Insect watching Species identification List of insects found at the FWG Photo galleries Dragonflies and damselflies Bees and wasps Bee and wasp mimics Bugs Beetles Bugs Flies Nerve-winged insects Mantids Grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets References Useful web sites Insects of the Fletcher Wildlife Garden (excluding butterflies and moths) Conservative estimates put the number of known insects worldwide at somewhere around a remarkable 900,000 species. Perhaps more remarkable is the fact that scientists believe there are probably millions of unnamed and undiscovered insects globally (Waldbauer 1998). At the Fletcher Wildlife Garden, we have discovered and listed approximately 200 species of insects, a mere fraction of the multitude of species in our 5-hectare site, and a minute percentage of the insects worldwide. But they are "our" insects and we are thrilled to have them grace the garden. If you are interested in bugs and beetles and all the other types of insects in general, you don't really have to travel far to see them. Often no further than your back yard or your local greenspace. Of course, if you become fascinated with a particular group of insects, you may find yourself traveling further afield just to look for more and different species. This is certainly the case for butterfly watchers, a growing band of enthusiasts who are the driving force behind the plethora of books and websites devoted to every aspect of butterflies, including field guides, conservation, gardening and even books about individual species, particularly the Monarch butterfly. Dragonfly watching is another activity becoming increasingly popular as new field guides make identification easier to achieve. The rest of the insect world has not yet gathered such a dedicated band of converts. Too often we're only aware of these creatures when they make a nuisance of themselves — in our gardens, homes or farms — as carriers of disease or in some other negative context. However, there are many other extraordinarily beautiful and fascinating insects that reward curiosity and exploration with a glimpse into a surprising and little known world. One of the most fascinating aspects of insect fauna is their mimicry. It is also one of the things that causes great frustration in would-be insect watchers. In the insect world what you see is often NOT what you get! Many flies mimic bees and wasps so well that it is nearly impossible to determine which you are looking at. Some flower flies are such faithful bee mimics that not only do they sound like bees, but they also pollinate flowers as bees do. On the other hand, some bees are commonly mistaken for flies. The small, bright green sweat bee looks like a fly buzzing around, and only if you are lucky enough to get a good look can you see that it is indeed a bee. One significant clue for separating the flies from the bees (and wasps) is to look for the number of wings, flies have two, wasps and bees, four. It is not always easy to see the wings of these insects, but careful observation pays off! Insect mimicry is just one of the many weird and wonderful things that you will discover if you decide to explore the insect kingdom. INSECT WATCHING Insect watching, as with any aspect of nature activity, requires patience. It also pays to study up on these fascinating creatures beforehand, so that by understanding something about their ecology and life cycle, their occurrence in your area, and their status (common or rare), you have a better idea of when, where, and how to look. Many insects are seasonal. Most of us probably know that cicadas are synonymous with summer heat. Springtails, or snow fleas, on the other hand, are best seen on warm winter days when they dot the snow like tiny black specks of pepper. But a surprising number of insects are present from spring through summer and even into fall. The ubiquitous Bumblebee (of which