Fishing spider

Tiny spiderlings ride on the back of their mother, a rabid wolf spider

Asian tiger mosquito

Egg rafts of the Northern house mosquito, <i>Culex pipiens</i>

Egg rafts of the Northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens

Holly previously occupied by a leaf miner

Asian lady beetle eggs

Flower fly larvae eating aphids

Sickle-shaped antlion jaws

Two dogbane beetles in bliss

An adult lacewing

Milkweed longhorned beetles on a date

White, waxy coat protects this lady bug larva from potential predators

The crane fly is usually mistaken for a mosquito

This dragonfly possesses powerful legs and strong wings

Harlequin bug

Long antennae may help this springtail to find food in an icy land.

This lacewing larva coats itself with plant debris

Young tiger swallowtail larvae resemble bird droppings.

A scary eye spot adorns the wing of an owl butterfly.

Some aphids like the wooly apple aphid produce large amounts of fluffy wax.

Lemon eucalyptus is the source of a potent mosquito repellent.

In the wild yellow jackets obtain sweets from the honeydew of scale insects.

The Colorado potato beetle larva dangling from the beak of the adult two-spotted stink bug will soon be drained of blood.

Shed cicada skins called exuviae, decorate trees and shrubs.

A monarch prepares to carbo-load on nectar before performing its royal tasks.

Sooty mold growing on honeydew produced by scale insects change the color of this branch from brown to black.

The female fall cankerworm lacks functional mouthparts and does not eat.

Winter stoneflies are active even on chilly days in January.

Neither snow nor ice can cool the romance between male and female snow scorpionflies.

Despite chilly feet these spidery looking springtails are active in the snow.

Kissing bugs get their name by sucking blood from people's lips.

Roundheaded borers have powerful jaws but usually lack legs.

Bright colors of the Atala butterfly warn predators not to take a bite.

With its abdomen poised in the air, a major worker readies to defend the nest.

Jaws of leafcutter ant soldiers can open wounds.

Small holes in the thorn allow ants to enter and exit.

With the return of spring, brown marmorated stink bugs are on the move.

Blue orchard mason bees are early season pollinators of some of our most important fruit crops, like apples and cherries.

A group of hungry leaf notch caterpillars chow down on a tender young euonymus leaf.

Caught in the act of laying the last eggs of autumn, this lady displays her magnificent wheel.

From the safety of its burrow, a plasterer bee takes a peek at a bug geek with a camera.

The giant Leopard moth caterpillar curls into a spiny ball when threatened.

A tiger beetle scans the forest floor for potential food.

Lubbers have a lubberly face.

Boxwood leafminer larvae and pupae can be found inside the galled leaf tissue before adults emerge in spring.

When aphids are born, breech seems to be the rule.

Unsuspecting aphids face certain death when the flower fly egg hatches in a few days.

Adult ocellate gall midges closely resemble the boxwood leafminer seen here.

Fecal spots on the underside of leaves are a sure sign of lace bugs such as this gorgeous andromeda lace bug.

Powerful jaws and a magnificent horn are standard equipment for a bess beetle.

Within a breathtaking chrysalis, the caterpillar becomes a butterfly.

A horde of beetles can put a beating on trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.

A dinner of nightshade is deadly to some, but not to the three lined potato beetle.

Glowworms patrol the soil in search of worms, slugs, and other soft-bodied invertebrates that are their prey.

This newly molted dog day cicada waits patiently as its exoskeleton hardens.

The larva of the eyed elater has powerful jaws to kill its prey.

The gorgeous ebony jewelwing is often found near small streams.

Dill is the perfect plant on which to lay eggs if you are a black swallowtail.

Ready to continue the feast on locust this adult leafminer emerges from its pupal case.

Poison glands in the skin of the caterpillar prepare a potent toxin delivered by urticating hairs.

A newly hatched monarch caterpillar prepares for its first meal.

The camouflaged looper turns into a beautiful emerald green moth.

Tomato is on the menu for this band of stink bugs.

Adult silver spotted skippers are regular visitors to the garden

Ermine moths wear a royal robe of orange, black, and white scales.

Stripes and bold patterns are definitely "in" this season for Niesthrea.

This resident of Florida, a predatory stink bug, was observed chillin’ on the bark of an elm tree in College Park last week.

Hundreds of aphids partake in a Thanksgiving feast on the leaves of autumn clematis.

A beautiful European praying mantis rests on a holly shortly before laying her eggs.

Adult Indian meal moths like these two stuck in a pheromone trap often flutter about pantries and cupboards.

Adult holly leafminers resemble small houseflies.

Yellow wingless nymphs sip plants fluids and leave behind dark droplets of excrement.

If you are lucky, you may find a colony of whiteflies decorating your holiday poinsettia.

From her lofty perch, a snow scorpionfly surveys a wintry landscape.

The female walkingstick dwarfs the male riding on her back.

Longwing butterflies collect pollen on their proboscis and extract nutritious amino acids from the grains.

Orlando wrangles a handful of gorgeous owl caterpillars.

Foraging workers visit beautiful flower blossoms to collect nectar and pollen for the hive.

This pair of unicorn beetles doesn't mind a public display of affection.

Larvae of the Dendrobium beetle secrete strands of white waxy material to sculpt a fluffy pupal chamber.

A motionless matchstick grasshopper does its best to pretend it is part of a plant.

With jaws widespread, a major worker prepares to defend the colony.

The termite soldier squirts defensive chemicals at enemies through the elongated snout on its head.

A beautiful female phasmatid grazes on herbaceous plants near a stream.

Snow and ice don't cool the romance of winter stoneflies.

The eastern tent caterpillar is a beautiful beast with blue stripes and patches on the side and a white stripe down the center of the back.

In May, cicada nymphs will appear by the handful in areas being treated to Brood II.

One of the most precarious acts for the cicada is shedding the exoskeleton it wore as a nymph.

Newly molted cicadas are spectacularly beautiful but extremely vulnerable to predators.

Female cicadas lay eggs in "nests," each of which can contain 20 - 30 eggs.

Mating cicadas often stay coupled for an hour or more.

After dropping to earth, tiny cicada nymphs burrow underground and attach to the roots of plants to feed.

Massospora turns the cicada into a fungus garden.

Up and down the east coast billions of cicadas will return nutrients to the trees from which they fed for 17 years.

When viewed head-on, the spicebush caterpillar resembles a small serpent.

Bumble bees sometimes build nests in man-made structures like wall voids.

Ambush bug's enlarged forelegs allow it to snare its victim

Culex mosquito egg raft

Adult kudzu bug, only 1/4 of an inch in length

Black tiger swallowtail

Steel-blue cricket hunter

Fall webworm hosting black parasitic wasp pupae

Orangestriped oakworm moth

Imperial moth

Royal Walnut Moths

Shutters are a potential refuge for stink bugs

Chinese mantis awaiting his stink bug meal

Wheel bug, a stink bug predator

Black & yellow spider

European paper wasp guards its nest

This male bush katydid's wings could be confused for a leaf

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle

Milkweed tiger moth caterpillar

Photo Gallery