Bugs of North America
From periodical cicadas to monarch migrations to the carpenter ant in your wall.
281 on file
Asian Giant Hornet
Slaughters whole bee colonies in hours. Wears a sting that breaks down flesh.
Bombardier Beetle
Sprays boiling caustic chemicals from a rotating turret. 500 pulses per second.
Brown Recluse
America's most-feared bite. Also America's most-misdiagnosed bite.
Red Imported Fire Ant
Builds living rafts during floods. Floats for weeks. Costs the US $6 billion a year.
Common Eastern Firefly
Glows on demand using a chemical reaction efficient enough to embarrass a lightbulb.
Honeypot Ant
Living food jars. Worker ants hang from the ceiling, swollen with nectar. Eaten as candy.
Fire-Chaser Jewel Beetle
Detects forest fires from 80 km away. Flies INTO them. Lays eggs in still-smoking wood.
Regal Jumping Spider
Recognizes human faces. Plans ambush routes. Probably dreams.
Seven-Spotted Ladybug
Eats 5,000 aphids a lifetime. Bleeds yellow. Universally considered good luck.
Luna Moth
Pale green ghost of the moonlit forest. Tails that jam bat sonar. No mouth.
Monarch Butterfly
Migrates 4,800 km — across four generations — to a forest none of them have ever seen.
Periodical Cicada (17-Year)
Spends 17 years underground. Emerges by the trillion. Picks 17 because it's prime.
European Praying Mantis
Rotates her head 180°. Sees you in 3D. Sometimes decapitates her partner.
Spotted Lanternfly
The bug your state told you to step on. Invasive, destructive, gorgeous, tasty.
Tarantula Hawk
Hunts tarantulas. Paralyzes them. Lays an egg inside the still-living body.
Western Black Widow
Red hourglass on a black mirror. Venom 15× rattlesnake by weight. Doesn't always eat the male.
Common Yellowjacket
Stings you. Stings you again. Stings you a third time. Doesn't die.
American Burying Beetle
Both parents stay home. Bury a mouse together. Feed the kids by mouth.
Eyed Click Beetle
Flips herself off her back with an audible click. 380 g of acceleration. 30 cm of jump.
Snowy Tree Cricket
Count her chirps in 13 seconds, add 40 — that's the temperature in Fahrenheit. To one degree.
Velvet Ant ('Cow Killer')
Not an ant. Wingless wasp. Sting painful enough to be called 'cow killer.' Indestructible armor.
Argentine Ant
One global super-colony. Ants from Italy and Portugal recognize each other as family.
Eastern Cicada Killer
5 cm wasp. Hunts cicadas. Drags 2× her body weight home. Almost never stings humans.
Black-Legged (Deer) Tick
Cements herself to your skin for 3 days. Carries Lyme disease. Range expanding north 50 km a decade.
Black & Yellow Mud Dauber
Builds mud nests on your wall. Stuffs each cell with paralyzed spiders. Doesn't sting people.
Ogre-Faced Spider
Casts a silken net at prey like a fisherman. Sees in starlight. Hears with her legs.
Orchid Bee
Male orchid bees curate custom perfumes over weeks. Used to attract mates. Only animal that does this.
California Trapdoor Spider
Lives in a burrow with a hinged camouflaged door. Lived 43 years (longest spider ever).
Carolina Wolf Spider
Mom carries hundreds of babies on her back. Eyes glow back at flashlights from a hundred meters away.
Carpenter Ant
Doesn't eat wood — excavates it. Galleries through your beams. Largest ant in eastern North America.
Goldenrod Crab Spider
Changes color from white to yellow over weeks. Ambushes bees on flowers. No web.
Eastern Dobsonfly
Male carries 4 cm mandibles too long to bite. Larva ('hellgrammite') is a 3-year underwater predator.
European Hornet
Europe's largest social wasp. Hunts at night by lamplight. Less aggressive than her tiny cousins.
Golden Silk Orb-Weaver
Spins golden silk strong as kevlar. The 2009 spider-silk cape took 1.2 million spiders.
Kissing Bug
Bites your face at night. Defecates on the wound. Carries Chagas disease — kills 12,000 a year.
Mountain Pine Beetle
Killed 18 million hectares of pine forest since 2000. The largest insect-driven forest disaster in history.
European Paper Wasp
Invented paper before humans. Recognizes nestmates by face. Tense dominance hierarchies under your eaves.
Polyphemus Moth
North America's giant silk moth. 15 cm wingspan. Eyespots straight from the Cyclops. Adult cannot eat.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Invasive Asian shield-bug. Devastates apples, peaches, soybeans. Stinks like burnt cilantro on contact.
