WildDex/wildlife/portland_wildlife_dex_entries.csv

1	taxon_id	common_name	description
2	48957	North American Wheel Bug	The North American wheel bug is a massive, camouflaged assassin bug with a distinctive wheel-shaped crest on its back, reaching up to 1.5 inches in length. This shy predator hunts caterpillars and beetles by injecting dissolving enzymes through its long beak, making it a welcome gardener's ally against pests. Though harmless-looking at first glance, this armored hunter delivers painful bites if disturbed, yet thrives quietly among sunflowers and leafy thickets day and night.
3	6930	Mallard	The mallard is a striking dabbling duck recognizable by males' glossy bottle-green heads and white collars, while females wear protective mottled brown plumage with speckles. These adaptable waterfowl thrive in wetlands across continentsfrom Arctic tundra to urban parksand form large social flocks year-round. As the ancestor of most domestic ducks, mallards eat a versatile diet of aquatic plants, insects, and small creatures, making them easy prey for predators while remaining resilient invaders in many ecosystems worldwide.
4	64968	American Toad	The American toad features variable skin from yellow to dark brown, marked by distinctive warts that secrete mild toxins for defense. Nocturnal hunters breed in shallow ponds where females lay massive egg ropes before migrating to upland forests and grasslands as adults. Feeding on insects and earthworms, these adaptable creatures burrow underground to hibernate safely during the cold winter months.
5	28362	Common Garter Snake	Native to wetlands and forests across North America, the slender common garter snake sports vibrant yellow stripes against black or green scales. These diurnal hunters resist potent toxins while darting through streams to feast on amphibians, worms, and fish. During warm summer mornings, they bask in the sun before gathering for complex mating balls that precede live births.
6	58523	Black Swallowtail	The eastern black swallowtail boasts a striking wingspan of up to eight centimeters, featuring bold black wings accented by rows of bright yellow spots and iridescent blue dusting on the hindwings. Native to open fields across North America, these butterflies feed on parsley family plants where their larvae develop chemical defenses, unfurling an orange horn resembling a snake tongue when threatened. During the breeding season, males aggressively defend high-elevation territories to attract mates in a dynamic lekking system.
7	12727	American Robin	The American robin is North America's most abundant landbird, famous for its bright red-orange breast and cheerful dawn song that heralds the arrival of spring. This migratory thrush scatters across lawns by day to hunt earthworms and insects before roosting in large nocturnal flocks across woodlands and urban parks.
8	43111	Eastern Cottontail	Distinguished by its fluffy white tail resembling a cotton ball, the eastern cottontail scampers across open fields at dawn and dusk to graze on grasses and herbs. These agile herbivores rest in shallow depressions beneath dense vegetation to evade predators like hawks and foxes while thriving in diverse habitats ranging from meadows to suburban areas. They inhabit a vast range from southern Canada through Mexico, making them the most widespread rabbit in North America.
9	48662	Monarch	The monarch butterfly dazzles with vibrant orange wings bordered in black and white spots, a striking warning display that keeps predators at bay thanks to toxins sequestered from milkweed plants. This iconic migratory species embarks on an epic journey each year, with millions traveling thousands of miles across North America to overwinter in Mexican highlands or California coastlands. Essential pollinators whose survival hinges on protecting milkweed habitats throughout their breeding and migration corridors.
10	7294	Horned Lark	The horned lark sports a distinctive brown-grey back, pale underparts, and a striking black-and-yellow face, with a mostly black tail that contrasts sharply in flight. Found across open habitats from Arctic tundra to coastal flats and even human-altered landscapes like farmlands and golf courses, it adapts easily to diverse environments. During breeding season, males execute dramatic aerial courtship dives while females dig shallow ground nests lined with fine grasses and down, where both parents raise their young.
11	47219	Western Honey Bee	Western honey bees live in massive perennial colonies organized around a single queen and tens of thousands of worker females. They navigate complex landscapes using intricate waggle dances and pheromones, converting flower nectar into shelf-stable honey while pollinating vital crops. Originally from Africa and Asia, these industrious insects have been introduced to every continent except Antarctica through human assistance.
12	146632	Maize Calligrapher	The maize calligrapher is a small hoverfly native to the Americas that thrives in cornfields, feeding on pollen from its favorite crop. Measuring just eight millimeters long, this insect sports a metallic greenish-bronze thorax and striking black-and-yellow patterns across its head and abdomen. Although it resembles a wasp with its bold coloration, this harmless fly plays a beneficial role in agricultural ecosystems.
