Insects

Atlas moth

Attacus atlas

The Atlas moth is a giant silk moth of Asian forests with a wingspan of about 25 cm. Its snake-head wingtips, mouthless adults, huge caterpillars and silk.

Buff-tailed bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

The buff-tailed bumblebee is one of Europe's commonest bumblebees: an early-flying pollinator with a yearly colony, used in greenhouses and invasive abroad.

Common eastern firefly

Photinus pyralis

The common eastern firefly is North America's best-known lightning bug, a beetle that draws J-shaped flashes at dusk. Facts on its light, larvae and lifespan.

Common green darner

Anax junius

The common green darner is a large North American dragonfly with a green thorax and blue abdomen. Its size, hunting, nymphs and multigeneration migration.

Common wasp

Vespula vulgaris

The common wasp is Europe's black-and-yellow yellowjacket. Facts on its size, paper nests, one-year colony cycle, diet, sting and spread to New Zealand.

Desert locust

Schistocerca gregaria

The desert locust is a grasshopper that can switch from a shy loner to a swarming plague insect. Facts on its phases, swarms, diet, life cycle and upsurges.

Eastern subterranean termite

Reticulitermes flavipes

The eastern subterranean termite is North America's most widespread termite. Facts on its castes, swarmers, king and queen, colonies and its gut microbes.

European hornet

Vespa crabro

The European hornet is Europe's largest social wasp, up to 35 mm long. Facts on its colors, hollow-tree nests, insect hunting, night flights and sting risk.

European stag beetle

Lucanus cervus

The European stag beetle is Europe's largest land beetle. Facts on the males' antler-like jaws, years of larval life in dead wood, brief adult life and decline.

NTNear Threatened

Hercules beetle

Dynastes hercules

The Hercules beetle is the world's longest beetle, with males up to about 17 cm (7 in) including the horn. Facts on its horns, fights, color change and larvae.

House cricket

Acheta domesticus

The house cricket is a small brown cricket that lives around homes worldwide. Facts on how males chirp, ears on the legs, diet, life cycle and farming as food.

Leafcutter ant

Atta cephalotes

The leafcutter ant Atta cephalotes farms fungus on chewed leaves in giant underground nests. Facts on its castes, colonies, range, fungus gardens and role.

Luna moth

Actias luna

The luna moth is a pale green giant silk moth of eastern North America. Its bat-fooling tails, mouthless adults, week-long adult life and caterpillar trees.

Monarch butterfly

Danaus plexippus

The monarch is an orange-and-black milkweed butterfly famous for flying up to 4,800 km to winter in Mexico. Its looks, size, life cycle, toxins and status.

Northern giant hornet

Vespa mandarinia

The northern giant hornet, or Asian giant hornet, is the world's largest hornet. Facts on its size, range, sting, honey bee raids and stay in North America.

Northern walkingstick

Diapheromera femorata

The northern walkingstick is a wingless stick insect of eastern North American woods. Its twig camouflage, leaf diet, falling eggs, outbreaks and giant kin.

Painted lady

Vanessa cardui

The painted lady is the most widespread butterfly on Earth, found on every continent except Antarctica. Its looks, host plants, life cycle and migration.

Periodical cicada

Magicicada septendecim

Magicicada septendecim, the 17-year periodical cicada, lives underground for 17 years, then emerges by the millions in the eastern US. Broods, song, life cycle.

NTNear Threatened

Praying mantis

Mantis religiosa

The praying mantis is a green or brown ambush hunter 5–8 cm long with spiny grasping forelegs. How it hunts, sees in 3D, mates and survives winter as an egg.

Red wood ant

Formica rufa

The red wood ant builds large thatched mounds of pine needles in European woodlands. Its size, colonies with many queens, formic acid, diet and conservation.

NTNear Threatened

Sacred scarab

Scarabaeus sacer

The sacred scarab is a black ball-rolling dung beetle of the Mediterranean and North Africa, revered in ancient Egypt. Size, dung balls, larvae and range.

Seven-spot ladybug

Coccinella septempunctata

The seven-spot ladybug is a red beetle 5–8 mm long with seven black spots that hunts aphids. Its life cycle, defenses, winter clusters and spread to America.

Western honey bee

Apis mellifera

The western honey bee is a social bee that lives in colonies of up to 80,000. Facts on its queen, workers and drones, comb, waggle dance, honey and spread.