The Western Pond Fly is a type of flower fly (family Syrphidae) that does a pretty convincing job of mimicking a yellowjacket, down to the wings. Yellowjackets and their relatives (subfamily […]

The Drone Fly was introduced to North America from Eurasia prior to 1874 and is now found throughout most of the world. The adults are European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) […]

If you’ve ever noticed nearly perfect ovals, circles or semicircles cut out of leaves (and even flowers), you might have some leafcutter bees nearby. These small bees readily inhabit “bee […]

We were thrilled to see this caterpillar in our inbox, as this species is uncommon (BugGuide). Paddle Caterpillars are so-named for the pairs of long black hairs with flattened tips that resemble paddles. […]

Cathy observed these caterpillars feeding on her Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea), an attractive shrub with ruby-colored twigs. Western Red-humped Caterpillars are generalist hardwood feeders and choose from a wide […]

If you find a green tree cricket in North America, you can be certain it is in the genus Oecanthus. Most can be identified to species by examining the markings on the underside of […]

Shield-backed Katydids (subfamily Tettigoniinae) have a “shield” that extends back over their wings, which are usually short. They often sport brown or black coloration to blend in with their environment […]

The Ornamental Orb Weaver is part of the family Araneidae, a family renowned for their orb-weaving habit. This species, unlike others in its genus, often builds its web in shrubs […]

With a wingspan of up to six inches, the adult Polyphemus Moth is the largest species of giant silk moth in Montana …so it should come as no surprise that their caterpillars are pretty massive too […]

Now here’s a unique looking spider. If you google “spider with red on its back,” you might see a photo of and worry that this is a Redback Spider (extremely […]