#florida insects

[whatnext10]

Red Spotted Purples Can be Beautifully Colorful Butterflies

Awash in Blue Just about my all time favorite butterfly is the colorful red spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax). I absolutely adore the metallic blue against the black background that they have on the wings when they are opened. In that respect, they look similar to the pipevine swallowtail, but the red spotted purple has a lot of other colors both on the tops and bottoms of their…

View On WordPress

[whatnext10]

Bee Flies are Very Interesting to Watch Feed

Bee Flies are Very Interesting to Watch Feed discusses bee flies which are flies that strongly resemble bees. It particularly discusses their feeding habits and an unusual feeding behavior noticed by the author.

Bee Fly and Turkey Tangle A few weeks ago I went to one of our local retention ponds to release a turtle that I had found. The area around the retention pond was just teeming with all sorts of life. There was a wealth of wildflowers, butterflies, bees, and these bee flies (Villa spp). You can probably see why they are called bee flies. They look very similar to honeybees or bumblebees, but they…

View On WordPress

[whatnext10]

Grasshoppers Have Some Interesting and Complicated Mouths

. Mouth Parts This is an older photo that I had genuinely forgotten I had taken. It was taken back last fall when I found this big Atlantic grasshopper (Paroxya atlantica) playing hide and seek with me around the stem of a blackjack plant. It seemed to believe that as long as it stayed on the opposite side of the plant stem, that I couldn’t see it. That presented the opportunity to get some…

Grasshoppers Have Some Interesting and Complicated Mouths

[whatnext10]

The Ilia Underwing is a Beautiful Summer Moth

Ilia Underwing This little beauty was taking her afternoon siesta on the wall of my dog house one afternoon. I was busy doing chores when I first noticed her, so taking some time out to get her photo was a welcome distraction. She is an ilia underwing moth (Catocala ilia), which is one of the more colorful moths we get around here. They’re nocturnal, so many people never get to see them. During…

View On WordPress

[whatnext10]

Most Honeybees Really Love Colorful Flowering Trees

Arrival Central Florida provides a good environment for growing quite a few types of flowering trees and our rural area offers plenty of land for plant nurseries. It’s not surprising, then, that there are quite a few nurseries near where I live. One of them has a wonderful selection of flowering trees, and I couldn’t help but stop by there one day when I was out running errands. I didn’t buy…

View On WordPress

[whatnext10]

These Colorful Little Hoverflies are Also Great Pollinators

Northern Plushback One of the pollinators that I’ve been seeing lately that I was not familiar with is the pretty little northern plushback (Palpada vinetorum). It’s a type of hoverfly that is found in the eastern United States and Texas. It’s especially common in coastal or near coastal areas. The adults feed on nectar and prefer to go directly onto or into the corolla of the flower. The hairs…

View On WordPress

[whatnext10]

Seeing this Beautiful Green Lacewing was a Surprise

Graceful Lace Back in December I had gone to run some errands and came out of a shop to find this beautiful little green lacewing (Chrysoperla rufilabris) perched on my truck window. I have to say I was completely surprised. These pretty little insects are pretty common during the spring and summer, but I’ve never seen one in the middle of winter before. We had already seen some light frosts by…

View On WordPress

[whatnext10]

Beautiful Robber Flies are Excellent Predators

Robber The robber fly, a cunning predator of the insect world, patiently perches on an aster, ready to pounce on its unsuspecting prey. With its keen eyesight and lightning-fast reflexes, the robber fly is a master of stealth and precision. It blends seamlessly into the natural environment, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. This fascinating behavior showcases the intricate dynamics of…

View On WordPress