Bug Out!
Out there in the wild, you’re bound to come across an insect you might not recognize, and that’s okay! A good rule is to not bother anything that hasn’t bothered you. Ask an adult to help identify any critter that might be creeping, crawling, or flying about. If they’re not sure, make a drawing of it, and then try a library!
We think it’s important to learn more about the bugs around us, to better understand the world we live in. Insects do so much for our environment. They pollinate our foods and flowers, they mix up the soil, and they act as environmental cleaners when they help break down dead plants and animals, making those nutrients available to other species. They are also food for so many other species, like birds, bats, frogs, snakes, mice, and fish!
Grab a magnifying glass and a friend, and start exploring.
Convergent Lady Beetle
Hippodamia convergens
Also known as “ladybugs,” these hard workers can be found all around gardens and parks. They are the natural enemy of aphids and other plant pests. They’ll keep plants safe from critters that may want to eat the delicious stems and leaves that they find.
Can I touch them?
Though they are generally pretty mild-mannered, lady beetles will sometimes bite if they feel unsafe. They’ll also secrete a smelly yellow liquid from their legs — so it’s maybe best to leave them alone.
Western Honeybee
Apis mellifera
Our state insect is amazing — honeybees are important pollinators for fruits, vegetables, flowers, and more. They store up pollen and honey during the warmer months to survive the winter, and cluster into a ball to conserve warmth. All honeybees are social critters, living and moving in a hive community. Members of the hive are divided into three types: workers, drones, and the queen. Workers look for food, including pollen and nectar from flowering plants. They also build, defend, and clean the hive, and move hive air around by beating their wings very quickly. Drones serve the queen by fertilizing her eggs. The queen’s job is important — she lays the eggs that will spawn the hive’s next generation of bees.
Can I touch them?
Because they have such powerful stingers, it’s important to let bees do their work in peace. You don’t need to swat or hit them, but maybe find a different area to be, if
you encounter a bee.
Eastern Firefly
Photinus pyralis
There are quite a lot of different species of fireflies, but, funny enough, they’re not actually flies! They’re beetles. We call them “fireflies” or “lightning bugs” because of their trademark ability to create a glowing light on their underbellies. This process is called “bioluminescence,” and it helps fireflies find each other when it’s dark out, like a built-in flashlight. Pretty cool, huh?
Can I touch them?
Harmless and very beautiful, fireflies are safe to touch, but be careful to handle them very gently!
