Insects 2

Witch Hazel [Hamamelis virginiana] leaf . Dauphin County, Pa. 10-19-25. Note the Witches Hat gall on the leaf, "The conical black “hats” are the chemical reaction of the Witch hazel leaf to an aphid, Hormaphis hamamelidis, that disturbs the leaf surface with its ovipositor, leaving behind a tiny egg. The leaf surface reacts to the injury by building a pointy, black gall of sooty mold with a wide brim over the spot, where the ovum overwinters before emerging in its new form by chewing through the bottom of the leaf." From "Tree Stewards"

Bumblebee Bee [Bombus] on Blue Cardinal Flower [Lobelia siphilitica]. Dauphin County, Pa. 9-14-25. Note the pollen basket above its hind leg.

Yellow Faced Bee [Hylaeus] on Blue Cardinal flower [Lobelia siphilitica]. Dauphin County, Pa. 9-14-25.

Yellow Faced Bee [Hylaeus] feeding on the stigma on Blue Cardinal flower [Lobelia siphilitica]. Dauphin County, Pa. 9-14-25.

Orange Assassin Bug [Pselliopus barberi]. Dauphin county, Pa. 9-18-25. This is its attack postion, as a bee fly by very close, but not close enough!

Orange Assassin Bug [Pselliopus barberi]. Dauphin County, Pa. 9-18-25 [above & below]

Orange Assassin Bug [Pselliopus barberi]. Dauphin county, Pa. 9-18-25

Spotted cucumber Beetle [Diabrotica undecimpunctata] on Spotted Bee Balm [Monarda punctata]. Dauphin county, Pa. 9-12-25

Spotted Bee Balm [Monarda punctata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 9-12-25. Notice all the unopened florets on the second rung that will soon be open. Notice the beautifully camouflaged insect!

Common Eastern Bumblebee [Bombus impatiens] on Blue Mist Flower [Conoclinium coelestinum]. Dauphin County, Pa. 9-12-25. Notice the pollen sack adhered to its leg.

Common Eastern Bumblebee [Bombus impatiens] on Blue Mist Flower [Conoclinium coelestinum]. Dauphin County, Pa. 9-12-25.

Jagged Assassin Bug [Phymata species]. Luzerne County, Pa. 9-10-25

Mating Giant Robber Flies [Promachus rodecki]. Lebanon county, Pa. 8-22-25 [above & below]

Spiny Assassin Bug [Sines spinipes]. Dauphin county, Pa. 8-28-25 [above & below]

Spotted Cucumber Beetle [Diabrotra undecimpunctata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 8-28-25

Jagged Assissin Bug [Phymata americana]. Dauphin County, Pa. 8-28-25

Jagged Assissin Bug [Phymata americana]. Dauphin County, Pa. 8-28-25. Having caught an insect

Jagged Assissin Bug [Phymata americana]. Dauphin County, Pa. 8-28-25

Phanton Crane Fly [Bittacomorpha clavipes]. Luzerne County, Pa. 8-29-25. "It turns out that the phantom crane fly is one of the very, very few creatures on Earth that fly without using their wings. They are literally swimming, somehow taking advantage of a high Reynolds number (let’s say, 265?) [using the air like a fluid creating friction and energy] to sludge [swim] through the atmosphere without those wings that evolution gave them. Consequently they look more like seed pods drifting on the wind than they do insects." [From Many Worlds Theory] [Above & below].

Recently molted Northern Walking stick [Diapheromera femorata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 8-28-25 [above & below]

Wavy Mucksucker [Orthonevra nitida]. on Northern White Fringed Orchid [Platanthera blephariglottis]. Luzerne County, Pa. 7-22-25.

Carpenter Bee [Xylocopa virginica] on Swamp Milkweed [Asclepepias incarnata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 7-24-25

Spotted Cucumber Beetle [Diabrotra undecimpunctata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 8-2-25

Spiny Assassin Bug [Sinea sp] and Ant do battle. Dauphin County, Pa. 8-2-25. There was no clear winner, each going their own separate ways.

Sweat Bee [Augochlorini] on Narrow Leafed Mountain Mint [Pycnanthemum tenuifolium]. Dauphin County, Pa. 8-12-25.

