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.
This large hornet is native to Europe and can be common, especially in areas of human development. They are predators of other arthropods, which they bring back to their nest in a cavity such as a tree hole. Despite being large and scary, they are not aggressive. In the TN Woods, You Can Find All…
A native of eastern Asia, the multicolored Asian Lady Beetle was introduced into the United States by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a biological control agent. This tree dwelling beetle is an important predator of aphids and scale insects. Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles are slightly larger than native lady beetles, with adults measuring 9/32…
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)
Phymata Fasciata is a species of ambush bug in the family Reduviidae. It is found in Central America and North America. It is shorter and stouter than its assassin bug cousins, being only about 1 inch long. Most are brightly colored, in shades of yellow, orange, red and greenish-yellow. View more insects on the Coal…
American Giant Millipedes are large terrestrial animals that inhabit forests and agricultural areas of eastern North America. Active in spring through fall, they can be found under rocks, rotting logs, leaf litter, and other decaying plant material. These millipedes are primarily nocturnal, preferring dark and damp areas where they spend most of their time foraging,…
There are many robber flies. This one is common on tree trunks, where it perches, watching the skies for other insects to fly by. When it sees one, it flies out, grabs it, injects powerful venom, and then brings it back to its perch to suck the body fluids from the prey. Mini dramas abound…
