Ponerine ant (Ponerini)
Ponerine ants like this live their lives in forest soils and feed on other arthropods.
Ponerine ants like this live their lives in forest soils and feed on other arthropods.
The Banded Pennant is a small dragonfly (to about 1½ inch long) with distinctive black markings and reddish eyes. Look for the Banded Pennant near water. They are also seen flying in open lots and ditches, fields and meadows. It is active from late spring to early autumn. View more insects.
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.
Salt is actually a rare resource in most of nature. Many insects, such as this flower fly, are acquire salt primarily from vertebrate bodies, such as urine, sweat, or tears. Here, this fly is lapping sweat from the arm of an entomologist who appreciates its beauty.
This is a southern devil scorpion. They inhabit the southern Appalachian region and are the only scorpion that lives east of the Mississippi River, except for three species in Florida and surrounding areas. Like most scorpions, they have two eyes in the middle of their ‘head’ area, but also have ‘lateral eyes’. This species has…
Despite resembling a bumble bee, this is a actually huge fly that preys on other insects. They have strong venom for downing prey or inflicting a painful bite if handled. Notice this specimen turning its head to track potential prey flying by. Many flies mimic bees, and this species is among the largest in the…
The Mordellidae are a family of beetles commonly known as Tumbling Flower Beetles for the typical irregular movements they make when escaping predators. These black beetles are small, usually between 3 and 7 mm (0.1 to 0.3 inch) in length and are most often seen on flowers. They are covered with fine hairs and are…