there are many species), various wasps, the colourful and diverse Flower or Hover Flies, the familiar lady beetle (a generic term for a variety of similar species), and some crickets, are all examples of insects found through several seasons. There are many ways to watch insects. Some people prefer to take an insect net and "sweep" the vegetation to see what they catch. Others like to find a suitable looking habitat and patiently watch and wait. With a good pair of binoculars, you can get excellent close up views of many insects. Small plastic bottles with lids can be used to gently capture an insect for acloser look and to help in identification. A hand lens can be useful when you have an insect in hand, but in general most insects won't wait around for you to get nose to nose with them. Digital cameras are another good way to "look" at insects. Taking macro photographs and viewing them at home on your computer screen where you can enlarge the image, will reveal details you do not see with the naked eye. At the FWG, we don't encourage collection of anything including insects. Leave them there to get on with their lives, and give others a chance to enjoy them. SPECIES IDENTIFICATION You will notice that many insects on our list have not been identified to species, or even to genus. Although some insects are relatively easy to identify, most are more difficult and cannot be classified based on sight records alone. Accurate identification often means many hours looking through a microscope with technical manuals to hand. However, with experience, determination and a lot of field time, you should be able to place an insect at least into class, often into family, and sometimes into genus. When looking through the list of FWG insects you will see that in a number of cases we have written either "several species" or "3+" or "5+ species" for a particular family. This reflects the difficulty of identification noted above. For example, under the Braconid Wasps we have noted "Braconidae, 5+ species." This means that at least 5 different types of these wasps have been found, but we can do no more than note they are different, not place them to either genus or species level. This is why we say "approximately 200 species" have been recorded from the garden. Consider this list very preliminary! INSECTS FOUND AT THE FWG Note: This list excludes Lepidoptera; please see also Butterflies of the FWG and Moths of the FWG * = Non-native species ♦ = species found only during BioBlitz 1997 COLLEMBOLA SPRINGTAILS Entomomobyidae sp. Springtail ♦Isotomidae sp. Springtail ♦Sminthuridae, 2 spp. Springtails EPHEMEROPTERA MAYFLIES Ephemeroptera, 3 spp. Mayflies ODONATA DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES For more photos, see our Dragonflies and damselflies gallery Suborder Zygoptera Damselflies Coenagrionidae Pond damsels Argia moesta Powdered dancer Calopteryx maculata Ebony Jewelwing Coenagrion resolutum Taiga Bluet Enallagma sp. Bluet Ischnura posita Fragile Forktail Ischnura verticalis Eastern forktail Nehalennia irene Sedge sprite Lestidae Spreadwings Lestes disjunctus Northern spreadwing Lestes dryas Emerald spreadwing Lestes rectangularis Slender spreadwing Lestes eurinus Amber-winged spreadwing Suborder Anisoptera Dragonflies Aeshnidae Darners Aeshna canadensis Canada darner Aeshna constricta? Lance-tipped darner Aeshna eremita Lake Darner Anax junius Common Green darner Gomphidae Clubtails Dromogomphus spinosus Black-shouldered spinyleg Corduliidae Emeralds Cordulia shurtleffi American Emerald Epitheca cynosura Common Baskettail Epitheca canis Beaverpond Baskettail Epitheca princeps Prince baskettail Libellulidae Skimmers Erythemis simplicicollis Common pondhawk Leucorrhinia intacta Dot-tailed whiteface Libellula julia Chalk-fronted corporal Libellula luctuosa Widow skimmer Libellula lydia Common whitetail Libellula pulchella Twelve-spotted skimmer Libellua