13	4793	Killdeer	The killdeer is a large North American plover marked by a bold white-and-black facial mask, two distinctive black breast bands, and a flashing red rump. Known for its shrill kill-deer call, this vocal shorebird hunts insects across open fields, coastal wetlands, and even urban rooftops where both parents incubate eggs. During nesting season, the pair defends their nest with dramatic broken-wing displays to lure predators away from vulnerable chicks.
14	48484	Asian Lady Beetle	The Harlequin ladybird is a large, boldly patterned beetle that appears in an astonishing array of colorsfrom orange-red with black spots to nearly pure black with red markings. Native to eastern Asia, this voracious aphid hunter was intentionally released across continents for pest control but has since become one of the world's most invasive insects. Each autumn, thousands congregate inside homes seeking warmth, where they can leave stains when crushed and occasionally bite humans if provoked.
15	84040	Margined Leatherwing Beetle	This margined leatherwing soldier beetle graces the white-flowered fields of North and Central America each spring. Its leathery wings hide a metallic sheen that catches the sunlight as it visits blossoms for nectar and pollen. A crucial pollinator during early summer, its distinctive margins along the wing edges earn it this unique name.
16	118559	Red Milkweed Beetle	The red milkweed beetle dazzles with its striking red-and-black armor, a warning sign of toxins it steals from milkweed plants that make it unpalatable to predators. This longhorn's antennae grow so long they actually split its eye in half, a bizarre feature shared only by this rare species. When startled, it emits an eerie shrill sound, while making soft purring noises when communicating with other beetles.
17	3893	Lesser Yellowlegs	The lesser yellowlegs is a medium-sized shorebird with distinctive bright yellow legs and mottled gray-brown upperparts that beautifully camouflage among reeds and wetland margins. Breeding in North American boreal forest clearings near ponds, these birds migrate south to coastal waters along the Gulf of Mexico and into South America each year. These opportunistic foragers probe shallow mud flats with their slender bills, hunting insects, small fish, and crustaceans hidden beneath the water's surface.
18	13858	House Sparrow	The house sparrow is a compact grey-brown bird with striking black-and-white markings that thrives in urban environments worldwide. This highly social creature feeds on seeds and insects while forming large communal flocks across cities and villages. Its remarkable adaptability has made it the most widely distributed wild bird on Earth.
19	29305	Common Watersnake	The common watersnake is a large, nonvenomous snake with brown or gray coloring marked by dark crossbands along its neck and blotched body. This highly aquatic predator spends most of its time in streams, lakes, and wetlands hunting fish, frogs, and other aquatic creatures from the water's edge to submerged depths. Despite being harmless to humans, these snakes often bask on rocks and stumps during the day before diving into the water at any disturbance.
20	49133	Red Admiral	Striking black wings banded by fiery red and dotted with white spots mark this butterfly across temperate regions. Territorial males patrol perches in high-energy flights to court females, yet the species remains unusually calm for close observation. Larvae feed on stinging nettles while adults sip nectar from flowering plants and overripe fruit.
21	52911	Bald-faced Hornet	The bald-faced hornet sports striking black-and-white coloration with its distinctive white face. These aerial yellowjackets construct impressive hanging paper nests throughout North America, typically in trees and bushes. While beneficial predators of flies and caterpillars, they're fierce defenders that can spray venom from their stingers at intruders.
22	55556	Large Milkweed Bug	Large Milkweed BugThis medium-sized true bug flaunts a bold red-and-black wing pattern that serves as a warning signal to predators of its distasteful nature. Living among milkweed plants across North America and the Caribbean, it feeds on seeds while sequestering toxic compounds from its host. The species exhibits Mllerian mimicry, camouflaged in a community of similarly colored bugs sharing the same chemical defenses.
23	60812	Reddish-brown Stag Beetle	The reddish-brown stag beetle sports dark, glossy wing cases and orange-brown legs, with males boasting impressive antler-like mandibles up to three times their body length. These nocturnal wood-dwellers inhabit deciduous forests across eastern North America, breeding near rotting logs where larvae slowly consume inner tree wood over two years. At night, these impressive beetles wander toward lights and engage in jaw-to-jaw battles at mating territories.
24	61445		Acanthocephala terminalis is a striking leaf-footed bug with a dark gray to black body, distinctive orange-tipped antennae, and uniquely flattened, leaf-like hind legs that give the species its common name. Found across eastern North America in woodlands, fields, and meadows, this medium-sized insect 1825 mm long overwinters as an adult and lays eggs on host plants like staghorn sumac. Both juveniles and adults emit a defensive scent from their thorax to deter predators while they navigate their natural habitat of gardens and open woodlands.
