Longlegged fly (Condylostylus) hunting on leaftops
These attractive metallic flies are commonly seen on leaftops, hunting for smaller insects. They are lively creatures and some species have elaborate mating dances.
These attractive metallic flies are commonly seen on leaftops, hunting for smaller insects. They are lively creatures and some species have elaborate mating dances.
This ant is bringing a young crab spider back to its nest. Spiders, many of which are soft-bodied and poorly defended, are often easy prey for ants. American Bird Grasshopper Banded Pennant Collared ant (Aphaenogaster) pulling carpenter ant (Camponotus) – gets stuck Forcepfly (Merope tuber)
Camel crickets, despite their name, are related to katydids rather than crickets. But unlike their cousins that sing to attract mates, camel crickets are largely silent. Instead they likely use smells and vibrations to communicate. Although, much of this is speculation, since the behavior of most species remains a mystery! American Bird Grasshopper Banded Pennant…
The Red Imported Fire Ant is polymorphic, as workers appear in different shapes and sizes. The ant’s colors are red and somewhat yellowish with a brown or black gaster, but males are completely black. Red Imported Fire Ants are dominant in altered areas and live in a wide variety of habitats. They can be found…
Rarely encountered, even by specialists, forcepflies are strange insects with little known about their biology. Although they spend most of their life as a larva, their larval stage remains a mystery, despite a century of searching. American Bird Grasshopper Banded Pennant Bee-mimic robber fly (Laphria grossa) Io Moth (Automeris io)
This pretty yellow moth began it’s life as a caterpillar feeding on tree leaves for months. However, this fuzzy adult doesn’t have a mouth, and will quickly starve to death in a week or so. Many moths have camouflaged forewings, and warning coloration on the hind wings. This io moth uses eyespots as its warning…
The American Bird Grasshopper is native to North America, where it occurs in the eastern United States, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Occasional, localized outbreaks of this grasshopper occur, and it is often referred to as a locust, though it lacks the true swarming form of its congener, the desert locust. The adult male of the…