Insect of the week (March 24, 2025)
Our insect of the week for March 24, 2025 is the summer fishfly. [FYI – if the common name of an insect does not have a space before the word fly, it is not an actual fly, order Diptera. This example is in the order Megaloptera.] This species has a wide...
Insect of the week (March 17, 2025)
For our insect of the week, March 17, 2025, we focus on woolly aphids. These can be a real scourge to gardeners. They are often “hiding in plain sight.” For example in my candle nut tree (Aleurites moluccanus). In the example here, you see an individual...
Insect of the week (March 10, 2025)
For our insect of the week for March 10, 2025, we turn our attention to one of the more bizarre orders found in central Illinois – the Strepsiptera. These are rarely encountered (fun fact – I only have 2 in my collection – 1 male and 1 female). The...
Insect of the week (Mach 3, 2025)
We have our first “puzzler” of the year this week. One often encounters insects (or evidence of insects) in unexpected places. Ruth and I recently visited Black Band Distillery in Peoria, IL. While waiting for our meal to arrive, I noted the tabletop and...
Insect of the week (February 24, 2025)
Our insect of the week for February 24, 2025 is Chalcoela iphitalis (Walker, 1859) [LEPIDOPTERA: Crambidae]. Commonly called the sooty-winged chalcoela is found throughout North America. Adults are typically encountered from May to August. This species was described...
Insect of the week (February 17, 2025)
Our insect of the week for February 17, 2025 is Sphyracephala brevicornis [DIPTERA: Diopsidae]. Yes, the name is a mouthful (and we are turning our attention to fliles this week). This species was described by the American entomologist, Thomas Say in 1817 (another...
Insect of the week – February 10, 2025
Our insect of the week for February 10, 2025 is Tetracha virginica [COLEOPTERA: Cicindelidae]. This is part 9 in our series featuring local tiger beetles (and the last species we will feature in this series). This species was described by Linnaeus in 1767. Let us know...
Insect of the week – February 3, 2025
Our insect of the week for February 3, 2025 is Ellipsoptera lepida [COLEOPTERA: Cicindelidae]. This is part 8 in our series featuring local tiger beetles. This species was described by the French soldier and entomologist, Pierre François Marie Auguste Dejean, in 1831....
Insect of the week – January 27, 2025
Our insect of the week for January 27, 2025 is Cicindela sexguttata [COLEOPTERA: Cicindelidae]. This is part 7 in our series featuring local tiger beetles. This species was described by the Danish zoologist, Johann Fabricius, in 1775. You may well encounter adults of...
Peoria approximella (a moth named in New York for Peoria, IL). Photo of Michigan specimen courtesy Jim Vargo (used with permission).