Bumblebee [Bombus impatiens] Narrow Leafed Mountain Mint [Pycnanthemum tenuifolium]. Dauphin County, Pa. 8-12-25

Bumblebee [Bombus] on Mountain Mint [Pycnanthemum]. Lebanon County, Pa. 7-18-25

Bumblebee [Bombus] on Common Milkweed [Asclepias syriaca]. Lebanon County, Pa. 7-18-25

This Assassin Bug has caught a Mosqito while hunting on Platanthera flava, and is in the process of sucking out its fluids through its curved proboscis, you can see the Mosquito own proboscis through the legs of the Assassin bug. Luzerne County, Pa. 6-29-25

Bumblebee [Bombus] on Water Avens [Geum rivale].New York. 6-13-25. Notice the pollen on its legs

Katydid nymph [Scudderia] on Beardtongue [Penstemon digitalis]. Dauphin County, Pa. 6-10-25

Katydid nymph [Scudderia]. Dauphin County, Pa. 6-10-25 [above & below]

Katydid nymph [Scudderia]. Dauphin County, Pa. 6-10-25

This ant has a big prize, a Deer Fly is being carried back to some unseen nest. New York. 5-27-25

Mating Antlered Crane Flies [Tanyptera dorsalis]. Dauphin County, Pa. 6-3-25

Sweat Bee [Lasioglossum Dialistus] pollinating Trailing Arbutus [Epigaea repens]. Dauphin County, Pa. 4-17-25

Six Spotted Tiger Beetle [Cicindela sexuttata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 4-17-25

Bee Fly [Bombylius major] searching for nectar and pollinating Trailing Arbutus [Epigaea repens]. Dauphin County, Pa. 4-17-25

Mosquito Larva [Culicidea]. Tioga County, Pa. 4-13-25

Bee Fly [Bombylius major] in the act of pollinating Sharp Lobed Hepatica [Hepatica americana var. acuta]. Tioga County, Pa. 4-13-25

Green Sedge Caddisfly larva [Rhyacophila fuscula] and its house made of sticks. They are an amazing vernal pool predator, having once observed a large Green Sedge Caddisfly larva [too large for a house] eating a Marbled Salamander larva alive. Tioga County, Pa. 4-13-24 [above & below]

Water Scavenger Beetle [Hydrophilidae], Tioga County, Pa. 4-13-25. Notice the air bubble that the beetle carries for breathing under water.

Mourning Cloak Butterfly [Nymphalis antiopa]. Dauphin County, Pa. 3-19-25. This was the very first time seeing the forewings and hindwings separated

Mayfly Nymph. Dauphin County, Pa. 3-9-25.

Carpenter Bee dusted with pollen [the pollen packets can be seen above the bee] on Spotted Bee Balm [Monarda punctata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 9-3-24. One of my favorite pictures from the past year.

Unknown caterpillar feeding on the ridges on the outside of a Large Whorled Pogonia [Isotria verticillata] seed pod. Dauphin County, Pa. 11-18-24

Winter Firefly [Ellychnia corrusca]. Dauphin County, Pa. 10-12-24.

Daddy longlegs [Pholcus phalangioides]. Dauphin County, Pa. 6-10-24

Nymph of the Large Milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus). Dauphin County, Pa. 10-6-24

Female Northern Bush Katydid [Scudderia septentrionalis]. Dauphin County, Pa. 10-6-24

Pale Green Assassin Bug [Zelus purists]. Dauphin County, Pa. 10-6-24.

Northern Walking Stick [Diapheromera femorata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 10-3-24

Bee Fly [Lepidophora lutea]. Cheboygan County, Michigan 9-17-24

This Northern Crab Spider [ Mecaphesa asperata] is already for halloween and I am not sure who was more scared, him or me! Dauphin County. Pa. 9-14-24

Striped Ground Cricket [Albnemobius fasciatus]. Schuylkill County, Pa. 9-4-24

Female Eastern Shielback Katydid (Atlanticus], Dauphin County, Pa. 9-23-24. Notice the long ovipositor for laying eggs

Scissor-grinder Cicada [Tibicen pruinosa]. Schuylkill County, Pa.9-8-24.

Bumblebee [Bombus] on Goldenrod [Solidago]. Dauphin County, Pa. 9-4-24. With the pollen on its leg.

Honey Bee [Apis] on Goldenrod [Solidago]. Notice the pollen on its leg. Dauphin County, Pa. 9-7-24.

Chinese Mantis [Tenodera sinensis]. Schuylkill County, Pa. 9-9-24

Female Forked Tailed Bush Katdid [Scudderia furcata] feeding on Spotted Bee Balm [Monarda punctata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 9-6-24