Tiger Swallowtail
North America's tiger butterfly. Yellow with black stripes. Caterpillar wears fake eyes and a smelly orange horn.
Wheel Bug
Wears half a gear-wheel on her back. Bite hurts worse than most snakes. Liquefies caterpillars.
Common Asparagus Beetle
Major asparagus pest. Brilliant METALLIC BLUE-BLACK with red-bordered cream square spots. Larvae use FECAL SHIELDS.
Bean Leaf Beetle
Major NA soybean pest. Color-polymorphic — yellow, red, tan, or orange. Vectors BEAN POD MOTTLE VIRUS.
Carrot Rust Fly
Major NA/European carrot pest. Diagnostic rust-colored tunnels through carrot taproots. Detoxifies Apiaceae furanocoumarins.
Cherry Fruit Fly
Major NA cherry pest. Sister to apple maggot fly. The proverbial 'WORM IN THE CHERRY'.
Oak Apple Gall Wasp
Wasp HIJACKS oak DNA to grow GOLF-BALL-SIZED protective galls around her developing larvae.
Striped Cucumber Beetle
Sister pest to spotted cucumber beetle. Yellow-and-black STRIPES instead of spots. Same bacterial wilt vectoring.
Ant-Decapitating Fly
Tiny parasitoid fly. Larva DECAPITATES fire ants by consuming brain and pupating in detached ant HEAD.
Cabbage Maggot Fly
Major NA/European cruciferous crop pest. Maggots burrow into cabbage roots. Detoxifies plant glucosinolates.
Citrus Leafminer
Larvae develop INSIDE citrus leaves. Diagnostic SERPENTINE silver mine trails visible in leaves.
Onion Maggot Fly
Major NA/European onion pest. Larvae detoxify the SULFUR COMPOUNDS that make onions burn human eyes.
Oriental Fruit Moth
Most damaging stone fruit pest worldwide — sister to codling moth, controlled by pheromone mating disruption.
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
Major NA cucurbit pest. Vectors BACTERIAL WILT. 11 black spots on yellow-green elytra.
Cactus Moth
Saved Australia from prickly pear (1925-32) — now THREATENING native NA cactus and Mexican prickly pear agriculture.
Indian Stick Insect
WORLD'S MOST COMMON PET STICK INSECT. Obligate PARTHENOGENESIS — captive populations are essentially all female.
Klamath Weed Beetle
Foundational NA weed-biocontrol success. Reduced invasive Klamath weed by 99% in western US in 10 years.
Calico Pennant
Small NA dragonfly with intricate STAINED-GLASS WING PATTERNS. Perches on twigs like a tiny flag or pennant.
California Carpenter Bee
Western NA carpenter bee. Females shiny black; MALES bright GOLDEN-YELLOW with green-gold eyes.
Long-Horned Bee
Solitary bee with ANTENNAE LONGER THAN HER OWN BODY. Major legume crop pollinator. Honey bee alternative.
Potter Wasp (Mason Wasp)
Constructs MINIATURE URN-SHAPED MUD POTS — perfect symmetrical pottery vessels for single-caterpillar provisions.
Western Tent Caterpillar
Western NA tent caterpillar. Builds white silk tents in branch crotches. Cyclic outbreaks in chaparral.
Small Carpenter Bee
TINY shiny METALLIC blue/green carpenter bee. Nests in HOLLOW STEMS. Provides maternal care to developing larvae.
Variable Dancer
Stream-side dancer damselfly. Distinctive jerky 'DANCING' flight pattern. Color-variable.
Acrobat Ant
HEART-SHAPED ABDOMEN that workers DRAMATICALLY RAISE over the back like a flag. ~500 species in the genus.
Evergreen Bagworm
Caterpillar drags SILK BAG. Adult female NEVER LEAVES THE BAG — wingless, legless, eyeless, mates inside.
Riffle Beetle
Tiny aquatic beetle that NEVER SURFACES. Breathes underwater through PLASTRON air-layer 'physical gill'.
Caterpillar Hunter Beetle (European Ground Beetle)
Brilliant metallic GREEN-AND-GOLD ground beetle. INTRODUCED to NA in 1905 to control invasive spongy moth.
Tawny Emperor
Sister species to hackberry emperor. Same hackberry-host biology and human-sweat-landing behavior.
American Snout
Distinctive 'SNOUT' palps. Massive Texas OUTBREAK MIGRATIONS — sky-blocking butterfly clouds.
Bullhorn Acacia Ant
Foundational PLANT-ANT MUTUALISM. Lives in hollow thorns of acacia. Aggressively defends tree from herbivores.
Conehead Termite
Soldier with CONE-SHAPED HEAD that sprays STICKY DEFENSIVE GLUE. Invaded south Florida in 2001.
