Monarch butterflies are some of the most beloved insects in the world and are proudly held up as the state insect or butterfly of seven different American states. Their beautiful orange and black coloration and the magnificent migration they perform…

To our knowledge, beetles (Order Coleoptera) are the most diverse group of insects on the planet. In the United States, there are 30,000 described species. Such species diversity comes along with so many morphological, behavioral, and ecological differences. All that…

Recently, there have been some social media posts circulating that talk about an “invasive” praying mantis that you should take steps to destroy. These posts, usually based on blogs and other personal websites, are focused on the Chinese mantis and…

As autumn sets in, we get to see leaves change, pumpkins get picked, and spiders invade our landscapes; truly a wonderful time of the year for an entomologist. For other, more normal human beings though, seeing so many eight-legged critters…

This past weekend, I looked at a colony of honey bees that had died; a large pile of dead bees were spread in front of the entrance with more dead bees on the bottom board. The dead bees had their…

Next week, the importance of pollinators and the services they provide to over 75% of flowering plants is being recognized as National Pollinator Week. There is a wide assortment of pollinators including bees, hummingbirds, bats, beetles, flies, and butterflies. Pollinators…

Honey bees and other pollinators are as much a part of agriculture as cattle and corn. We hear a lot about protecting pollinators, as we should, since losses of honey bees since 2006 have been at unacceptable and unsustainable levels.…

Soil mites are considered one of the major components of soil arthropod communities, although they are not well studied. Soil-inhabiting mites play an important role in litter/organic matter decomposition in three different ways: (1) direct litter decomposition, (2) organic matter…

Some of the common names of the small bee-like flies shown in Figure 1 include corn fly, hover fly, helicopter fly, flower fly, and sweat bee. Each name fits some aspect of the insect’s appearance, behavior, or hangout. These convincing…

When a lady beetle larva finishes feeding, it attaches the end of its abdomen to a surface and molts to the pupa stage. Pupae of the multicolored Asian lady beetle are commonly found attached to foliage (Figure 1).  The adult…

Monarch Butterfly Sightings in 2015 According to this monarch butterfly migration page, the first reported sightings of monarch butterflies (Figure 1) in Kentucky were May 12 in Danville, May 13 in Lexington, and May 24 in Scottsville. Previous monarch research…

Honey bees will readily visit flowers within ½ mile to 2 miles of their colony, but they will travel as much as 6 miles, if necessary. Optimum air temperatures for flower visits are between 60°F and 90° Honey bee foraging…