Insect of the week (September 22, 2025)
Our insect of the week for September 22, 2025 is the striped blister beetle, Epicauta vittata. This species was described by Fabricius (a student of Linnaeus) in 1775. We have been focused on blister beetles this month. Although this species feeds on grasshopper eggs...September, 2025 Picnic and potluck
We will hold our annual picnic and potluck on September 20, 2025 at 5 p.m. at Jubilee State Park (Red Fox Run picnic area), near Peoria, Illinois. Jose put together this video to help everyone better understand what will be observing after our picnic. If you plan to...
Insect of the week (September 15, 2025)
Our insect of the week for September 15, 2025, is Epicauta pensylvanica (De Geer, 1775). [COLEOPTERA: Meloidae]. Yes, there is a single “n” in the final part of the species name. That is how the original territory was spelled a long time ago. Once a...
Insect of the week (September 8, 2025)
Our insect of the week for September 8, 2025, is Epicauta funebris Horn, 1873. [COLEOPTERA: Meloidae]. It is commonly called the margined blister beetle. As with August, I thought it appropriate to focus on another beetle family for most of September and early...
Insect of the week (September 1, 2025)
Our insect of the week for September 1, 2025, is Texania campestris (Say, 1823). [COLEOPTERA: Buprestidae]. It is commonly called the hardwood heartwood buprestid. It also belongs to the family commonly called metallic wood boring beetles (just like the beetle...
Peoria approximella (a moth named in New York for Peoria, IL). Photo of Michigan specimen courtesy Jim Vargo (used with permission).