25	3864	Least Sandpiper	The least sandpiper is the smallest shorebird in the world, sporting bright yellow-green legs and a short, dark bill that flickers across its compact brown-and-white plumage during breeding season. These tiny travelers nest on the damp tundra of northern North America before migrating in flocks thousands of miles south to the tropics, where they forage on mudflats hunting insects, crustaceans, and snails. In winter, the species dons a sleek grey coat as it blends into the wetland shores from Florida to Argentina.
26	5305	Bald Eagle	The majestic bald eagle is a bird of prey endemic to North America, recognizable by its striking white head and tail against a dark brown body. It soars over open waters to snatch fish with powerful talons, constructing massive nests in tall trees near rivers and lakes. Once critically endangered, conservation efforts have allowed its population to rebound, cementing its status as the national symbol of the United States.
27	9083	Northern Cardinal	The brilliant crimson male cardinal stands out with a black face mask and prominent crest, while the olive-hued female blends subtly into woodlands and gardens across eastern North America. This adaptable songbird thrives in residential areas and urban edges, where males defend territories with clear whistled songs and courtship rituals involving beak-to-beak seed feeding. With its strong, cone-shaped beak, this granivorous feeder hops through trees and shrubs to hunt insects, gather seeds, and enjoy sunflower seeds from backyard feeders year-round.
28	116840	Lapland Longspur	The Lapland longspur is a robust Arctic bird with striking summer plumage of black-and-white head, chestnut nape, and streaked gray back. Ground-nesting on wet tundra slopes during breeding, it migrates across North America and Europe to winter in agricultural fields and steppes, where it forms mixed flocks and feeds on seeds and insects. Its distinctive prrrrt call echoes through open landscapes.
29	47919	Polyphemus Moth	The tan Polyphemus moth sports an impressive 15 cm wingspan adorned with large purplish eyespots on its hindwings that resemble the gaze of the cyclops from Greek myth. These striking eyespots function as defensive distractions, often luring predators away when threatened. Though adults live only a week without eating, males fly vast distances using their feathery antennae to track females' pheromones before mating.
30	48259	Grapevine Beetle	Grapevine Beetle This striking scarab beetle sports an off-yellow to auburn red shell marked by four bold black spots along each side, reaching up to 3 cm in length. A fast-flying summer resident of forests and vineyards across eastern North America, it's easily spotted darting through the night air while drawn irresistibly to lights. The species completes its life cycle over two years, with larvae developing underground before emerging as adults in July.
31	119989	Carolina Mantis	Camouflaged in dusty hues of brown, gray, or green, the Carolina mantis stalks prey across forests from the United States down to Brazil. Females sport distinctive shorter wings that extend only three-quarters down their abdomen, distinguishing them from closely related species. Though generally solitary hunters, these agile predators occasionally engage in sexual cannibalism during mating seasons.
32	3865	Pectoral Sandpiper	The pectoral sandpiper is a sleek migratory wader with a strikingly demarcated gray breast and a yellowish-orange bill that contrasts against its olive-green wings. This masterful performer executes elaborate courtship dances, puffing up his breast as he struts across marshy tundra grounds in Alaska and eastern Canada during the breeding season. Though currently declining by half since 1974, these resilient birds continue their epic journeys from northern breeding grounds to the tropical forests of South America for the winter months.
33	1668923	Gray Treefrog	Native to eastern North America, this small arboreal frog shifts its skin from slate gray to green to blend with forest foliage. Its warty texture features dark leg bands contrasting against bright yellow patches revealed during a leap. Males call in fishless woodland ponds while females remain silent, both capable of surviving freezing winter temperatures.
34	48505	Common Buckeye	The common buckeye is a striking butterfly with brown wings adorned with orange bars, white bands, and prominent eyespots featuring bluish centers at their cores. Males sport two large eyespots while females display threethough all bear the species' distinctive pattern of black, white, orange, blue, and magenta markings across fore and hindwings. These migratory beauties roam open habitats with low vegetation throughout North America, traveling south in autumn to escape cold northern winters before returning north in spring.
35	60551	Eastern Tiger Swallowtail	The eastern tiger swallowtail dazzles in brilliant yellow adorned with distinctive black tiger stripes across its wings, while females display remarkable color variation from vibrant golden hues to all-black disguises that mimic poisonous relatives for protection. This adaptable butterfly inhabits deciduous forests, woodlands, and even urban gardens throughout eastern North America, flying above the canopy from spring until fall.
