The black and yellow mud dauber is a large (around 1 inch), docile, solitary wasp in the thread-waisted wasp family (Sphecidae). As their common name hints at, females create nests […]

These showy butterflies can be found from British Columbia south to Baja California and inland to Montana and Nevada. Like many butterfly species, there’s an incredible visual difference between the […]

Unlike the common wood-nymph (Cercyonis pegala), who has two eyespots on the forewing about the same size (or lower eyespot might be slightly larger), the small’s lower eyespot is smaller than the upper one […]

These boldly patterned beetles are common on yarrow (pictured here) and other flowers in western North America (Alaska-California to Northwest Territories-Saskatchewan-Texas). Adults feed primarily on pollen and occasionally on small insects, while […]

We are not 100% sure but we believe this is the California Broad-necked Darkling Beetle (Coelocnemis dilaticollis). It’s easy to see where this large, flightless beetle got its name. Broad-necks […]

This subdued beauty is on the wing from mid-May to mid-July in moist forest habitats. Their wings can do a unique trick (along with other species in the tribe Phlogophorini). The […]

This skipper was accidentally introduced to North America in 1910 in Ontario, Canada. They have since become well established in the east and have more recently become established in the […]

As a type of true bug (with piercing mouth parts), bee assassins stick their proboscis into their victim’s body and begin to feed. To improve their chances at catching a […]

Blister beetles in this genus can be found worldwide. In the US, they are more diverse in the west. There are two very different things about these blister beetles — […]

This beautiful species of weevil can be found in the western half of the United States and southwestern Canada. They overwinter in the adult stage and females will lay their […]