West Indian Drywood Termite
Most damaging drywood termite worldwide. Reason for the dramatic WHOLE-HOUSE FUMIGATION TENT.
Hackberry Emperor
Forest brushfoot. LANDS ON HUMANS to drink sweat. Restricted to hackberry-tree forests in eastern NA.
Pacific Dampwood Termite
LARGEST termite in North America. Pacific Northwest. Ancient lineage with pseudergate worker biology.
Two-Striped Walking Stick
SPRAYS toxic chemical defense up to 40 cm — intensely irritating to vertebrate eyes. 'Devil rider' walking stick.
Water Boatman
LOUDEST animal on Earth scaled to body size. 99 dB underwater calls. Calls made by rubbing PENIS against abdomen.
California Red Scale
Most damaging scale insect pest of CITRUS worldwide. Foundational AUGMENTATIVE biocontrol case study.
Death-Watch Beetle
Tapping wood beetle. Folk DEATH OMEN. Major pest of HISTORIC OAK TIMBER in European architecture.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Catastrophic forest pest. Has killed essentially ALL mature eastern hemlocks across Appalachia.
Pink Hibiscus Mealybug
Major invasive Caribbean pest. Attacks 200+ plant species. Foundational classical biocontrol case study.
Patent Leather Beetle (Bess Beetle)
EUSOCIAL-LIKE beetle. Adults and larvae live in family groups inside decaying logs. 14+ stridulation calls.
Cotton Stainer
Bright red-and-yellow cotton pest. STAINS cotton fibers yellow-and-red — major southeastern US cotton damage.
Festive Tiger Beetle
Color-variable tiger beetle. Different geographic populations display GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE, RED, or COPPER elytra.
Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter
Vector of PIERCE'S DISEASE in California vineyards. Threatens $58B CA wine industry. Killed Italian olive trees.
Greenhouse Whitefly
Most damaging pest of GREENHOUSE production worldwide. First-ever commercially mass-reared biocontrol target.
Pink-Spotted Hawkmoth (Periwinkle Sphinx)
Large NA migratory hawkmoth. Pink-and-black banded abdomen. 10-15 cm proboscis (longer than body).
Tawny Mole Cricket
Major invasive turfgrass pest of southeastern US. Foundational classical biological control case study.
Bat Fly
EXCLUSIVE bat parasite. Lives entire adult life on bat bodies. Spider-like flightless flies.
Brown-Tail Moth
Caterpillar covered in URTICATING HAIRS that cause severe rash and respiratory irritation in humans.
Pink Bollworm
Major historical cotton pest. Successfully ERADICATED from US in 2018 — flagship Bt+SIT eradication program.
Scarlet Lily Beetle
Brilliant SCARLET-RED beetle. Larvae cover themselves in their own FECAL EXCREMENT for defense.
Spined Soldier Bug
PREDATORY stink bug. Eats caterpillars and beetle larvae. Commercially reared as biocontrol agent.
Sugarcane Borer
Major sugarcane pest of the Americas. $300M-$1B annual losses. Foundational biocontrol case study.
Wheat Stem Sawfly
Major NA spring wheat pest. Larva chews stem from inside, causing wheat to LODGE before harvest.
European Corn Borer
Major NA corn pest. Primary target of Bt corn alongside corn earworm. Bt deployment dramatically reduced populations.
Fall Armyworm
Major NA agricultural pest. INVADED Africa in 2016, Asia in 2018, Australia in 2020. Threat to global food security.
Citrus Longhorned Beetle
Sister to Asian longhorned beetle. Attacks 100+ tree species. Major global invasive forest pest.
European Elm Bark Beetle
Primary vector of DUTCH ELM DISEASE. Killed tens of millions of American elms across NA since 1930s.
Locust Borer
Striking YELLOW-AND-BLACK wasp-mimicking longhorn beetle. Major pest of NA black locust trees.
Long-Tailed Skipper
Brilliant METALLIC GREEN-AND-BROWN skipper with long hindwing TAILS. Migrates from FL/TX/Mexico northward each summer.
Plum Curculio
Major NA peach and apple pest. Diagnostic CRESCENT-SHAPED CUT on developing fruits.
Sirex Woodwasp
Injects FUNGAL SPORES into pine trees with eggs. Fungus digests wood for the larva. Major invasive pine pest globally.
Spotted-Wing Drosophila
Major invasive soft-fruit pest. Lays eggs INSIDE firm ripe intact fruits using SERRATED ovipositor.
Yellow Crazy Ant
World's 100 worst invasive species. Killed 10-15 MILLION red crabs on Christmas Island. Catastrophic.
