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Meet the Bee Flies: Look-Alike Bee Mimics
Ask The Experts: Bee Flies“What is this strange insect on my plumbago? Is it a pollinator?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Caitlin Buelow of Vail, Arizona.Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman: This appears to be...
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Paper Wasp vs Yellow Jacket: How to Tell the Difference
It can be difficult to tell the difference between black-and-yellow striped wasps in your yard — especially when getting close to them might mean a painful altercation. For that reason, you might want...
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This Is What a Praying Mantis Egg Case Looks Like
Praying Mantis Egg Case IdentificationPraying mantis egg cases“I found what looks like some sort of cocoon or egg sac on my sedum stalks during my fall cleanup. Can you identify it?” asks Birds &...
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How to Identify a Mud Dauber Wasp and Its Nest
Mud Dauber Wasp IdentificationYell0w-legged mud dauberIdentifying mud daubers isn’t too tricky if you know which features to look for — and especially if you can spot a nest. The most striking feature...
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That Huge Bumblebee Is Actually a Carpenter Bee
What Is a Carpenter Bee?Carpenter bee drilling a tunnelCarpenter bees are large (up to an inch long) solitary bees in the genus Xylocopa. There are hundreds of individual species of these big fuzzy...
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3 Types of Wasps That Sting and 6 That (Usually) Don’t
Eastern yellow jacket waspYellow Jackets (aggressive)Perhaps the most notorious of wasps, yellow jackets love sugar and meat, which often lands them in backyard barbecues. They are widespread and look...
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Does a Woolly Bear Caterpillar Predict Winter Weather?
In the caterpillar world, few are as well-known as the woolly bear (sometimes known as a wooly worm). While monarchs caterpillars surpass them in name recognition, they’d take an easy second place....
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8 Garden Caterpillars That You Should Never Kill
Monarch CaterpillarIf you’ve taken an interest in butterflies and pollinators, there’s a good chance you already know what a monarch caterpillar looks like. An essential part of the monarch butterfly...
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6 Poisonous Caterpillars You Should Never Touch
Saddleback CaterpillarThis caterpillar looks funny, but the spines on its body are no laughing matter. Gardeners should exercise extreme caution when finding one, since the poisonous, protruding spikes...
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8 Fascinating Mosquito Facts You Should Know
How Ancient Are Mosquitoes?The origin of the mosquito can be traced to either the Paleozoic Era (541 to 252 million years ago) or the Mesozoic Era (252 to 66 million years ago). The answer depends on...
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