quadrimaculata Four-spotted skimmer Sympetrum obtrusum White-faced meadowhawk Sympetrum semicinctum Band-winged meadowhawk Sympetrum vicinum Autumn meadowhawk MANTODEA MANTIDS For more photos, see our Mantids gallery *Mantis religiosa European mantis DERMAPTERA EARWIGS Forficula auricularia European Earwig ORTHOPTERA GRASSHOPPERS, CRICKETS, AND KATYDIDS For more photos, see our Grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids gallery Orthoptera, many spp. Grasshoppers Acrididae Spur-throated grasshoppers Chortophaga viridifasciata Northern Green-striped Grasshopper Melanoplus bivittatus Two-striped Grasshopper Melanoplus femurrubrum Red-legged Grasshopper Gryllidae House and field crickets Gryllus pennsylvanicus Field cricket Oecanthus sp. Tree cricket Tettigoniidae Shield-backed grasshoppers and their relatives ♦Pterophylla sp. Katydid Scudderia sp.? Bush katydid HEMIPTERA TRUE BUGS For more photos, see our Bugs gallery Aphidae Aphids *Aphis nerii Oleander aphid Aphid sp. Aphid Uroleucon helianthicola Aphid Belostomatidae Giant water bugs Belostomatidae sp. Giant Water Bug Cercopidae Spittlebugs Clastoptera proteus Dogwood spittlebug *Philaneus spumarius (?) Meadow spittlebug Cicadidae Cicadas Tibicen sp. Cicada Cicadellidae Leafhoppers Cicadellidae sp. Leafhopper Graphocephala coccinea Leafhopper Coreidae Leaf-footed bugs Leptoglossus occidentalis Western Conifer seed bug Cynidae Burrowing bugs Sehirus cinctus Burrowing bug Lygaeidae Seed Bugs Lygaeus kalmii Small milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus Large milkweed bug Membracidae Treehoppers Acutalis brunnea Treehopper Ceresa sp. Treehopper Ceresa alta Buffalo treehopper Enchenopa binotata Treehopper Publilia sp. Treehopper Miridae Plant bugs Lopidea media Plant Bug Miris dolabratus Meadow plant bug Neurocolpus nubilus Plant bug Nepidae Water Scorpions Ranatra sp. Water scorpion Notonectidae Backswimmers Notonecta sp. Backswimmer Pentatomidae Stink bugs Acrosternum sp. Green stink bug Cosmopepla bimaculata Two-spotted stink bug Pentatomid sp. Stink Bug Phymatidae Ambush bugs Phymatidae sp. Ambush bug Reduviidae Assassin bugs and thread-legged bugs Sinea sp. Assassin bug Zelus sp. Assassin bug Saldidae Shore bugs ♦Salda sp. Shore bug Tingidae Lace bugs Dictyla echii Lace bug THYSANOPTERA THRIPS Thysanoptera, 2 spp. Thrips Aeolothripidae Banded thrips ♦Aeolothripidae, 2 spp. Banded thrips ♦Aelothrips fasciatus Banded wing thrips TRICHOPTERA CADDISFLIES ♦Trichoptera, 3+ spp. Caddisflies NEUROPTERA NERVE-WINGED INSECTS For more photos, see our Nerve-winged insects gallery Chrysopidae Green lacewings Chrysoperla plorabunda Common green lacewing Mantispidae Mantisflies Climaciella brunnea Brown mantidfly COLEOPTERA BEETLES For more photos, see our Beetles gallery Cantharidae Soldier beetles Chauliognathus pensylvanicus Pennsylvania leatherwing Cantharis sp. Soldier beetle *Rhagonycha fulva Common Red Soldier Beetle Carabidae Ground beetles Carabid sp. Ground beetle ♦Bembidion castor Ground beetle Cerambycidae Long-horned beetles Megacyllene robiniae Locust borer Tetraopes tetrophthalmus Red milkweed beetle Typocerus velutinus Flower longhorn Cicindelidae Tiger beetles Cicindela sexguttata Six-spotted tiger beetle Chrysomelidae Leaf beetles Calligrapha philadelphica Dogwood calligrapher Charidotella sexpunctata bicolor Golden Tortoise Beetle Chrysocus auratus Dogbane Beetle Deloyala guttata ? Tortoise beetle Diabrotica barberi Northern corn rootworm Donacia sp. Long-horned leaf beetle *Galerucella calmariensis Loosestrife leaf beetle Lema daturaphila Three-lined potato beetle Plagiodera versicolora Willow leaf beetle Plagiometriona clavata Clavate Tortoise Beetle Trirhabda canadensis Goldenrod leaf beetle Coccinellidae Lady beetles Anatis labiculata Fifteen-spotted lady beetle Brachiacantha ursina Lady beetle Coleomegilla maculata Spotted lady beetle *Coccinella septempunctata Seven-spotted