This little fella is Pepe III, the third Pepper Weevil to make it to Jen and Glenn’s house via a green pepper purchased at the grocery store. They found their first in […]
Read MoreArticles by: Misty Nelson
Polyphemus Moth Cocoon (Antheraea polyphemus)
Helena noticed a cocoon hanging from a branch alongside Rattlesnake Creek. She carefully collected it and brought it home for observation. Shortly after, she reached out to us for recommendations to help […]
Read MoreEurasian Millipede (Ophyiulus pilosos)
Millipedes and centipedes both have a lot of legs, but they have some key differences. Millipedes are slow-moving, have two pairs of legs on most segments, and are harmless decomposers. […]
Read MoreNotes from the Lab: Water Striders
Welcome back to the Lab! Striders, skeeters, skippers, water bugs, pond skaters, or Jesus bugs; these predacious, aquatic insects go many common names and are some of the first insects to show up when […]
Read MoreNotes from the Lab: Arthropod Crossing
Welcome back to the Lab! Early spring in Montana can be a major gamble when it comes to weather. If you’re like me, you put all your eggs into your spring […]
Read MoreWinter Caddisfly (genus Psychoglypha)
At first glance, caddisflies look much like their closest living relatives—the moths and butterflies. How to tell the two groups (orders) apart? Zoom in on their wings and mouthparts. Moth […]
Read MoreTissue Moth (Triphosa haesitata)
Tissue moths overwinter in caves where the temperature stays just above freezing, emerging in early spring. (We suspect that they wait out winter in other protected, temperature-stable locations, too.) A […]
Read MorePoison Hemlock Moth (Agonopterix alstroemeriana)
Poison Hemlock Moths, and their sole host plant, Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum), were introduced from Europe. The plant arrived in North America in the 1800s, and the first recorded moth in […]
Read MoreWestern Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis)
Perhaps you had some of these insects enter your home last fall. They weren’t looking to eat anything, just a warm place to hang out until spring. And maybe you […]
Read MoreEuropean Honey Bee or Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
The honey bee was one of the first domesticated insects and is the primary species kept by beekeepers for honey production and pollination services. Thanks to their domestication, they can […]
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