Black Bugs Found in Northwestern Michigan

Black Fly

• The most common black bug found in the region is the black fly. Many species belong to the broad genus Simulium, with the majority of the 65 species found in the northern districts of Michigan. The dark, humpbacked anthropods measure less than a 1/2 inch normally.

  Populations tend to explode around the wet months of April, May, June and July. Breeding areas are usually along clean running waters. For humans, a bite from a female black fly sometimes causes itchy blisters and is often painful.

Boreal Long-Lipped Tiger Beetle

• Two types of tiger beetles, the Cicindela longilabris and Cicindela tranquebarica, live in the northern reaches of Michigan. The former is known more commonly as the boreal long-lipped tiger beetle. An adult beetle is black with white markings on its forewings. It reaches 1 to 2 inches in body length. The species can be found from April to August in sandy forest paths or on the sides of roads. According to Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) data, the boreal long-lipped tiger beetle can be found in Emmet, Cheboygan, Charlevoix, Arenac and Montmorency counties.

Oblique-Lined Tiger Beetle

• C. tranquebarica, also known as the oblique-lined tiger beetle, is dark black in color. The species grows from 1 to 2 inches in length, and favors a wide variety of habitats -- from sandy beaches and dunes to gravel pits, roads and grasslands. The NPWRC reports sightings in Leelanau, Benzie, Cheboygan, Presque Island, Emmet, Charlevoix, Oscoda, Ricona and Montmorency counties, as well as majority of counties in the Upper Peninsula and Sanilac, Oakland, Washtenaw, Ingham and Berrien in the south.

Hungerford's Crawling Water Beetle

• One of the most endangered black bugs in the state is the Hungerford's crawling water beetle. An adult Brychius hungerfordi, identified by its yellow-brown body mottled with black markings, is on the state and federal endangered species list. It generally grows about a 1/2 inch in length and lives in cool climates. The Hungerford's crawling water beetle has been seen in parts of the Maple and Carp rivers in Emmet County, as well as the Black River and Van Hetton Creek in Montmorency County.