Wayfare's Most Wanted

PROFILESOLUTIONS BATS DESCRIPTION Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera (/kaɪˈrɒptərə/; from the Greek χείρ - cheir, "hand" and πτερόν - pteron, "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS BEAVER DESCRIPTION The beaver (genus Castor) is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) (native to North America) and Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) (Eurasia).  Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges (homes). They are the second-largest rodent in the world (after the [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS BLACK WIDOW DESCRIPTION Latrodectus is a genus of spider in the family Theridiidae, many of which are commonly known as widow spiders. The genus contains 32 recognized species distributed worldwide, including the North American black widows (L. mactans, L. hesperus, and L. variolus), the button spiders of Africa, and the Australian redback. Individual species [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS CANADA GOOSE DESCRIPTION The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is a goose with a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brown body. Native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, it also occasionally migrates to northern Europe, and has been introduced to Britain, New Zealand, and other temperate regions. [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS CARPENTER ANT DESCRIPTION Carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) are large (0.3 to 1.0 in or 0.76 to 2.54 cm) ants indigenous to many forested parts of the world.  They build nests inside wood consisting of galleries chewed out with their mandibles, preferably in dead, damp wood. They do not consume the wood, however, unlike termites.  [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS CHIMNEY SWIFT DESCRIPTION In 2010, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature changed the chimney swift's status from "Least Concern" to "Near Threatened". Although the global population is estimated at 15 million, it has declined precipitously across the majority of its range.  The causes of population declines are largely unclear, but may be [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS CROW DESCRIPTION Corvus is a widely distributed genus of birds in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws (Eurasian and Daurian) to the common raven of the Holarctic region and thick-billed raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS DAMPWOOD TERMITE DESCRIPTION Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (see taxonomy below), but are now accepted as the infraorder Isoptera, of the cockroach order Blattodea.  While termites are commonly known, especially in Australia, as "white ants," they are not closely related [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS DRAIN FLY DESCRIPTION The nematoceran family Psychodidae (moth flies or drain flies) are small true flies (Diptera) with short, hairy bodies and wings giving them a "furry" moth-like appearance. The adults have long antennae and the wings are leaf-shaped, either slender or broad, with the most elementary wing venation of any Diptera, having little [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS EUROPEAN PAPER WASP DESCRIPTION The European paper wasp (Polistes dominula often misspelled as dominulus) is one of the more common and well-known species of social wasps in Europe. Polistes dominula is often referred to as the European Paper Wasp because of its native distribution and its nests, which are constructed from paper and saliva. [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS EURO STARLING DESCRIPTION Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent plumage. Starlings are native to the [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS FERAL CAT DESCRIPTION A feral cat is a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild, or the descendants of such an animal. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or abandoned, while feral cats have never been socialized. The offspring of a stray cat [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS FIREBRAT DESCRIPTION The Firebrat (Thermobia domestica, sometimes listed as Thermophila furnorum) is a small insect (typically 1–1.5 cm) similar to the Silverfish, both in the order Thysanura. Firebrats prefer higher temperatures and require some humidity, and can be found in bakeries and near boilers or furnaces. They feed on a wide variety of carbohydrates [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS FLEA DESCRIPTION Fleas are a nuisance to their hosts, causing an itching sensation which in turn may result in the host attempting to remove the pest by biting, pecking, scratching, etc. in the vicinity of the parasite. Fleas are not simply a source of annoyance, however. Flea bites generally cause the formation of a [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS FLOUR BEETLE DESCRIPTION Flour beetles are members of the darkling beetle genera Tribolium or Tenebrio. They are pests of cereal silos and are widely used as laboratory animals, as they are easy to keep. The flour beetles consume wheat and other grains, are adapted to survive in very dry environments, and can withstand even [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS FRUIT FLY DESCRIPTION Tephritids are small to medium sized (2.5–10 mm) flies that are often colourful, and usually with pictured wings, the subcostal vein curving forward at a right angle.The head is hemispherical and usually short.The face is vertical or retreating and the frons is broad, Ocelli and cellar bristles are present. The postvertical [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS FUNGUS GNAT DESCRIPTION Fungus gnats are small, dark, short-lived flies, of the families Sciaridae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae, Bolitophilidae, and Mycetophilidae (order Diptera); they are sometimes placed in the superfamily Mycetophiloidea. The larvae of fungus gnats feed on plant roots and fungi, which aids in the decomposition of organic matter. The adults are 2–5 mm [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS GARDEN SNAIL DESCRIPTION Cornu aspersum, known by the common name garden snail, is