This is the largest beetle in Montana. They can be found in forested areas of Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine (their principle hosts) throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Females lay […]

Goldenrod Crab Spiders are masters at blending in. These spiders can change their color over several days (ranging from yellow to white) in order to better blend in with their […]

Our guess is that there is a scat pile under all these butterflies! Butterflies often congregate and sip from spots that provide additional nutrients, minerals, and salts. That could be […]

Kristi shares, “The female whitetail was laying eggs in some vegetation just under the surface. One of the pictures shows the male above her, guarding her. The dragonflies were putting […]

Velvet Ants, named for their hairy ant-like bodies, are actually more closely related to many wasps than ants. The females are wingless and the males are winged…and the females have […]

The name of this sphinx moth is a bit misleading. The moth has normal eyes, not small at all, but the eyelike spots on the hindwings could be considered small. These handsome […]

This is our most reported insect as of late…and the next generation is on its way! The adults do not feed, but caterpillars fatten up on plants in the willow […]

Some of the largest spiders encountered in Montana are wolf spiders…and when you see one carrying around a pea-sized “golf ball,” you take notice. Wolf spider mothers attach their egg […]

Delicious or dangerous? Many predators would pass on these day-flying moths…and many people would be wary in their presence. In flight they closely resemble wasps, even producing a droning sound to […]

Collared Arches are on the wing during late summer and fall, typically from mid-July to early September. You may spot one sipping nectar at the golden-yellow flowers of Rubber Rabbitbrush in the early […]