Moth Menagerie

I've never really thought of moths except to get annoyed at the ones that flutter around lights and sometimes fly straight into you if you are close to the light that they are attracted to you. The moths I generally see are rather dull and boring, so I have always thought of them as the poor cousins of the butterfly. However, as you can see here, moths come in a variety of colors and patterns - so much so, I have had to change my mind about moths - while they will probably never have the same prestige as a pretty butterfly, I now know that they can be just as beautiful.

Menacing Mosquitos

Mosquitoes are a family of small flies - in fact their name was taken from Spanish or Portuguese which means "little fly". There are over 3500 species of mosquitoes  and not all of them are the type that buzz around your head, especially your ears, as your are trying to get to sleep at night. (There is nothing worse when trying to get to sleep and you can hear that low buzz of a mosquito flying around, only to hear it suddenly stop. Then you know it has landed and is ready to suck your blood!)

Mosquitoes are known to spread diseases among humans, such as the very deadly malaria, and other species spread diseases among animals too. It is these species of mosquitoes that I am referring to here. No mosquitoes wanted in my house!

mosquitos prohibited! refrigerator magnets by greendeer
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Little Ladybugs

Ladybirds (also known as ladybugs) are one of the cutest bugs around and are a family of beetles. In fact ladybirds have quite a few names - entomologists prefer to call them ladybird beetles or lady beetles, but other more unusual names are ladyclock, lady cow, God's cow and lady fly.

Below are a few beautiful examples of capturing ladybugs with photography. Their shiny domed bodies showing brilliantly against the plants they are resting on.

Ladybirds even have their own nursery rhyme, which is believed to originate in England and was first published in the mid 18th century. If a ladybug landed on you, you would recite the verse to make them fly away. The rhyme stemmed from a superstition that it was unlucky to kill ladybirds.

Ladybird Ladybird Fly Away Home Poster by giftsbonanza
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Ladybugs are ultra sweet and cute and ladybird designs and illustrations are very popular all over the world for young and old. Below are just a few very sweet ladybird designs and ladybug gifts.

Green Lacewings

Green lacewings, as their name would suggest, are insects whose bodies are usually bright green with translucent wings, which are slightly iridescent.

They are also referred to as "stinkflies" due to their ability to release a vile smell when feeling threatened, such as when being handled by humans.

Green Lacewing on White Rose Poster by ingasi

Luna Moth

The Luna Moth, also known as the Actias luna, is one of the largest moths found in North America. It is lime green in color, has a wingspan of up to four and half inches and distinctive eyespots.

Adult luna moths live for only seven days and their purpose is purely to mate. A female luna moth can lay anywhere between 100 and 300 eggs. The adult luna moth featured below has just emerged from the cocoon and is waiting on the bark of a tree trunk to dry and harden.

Luna Moth Posters by Bebops
View more Luna moth Posters at zazzle.com 

Three Things I Didn't Know About Japanese Beetles

1. Firstly, I didn't know there was a beetle called the Japanese beetle, and so I certainly wouldn't know what Popillia japonica was. As the name would suggest, the Japanese beetle is native to Japan.

Evil Beauty Print by Bebops

2. The Japanese beetle can also be found in parts of Canada and the United States where it is considered a pest and does substantial damage to a large number of species of plants.

Japanese Beetle Postcard by CarolsCamera

3. The life cycle of the Japanese beetle is typically twice as long in Japan where it is 2 years as opposed to the United States where it is only one year.

popillia japonica gallery wrapped canvas by hmbascom

Hummingbird Hawk-moth

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth (also known as the Hummingmoth) looks very similar in appearance to a hummingbird when it is feeding on flowers, hence its name. It has a long proboscis and it hovers above flowers while it is feeding and makes a humming noise.

Hummingbird hawk-moths are attracted to flowers which have a plentiful supply of nectar including honeysuckle, red valerian and buddleia and they prefer warmer climates.

The image below shows a hummingbird hawk-moth hovering above a flower and gathering its nectar.

Hummingbird hawk-moth hovering poster by ruralfrance
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Dragonflies Everywhere!

A dragonfly is an insect which has two pairs of transparent wings, large multi-faceted eyes and a long body. Dragonflies are known for being one of the fastest insects in the world. Dragonflies usually eat small insects such as mosquitoes, ants and bees. They are found near lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands as their larvae is aquatic. The larvae are known as nymphs.

Below is a photograph of an ant about to be devoured by a dragonfly!

Bad Day by dgeneve

The image below gives us a wonderful view of the dragonfly's transparent wings.

Perched Dragonfly by OctopusLove

Like all other insects, dragonflies have six legs, however most cannot walk well, but they do help when trying to perch yourself on the tiniest stem in search of prey.

Dragonfly Balance Photo Poster by debinSC
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Dragonflies have become increasingly popular in artwork and there are especially popular in fantasy and whimsical styles of art.

So Many Beetles

Did you know that beetles constitute approximately 25% of all known life forms on Earth? No, I didn't either! Given the huge amount of beetles in this world, it would be impossible to describe all of them... it has been estimated that there may be as many as 1 million species of beetles alone. So I won't even try - it would take me more than a lifetime. Here is a way to keep people from touching and moving your house keys, you will never lose them again!

Beetle
by animotaxis

What does an Ant and an Amberwing Dragonfly have in Common?

I'm sure we could find a few things they have in common, but the most obvious thing is that they are both insects which start with the letter "A". Let's see if we can find anything else...

Ants are social insects and are related to bees and wasps. They form colonies which are highly organised and have a division of labour where they often have workers, soldiers, drones and queens.

Tiny Ant on Goldenrod
by Bebops

Dragonflies are flying insects with two pairs of transparent wings. They eat other insects, such as mosquitos, flies, bees, ants, and on rare occasions, are known to eat butterflies.

Amberwing Dragonfly Note Card
by debinSC

We may have to dig a bit further to see if we can find any similiarities between the two... we'll keep you posted!