Our Development Director recently appeared on the news to talk about the high volume of praying mantis sightings in the Missoula area. Perhaps you’ve seen one, two, or even a few this year. […]

We believe this is Montaphe elrodi, a species native to the northwestern United States. Millipedes and centipedes both have a lot of legs, but they have some key differences. Millipedes are slow-moving, have two pairs […]

Similar to the European Praying Mantis, the Knapweed Root Weevil is also an exotic species. However, in this case it was introduced on purpose to help combat another exotic species […]

This Six-spotted Fishing Spider is one of eight species of fishing spiders in the Dolomedes genus found in the US and Canada. It is greenish brown with distinct white lines and spots. […]

This is the iconic caterpillar that is said to predict the severity of the upcoming winter. Woolly Bears are common throughout North America at lower elevations and feed on a wide […]

Crescent butterflies (genus Phyciodes) are so-called for their crescent-shaped spot on the underside of their hindwing, but their intricate orange-and-black patterns on the upperside are more likely to catch your eye. These […]

The Half-black Bumble Bee (Bombus vagans) is a small to medium sized bumblebee with a wide distribution in North America, ranging across Canada and the Northern US. In the central […]

Aphids (subfamily Eriosomatinae) are not easy to identify to the exact species. We believe these may be Blue Ash Aphids or Smokey-winged Ash Aphids. Similar to the swarms of Woolly […]

Saffron-winged Meadowhawks (Sympetrum costiferum) are one of the last species of dragonflies to be found still flying well into the fall. Males (pictured here) are all red with a thin […]

Lake Darners are among at least 13 different species of darners that can be found in Montana. If you look closely, you can notice the deeply notched thoracic (side) stripe […]