36	60839	Virginian Tiger Moth	The yellow woolly bear caterpillar roams gardens across Northern America, feeding on grasses and clovers with its vivid, consistently striped form. When it matures into the Virginian tiger moth, its wings fold roof-like over a white body marked by a darker abdomen, lacking the eye spots of related species. Though harmless, the adults bristly hairs can trigger mild allergies, while late-summer larvae skeletonize leaves, occasionally affecting crops.
37	81559	Silver-spotted Skipper	The silver-spotted skipper is North America's most recognizable skipper butterfly, sporting dark brown wings with a striking silvery patch on its hindwings when it rests upside down on leaf undersides. This perching species roams open meadows, gardens, and forest edges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, darting between blue, red, and pink flowers while males compete fiercely for perches atop branches to attract females. Though larvae construct unique silk shelters on pea-family plants and occasionally nibble crops like beans, their pest status remains minor enough to leave the wild to its natural beauty.
38	485010	Green Stink Bug	Adorned in a vibrant emerald shell edged with yellow or orange, the green stink bug is a large shield-shaped insect found throughout North American gardens and orchards. This voracious feeder targets developing seeds in crops like tomatoes and cotton, often leaving behind dimples or scars on the fruit while nymphs damage the foliage. When threatened, the bug defends itself by spraying a pungent liquid from glands beneath its body to deter predators.
39	3454	Mourning Dove	The mourning dove is a sleek, medium-sized dove with a long tapered tail and soft gray-brown plumage accented by black wing spots and a distinctive crescent-shaped dark patch below the eye. Males sport iridescent purple-pink neck patches that shimmer in the sunlight, while females are slightly browner and more subdued. This widespread bird inhabits open landscapes from urban parks to prairies, favoring grasslands and light woods where it forages on seeds and emits its characteristic plaintive coo. A master of flight at speeds up to 55 mph, it roosts communally in dense trees and breeds prolifically, raising up to six broods annually in warmer regions.
40	17855	Pileated Woodpecker	This crow-sized woodpecker sports a striking black-and-white coat crowned by a bold red crest and distinctive white stripes along its neck and throat. As North America's largest woodpecker, it thrives in mature deciduous forests from eastern Canada through the American southeast, where it carves massive rectangular holes into trees to hunt carpenter ants and create nest cavities. Its powerful chiseling habits leave behind hollowed-out sanctuaries used by countless other forest species, making it an essential engineer of woodland ecosystems.
41	145310	American Goldfinch	A small, vibrant finch that dazzles with brilliant lemon-yellow plumage and jet-black cap during summer breeding season, while females remain olive-brown. This migratory bird thrives in open fields, meadows, and gardens where it dexterously hangs from seed heads to extract seeds. Its distinctive undulating flight pattern and musical warbles echo through North American landscapes year-round, making it a familiar sight at backyard feeders from summer breeding grounds down to wintering areas as far south as Mexico.
42	51110	Eastern Carpenter Bee	The eastern carpenter bee is a large, glossy black insect with a subtle metallic purple sheen that rivals bumblebees in size. Females excavate neat tunnels through wood and bamboo for nesting, while males defend territories near the entrance with distinctive white facial markings. These impressive pollinators often pierce flower corollas to drink nectar and play a crucial role in pollinating blueberries and other crops.
43	52779	Two-spotted Bumble Bee	The two-spotted bumble bee wears its namesake boldly with two bright yellow spots marking its abdomen, making it easily recognizable across eastern forests, coastal plains, and the Great Plains of North America. Unlike many declining relatives, these stable social pollinators thrive in underground nests hidden beneath woodpiles or hollow logs, busily foraging on flowers from early spring until autumn. As one of the earliest bumble bees to emerge each season, they're abundant helpers in gardens and wild meadows alike, capable of flying even on chilly days when temperatures dip to 7C.
44	53227	Eastern Boxelder Bug	Eastern boxelder bugs display striking dark bodies accented with crimson wing veins and red abdominal markings, appearing either glossy black-brown adults or vibrant red juveniles. These tree-dwelling insects congregate in massive numbers across boxelder, maple, and ash trees during autumn to seek warm overwintering sites. Though harmless to humans and pets, their pungent chemical defenses allow them to form impressive communal clusters without fear of predation.
45	55487	Spotted Cucumber Beetle	Greenish-yellow with six bold black spots adorning each wing cover, these generalist feeders pose a serious threat to crops like corn, squash, and cucumbers. From larvae devouring emerging plant roots to adults stripping flowers and leaves alike, they wreak havoc across fields from southern Canada through the United States and into Mexico. Capable of laying hundreds of eggs in a single lifetime, their rapid reproduction cycle makes them formidable agricultural adversaries.