a species of land snail. As such it is a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Helicidae, which include the most commonly familiar land snails. Of all terrestrial molluscs, this species may well be the most widely known. In English [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS GERMAN COCKROACH DESCRIPTION The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) is a small species of cockroach, typically about 1.1 to 1.6 cm (0.43 to 0.63 in) long. In colour it varies from tan to almost black, and it has two dark, roughly parallel, streaks on the pronotum running anteroposteriorly from behind the head to the base [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS GOPHER DESCRIPTION All pocket gophers create a network of tunnel systems that provide protection and a means of collecting food. They are larder hoarders, and their cheek pouches are used for transporting food back to their burrows. Gophers can collect large hoards. Unlike ground squirrels, gophers do not live in large communities and seldom [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS HAIRY WOODPECKER DESCRIPTION Adults are mainly black on the upper parts and wings, with a white or pale back and white spotting on the wings; the throat and belly vary from white to sooty brown, depending on subspecies. There is a white bar above and one below the eye. They have a black tail [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS HONEY BEE DESCRIPTION A honey bees (or honeybee) is any member of the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests from wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis. Currently, only seven species of [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS HORNET DESCRIPTION Hornets have stings used to kill prey and defend hives. Hornet stings are more painful to humans than typical wasp stings because hornet venom contains a large amount (pkp,5%) of acetylcholine.  Individual hornets can sting multiple times; unlike honey bees, hornets and wasps do not die after stinging because their stingers are [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS HOUSE FLY DESCRIPTION The housefly (also house fly, house-fly or common housefly), Musca domestica, is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha. It is the most common of all domestic flies, accounting for about 91% of all flies in human habitations, and indeed one of the most widely distributed insects, found all over the world. [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS INDIAN MEALMOTH DESCRIPTION The Indian mealmoth larvae can infest a wide range of dry foodstuffs of vegetable origin, such as cereal, bread, pasta, rice, couscous, flour, spices, or dried fruits and nuts. More unusual recorded foods include chocolate and cocoa beans, coffee substitute, cookies, dried mangelwurzel, and even the toxic seeds of jimsonweed (Datura [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS LADYBUG DESCRIPTION The Coccinellidae (/ˌkɒksɪˈnɛlɪdaɪ/) are a family of small beetles, ranging from 0.8 to 18 mm (0.0315 to 0.708 inches).  They are commonly yellow, orange, or scarlet with small black spots on their wing covers, with black legs, heads and antennae. Such colour patterns vary greatly, however; for example, a minority of species, [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS MICE DESCRIPTION A mouse (plural: mice) is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents, characteristically having a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (Mus musculus). It is also a popular pet. In some places, [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS MOLE DESCRIPTION Moles are small cylindrical mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have velvety fur; very small, difficult to see ears and eyes, reduced hindlimbs; and short, powerful forelimbs with large paws well-adapted for digging. The term "mole" is especially and most properly used for "true moles" of the Talpidae family in the [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS MOSQUITO DESCRIPTION Mosquitoes are a family of small, midge-like flies: the Culicidae. Although a few species are harmless or even useful to humanity, most are considered a nuisance because they use their salivation to coat the surface of the skin of living mammals, including humans, to consume their blood, which causes itchy, often times [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS MOTH DESCRIPTION Moths, and particularly their caterpillars, are a major agricultural pest in many parts of the world. Examples include corn borers and bollworms. The caterpillar of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) causes severe damage to forests in the northeastern United States, where it is an invasive species. In temperate climates, the codling moth [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS NUTRIA DESCRIPTION Coypus (Nutria) can live up to six years in captivity, but individuals uncommonly live past three years old; according to one study, 80% of coypus die within the first year, and less than 15% of a wild population is over three years old.  Male coypus reach sexual maturity as early as four [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS OPOSSUM DESCRIPTION Didelphimorphs are small to medium-sized marsupials, ranging in size from a large house cat to a small mouse. They tend to be semi-arboreal omnivores, although there are many exceptions. Most members of this taxon have long snouts, a narrow braincase, and a prominent sagittal crest. The dental formula is: 5.1.3.44.1.3.4. By mammalian [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS ORIENTAL COCKROACH DESCRIPTION The oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis), also known as the waterbug, is a large species of cockroach, adult males being 18–29 mm (0.71–1.14 in) and adult females being 20–27 mm (0.79–1.06 in).  It is dark brown to black in color and has a glossy body. The female Oriental cockroach has a somewhat [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS RACOON DESCRIPTION The most characteristic physical feature of the raccoon is the area of black fur around the eyes, which contrasts sharply with the surrounding white face coloring. This is reminiscent of a "bandit's mask" and has thus enhanced the animal's reputation for mischief.  