What’s Buzzin’

What can you see around Western Montana right now?

Green Lacewing (family Chrysopidae)

While these beautiful and delicate looking insects are harmless to humans, they are very capable predators that always seem to be hungry. And since they tend to feed on other […]

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Snow Fleas (genus Hypogastrura)

Kelly found snow fleas in just about every horse-hoof mud puddle in the Sapphires. She writes, “There were hundreds in each little pool of water, and they were so tiny […]

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Sweat Bee (family Halictidae)

Some species of sweat bees are attracted to our sweat, alighting on our skin and lapping it up for moisture and salt. They sometimes sting if disturbed, though the sting is not very painful. […]

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Zebra Jumper (Salticus scenicus)

If you spend time outside gardening, you’ve likely run into this beautiful spider before. Like other jumping spiders, Zebras have great eyesight. Their eyes can actually form detailed images, making […]

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Caterpillar Hunter Beetle (Calosoma moniliatum)

Ground beetles in the genus Calosoma “are known as ‘searchers’ for their feverish hunting behavior” (Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America). And as their name suggests, they’re after caterpillars—often climbing […]

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Mayflies (order Ephemeroptera)

Kelly shared several photos of some mayfly beauties she found on her porch. Although these two look markedly different, we believe them to be the same species. The top mayfly, […]

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