Are these your bugs?
First of all, they’re not bugs. A bug is an insect with mouth-sucking parts. Insects are what we’re talking about here. That’s probably my main beef with Americans’ ideas about insects. It’s like calling all bears pandas. It doesn’t make any sense—the family is called insects and a bug is a type of beetle.When people are like, “Oh, so you like bugs!” I’m like, “Well, yeah, I do like bugs, but really I like insects.” I’m a bit pedantic about that. Hey, man, not all Beatles are called John Lennon. Dominic Monaghan in Maxim Magazine (October 19, 2009)
Orchid mantis • Hymenopus coronatus
- Size: 2in (males) and 4in (females)
- Characteristics: Bright coloring (typically pink) and legs resembling flower petals.
- Feeds on: Bees, lizards, fruit flies, butterflies, moths.
Fun Facts
- Very aggressive animals.
- Molt seven times before adulthood.
- Hatchlings are red and black until their first molt where they will take on the lighter pink color.
Videos
Thorn bug • Umbonia crassicornis
- Size: 1/2”
- Characteristics: Thorn emerging from center of back.
- Feeds on: Plant juices
Fun Facts
- Discovered in 1950.
- Found in South America, Central America, Mexico, and southern Florida.
- Often tended by ants.
Videos
Hercules beetle • Dynastes hercules
- Size: Can reach up to 6 3/4”
- Characteristics: Hard shell with long horn
- Feeds on: Decaying fruit
Fun Facts
- Can carry 850 times its own weight.
- Are also known as Unicorn of Rhinoceros beetles.
- Prefer to get their funk on in the rainy season.
Videos
Ladybug • Coccinellidae (Family)
- Size: 1mm-10mm
- Characteristics: Red shell with black polka dots
- Feeds on: Aphids (plant lice) and scale
Fun Facts
- Over 300 types of Ladybugs live in North America.
- The spots on a Ladybug fade as they get older.
- A Ladybug can lay up to 1000 eggs in its lifetime.
Videos
Green Lynx Spider • Peucetia viridans
- Size: 12mm (males) and 22mm (females)
- Body description: Bright green with long legs, paler than its body, with long black spines and many spots.
- Distinguishing feature: Red dot between the eyes.
Fun Facts
- Doesn’t make webs because it is an active hunter.
- Prefers to hunt in the day time.
- Generally found in grass, low plants, and hedges.
Videos
Mantises • Mantodea (family)
Fun Facts
- Excellent eye sight - can see up to 60 feet away.
- Life span of a year.
- While mating, the female mantis eats the male mantis’ head.
Videos
Rosy Maple Moth • Dryocampa rubicunda
- Size: 1”-1 1/2”
- Wingspan: 32mm-44mm (males) and 40mm-50mm (females)
- Characteristics: Colored pink and yellow
- Feeds on: Maple
