cereal and dried pet food.
Got a lookalike that fooled you on a job? Post it in the LTK Discord and we’ll add it.
Suggest a pair(opens Discord in a new tab)More in the Pest ID library, or try Photo ID Sprint.