Wrinkled grasshopper (Hippiscus ocelote)
This robust grasshopper seems dull at first, but notice the bright blue inside the hindleg and the bright yellow hindwings
This robust grasshopper seems dull at first, but notice the bright blue inside the hindleg and the bright yellow hindwings
The Azure Bluet is often seen flying near water sources that are slow-moving if they have a current at all. Ponds, marshes, bogs, and lakes are all great habitats for this type of damselfly that feeds on small flying insects. The striking blue color is seen on both males and females. A single blue band…
The Red Imported Fire Ant is polymorphic, as workers appear in different shapes and sizes. The ant’s colors are red and somewhat yellowish with a brown or black gaster, but males are completely black. Red Imported Fire Ants are dominant in altered areas and live in a wide variety of habitats. They can be found…
Nearly 1,000 species of click beetle inhabit the US, and eyed click beetles are among the largest. They have two large eyespots, surely for protection against predators, as eyespots in other insects. But the eyespots of eyed click beetles are unique. They absorb 96% of light, nearly ‘super black’, and much more than most blacks…
At Coal Creek Farm, we’ve had to deal with invasive plant species, along with beetles and trees and other animals.. I listen to the ecologists about the use of poison versus introducing bugs for invasive management. Florida, because of its temperate climate has lots of invasive challenges, in the water and out.
Collared ants are common woodland inhabitants and feed on a variety of arthropods. Here, a worker is dragging a dead carpenter ant back to the nest to feed the young. Battles among ants are common, but many ants scavenge on dead insects as well, which is likely what is going on here.
This wasp is about two millimeters long and easily mistaken for a tiny ant. They are fast runners and can jump readily with a unique method of contorting the body. This female is looking for insect eggs, which act as a perfect host for her own eggs. This species likely utilizes stink bugs as hosts.