Bowl and Doily Weaver
Constructs unique BOWL-AND-DOILY WEB ARCHITECTURE. Spider hangs upside-down between the two structures.
Catalpa Sphinx
Famous 'CATALPA WORM' bait fishing caterpillar. Catalpa trees planted as worm farms across southeastern US.
Dark Fishing Spider
Largest house-invading spider in eastern NA. 9 cm leg span. Looks terrifying but harmless.
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Bumblebee-sized solitary bee. Excavates nest tunnels in wooden buildings. Males hover-and-dive but cannot sting.
Goldenrod Crab Spider
Color-changing CHAMELEON spider. Switches between WHITE and YELLOW to match flower color. Walks sideways like a crab.
Grass Spider
Funnel-web spider with horizontal sheet web. Among the FASTEST running spiders in NA — 60 cm/sec sprint.
Northern Black Widow
Eastern NA black widow. 'Broken' RED HOURGLASS marking. Potent neurotoxic venom (alpha-latrotoxin).
Cabbage Looper
Major NA vegetable pest. LOOPS while walking — body forms a loop and extends forward.
Cinnabar Moth
Brilliant CRIMSON-RED-AND-BLACK day-flying moth. Most successful weed-biocontrol species ever introduced to NA.
Corn Earworm
Major NA crop pest. Same species as cotton bollworm and tomato fruitworm. Foundational target of Bt corn.
Mediterranean Fruit Fly
Most economically destructive global fruit pest. Attacks 250+ plant species. Hundreds of millions in CA control costs.
Salt Marsh Caterpillar
Color-variable wooly bear. Mass autumn migrations across roads and gardens in southeastern US.
Ilia Underwing
Bark-mimic forewings hide BRILLIANT FLASHING hindwings. 250+ NA species. Most-photographed startle-display moths.
Yellow-Faced Bumblebee
Most widespread western NA native bumblebee. Diagnostic BRIGHT YELLOW FACE PATCH. Pacific NW commercial pollinator.
Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
Second-most important managed pollinator on Earth. Essential for ALFALFA SEED PRODUCTION worldwide.
Eastern Amberwing
Smallest NA dragonfly. Bright AMBER WINGS. WASP-MIMIC — pumps abdomen up and down like a wasp.
Hellgrammite
Predatory aquatic larva of dobsonfly. 6-9 cm. Massive sickle jaws. Most-prized live bait in NA stream fishing.
Pavement Ant
Common urban ant. Famous for spectacular ANNUAL PAVEMENT WARS — thousands of ants in mass spring combat.
Pearl Crescent
Small NA brushfoot with diagnostic PALE PEARL CRESCENT marking on the hindwing underside.
Squash Bee
OBLIGATE squash specialist. Co-evolved with Cucurbita. Allowed pre-Columbian squash agriculture to spread north.
Banded Net-Winged Beetle
Bright ORANGE elytra with raised NETWORK of veins. Müllerian mimicry — multiple beetle species share the warning pattern.
Eastern Hercules Beetle
Largest beetle in eastern US. Males have dramatic pitchfork-horn morphology. CHANGES COLOR with humidity.
Hanging Thief Robber Fly
Aerial predator that HANGS from a single front leg while consuming prey. Catches bees, wasps, dragonflies in mid-air.
Nursery Web Spider
Males offer FOOD GIFTS to females during mating. Females build NURSERY WEBS for hatching spiderlings.
Olive Fruit Fly
Single most important pest of olive production worldwide. Major Mediterranean economic threat.
Tongue-Eating Louse
Severs a fish's tongue and PERMANENTLY REPLACES it with her own body. Only known parasite that replaces a host organ.
Ailanthus Webworm Moth
Brilliant orange-and-black wasp-mimicking moth. Tracks the spread of invasive Tree of Heaven across NA.
Black Witch Moth
Largest moth in North America. 24 cm wingspan. 'Mariposa de la muerte' in Latin American folklore.
Carolina Wolf Spider
LARGEST wolf spider in NA. State spider of SC. Mothers carry dozens of spiderlings on her back.
Golden Tortoise Beetle
Tiny GOLD MIRROR beetle. Can DYNAMICALLY CHANGE color from gold to rust-red when threatened.
Marbled Orbweaver
The 'pumpkin spider' — bright orange-and-brown marbled abdomen looks like a tiny jack-o-lantern.
Polka-Dot Wasp Moth
Brilliant metallic BLUE-BLACK with white POLKA DOTS and bright RED abdomen tip. Oleander pest in southern US.
Tomato Hornworm (Five-spotted Hawkmoth)
Major NA garden pest. Big green caterpillar with BLACK HORN. Adult is gray sphinx with FIVE yellow spot pairs.
