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The boxelder bug (Boisea trivittata) is a North American species of true bug. It is found primarily on boxelder trees, as well as maple and ash trees. The adults are about 13 millimeters (0.51 in) long with a dark brown or black coloration, relieved by red wing veins and markings on the abdomen; nymphs are bright red. In 2020, this species invaded Chile, thus becoming an invasive species.
Los Angeles. California.
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their role in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the European honey bee, for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea and are presently considered a clade, called Anthophila. There are nearly 20,000 known species of bees in seven recognized biological families. They are found on every continent except Antarctica, in every habitat on the planet that contains insect-pollinated flowering plants.
Some species including honey bees, bumble bees, and stingless bees live socially in colonies. Bees are adapted for feeding on nectar and pollen, the former primarily as an energy source and the latter primarily for protein and other nutrients. Most pollen is used as food for larvae. Bee pollination is important both ecologically and commercially; the decline in wild bees has increased the value of pollination by commercially managed hives of honey bees.
Los Angeles. California.
Cotinis mutabilis, also known as the "green fruit beetle" or "fig beetle" and also as "junebug", is a member of the scarab beetle family. It belongs to the subfamily Cetoniinae, comprising a group of beetles commonly called flower chafers since many of them feed on pollen, nectar, or petals. Its habitat is primarily the southwestern United States and Mexico. Figeater beetles are often mistaken for green June beetles (Cotinis nitida) and Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica); however, they do not damage lawns and fruit crops to the same extent as their eastern cousins.
Adult figeater beetles grow to approximately 1.25 inches (3 cm). They are a dull green on the top and a brilliant iridescent green on the underside and legs. They are active during daylight hours, often congregating in the shade of trees near choice breeding grounds to find mates. They make a loud buzzing sound similar to that of carpenter bees.
Los Angeles.California.
Cotinis mutabilis, also known as the "green fruit beetle" or "fig beetle" and also as "junebug", is a member of the scarab beetle family. It belongs to the subfamily Cetoniinae, comprising a group of beetles commonly called flower chafers since many of them feed on pollen, nectar, or petals. Its habitat is primarily the southwestern United States and Mexico. Figeater beetles are often mistaken for green June beetles (Cotinis nitida) and Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica); however, they do not damage lawns and fruit crops to the same extent as their eastern cousins.
Adult figeater beetles grow to approximately 1.25 inches (3 cm). They are a dull green on the top and a brilliant iridescent green on the underside and legs. They are active during daylight hours, often congregating in the shade of trees near choice breeding grounds to find mates. They make a loud buzzing sound similar to that of carpenter bees.
Los Angeles.California.
Oncopeltus fasciatus, known as the large milkweed bug, is a medium-sized hemipteran (true bug) of the family Lygaeidae. It is distributed throughout North America. It ranges from Central America through Mexico and the Caribbean to southern areas in Canada. Costa Rica represents this insects southern limit. It inhabits disturbed areas, roadsides and open pastures. Due to this widespread geographic distribution this insect exhibits varying life history trade-offs depending on the population location.
Adults can range from 10–18 mm in length and have a red/orange and black X-shaped pattern on their wings underneath the triangle that is typical to hemipterans.
This feature makes the bug easily seen, acting as a aposomatic warning to predators of distastefulness. O. fasciatus exhibits müllerian mimicry and is noxious to predators. The ventral side of the fourth abdominal segment bears a black band in the male and two black spots in the female. Juveniles are born mostly red with black antennae and a few black spots, throughout growth the black spots are developed as well as wing pads. Eggs of this insect are bright orange and easily detectable.
Los Angeles. California.
Harmonia axyridis is a large coccinellid beetle. Its colour ranges from yellow-orange to black, and the number of spots between none and 22. It is native to eastern Asia, but has been artificially introduced to North America and Europe to control aphids and scale insects. It is now common, well known, and spreading in those regions, and has also established in South Africa and widely across South America.
It is commonly known as the harlequin ladybird (because it occurs in numerous colour forms). It is also known in North America as the multicolored Asian lady beetle, and (because it invades homes in October in preparation for overwintering) as Halloween lady beetle. In Japan, it is not generally distinguished from the seven-spot ladybird which is also common there.
When the species first arrived in the UK, it was labelled in jest as "the many-named ladybird", because among the names listed were: multivariate, southern, Japanese, and pumpkin ladybird.
Los Angeles. California.
The flame skimmer or firecracker skimmer (Libellula saturata) is a common dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to western North America.
Male flame skimmers are known for their entirely red or dark orange body, this includes eyes, legs, and even wing veins. Females are usually a medium or darker brown with some thin, yellow markings. This particular type of skimmer varies in size but is generally measured somewhere between two and three inches long. These naiads are known for being rather large and chubby-looking due to their rounded abdomen. They are covered with hair but, unlike most young dragonflies, they lack hooks or spines.
The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens. San Marino. California.
Ready to savor a mate!
Mantodea of the Ancient Greek word meaning "prophet". Able to pivot and swivel it's head 180˚.
Hanging out by my lipstick... Species ID appreciated!
The western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, sometimes abbreviated as WCSB, is a species of true bug (Hemiptera) in the family Coreidae. It was originally native to the warm-temperate western USA (California, Oregon and Nevada) but has in recent times expanded its range and become an invasive species in parts of Europe.
This species is sometimes colloquially called "the leaf-footed bug", but actual leaf-footed bugs are an entire group of species in Leptoglossus and related genera of the Coreidae; see for example the Florida leaf-footed bug, L. phyllopus.
Western conifer seed bugs are sometimes mistakenly identified as stink bugs because of the unpleasant aroma they emit when disturbed.
The average length is 16-20 millimeters, with males being smaller than females. They are able to fly, making a buzzing noise when airborne. Western conifer seed bugs are somewhat similar in appearance to the wheel bug (Arilus cristatus) and other Reduviidae (assassin bugs). These, being Cimicomorpha, are not very closely related to leaf-footed bugs as Heteroptera go; though both have a proboscis, but only the assassin bugs bite even if unprovoked, and L. occidentalis like its closest relatives can be most easily recognized by the expanded hindleg tibiae and by the alternating light and dark bands which run along the outer wing edges on the flaring sides of the abdomen. Their primary defense is to spray a bitter, offending smell, though sometimes they can smell pleasantly of apples, bananas or pine sap; however, if handled roughly they will stab with their proboscis, though they are hardly able to cause injury to humans as it is adapted only to suck plant sap and not, as in the assassin bugs, to inject poison.
California.
Fluttering around the reeds of Buena Vista Lagoon, Carlsbad CA
About 1 inch across
Perizoma epictata
As we set up camp near Agua Tibia wilderness, a wasp set up its burrow close by. I am amazed at it's energy and determination.