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 this species as you hike woodland trails in central Illinois. Just keep an eye...

Our insect of the week for January 20, 2025 is Cicindela scutellaris [COLEOPTERA: Cicindelidae]. This is part 6 in our series featuring local tiger beetles. This species was described by the American entomologist, Thomas Say, in 1823. Seven subspecies of this beetle are presently recognized. This species has the common name - festive tiger...

Our insect of the week for this week (January 13, 2025) is the fifth part of a 9 part series. Tiger beetle # 5 is Cicindela repanda [COLEOPTERA: Cicindelidae]. This species was described by the French entomologist, Pierre François Marie Auguste Dejean in 1825. Fun fact, he was a lieutenant general and "aide de campe" to Napoleon. He had a vast...

Our insect of the week for this week (January 6, 2025) is the fourth part of a 9 part series. Tiger beetle # 4 is Cicindela punctulata [COLEOPTERA: Cicindelidae]. This species was described by the French entomologist, Guillaume-Antoine Olivier in 1790. The common name is the punctured tiger beetle. There are 3 known subspecies (1 in Mexico; 2 in...

Our insect of the week for this week (December 30, 2024) is the third part of a 9 part series. Tiger beetle # 3 is Cicindela limbalis [COLEOPTERA: Cicindelidae]. This species was described by the German entomologist, Johann Klug in 1834. The common name is common claybank tiger beetle. They have been found as far north as Canada's Yukon...

Our insect of the week for this week (December 23, 2024) is the second part of a 9 part series. Tiger beetle # 2 is Cicindela hirticollis [COLEOPTERA: Cicindelidae]. This species was described by the American entomologist, Thomas Say in 1817. Yes, one year before Illinois became a state. The common name is hairy-necked tiger beetle. There are 11...

Our insect of the week for this week (December 16, 2024) begins a series. Instead of randomly focusing on an insect species found in central Illinois, I thought it might be helpful to focus on a single family of insets and highlight some of the more prominent species. Who doesn't love a tiger beetle? So, I thought I would focus on 9 of the more...

For our insect of the week (December 9, 2024), we again focus on beetles. This week, we examine the carabid beetle, Scaphinotus elevatus [COLEOPTERA: Carabidae]. This species was described by Fabricius (a Danish zoologist) in 1787.There are 6 recognized subspecies in North America. Commonly called the eastern snail eater, adults of this species...

Beetles are very common worldwide (including central Illinois). Therefore, we continue focusing on the order Coleoptera (beetles). Our insect of the week is Bolitotherus cornutus (a member of the beetle family Tenebrionidae). This species was described by the German physician and entomologist Panzer in 1794. The specimen depicted in these...

Our insect of the week (November 25, 2024) is Calosoma scrutator (also known as the caterpillar hunter. [COLEOPTERA: Carabidae]. This beetle is relatively common across much of North America. Adults often excrete a foul smelling oil when handled (smells like rancid olive oil). This specimen was collected by our former member Gordon Adams in...

For the week of November 18, 2024, we continue examining the insect order Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps). Our focus this week is on Tremex columba (Hymenoptera: Siricidae). This species was described by Linnaeus in 1763. The common name is pigeon horntail. Adult females (larger than males) can be up to 3 cm in length. Females deposit their...

Our insect of the week for November 11, 2024 is the wasp Pelecinus polyturator. [HYMENOPTERA: Pelicinide]. This species was described by Dru Drury (a British entomologist) in 1773. Yes, just a bit before we decided enough was enough with the taxation without representation. Adults of this species are often observed in late summer. This specimen...

Insect of the week (November 4, 2024). Instead of supplying all the details on our featured insect of the week, this week, I present you with a puzzler. First one to correctly identify the insect gets a prize (you can pick it up at our next meeting - November 16, 2024 - yes, must be present to claim the prize). This is a relatively common insect...