American Dog Tick
Major NA vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Also tick paralysis. Wood-tick of NA hiking trails.
Apple Maggot Fly
Foundational SYMPATRIC SPECIATION case study. Two host races shifting from hawthorn to apple since the 1860s.
Dragonhunter
Largest clubtail in NA. Hunts and eats other DRAGONFLIES. Apex predator of NA freshwater systems.
Ebony Jewelwing
Brilliant METALLIC GREEN BODY with completely BLACK WINGS. NA cousin to the banded demoiselle.
Falcate Orangetip
Tiny white butterfly with HOOKED forewing tips. Males have bright ORANGE wing-tip patches.
Forest Tent Caterpillar
Despite the name, builds silk MATS on tree trunks (not tents). 10-12 year cyclic outbreaks defoliate NA forests.
Great Spangled Fritillary
Large NA fritillary with brilliant METALLIC SILVER underside spots. Larvae OVERWINTER WITHOUT EATING.
Variegated Fritillary
Small migratory NA fritillary. Multiple generations. Re-establishes northern range each spring by migration.
Asian Longhorned Beetle
Invasive wood-boring beetle. Threatens NA maple forests. $700M USDA eradication effort.
Black Soldier Fly
Larvae are the foundation of MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR global insect-protein industry. Bioconverts waste into feed.
Buffalo Treehopper
Bright green treehopper with a dramatic TRIANGULAR HORN that makes it look like a miniature bison.
Carolina Mantis
Only NATIVE mantis in eastern NA. State insect of SC. Famous for sexual cannibalism.
Dogbane Beetle
Brilliant METALLIC GREEN-GOLD-AND-COPPER iridescent beetle. Sequesters cardiac glycosides from dogbane.
Big Dipper Firefly
The classic NA backyard firefly. Males perform J-SHAPED upward flash displays at dusk.
Hessian Fly
Major wheat pest. Brought to NA in 1776 by Hessian mercenaries. Foundational gene-for-gene coevolution model.
Japanese Beetle
Most polyphagous invasive beetle in NA. Eats 300+ plant species. $460M annual damage.
Pandora Sphinx
Camouflage hawk moth with olive-pink-cream graduated bands. Larva has FIVE oval eye-spots like a five-eyed snake.
Silver-Spotted Skipper
Most widespread NA skipper. Bright SILVER spot on hindwing underside flashes in flight.
Carolina Grasshopper
Cryptic at rest. Reveals BLACK-AND-WHITE BUTTERFLY-LIKE WINGS in flight. Crackling 'hand-clap' wing sound.
Differential Grasshopper
Major NA crop-pest grasshopper. HERRINGBONE-PATTERNED hind legs. Outbreak swarms cause massive crop damage.
Gulf Fritillary
Bright orange with brilliant METALLIC SILVER underside spots. Sequesters toxins from passion flowers.
Jerusalem Cricket (Potato Bug)
Looks like a 7 cm cricket with a HUMAN-LIKE BULGING head. The 'potato bug' / 'child of the earth'.
Lone Star Tick
Bite makes you ALLERGIC TO MAMMALIAN MEAT. Alpha-gal syndrome — discovered 2009.
Northern Walkingstick
Most widespread NA walking stick. Looks indistinguishable from a small twig.
Spring Azure
Bright sky-blue 'blue' butterfly. Emerges in EARLY spring. Larvae tended by ants for sweet secretions.
Common True Katydid
The 'KA-TY-DID, KA-TY-DIDN'T' summer night sound. Wings shaped like a green leaf complete with veins.
American Lady
NA sister to the painted lady. Distinguished by TWO large eyespots vs painted lady's four-five smaller ones.
Eastern Black Swallowtail
The 'parsley caterpillar' butterfly. State butterfly of OK and NJ. Female mimics toxic pipevine.
Cloudless Sulphur
Bright LEMON-YELLOW migratory butterfly. Millions migrate south through the eastern US each autumn.
Giant Swallowtail
LARGEST butterfly in North America. Caterpillar = the 'orange dog' citrus pest that mimics BIRD DROPPINGS.
Imperial Moth
14-17 cm yellow giant silk moth marked with red-purple-brown maple-leaf patches.
Promethea Moth
Day-flying male MIMICS the toxic pipevine swallowtail. Females are reddish-brown and nocturnal.
Question Mark Butterfly
Folded wings look like a dead leaf. Tiny white SILVER QUESTION MARK on the underside.
Red-Spotted Purple
Mimics toxic pipevine swallowtail. Same species as the white admiral but evolved into a mimic in the south.
Regal Moth (Hickory Horned Devil)
Caterpillar is the LARGEST in North America. Looks like a dragon. Completely harmless.
