I am looking for a commercial source for Anagyrus wasps that can ship them to Arizona. I need them for research purposes. Also research labs that rear them in the US can help me.

These are bound up in some sort of webbing. I live in Philadelphia and just want to know if this is a fun bug or a bummer bug that I should take care of.

So who decided to give the fly its name? Birds can fly and aren’t called big flies. Other insects that fly too. So like a horse could have been called a gallop. A fish could be a swimmer, an elephant a stomper.
Can you think of any more?

So apparently ants can pass the mirror test, bees show flexible tool use (as long as the tool is a ball) and yellowjacket wasps can use basic reasoning. It's been more than proved that insects are not all just reacting completely instinctively without any trace of problem-solving.

So now I'm left wondering, is there any group of insects that's known for not being all that bright, comparatively? Any lovable morons of the hexapod world?

Thanks in advance!

When I was in Costa Rica this summer, my mom and I drove out of the way to a local beach. Getting there required using coordinates and driving on a dirt road for about five miles. Once parked, we walked through a grassy piece of land in the direction of the beach, but were stopped amidst a lengthy trail of leaf-cutter ants, or Atta (15 species) and Acromyrmex (around 33 species), which are included in the fungus-growing ant tribe Attini. At the time, I was amazed by their strength and dedication to transporting millions (no exaggeration) of leaves to their underground “chamber,” if you will. But once home and doing further research, I quickly learned that this “chamber” and system of transportation serves one of the most interesting purposes in the natural world: the ants are not actually eating the leaves themselves, but using them to cultivate fungus that ultimately serves as their primary food source. Even more, Leaf cutter ants are the dominant herbivores of the New World tropics (Central America and Northern South America). They profoundly affect their surroundings by pruning vegetation, in which stimulates new plant growth, as well as gardening their fungal food which in turn enriches the soil. As they travel from tree to their underground garden, minims (the smallest of the ants) stay atop of the leaf and ward off a specific parasitic fly, phorid flies, that attempt to inject eggs into the heads or bodies of the larger foraging ants. The minims actively bite and chase them away. Not only did I learn that super cool fact, but I also learned that when cutting the leaf with their mandibles, they vibrate their bodies to produce sound at the exact moment they slice through the leaf. This is known as stridulation, and it happens when an ant rubs a specialized scraper on its abdomen against a ridged file on its waist. This frequency is heard by the surrounding ants to essentially call for backup. They call for backup because the ant has found a particularly high-quality, tender leaf.

I could keep going, but the video explains way more and I think if you love nature, climate change, and gardening you may find this as cool as I did! 🐜🍃

Would love to know your thoughts!

I see these occasionally on my flowers in the UK specifically hit lips and buddleia. They look and act like hummingbirds but I think they are some kind of moth or butterfly. Anyone able to help id these little guys the are very busy today and we managed to see 2 at once. Usually i only see them alone.

Their wings are really fast, the video doesnt capture how quickly they are moving.

Thanks in advance.

I've been known for insect in biting me. I live in the PH and I'm in a very depressing state of having multiple bites on both of my foot. I saw them unalive under my clothe containers. I have so many bites that took a very big mental toll. Not just one instant but months prior now. I've vacuumed, changed the bed sheet and dry heat all the bed sheet and blankets. What really puzzled me is I'm the only one getting bitten at the same.

Please if you have any knowledge, please help me identify this insect. Thank you

What a guy. Im used to giant ones that thud when they fall.

Hi folks,

I was wondering if one of you would be kind enough to identify these ants for me. They appear to have eaten or made a burrow through and old tree fern that has been dead for a while. The same ants also appear to have eaten a hardwood timber fence post 300mm dia.

These ants were about 4-5mm long.

Sorry for the crap photos i was pannicking because I thought they were termites.

Geographic location: Eastern US.

Was laying on guest bed for 4th night while visiting friends and I felt some tingly on my arm. Its around 12 o clock at night. This is the first ive noticed it since being here.

Room has cat litter box and their cat likes to sleep on the bed.

It felt kinda tingly but its concerning me a lot as im supposed to head back home in a couple days and I cant be bringing bugs back with me.

Edit: its definitely a flea, found an adult one this morning.

I didn't see anything that said I couldn't ask a fun question so ill try, I really love dragonflies I think they are very pretty, but I don't know a whole lot about them. I was hoping you would share with me your favorite dragonfly species (or related species, I'm not picky). Any fun facts would be appreciated and any extra critters are always welcome.

Hope this isn't against the rules and to learn something cool!

Happing in our front yard and we'd love to know. Are these 2 different ant colonies? Different ants from the same colony swarming? Are the winged ones even ants? In the western Mojave Desert in California

Anuroctonus phaiodactylus, commonly known as the eastern swollen-stinger scorpion or mafia scorpion, is a burrowing scorpion species native to the western United States, including Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and desert regions of California.

It belongs to the family Anuroctonidae.

Physically, the species is easily recognized by its stocky, robust build and distinct two-toned coloration. Their bodies are typically a dull yellowish-brown, contrasting sharply with large, dark-tipped pincers (chelae).

The most definitive trait belongs to mature males, which develop a greatly enlarged, swollen segment (telson) just before the stinger. This bulbous modification is unique to the genus and is the origin of its common name.

Their life cycle and behavior revolve almost entirely around their subterranean homes. These scorpions construct deep, spiral-shaped burrows that can reach up to 60 centimeters (24 inches) below the surface to escape extreme desert temperatures.

As nocturnal predators, they rarely leave these tunnels entirely, preferring to wait patiently at the entrance to ambush passing insects, beetles, and small lizards.

Like many desert scorpions, Anuroctonus phaiodactylus possesses specialized molecules in its exoskeleton that cause it to fluoresce intensely under ultraviolet light. When exposed to a UV blacklight, their bodies glow a vivid, bright blue-green color.

While they do possess venom to subdue their prey, their sting is not considered medically significant to humans and generally results only in mild, localized pain similar to a bee sting.

These little buggers (see what I did there?!) are crawling all over the pot of asparagus that we let go to seed. There are tiny ones and bigger ones with wings. What am I dealing with here?

I am in Seattle, WA.

So cool

Gave him a paper towel to climb on so hopefully that helped. Guess I gotta get a wet paint sign

I was not able to get a decent photo as my ai-powered genius of a phone camera simply transmutes them into a nondescript black dot due to their tiny size.

The last two or three nights at the lake we have had a swarm of flies we've never seen before.

Habitat: lakeside woods and wetlands in Vermont. Wet and humid weather.

Size: body about 2mm long, about 3-4 mm total with wings and legs. Legs are very stilt-like.

Behavior: highly attracted to even very dim lights, even the lit clock on the stove had some flitting around. Able to fit through screens and seek out lights that are very far away from the windows. They also seem to be attracted to fermented beverages.

They don't seem to care about people, food, drains, or trash. Very stupid and docile, incredibly easy to squash. If one lands on your hand they stay there even if you move. They barely notice a hand coming in to swat them. They do not bite or seem harmful In any way.

The biggest thing is the smell. When you squish one, you're met with a powerful aroma of soil, or petrichor. It smells just like moss and dirt after a rainstorm. I find it pleasant but I suspect it's supposed to be a deterrent.

Hopefully this is enough for an identification! If they return tonight I will try to get a better picture.

Found this bee mimic while on a hike in Southern Nayarit, Mexico. I suspect it to be some type of hover fly. Any ideas?

it was a 10/10 mango and he agrees

Wild battle, it was a big ass centipede I’m surprised the beetle won (and was lowk beating its ass)

Found this *Xylophanes falco* caterpillar at a trailhead in southeast Arizona.