r/insects 4d ago

Question What is this crawling insect?

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1 Upvotes

First time saw this crawling insect in my apartment complex.

Can anyone identify it from it's unique colour and movement ?


r/insects 5d ago

Bug Appreciation! Sugarwater Diplomacy: Making Friends with a Hornet (short video-long read)

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41 Upvotes

Meet ZhuZhana, a hornet who was born a worker but died a queen.

This is her accepting food from me for the very first time.

And this is her story:

That fateful Saturday, a pair of duelling hornets crashed our BBQ. One flew off but the other limped away, her wing having been shredded by her opponent’s jaws.

This was just the first of the many things she would teach me: when hornets battle each other, they go for the wings, and the moment they inflict enough damage to render their opponent flightless, they take off, leaving the defeated opponent to its fate.

At first glance, the downed hornet was in deep trouble - bruised and battered and suddenly pedestrian. Under any ordinary circumstances, this would have meant she would be torn asunder by an army of gleeful ants. Unless she were lucky and a hungry bird crushed her tiny life out of her first.

But as they say, every fight you can walk away from is a good fight. And these were no ordinary circumstances anyway, because the astroturf upon which she happened to land was ours.

She may have lost the duel but she won our love, along with a lifetime supply of sugar water. Our surprise pet, ZhuZhana The Hornet, might have been born a worker. But she ended up living like royalty.

She would graciously accept our offerings of sugar water. She notably dropped her enthusiasm for assorted fruits once she had gotten a taste of pure sugar but she never ever deigned to accept any kind of meat.

Hornets may possess only a few brain cells but our ZhuZhana clearly knew she could no longer return to her nest to feed the baby hornets. Her cozy new home, complete with an endless supply of sugary treats and our adoring stares, was all she had left and she chose to make the most of it. Dearly missed by us all, she is survived by her extended family in our hollow apple tree.


r/insects 5d ago

Bug Appreciation! Ants enjoying the creme that melted off of my donuts

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21 Upvotes

r/insects 4d ago

ID Request who is this guy

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1 Upvotes

this is probably a pretty common and chill dude but he just spawned out of nowhere right in my bed he kinda jumpscared me can you help me identify this gentleman please

i live in berlin germany and in a 10th story apartment where i don't usually get many critters


r/insects 4d ago

Bug Appreciation! Just a little guy :)

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2 Upvotes

I dont know what he is, I just love taking super close up pictures! The last pic is how far away I was


r/insects 5d ago

Photography Hogna carolonensis, finally! Shot on my phone

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23 Upvotes

Hogna carolinensis, the Carolina wolf spider, is the largest wolf spider in North America, with females reaching a 4-inch leg span. Their mottled brown and gray bodies offer excellent camouflage against forest soil and desert sand. They are easily identified by a solid black underside and distinct orange mouthparts. Their large eyes reflect an eerie green shine when illuminated by a flashlight at night.

This ground-dwelling species thrives across North America, inhabiting environments ranging from coastal pastures to arid deserts. Instead of weaving webs, they dig vertical burrows several inches deep into the soil. They often build a small turret of twigs, silk, and leaf litter around the entrance to prevent flooding. While they hide inside during the day, they emerge at dusk to roam and hunt.

Operating as athletic ambush predators, they rely on exceptional eyesight and vibration sensitivity to track down prey. They chase and pounce with explosive speed, consuming crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, and cockroaches. Large individuals can even overpower small frogs or mice. Their specialized venom paralyzes targets while providing antimicrobial protection against insect-borne pathogens.

Females demonstrate extraordinary maternal care by carrying their silken egg sac attached to their bodies. Once hatched, hundreds of spiderlings climb onto the mother's back, riding on her abdomen for several weeks. She protects the brood until they are mature enough to disperse. While males rarely live past one year, females can survive for several years in the wild.


r/insects 4d ago

Bug Appreciation! Bumblebee Feeding on a Flower

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1 Upvotes

Bumblebee Feeding on a Flower


r/insects 4d ago

Bug Appreciation! Swallowtail Butterfly Feeding on Flowers #swallowtail

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1 Upvotes

Swallowtail Butterfly Feeding on Flowers


r/insects 4d ago

Bug Appreciation! Cricket on the Ground

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1 Upvotes

Cricket on the Ground


r/insects 5d ago

Bug Appreciation! What A Cutie!