lady beetle *Harmonia axyridis Asian lady beetle *Hippodamia variegata Variegated lady beetle *Propylaea quatuordecimpunctata Fourteen-spotted lady beetle ♦Scymus sp. Lady beetle Curculionidae Weevils ♦Hylurgopinus rufipes Native elm bark beetle ♦ *Phyllobius oblongus European snout weevil Polydrusus impressifrons Green leaf weevil Rhyssomatus lineaticollis Milkweed stem weevil Elateridae Click Beetles Elaterid sp. Click Beetle Endomychidae Handsome Fungus Beetles Endomychus sp. Handsome Fungus Beetle Hydrophilidae Water scavenger beetles ♦Helophorus sp. Water scavenger beetle Lampyridae Fire flies Lucidota sp. Diurnal firefly Photinus sp. Firefly Lycidae Net-winged beetles Calopteron reticulatum Net-winged beetle Meloidae Blister beetles Epicauta fabricii Blister beetle Lytta sayi Green blister beetle Phalicridae Shining Flower Beetles Phalacrid sp. Shining Flower Beetle Scarabaeidae Scarab beetles Macrodactylus subspinosus Rose chafer Osmoderma scabra Flower scarab Pelidnota punctata Spotted pelidnota Phyllophaga sp. June beetle *Popillia japonica Japanese beetle Silphidae Carrion beetles Nicrophorus tomentosus Burying beetle Tenebrionidae Darkling beetles Bolitotherus cornutus Forked fungus beetle Staphylinidae Rove beetles ♦Aleocharinae sp. Obscure Rove beetle ♦Carpelimus sp. Spiny-legged rove beetle DIPTERA FLIES For more photos, see our Flies gallery Agromyzidae Leaf-mining flies Agromyzidae, several spp. Leaf-miners ♦Chromatomyia sp. Leaf/stem miner Anthomiidae Root maggot flies ♦Anthomiidae, several spp. Anthromiid flies Asilidae Robber flies Asilidae sp. Robber fly ♦Dioctria baumaueri Robber fly Laphria janus Robber fly Bombyliidae Bee flies Bombylius sp. Bee fly Bombylius major Bee fly Poecilanthrax tegminipennis Bee fly Calliphoridae Blow flies ♦Calliphoridae, several spp. Blow flies Lucilia sp. Greenbottle Fly Cecidomyiidae Gall midges Cecidomyiidae, several spp. Gall midges Rhopalomyia solidaginis Goldenrod gall midge Schizomyia impatiens Jewelweed gall midge Ceratopognidae Biting midges Ceratopognidae sp. Biting midge Chironimidae Midges ♦Chironimidae, several spp. Midges Chloropidae Grass Flies and eye flies ♦Chloropidae sp. Fruit flies Conopidae Thick-headed flies Physocephala sp. Thick-headed fly Zodion sp. Thick-headed fly Zodion intermedium Thick-headed fly Culicidae Mosquitoes Anopheles sp. Mosquito ♦Coquillettidia pertubans Mosquito Dolichopodidae Long-legged flies ♦Argyra albicans Long-legged fly ♦Argyra rogusta Long-legged fly ♦Chrysotus obliquus Long-legged fly Condylostylus sp. Long-legged Fly ♦Dolichopus albicoxa Long-legged fly ♦Dolichopus canadensis Long-legged fly Empididae Dance flies ♦Platypalpus sp. Dance fly Rhamphomyia longicauda Dance Fly Ephydridae Shore flies ♦Hydrellia sp. Shore fly ♦Notiphila sp. Shore fly ♦Parydra sp. Shore fly ♦Scatella sp. Shore fly Heleomyzidae Heleomyzid flies ♦Suillia sp. Heleomyzid fly Lonchopteridae Spear-winged flies ♦Lonchoptera furcata Pointed-wing fly Micropezidae Stilt-legged flies ♦Compsobata sp. Stilt-legged fly Muscidae Muscid flies Coenosia tigrina Muscoid Fly ♦Lispi sociabilis Muscoid fly Muscina assimilis Muscoid fly ♦Schaenomyza litorella Muscoid fly Mycetophilidae Fungus gnats ♦Orfelia sp. Fungus gnat Phoridae Scuttle flies ♦Phoridae sp. Hump-backed fly Pipunculidae Big-headed flies ♦Pipunculus sp. Big-headed fly Platystomatidae Platystomatid Flies ♦Rivellia sp. Platystomatid fly Ptychopteridae Phantom crane flies Bittacomorpha clavipes Phantom crane fly Sarcophagidae Flesh flies Sarcophagidae, several spp. Flesh flies Scathophagidae Scathophagid flies ♦Americina adusta Dung fly ♦Scathophaga furcata Dung fly Sciomyzidae Marsh flies ♦Tetanocera sp. Marsh fly Sepsidae Antlike scavenger flies ♦Enicomira minor Black scavenger fly Stratiomyidae Soldier flies ♦Allognosta obscuriventris Soldier fly Hedriodiscus sp. Soldier fly Syrphidae Flower flies or hover flies Allograpta obliqua Hover fly