Insect of the week (October 28, 2024) is the eyed elater - Alaus oculatus (Linnaeus, 1758). This click beetle (COLEOPTERA: Elateridae) is not frequently found in central Illinois. Some adults reach nearly 2 inches in length. It is thought the false eyes serve to deter or confuse predators. Curiously, this is known as self-mimicry as one body part...

Insect of the week (October 21, 2024) is the periodical cicada, Magicicada septendecim (Linnaeus, 1758) (HEMIPTERA: Cicadidae). As you may already know, this is one of three periodical cicada species found in the Peoria area. Further south (Springfield and more southern parts of Illinois) have the 13 year cicada (consisting of 4 different...

Insect of the week (October 14, 2024) is the northern mole cricket - Neocurtilla hexadactyla (Perty, 1832). This native Orthopteran species is placed in the family Gryllotalpidae. The specimen in this photograph was collected by our former member, Gordon Adams, near Sparland in 1969. It is thought this species requires two years (from egg to...

Insect of the week (October 7, 2024) is Cotesia congregata. These are the wasp parasites that Na'im brought along with the caterpillar to our entomology pot luck on September 28. This wasp species is a member of the Hymenopteran family Bracondiae. It was originally described by Thomas Say in 1836. I created this photo from a series of 118...

As summer draws to a close (the vernal equinox wasn't that long ago, was it), I thought it appropriate to focus on another butterfly. This time, Euptoieta claudia, the variegated fritillary. This species was described by Cramer in 1775. It is known from both North and South America. Adults are fast fliers and difficult to approach. In fact,...

We return to the beetles again this week and focus on the family Brentidae. Specifically, the beetle Arrhenodes minutus. Common name is oak timberworm. Larvae often tunnel in oak and elm trees and this species can be a pest. This insect is a known vector of the fungus which causes oak wilt. This species ranges throughout the eastern United...

This week, we turn our attention to the insect order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). Our featured insect is Zerene cesonia, the dogface sulphur butterfly. It is classified in the family Pieridae.  This butterfly is often found along roadsides. Adults drink nectar from plants such as alfalfa. Caterpillars on leadplant, alfalfa,...

Yet another beetle this week. We now examine the family Cerambycidae. Tetraopes tetrophthalmus is our featured insect. It is commonly called the red milkweed beetle and is often found on milkweed plants. If you know a smattering of Greek, you know both the genus and species name mean it has 4 eyes. Many longhorn beetles (family...

Continuing with our beetle theme (they are exceedingly diverse with nearly 400,000 described species), we focus on Melanactes piceus. This species was described by de Geer in 1774. That is the same year he described our previous insect of the week (yes, same publication as well). Look closely at the specimen and it looks like I coated it...

We return to the beetles this week (order Coleoptera) and focus on the goldenrod soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pensylvanicus. No, that is not a typo - the spelling of that area with 1 "n" was common when this species was described by de Geer in 1774. a specimen was sent to him from 'Pensylvanie.' Once a species has been formally named, that...

This week, we focus on the insect order Hemiptera. In this case, the "big-eyed toad bug" - Gelastocoris oculatus. This insect was described by Fabricius in 1798. It is classified in the family Gelastocoridae. It can be found in North America (reported as far north as southern Canada) and Central America. They are often difficult to find due to...

Our insect of the week for August 12, 2024 is the Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus). I htought it was time to feature another group of insects. This species is classified in the order Lepidoptera, family Saturniidae). This species was described by Pieter Cramer in 1776 (yes, the year we became a country). It is easily recognized by its large...

Our insect of the week for August 5 is not a beetle. Surprise! For the last 3 weeks, we have been discussing beetles. If you start observing animals in central Illinois, on average about 75% of those you observe will be beetles. Yes, they are that common and diverse. Another very diverse group, often overlooked unless they are bothering you, are...

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 males are often attracted to lights and are thought not to feed. This species...

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 Illinois. This species is considered a "true" dung beetle as it feeds on feces during both the...

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 placed this species in the genus Stenocorus.] It is a beetle classified in the...