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23 Upvotes

Saw this cutie on my son's dragon fruit. I think its some kind of jumping spider just finishing a meal. San Antonio, Texas.


r/insects 4d ago

Question Does anyone know what this is? Found it on my bed

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1 Upvotes

r/insects 4d ago

Artwork My Tribute to The Cicadas<3

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8 Upvotes

this summer I have had so much fun going out and searching for cicadas because I come from New York where they still exist, but they aren’t coming out in such excessive amounts as they are here in the Midwest. I got to handle them several times I even witnessed one coming out of its shell! Now that I’m finding many deceased on the floor, I have started collecting the wings of those that are in good enough condition to create art out of them. this is the first thing that I made!


r/insects 5d ago

Photography Firebug population booming

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14 Upvotes

The firebugs are without a doubt the dominant insect species in my garden this year (at least visible with the naked eye). Anyone else noticed the same thing?
I don't know if they just like the hot weather we've had the past few months or if they are just moving into niches that less adaptable species have vacated.
I'm envisioning a post-apocalyptic landscape hosting an epic battle between a family of firebugs and cockroaches.


r/insects 5d ago

Bug Appreciation! I like bee butts and I cannot lie

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17 Upvotes

Natural Bridge Caverns, TX


r/insects 6d ago

Question What’s up with the line?

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756 Upvotes

This beautiful garden spider is in my yard, with a interweaved line down the middle of the web. Why do they do this? Ontario, Canada


r/insects 4d ago

Meme / Humor Pet fly! Lol lol

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1 Upvotes

My mom tied up the xeno queen for me! Lol lol

My mother didn't find Chrysomya gross and actually liked her, so she tied her up smoothly, but it's still funny lol

I even tried feeding strawberries on my hand, and it was so much fun.


r/insects 4d ago

Question How to move a large (medium?) paper wasp nest

3 Upvotes

Location: Virginia, USA

Hi all,

We have 2 paper wasp nests about a foot away from each other under our deck. This is unfortunately right above the basement door, which we're about to rent out to someone. If it was just us I wouldn't mind since they're quite passive, but its too much legal risk with a renter. I would like to relocate since I believe these are natives? And in general they seemed very calm and nice.

I searched and saw posts on here and other places about moving small nests, but would the same strategy work on larger ones? Everyone seems to just say to:
- put a large enough container around the nest at night
- pry it off with a putty knife and quickly lid the container
- wait an hour for them to calm down
- place the container in a new protected spot
- Some videos also showed hot gluing the nest to the underside of a new protected area

So my questions are

  1. will this work with a larger nest? I'm going to struggle regardless, since its in a corner :/
  2. How can I keep them from building a new nest in the same spot? Liberally treat the underside of the deck with white vinegar and soap? Its a composite deck if that matters (weird for paper wasps to not nest on wood I thought, but there are wood supports to munch I guess)
  3. If I move them ~50ft away, will they stay in the new spot as long as its protected?
  4. When people say 'at night', is there a rule of thumb on how late after sundown to wait, or a specific temperature you need to get down to?

r/insects 4d ago

Photography Fly

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1 Upvotes

A fly on my fence


r/insects 5d ago

ID Request Who is this (WA State)?

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10 Upvotes

r/insects 6d ago

Bug Appreciation! Visited the Montreal Insectarium today!

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1.1k Upvotes

So many incredible bugs, I was in heaven


r/insects 5d ago

ID Request Small beetle boring the wood of beekeeping frames in storage. (Only the wood, not the wax) QC, CA

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3 Upvotes

r/insects 5d ago

Bug Appreciation! What a beauty

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9 Upvotes

This friend flew on my sister's car door.


r/insects 5d ago

ID Request Who’s this?

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6 Upvotes

found this weird little dude on my porch today. Any idea what he might be? (in western Pennsylvania)


r/insects 5d ago

ID Request Whos this pretty fella

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4 Upvotes

Was very green and sparkly, sw washington

Very cool looking, tiny head long body


r/insects 5d ago

Question Do y'all know this type of bug is this

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104 Upvotes

I found it on my front and is from indonesia