Biosecurity

The dozens of bug species that live in your home, in one chart

For as long as we've been around, humans have lived with insects. From the earliest cave dwellings to modern-day McMansions, it's been impossible to find a human dwelling that's insect-free. But surprisingly little is known about the bugs thriving in the cracks and crannies of our homes.

So recently, entomologists completed what they say is the first census of the arthropod (a classification that includes insects and spiders) species that live in the typical American home. Assessing 50 houses in the vicinity of Raleigh, North Carolina, they found a stunning diversity of critters.