The slightly rounded ears are also bordered by white fur. [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS RAVEN DESCRIPTION The common raven (Corvus corax), also known as the northern raven, is a large all-black passerine bird. Found across the Northern Hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids. There are at least eight subspecies with little variation in appearance, although recent research has demonstrated significant genetic differences among populations [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS ROCK DOVE DESCRIPTION The rock dove (Columba livia) or rock pigeon is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons).  In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon". The species includes the domestic pigeon (including the fancy pigeon), and escaped domestic pigeons have given rise to feral [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS ROOF RAT DESCRIPTION The black rat (Rattus rattus) is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus (rats) in the subfamily Murinae (murine rodents). The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.  Also [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS SEAGULL DESCRIPTION Gulls or seagulls are seabirds of the family Laridae in the sub-order Lari. They are most closely related to the terns (family Sternidae) and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders. Until the twenty-first century most gulls were placed in the genus Larus, but this arrangement is [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS SEWER RAT DESCRIPTION The brown rat, also referred to as common rat, street rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, brown Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat (Rattus norvegicus) is one of the best known and most common rats. Similar to other rodents, brown rats may carry a number of pathogens, which can [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS SIREX WOODWASP DESCRIPTION Sirex is a genus of wasps in the family Siricidae, the horntails or wood wasps. They inject eggs with fungal endosymbionts into wood. The fungus is contained in a mycangium which nourishes it with secretions, and in turn it digests wood for the wasp larva. The genus includes economically important pests; [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS SKUNK DESCRIPTION Skunks (also called polecats in America) are mammals known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong odor. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown or cream colored, but all have warning coloration. Skunk species vary in size from about 15.6 to 37 in (40 to [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS SQUIRREL DESCRIPTION Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, consisting of small or medium-size rodents. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots (including woodchucks), flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and have been introduced to Australia.  The earliest known squirrels date from the Eocene [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS STARLING DESCRIPTION Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent plumage. Starlings are native to the Old [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS SWALLOW DESCRIPTION The swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Swallow is used colloquially in Europe as a synonym for the barn swallow. This family comprises two subfamilies: Pseudochelidoninae (the river martins of the genus Pseudochelidon) and Hirundininae (all [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS TICK DESCRIPTION Ticks are small arachnids in the order Parasitiformes. Along with mites, they constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites (external parasites), living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. Ticks are vectors of a number of diseases, including Lyme disease, Q fever (rare; more commonly transmitted [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS VAUX'S SWIFT DESCRIPTION This is a small swift, even compared to other Chaetura species, at 10.7 to 11.2 cm (4.2 to 4.4 in) long and weighing 18 g (0.63 oz). The northern populations are slightly larger at 11.5 cm (4.5 in), probably according to the Bergmann's Rule and/or migration requirements. It has a cigar-shaped [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS VELVETY TREE ANT DESCRIPTION Liometopum (Velvety Tree Ant) is a genus of ants that belongs to the subfamily Dolichoderinae.  The genus is regionally distributed across North America, Europe and Asia. In Mexico, colonies of Liometopum have been used as a food resource by people in rural areas for centuries. The immature stages of the [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS VOLE DESCRIPTION Voles are small rodents that grow to 3–9 in (7.6–22.9 cm), depending on the species. They can have five to 10 litters per year. Gestation lasts for three weeks and the young voles reach sexual maturity in a month. As a result of this biological exponential growth, vole populations can grow very [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS WHITEFLY DESCRIPTION Whiteflies are small hemipterans that typically feed on the undersides of plant leaves. They comprise the family Aleyrodidae, the only member of the superfamily Aleyrodoidea. More than 1550 species have been described. The ability of whiteflies to carry and spread disease is the widest impact they have had on global food production. [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS WOLF SPIDER DESCRIPTION Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae, from the Ancient Greek word "λύκος" meaning "wolf". They are robust and agile hunters with excellent eyesight. They live mostly solitary and hunt alone. Some are opportunistic hunters pouncing upon prey as they find it or even chasing it over short distances. Some [...]

PROFILESOLUTIONS WOODPECKER DESCRIPTION The woodpeckers, piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers are a family, Picidae, of near-passerine birds. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions. Most species live in forests or woodland habitats, although a few species are known to live in treeless areas, [...]