Snowberry Clearwing
BUMBLEBEE-mimic clearwing moth. Sister species to the hummingbird-mimic clearwing.
Spicebush Swallowtail
Black butterfly with iridescent blue-green hindwings. Larva looks like a SNAKE with eyespots.
Common Buckeye
Six prominent EYESPOTS on the wings. Predator-deflection defense. Partial migrant in NA.
Common Eastern Bumblebee
Most widespread NA native bumblebee. Foundation of NA commercial bumblebee pollination. BUZZ pollinator.
Common Whitetail
Males have CHALKY-WHITE abdomens. Flicked at rivals as territorial displays. Females look like a different species.
Eastern Forktail
Most ABUNDANT damselfly in eastern NA. Females have THREE color morphs. Female-mimics-male strategy.
Eastern Pondhawk
Eats other dragonflies. EMERALD-GREEN females, POWDER-BLUE males. Most aggressive NA pond predator.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Most familiar large NA butterfly. State butterfly of 6 US states. Female has YELLOW and BLACK pipevine-mimicking morphs.
Hummingbird Clearwing
Day-flying hawk moth that looks and behaves so much like a hummingbird that birders misidentify her.
White-Lined Sphinx
Most widespread hawk moth in NA. Hovers at flowers like a hummingbird at dawn and dusk.
Convergent Lady Beetle
Native NA ladybug. Mass-overwinters in Sierra Nevada aggregations. Most commercially-collected biocontrol agent.
Eastern Lubber Grasshopper
Largest grasshopper in southeastern US. Flightless. Foam-producing chemical defense. Mass nymph processions.
Great Black Wasp
35 mm jet-black solitary wasp. Paralyzes katydids alive. Famous in philosophy of mind ('Sphexishness').
Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle
Iridescent METALLIC EMERALD GREEN beetle. Sprints so fast it temporarily goes blind.
Twelve-Spotted Skimmer
12 dark wing spots in alternating bands. Males develop white 'flash' patches. NA flagship dragonfly.
Giant Vinegaroon
Looks like a scorpion. Sprays CONCENTRATED VINEGAR. No venom. No sting. Just weaponized acetic acid.
Western Conifer Seed Bug
The flying-leaf bug that invades your house in autumn. Foul defensive odor. LEAF-LIKE expansions on hind legs.
Bold Jumping Spider
Most familiar US jumping spider. Iridescent green-blue chelicerae. Recent research shows she DREAMS.
Spinybacked Orb-Weaver
Crab-shell-shaped abdomen with SIX SHARP SPIKES. Bright colors. Web tufts as visual bird warnings.
Giant Tachinid Fly
8,200+ species, all parasitoids of other arthropods. Free natural pest control.
Yellow Sac Spider
Most common indoor spider in NA. Cause of most 'spider bite' reports. CHEWS through fuel-system plastic.
Face Fly
Cattle face-feeder. Vector of cattle pinkeye. Overwinters in rural attics by the thousands.
Flame Skimmer
Brilliant flame-red dragonfly of western North America. Major desert mosquito predator.
Pipevine Swallowtail
TOXIC. Model for at least 5 mimic butterfly species. Caterpillars sequester pipevine alkaloids.
Viceroy Butterfly
Famous monarch mimic. For 100 years taught as Batesian (palatable) — 1991 proved her ALSO toxic.
Zebra Longwing Butterfly
Florida state butterfly. Eats pollen. Communal roosting. Males mate with females during pupal emergence.
Zebra Swallowtail
Tennessee state butterfly. Longest tails of any North American swallowtail. Eats only pawpaw.
Allegheny Mound Ant
Builds 1-meter dome-shaped solar mounds. Aggressively kills nearby trees with formic acid to maintain sun.
Large Bee Fly
Fly that mimics a bumblebee. FLICKS her eggs into bee burrows from above. Long hovering proboscis.
Cuckoo Bumblebee
Bumblebee that abandoned workers. Invades host bumblebee nests, kills the queen, takes over the colony.
Mediterranean Recluse
Most invasive recluse spider on Earth. Sphingomyelinase D venom causes necrotic skin lesions.
Texas Leafcutter Ant
US leafcutter ant. 1-2 million workers per colony. Excavates 8m-deep underground fungus farms.
Seven-Spot Ladybird
The original 'ladybird.' Named for Mary's Seven Sorrows. Eats 5,000 aphids per lifetime.
Elephant Mosquito
Largest mosquito on Earth. Adults DON'T bite. Larvae eat 200+ Aedes mosquito larvae each. Used as biocontrol.
German Yellowjacket
Most cosmopolitan invasive yellowjacket. NZ has 10x more biomass than native pollinators. 5,000-worker colonies.
