These showy butterflies can be found from British Columbia south to Baja California and inland to Montana and Nevada. Like many butterfly species, there’s an incredible visual difference between the […]

If you are someone who still believes that butterflies are always more beautiful than moths, then you’ve met your match. The Western Sheep Moth (also called the Elegant Sheep Moth) […]

Anise Swallowtails are widespread and numerous in the west and are so-named for the caterpillars’ penchant for feeding on plants in the parsley family, including the introduced sweet fennel, or anise. […]

Nearctic Bumble Bees are common to very common in their range and feed on a variety of flowers. Their nests are usually built underground, but sometimes on the ground surface. […]

This long-horned beetle can be found in coniferous forests across North America, especially in the northern United States, upper Midwest and much of Canada. The males have one white spot at […]

These tiny wasps are primarily parasites in the nests of other wasps or bees. Their metallic green color, combined with their high activity level, make them look like little jewels bouncing around. Size: Small, […]

Clearwing moths (family Sesiidae) are weird and wonderful, mimicking wasps in surprising detail. In many, the wings have large areas free of scales. Fireweed Clearwing Moths fly by day and […]

The Macculloch’s flies in spring and summer, generally earlier at low elevations and later at higher elevations. Adults visit flowers, with individuals noted taking nectar from Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) in […]

If you’ve ever walked the shoreline of a small, shallow western Montana pond or bog, you’ve likely walked right by a water scorpion. Looking pretty much like a piece of […]

Perfectly described in the Kaufman Field Guide to North America, robber flies “are to other insects what falcons are to other birds: swift predators on the wing.” They perch in open habitat waiting […]