Chalcosyrphus curvaria Hover fly Epistrophe sp. Hover fly Eristalis sp. Hover fly Eristalis arbustorum Hover fly Eristalis dimidiata? Hover fly Eristalis tenax Hover fly Eristalis transversa Hover fly Eupeodes sp. Hover fly Helophilus sp. Hover fly ♦Lejops lineatus Hover fly Melangyna lasiophthalma Hover fly ♦Paragus angustifrons Hover fly ♦Parhelophilus laetus Hover fly ♦Platycheirus quadratus Hover fly Somula decora Hover Fly Sphaerophoria sp. Hover fly Spilomyia longicornis Hover fly Spilomyia sayi Hover Fly Syrphus sp. Hover Fly *Syritta pipiens Hover Fly Temnostoma alternans Hover fly ♦Temnostoma balyras Hover fly Temnostoma barberi Hover Fly Toxomerus geminatus Hover fly Toxomerus marginatus Syrphid fly Tachinidae Parasitic flies ♦Cryptomeigenia simplex Parasitic fly Cylindromyia interrupta Parasitic fly Gymnosoma sp. Parasitic fly ♦Panzeria sp. Parasitic fly ♦Parasetigena silvestris Parasitic fly ♦Winthemia quadripustulata Parasitic fly Tephritidae Fruit flies ♦Drosophila sp. Pomace fly Eurosta solidaginis Goldenrod gall fly Therevidae Stiletto flies Pandivirilia sp. Stiletto fly Tipulidae Crane flies ♦Erioptera mesopthalma Crane fly Ulidiidae Picture-winged flies Callopistromyia annulipes Picture-winged fly Chaetopsis sp. Picture-winged fly HYMENOPTERA SAWFLIES, WASPS, BEES AND ANTS For more photos, see our Bees and wasps gallery See also Bee and wasp mimics Andrenidae Andrenid bees Andrenidae, 2 spp. Andrenid bee Apidae Bumble bees, honey bees Apis mellifera Honey bee Bombus sp. Bumble bee Bombus impatiens Bumble bee Bombus ternarius Red-tailed bumble bee Braconidae Braconid wasps Braconidae, 5+ spp. Braconid wasps Chrysididae Cuckoo wasps and their relatives Chrysis sp. Cuckoo wasp Colletidae Plasterer bees and yellow-faced bees Colletes inequalis Plasterer bee Crabronidae Digger wasps and relatives Bicyrtes sp. Sand wasp Ectemnius sp. Digger wasp Cynipidae Gall wasps Diplolepis rosae Rose gall wasp Formicidae Ants Formicidae, 3 spp. Ants Halictidae Sweat bees and their relatives Agapostemon sp. Sweat bee ♦Lasioglossum (Dialictus) sp. Sweat bee Sphecodes sp. Sweat bee Ichneumonidae Ichneumonid wasps Ichneumonidae, 5+ spp. Ichneumonid wasps Netelia sp. Ichneumonid wasp Ophion sp. Parasitic wasp Trogus pennator Ichneumonid wasp Megachilidae Leafcutter bees, mason bees and relatives *Anthidium manicatum Wool carder bee Megachile frigida Leafcutter bee Megachile latimanus Leafcutter bee Melittidae Melittid bees Nomada sp. Cuckoo bee Sphecidae Thread-waisted wasps Isodontia mexicana Sphecid Wasp Sceliphron caementarium Mud dauber Sphex ichneumoneus Sphecid wasp Sphex pensylvanicus Great black wasp Tenthredinidae Common sawflies ♦Amestastegia pallipes Violet sawfly Arge coccinea Sawfly *Arge ochropa Imported rose sawfly ♦Dolerus nitens Grass sawfly ♦Eutomostethus ephippium Lawn sawfly ♦Kaliofenusa ulmi Elm leafminer sawfly ♦Monophadnoides geniculatus Raspberry sawfly Tiphiidae Tiphiid wasps Myzinum sp. Tiphiid wasp Vespidae Yellowjackets, hornets and their relatives Ancistrocerus albophaleratus? Mason Wasp Ancistrocerus unifasciatus? Mason wasp Dolichovespula arenaria Aerial yellowjacket Dolichovespula maculata Bald-faced hornet Eumenes fraternus Potter wasp *Polistes dominula Paper wasp Polistes fuscatus Paper wasp Vespula consobrina Blackjacket Vespula maculifrons Eastern yellowjacket REFERENCES Waldbauer, Gilbert. 1998. The handy bug answer book. Visible Ink Press. 308 pp. USEFUL WEB SITES Skevington JH and Cumming JM. Field guide to the syrphidae of Ontario. Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes; 2006. Sear D. Bugbios: shameless promotion of insect appreciation. Marshall SA. North American insect orders. University of Guelph Insect Collection. Haarstad JA. The insects of Cedar Creek. Cedar Creek Natural History Area; 2002. This page was revised 7 June 2010 © Fletcher Wildlife Garden Text and photos: Christine Hanrahan Our e-mail address