Insect of the week (July 29, 2024)
Our insect of the week is Phengodes fusciceps. This beetle species is classified in the family Phengodidae (also known as glowworm beetles). Both females and larvae have bio-luminescent organs. Larvae and females are predators and typically feed on millipedes. Winged...
Insect of the week (July 22, 2024)
Continuing our theme of beetles for the second “insect of the week,” I thought it appropriate to focus on the rainbow scarab (Phanaeus vindex). This species was described by MacLeay in 1819. Although it looks most exotic, it is a species native to...
Insect of the week (July 15, 2024)
Thought it might be interesting to post notes about a selected Illinois insect every week. For our first insect, I thought the one in our logo would be appropriate. The ivory-marked borer (Eburia quadrigeminata was described by Thomas Say in 1826). [He originally...2024 Meetings
Our 2024 Meeting Schedule We decided in January to establish our tentative event schedule for 2024. It is possible these dates may change (or we may decide to pursue another route). Please check this page for updates before each planned event. These are listed below....2023 Meetings
Our 2023 Meeting Schedule We decided in January to establish our tentative event schedule for 2023. It is possible these dates may change (or we may decide to pursue another route). Please check this page for updates before each planned event. These are listed below....2022 Meetings
2022 Meetings We decided in January to establish our tentative event schedule for 2022. Given the pandemic, these dates may change (or we may decide to pursue another route). Please check this page for updates. These are listed below. All events start on Saturday at 9...Observing Insects at Night
Some members of our central Illinois insect group spent part of the evening of May 22, 2021 observing insects along Kickapoo Creek at Jubilee Park (near Peoria, IL). This video is a quick summary of some of the species we observed. We hope you enjoy...Dixon Waterfowl Refuge – May, 2021
We visited Dixon Waterfowl Refuge (near Hennepin, IL) on Sunday, May 16, 2021. Nearly 20 people participated in this field trip. We observed a number of insects and more. Many thanks to Jose for taking the insect macro photographs. Here is a short video summary of our...Henry Gleason field trip, April, 2021
We held our first in-person field trip of 2021 on April 18. We visited the Henry Gleason Nature Preserve in Mason County, Illinois. It is located roughly 3 miles north of Topeka, Illinois. Henry Allan Gleason was a pioneer naturalist. The preserve contains sand...
Peoria approximella (a moth named in New York for Peoria, IL). Photo of Michigan specimen courtesy Jim Vargo (used with permission).