Invertebrates–animals without backbones. That covers a lot of species from butterflies to spiders to slugs and earthworms. I could have divided this category into more specific categories like spiders, insects or mollusks, but often I don’t even know where to start looking when trying to identify an invertebrate. Did you know ticks are arachnids not insects?
During the past few weeks, swarms of tiny blue and white insects have pelted windshields like raindrops and stuck to the clothing of anyone walking…
Often I find myself referring to any insect as a bug unless I know specifically what it is, such as a dragonfly, butterfly or praying…
Silvery tracks cross the deck and occasionally the concrete walkway in the morning. During the driest days of summer the silvery tracks were absent but…
Dragonflies, butterflies and ladybugs are often considered “nice” insects with their pretty colors and seemingly harmlessness. However, dragonflies are far from harmless—they are the most…
What hovers like a hummingbird, flies like a hummingbird but has antennae? A hummingbird moth. Aptly named, hummingbird moths can easily be mistaken for hummingbirds…
Have you taken the time to listen on a warm, summer evening? Trains, trucks and lawn mowers are the first sounds you may hear but…
As a slow-moving, plump morsel, caterpillars are an ideal target for a predator’s meal. However, caterpillars still exist because they have developed means to escape…
What will winter be like? Many look to the woolly (wooly) bear caterpillar for a prediction. The black and orangish-brown banded caterpillars may be the…
Motionless, a dragonfly perches on a twig seemingly watching every movement I make without a twist of its head. No pupils follow my movement, no…
Warmer, drier weather this spring not only helped gardeners and farmers but also stinging insects. Cold, rainy weather in April and May can reduce nest…
Odd growths on plant leaves or stems ranging from tiny bumps to red, spiny growths to pinecone-like growths on willows are a unique plant/insect relationship.…
Black and yellow patterned wings with a small ‘tail’ flutter between flowers, an identifiable characteristic of the tiger swallowtail. Certain butterflies are easily identified by…