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 humpbacked and wedge-shaped, with a broad anterior end tapering to a pointed abdomen that extends beyond the forewings. View more insects.
The larval mite on this harvestman’s leg will continue engorging on host fluids until it falls off and pupates in the soil. It will then emerge as a purplish predatory mite with white stripes, then pupate again, and finally emerge as an adult that roams forest litter for prey Female tiny parasitic wasp (Eupelmidae) with…
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,…
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…
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…
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 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…