It’s been a busy week for us at MBHI as we gear up for summer: our recently arrived honeybees are settling into their new home, and our leafcutter ants aren’t far behind them. Not to mention summer camp prep, fieldwork, regular programs, museum activities, and more. But the bugs start coming and they don’t stop coming, and this season is already shaping up to be an exciting one.
Header Photo: Orange-legged Furrow Bee (Halictus rubicundus) Misty Nelson, May 24th, 2024. Mill Creek, Anaconda, MT.
Silvery Blue
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
The Silvery Blue is on the wing from May to mid-June and has prominent rows of black spots circled in white on each wing. It can potentially be confused for the Boisduval’s Blue, but the Silvery’s spots tend to be “neater” than those on the Boisduval’s, and they usually lack additional spots toward the inside of the wings (close to the body). The Silvery Blue ranges from central Alaska to southern California in the west. In the east, it can be found from Nova Scotia to Georgia.
Deb Hoagland, May 24th, 2024. Miller Creek, Missoula, MT.
American Giant Water Bug
Lethocerus americanus
Up to about 3 inches long, these true bugs are truly giant. They generally live in stagnant, slow-moving waters, capturing and consuming other insects, small fish, frogs, and even snakes. They have a sharp “rostrum,” or beak, that allows them to pierce and consume their prey. Because this rostrum is so sharp, it can be quite painful if you mishandle or accidentally step on one with bare feet. They are otherwise harmless and are attracted to nights at light.
Harlow Holcomb, May 11th, 2024. Bonner, MT.
Salt Marsh Moth
Estigmene acrea
At first glance, this lightly-dotted moth may be confused for a Virginian tiger moth. However, the lack of fuzzy white legs gives this individual away as a salt marsh moth. The name of this elegant moth reflects its frequency in coastal salt marshes (tidal marshes) along the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf Coasts. But really, they can be found in any open habitat throughout North America, except for Alaska and the Yukon. Part of the tiger moth family is related to the more familiar woolly bear; the caterpillars feed on various plants and are often seen rapidly wandering around on the ground, searching for new food sources.
Sal Culotta, May 26th, 2024. St. Ignatius, MT.
Rhogogaster Sawfly
Rhogogaster sp.
This electric-green sawfly was an exciting and mysterious find, as there is very little information on the genus. There is also a lot of confusion surrounding species’ names in the literature, resulting in rampant misidentification. Sawflies, in general, are an underrepresented group of hymenopterans; they are often overshadowed by their close family members, ants, bees, and wasps. Regardless, there are very few confirmed sightings of Rhogogaster sp. in Montana, making this one an exceptional find.
Tyler Brett, May 22nd, 2024. Florence, MT.
Many-spotted Tiger Moth
Hypercompe permaculata
Caterpillars are tough, but the Tiger Moth tribe (Arctiini) has some of the most easily recognized members. They are all notoriously fuzzy, the most famous member being the wooly bear caterpillar, or Isabella Tiger Moth. The Many-spotted Tiger Moth caterpillar is less recognizable but features less individual color variation, making identification easier than other members of this group. The adult moth is an absolute stunner, with large black spots covering its entire body, giving it a “Dalmatian” look. Adults will be on the wing soon and fly until August, so be on the lookout: it’s a tough one to miss.
Klara Briknarova, May 26th, 2024. Lamar Buffalo Ranch, Yellowstone National Park, MT.
Nearctic Bumblebee
Bombus vancouverensis nearcticus
This subspecies of the Vancouver Bumblebee was recently separated from the species Bombus bifarus, the Black-notched Bumblebee. The two subspecies, B. vancouverensis nearcticus and B. vancouverensis vancouverensis, are widespread across western Canada and the United States. B. vancouverensis vancouverensis is restricted to Vancouver Island in British Columbia and may wind up as its own species as information on this new species grows. Either way, they are relatively small bumblebees. When they engage in “buzz pollination,” a specialty of bumblebees, they usually hang upside-down from the flower to help shake the pollen loose.
Carolyn Taber, May 24th, 2024. Waterworks Hill, Missoula, MT.
White-winged March Fly
Bibio albipennis
This fuzzy little fly is the most widespread Bibio species across North America. Like many fly species, their larvae are decomposers, feeding on decaying organic material and occasionally plant roots. The adults are nectar feeders, and their long white hairs (which lend to the species name albipennis, Latin for “white feathers”) give them the potential to be productive pollinators. The males and females look strikingly different, with males showing large, prominent eyes that take up most of their heads. All the better to find females with.
Sal Culotta, May 16th, 2024. St. Ignatius, MT.
Flower Longhorn Beetle
Grammoptera subargentata
Several of these minuscule flower beetles were feeding on a wild rose in Greenough Park, and as soon as we tried to get in for a closer look, they would fluster and drop to the ground. Their larvae are woodboring, feeding on various hardwoods, while the adults, as seen here, prefer a floral palate (many photos of this species, in particular, feature adults on wild roses). Flower longhorn beetles are incredibly diverse in the northern hemisphere but are almost always recognizable by their long antennae.
Brenna Shea, May 30th, 2024. Greenough Park, Missoula, MT.
Putnam’s Cicada
Platypedia putnami
The West is having its own Cicadamania, with another cicada sighting this week. These early arrivals, the wing-tapping cicadas, do not have the classic tymbals we associate with other cicada species. Instead, these cicadas communicate by rapidly moving their wings to produce a popping or crackling sound. Grasshoppers also produce sound this way, snapping their wings when taking flight to ward off predators. This method of sound production is known as crepitation and is not nearly as loud as the constant din of other cicadas’ tymbal rattling.
Misty Nelson, May 24th, 2024. Mill Creek, Anaconda, MT.
Yellowish Cuckoo Bumblebee
Bombus flavidus ssp. flavidus
This bumblebee species is commonly encountered from June to September throughout North America. Both females and males visit flowers for nectar, including flowers from the aster family like this dandelion, but lack pollen-collecting equipment (outside of their disheveled hairs). Female cuckoo bumblebees are “social parasites” of true bumblebees. They displace the resident queen in an established nest and trick the host workers into raising their offspring.
Brenna Shea, May 30th, 2024. Greenough Park, Missoula, MT.