Hornet Moth
Moth that mimics a European hornet so well even entomologists are fooled. Wings are transparent.
Garden Tiger Moth
Chocolate-brown wings with cream stripes. Orange hindwings flash. Toxic and warning-colored.
Firebug
Bright red-and-black aggregating bug. Discovery of juvenile hormone traces to her in 1966.
Postman Butterfly
Eats pollen — only butterfly that does. Lives 6+ months. Centerpiece of modern speciation research.
Asp Caterpillar (Southern Flannel Moth)
Looks like a piece of cotton. Sting reportedly the most painful in North America. Pet your kid.
American Burying Beetle
Buries dead mice. Both parents care for the brood. Endangered species recovery success.
European Garden Spider (Cross Spider)
European garden orb-weaver. White cross on her back. First spider to build a web in space (1973).
Common Green Darner
Largest North American dragonfly (8 cm). Multi-generational 1,500+ km migration. Apple-green thorax.
Birch Sawfly
Most ancient Hymenoptera lineage. 'Saw' ovipositor cuts plant slits for eggs. Larva shoots wax.
Ten-Lined June Beetle
Largest western US scarab. Squeaks audibly when grabbed. Males have feathered antennae.
Zebra Jumping Spider
Black-and-white striped jumping spider on your sunny windowsill. Watches you with puppy-dog eyes.
Common Backswimmer
Only insect that swims UPSIDE DOWN. Bite hurts like a bee sting. Eats mosquito larvae and tadpoles.
Devil's Coach-Horse Beetle
Raises her tail like a scorpion when threatened. Medieval Europe believed she carried curses.
European Mantis
The original 'praying mantis' — Linnaeus named her for the prayer-like raptorial pose in 1758.
Snake Fly
Insect with a 'snake' neck. Tiny ancient order — 270 million years old. Only in the Northern Hemisphere.
Acorn Weevil
Female's snout is half her body length — drills through acorn shells. Cause of acorn 'wormholes.'
Cochineal Insect
Source of carmine red dye for 2,000+ years. Aztec second-most-valuable trade after gold. In your lipstick.
Eastern Eyed Elater
Two giant fake eye-spots on her back. 380g click-launch. Largest click beetle in eastern US.
Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
Beneficial garden pollinator + predator. Looks like military uniform. Gathers on goldenrod by the hundreds.
Western Corn Rootworm
The 'billion-dollar bug.' Resistant to every insecticide AND to Bt corn traits. Invading Europe.
Chinese Mantis
Largest mantis in North America. Eats hummingbirds at feeders. Sold as 'beneficial' garden biocontrol.
Cottony Cushion Scale
Almost destroyed California citrus in 1888. Saved by 130 imported Australian ladybeetles. Founded biocontrol.
Africanized Honey Bee (Killer Bee)
The 'killer bee.' Hybrid escaped Brazil in 1957. 1,000+ human deaths. Pursues victims hundreds of meters.
Asian Needle Ant
Painful sting comparable to a wasp. Anaphylaxis documented. Displacing native ants in eastern US.
Boll Weevil
Devastated US cotton — $22 billion in damage. Has a statue in Alabama. ERADICATED from the US in 2010.
European Fire Ant
Invasive in Metro Vancouver since 2010s. Sharp burning sting. Excludes native ants from infested soil.
Mexican Bean Beetle
A vegetarian ladybeetle. Skeletonizes bean leaves. Major US bean crop pest.
Mormon Cricket
Wingless katydid that marches in millions across western US rangeland. Saved Utah crops in 1848 by seagulls.
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle
USDA introduced her as biocontrol — she displaced native ladybeetles, invades homes by the thousands, bites.
Odorous House Ant
Smells like rotten coconut when crushed. Most common indoor ant in North America. Budding colony defeats spray.
Eastern Tent Caterpillar
Builds silken tent nests in spring cherry trees. Causes Kentucky horse abortion epidemics.
Fall Webworm
Drapes branch tips in silken webs in late summer. Native invasive across Europe and Asia since 1940s.
Giant Leopard Moth
White wings with leopard-spot rings. Iridescent blue-orange abdomen hidden under the wings. Plays dead.
Diabolical Ironclad Beetle
Survives being run over by a car. 39,000× body weight. Aerospace engineers copy her shell.
Mexican Honey Wasp
Wasp that makes honey. Centuries-old delicacy in Mexico. Pollinator AND predator AND honey producer.
Tobacco Hornworm
10 cm green caterpillar with red 'horn.' Major model organism. Devastates tomato gardens.
Boxelder Bug
Forms autumn aggregations of thousands on south-facing walls. Same red-and-black mimicry as milkweed bug.
