These reddish-orange beetles with their black spots are easily recognizable on their host plants, milkweed. Their legs and long antennae, typical of the long-horned beetle family, are black. The species owes its Latin name to its four eyes (tetra = four), which are actually two eyes split in two by the antennae. The adults are from 8 to 15 mm long.
These tiger beetles are easy to recognize with their iridescent green or blue-green colouring and white-spotted elytra (wing covers). As their name indicates, they usually have six spots, but some specimens have only five, or even two or none at all. They have large eyes and powerful sickle-like mandibles. Their bodies are 10 to 14 mm long.
The brownish larvae have dark heads with large mandibles.
These pretty pink and yellow moths are easily recognizable by their very hairy bodies. The colours vary, however, and there are also pale, almost white, forms. The males are smaller than the females, which have a wingspan of about 5.5 cm. The sexes can also be differentiated by their antennae: feathery on the males, and thinner on the females.
The caterpillars are green with lengthwise stripes. They have two black horns that look like antennae near their cherry red heads. They are up to 5.5 cm long.
These are large moths with a wingspan of 7.5 to 10 cm. There are marked differences between the males and females. The males have black wings with a tan border, while the females’ wings are brown or reddish-brown, also with a tan border. Both sexes have an eyespot on each forewing.
In the last instar, the large, hairless caterpillars are whitish green. They have four red knobs near the head and a yellow one near the tip of the abdomen. Their bodies are marked with black dots ringed with very light blue. The caterpillars change appearance with each instar.
The wings of these butterflies are white on top and greenish-yellow beneath, and their bodies are black. The forewings have black tips and round black spots. The males and females can be distinguished by the number of spots on their forewings: the males have one per wing, and the females, two. Both sexes have a single black spot on their hindwings. Their wingspan varies from 3 to 5.8 cm.
The caterpillars are green or blue-green and covered with short, fine hairs. They are up to 3.5 cm long.
The males have bright yellow wings with black borders. The forewings each have a dark round spot, while the hindwings have a lighter, orange spot. The females in the springtime generation are mostly yellow, while those in the fall generation are mainly white.
These butterflies have wingspans of 30 to 50 mm. Individuals in the springtime and fall generations tend to be smaller.
The green caterpillars have a white and pale pink stripe on both sides. The chrysalis is green with a yellow band and some black dots.
This large family consists of small or medium-sized white, yellow or orange butterflies with orange wingtips. They often have dark or red markings on their wings, and spots visible only in ultraviolet light, thought to be used for courtship. With the Papilionidae, these are the only butterflies to have three sets of fully developed functional legs in both sexes.
The Coliadinae subfamily comprises yellow and orange butterflies called sulphurs and orangetips. They often have black-bordered wings. The members of the Pierinae subfamily are generally white with black markings or white with orange-tipped forewings.
It’s easy to see where this small butterfly gets its name: its wings are blue on top and silvery beneath. The top of the wing in the males is an iridescent blue, with a narrow dark border. In the females the blue is darker and the border is wider. Both sexes have a white fringe around the wings, and a row of white-ringed black spots on top. Their wingspan is 3.2 cm.
This large family consists of small, often very colourful or iridescent butterflies, many of them rare. They have three sets of functional legs, but the first pair is smaller in most of the males. The antennae and eyes are usually ringed with white.
The Lycaenidae can be divided into four subfamilies:
1. Blues (subfamily Polyommatinae) owe their name to the colour of the upper surface of their wings. The females are often darker than the males.
2. Coppers (subfamily Lycaeninae) are orange or brown, with dark markings.
3. Hairstreaks and elfins (subfamily Theclinae) are recognizable by the two or three small tails on their hindwings. Often grey or brown, they have colourful markings on the underside of their wings.
4. Harvesters (subfamily Melitaeinae) are distinguished from other Lycaenidae by their special wing veins.
The flies in this large family are commonly found on flowers, where they are sometimes confused with bees and wasps. Some species are smooth and others hairy, and they are black or brown, sometimes with white, yellow or orange markings.
They may be recognized by their way of hovering and their colourful markings. The adults are usually 10 to 20 mmm long. The larvae vary in appearance depending on the species.
