The Spangled Skimmer grows to nearly 2 inches long. Each of the 4 wings has a white spot beside a black spot on the outer leading edge. Males are blue with a dark head. Females are dark brown with lengthwise yellow stripes, and darkish wingtips. Ranging throughout eastern United States, this species can be found at ponds, long-lasting puddles, lakes, and slow streams, often with water lilies, cattails, or other vegetation. View more insects.
Something comical about other animals experiencing the struggles of our human lives. Here a collared ant is dragging a dead carpenter ant back to its nest, when the claws of the dead ant get stuck on the bark. There’s something cathartic and endearing about the ensuing struggle. American Bird Grasshopper Banded Pennant Forcepfly (Merope tuber)…
A civilization under a stone. These ants are busy caring for their eggs and larvae. The lives of these creatures is complex, with various communications, duties, and associations with other life forms such as bacteria, fungus, mites, beetles, etc., that live amongst them. Books could be written about just this scene. Take a moment to…
These attractive metallic flies are commonly seen on leaftops, hunting for smaller insects. They are lively creatures and some species have elaborate mating dances. Female tiny parasitic wasp (Eupelmidae) with an interesting jumping mechanism crawling over tree bark-likely Anastatus hunting for stink bug eggs to lay its own eggs into Flies attracted to dead longhorn…
The Banded Pennant is a small dragonfly (to about 1½ inch long) with distinctive black markings and reddish eyes. Look for the Banded Pennant near water. They are also seen flying in open lots and ditches, fields and meadows. It is active from late spring to early autumn. View more insects.
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…
The Mordellidae are a family of beetles commonly known as Tumbling Flower Beetles for the typical irregular movements they make when escaping predators. These black beetles are small, usually between 3 and 7 mm (0.1 to 0.3 inch) in length and are most often seen on flowers. They are covered with fine hairs and are…