Large Milkweed Bug
Eats only milkweed. Sequesters toxin. Wears warning red-and-black. Major model organism.
Spongy Moth (formerly Gypsy Moth)
Renamed from 'gypsy moth' in 2022. Released in Massachusetts in 1869. Has defoliated tens of millions of acres.
Squash Bug
Dominant pest of squash and pumpkins. Vector of cucurbit yellow vine disease.
White-Marked Tussock Moth
Bright yellow caterpillar with white tufts and black horns. Bristles cause stinging dermatitis. Female is flightless.
Colorado Potato Beetle
Most pesticide-resistant insect on Earth. Resistant to 56+ different insecticides. Devastates potato crops globally.
Emerald Ash Borer
Killed 100 million ash trees since 2002. Most economically destructive forest insect ever introduced to North America.
Yucca Moth
Sole pollinator of yucca. Actively packs pollen into the flower like a tiny farmer. Obligate mutualism.
Acacia Ant
Lives inside hollow acacia thorns, drinks Beltian-body sap, attacks anything that touches the tree.
Bald-Faced Hornet
Builds basketball-sized paper nests in trees. Sprays venom at your eyes. Not actually a hornet.
Dog-Day Cicada
The high-whine of August 'dog days.' One of the loudest insects on Earth — 100+ dB.
Atlantic Horseshoe Crab
450 million years old, blue-blooded living fossil, used to test every vaccine on Earth for endotoxins.
Asian Longhorned Beetle
Asian invader. Has killed 130,000+ US trees since 1996. Glossy black with white spots and impossibly long antennae.
Snow Flea
Tiny springtail active on snow. Antifreeze protein keeps her alive at -20°C. Used in medical cryopreservation.
Arizona Bark Scorpion
Only deadly US scorpion. Glows blue-green under UV light. Lurks under bark and inside shoes.
Crane Fly
Third major 'daddy long legs.' Actually a fly. Larva is a turf pest. Adult cannot eat.
Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter
Vector of Pierce's disease — wiped out California vineyards. Has gear teeth in her legs to jump.
Mourning Cloak
Lives 10-12 months. Flies across snow in winter. Drinks tree sap, not nectar. Solar-warmed wings.
Red Admiral
Long-distance migrant. Territorial males dive-bomb anything that moves through their patch.
Black-and-Yellow Garden Spider
Garden zigzag-web spider. The cultural inspiration for Charlotte's Web. Stabilimentum function still debated.
Brown Widow
Black widow's invasive displacing sister. Spikier egg sac. Bite is milder despite stronger venom drop-for-drop.
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Drills perfect 1.6 cm holes in your deck. Buzz-pollinates tomatoes. The big black bumblebee that isn't.
Cecropia Moth
Largest moth native to North America. 18 cm wingspan. Caterpillar is bright green with painted tubercles.
Giant Ichneumon Wasp
Drills 12 cm into wood with her abdomen to lay an egg on a wasp larva. Larva eats it alive. Darwin's parable.
Io Moth
Hides camouflaged at rest; flashes giant blue eyes at predators. Caterpillar stings like a bee.
Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
Cuts perfectly round leaf discs and rolls them into cigar-cells. Backbone of US alfalfa seed industry.
Blue Orchard Mason Bee
One female pollinates as many fruit blossoms in a day as 100 honey bees. Solitary. Gentle. Builds with mud.
Mexican Red-knee Tarantula
The Indiana Jones tarantula. 30-year lifespan. CITES-protected. Gentle and famous.
Spider Wasp
Hunts tarantulas. Paralyzes them. Drags them home for one egg. Sting rated 4.0 — the worst.
White Witch Moth
Largest wingspan of any insect on Earth. 31 cm tip-to-tip. Larva has been seen ONCE.
Woolly Bear (Isabella Tiger Moth)
The folklore weather caterpillar. Survives -90°C using natural antifreeze. Arctic cousin needs 7 years to grow up.
Camel Spider
Third major arachnid order. Largest jaws-to-body ratio in arachnids. The fastest arachnid runner.
Chigger (Harvest Mite)
Larva liquefies your skin and drinks it through a tube. The 'burrow into the skin' myth is false.
Tawny Crazy Ant
Neutralizes fire ant venom. Displaces fire ants. Shorts out electrical gear by sheer mass.
Eastern Subterranean Termite
$5 BILLION in US damage per year. Built from cockroaches. Mud tubes from soil to your studs.
European Earwig
Practices maternal care. Did NOT inspire her name — the ear-burrowing myth is false.
Six-Spotted Fishing Spider
Walks on water. Catches fish. Dives underwater with an air-bubble respirator.
Formosan Subterranean Termite
Super-termite. 10 million workers per colony. Carton nests the size of an oven.