Insect of the week (October 5, 2026)
Our insect of the week for October 5, 2026 is the ambush bug, Phymata americana [HEMIPTERA: Reduviidae]. This species was described by the Swedish zoologist, Douglas Melin, in 1930. This is the most common ambush bug encountered in central Illinois. However, there are...
Insect of the week (September 28, 2026)
Our insect of the week for September 28, 2026 is the wheel bug, Arilus cristatus. [HEMIPTERA: Reduviidae]. This species was described by Linnaeus in 1763. This is one of the largest terrestrial Hemiptera in North America (and is often encountered in central Illinois)....
Annual potluck
We help our annual picnic/ potluck on Saturday, September 19, 2026 at Prairie Lane picnic area in Jubilee State Park (near Kickapoo, Illinois). 22 members and guests were present. Alex with Lex-tra Crispy provided the chicken and vegetarian options. Many brought side...
Insect of the week (September 21, 2026)
Our insect of the week for September 21, 2026 is Caloptilia rhoifoliella, the sumac leafblotch miner. [LEPIDOPTERA: Gracillariidae] In keeping with our focus on insects which feed on poison ivy, yes, this is one of the host plants preferred by the caterpillar. As the...
Insect of the week (September 14, 2026)
Our insect of the week for September 14, 2026 is another species dependent upon the poison ivy plant. This is another species of moth, Marathyssa basalis [LEPIDOPTERA: Euteliidae]. This species was described by Francis Walker (an English entomologist) in 1865. Fun...
Insect of the week (September 7, 2026)
Since we focused on an insect that consumes poison ivy last week, I thought it appropriate to focus on another unrelated insect which also relies on poison ivy as food while in the caterpillar stages of its life. In this case, I refer to the species Dichorda iridaria,...
Insect of the week (August 31, 2026)
Our insect of the week for August 31, 2026 is the poison ivy sawfly, Arge humeralis [HYMENOPTERA: Argidae]. It was described by the French naturalist Palisot de Beauvois in 1809. Fun fact, his full name/ title was Ambroise Marie François Joseph Palisot, Baron de...
Insect of the week (August 24, 2026)
Our insect for the week of August 24, 2026 is another ant. This time, we focus on Lasius claviger [HYMENOPTERA: Formicidae]. This species was described by the German entomologist Julius Roger in 1862. This native species is often found nesting under stones and in...
Insect of the week (August 17, 2026)
Our insect of the week for August 17, 2026 is another ant. This time it is Strumigenys clypeata. [HYMENOPTERA: Formicidae]. This species was described by the German entomologist, Julius Roger in 1863. This is a predatory ant native to the eastern United States...
Peoria approximella (a moth named in New York for Peoria, IL). Photo of Michigan specimen courtesy Jim Vargo (used with permission).