46	55773	Maroon-legged Lion Fly	The Promachus hinei is a predatory robber fly from the Asilidae family, known for its fierce hunting prowess and streamlined body adapted for aerial ambush. These insects typically hunt other flying creatures, using their large, forward-facing eyes to spot and capture prey mid-flight. Found in open habitats across their range, they play an important role as natural insect predators and scavengers.
47	59675	Isabella Tiger Moth	The Isabella tiger moth, commonly known as the banded woolly bear, sports a distinctive caterpillar form wrapped in bands of brown and black setae that appear reddish-brown in sunlight. Adults emerge with dull yellowish-orange bodies, each abdominal segment marked by three black dots and sparse black wing spots. This freeze-tolerant insect overwinters solidly frozen until spring, making it one of nature's hardiest survivors across North American temperate regions.
48	63518	Differential Grasshopper	The differential grasshopper is a striking North American insect with brownish-green coloring that darkens with age, distinguished by black grooves on its back plate and vibrant yellow feet and antennae. Found across weedy fields, grasslands, and even urban vacant lots, these agile creatures form devastating swarms that can devour crops in just a few days. Though not migratory, they travel miles to feast on everything from corn and cotton to garden vegetables like tomatoes and squash.
49	68244	Variegated Fritillary	With wings checkered in vibrant orange and black, the variegated fritillary dazzles observers with swift, low dives across open landscapes. This easily startled insect favors disturbed habitats like pastures and mountain meadows, darting away from observers while nectaring on wildflowers.
50	81923	Brown Marmorated Stink Bug	The brown marmorated stink bug features a shield-shaped body with dark brown coloring and distinctive white bands on its antennae and abdomen edges. This invasive Asian pest feeds on over 100 plant species, causing devastating crop damage to apples, peaches, soybeans, and hazelnuts across North America, Europe, and beyond. Known for its pungent coriander-like odor when threatened, these bugs frequently invade homes in fall to survive winter, posing a significant agricultural challenge worldwide.
51	118513	Green Cloverworm Moth	thinkThe green cloverworm, Hypena scabra, is a moth known for its distinctive black-tipped snout and grayish-green wings, reaching a wingspan of 2535 mm. This versatile insect flies continuously from March through November in most regions and even year-round in warmer climates like Florida, with multiple generations born annually. Widely distributed across North America from Canada down to Texas and as far west as the Atlantic Coast, it thrives on clover and other plants, making it a notable visitor to gardens and agricultural fields alike.
52	120215	Brown-belted Bumble Bee	The brown-belted bumblebee sports a striking coat of black with bold yellow bands across its abdomen, a pattern that extends from its thorax down to its legs. This hardy pollinator thrives in meadows, wetlands, agricultural fields, and even urban landscapes, where it's so adaptable it has been spotted soaring over 100 stories in city skyscrapers. Known for aggressively defending its underground or surface nests, this common bee feeds on a diverse array of plants including milkweeds, prairie clovers, and goldenrods while maintaining stable populations across much of North America.
53	3017	Rock Pigeon	The rock dove is a pale grey bird with distinctive black bars on its wings and a glossy iridescent neck that shimmers green, purple, and bronze. This adaptable species nests communally on cliffs or building ledges, foraging in flocks across open environments from deserts to city centers. Known for their characteristic cooing calls and ability to navigate long distances, they thrive in both natural rocky habitats and urban settings worldwide.
54	5212	Red-tailed Hawk	Stocky with broad wings and a distinctive brick-red tail, the red-tailed hawk thrives from deserts to urban skies. These powerful hunters scan for rodents before swooping down to seize prey with their talons. Monogamous pairs nest in high trees and signal their territory with a signature rasping scream.
55	7089	Canada Goose	The Canada goose stands out with its striking black head and neck framed by white cheek patches, creating a distinctive 'chinstrap' against its brown body. These large geese migrate across North America in iconic V-shaped formations, though some urban populations have adapted to stay year-round on manicured lawns and parks. Originally native to the Arctic, they've thrived in human-altered landscapes worldwide and have become both beloved wildlife and occasional nuisances in suburban areas.
56	8229	Blue Jay	The blue jay boasts brilliant blue plumage with a prominent crest and distinctive black collar, native to eastern North America. This intelligent corvid caches acorns for later meals while mimicking hawk calls to protect its territory from predators. Thriving in both forests and suburban landscapes, its loud, garrulous nature makes it one of the continent's most recognizable wildlife.
57	9602	Common Grackle	The common grackle is a sleek, iridescent bird native to eastern North America, showcasing gleaming blue-green plumage on its head and bronze tones across its body. This omnivorous scavenger darts through open fields, shrubs, and urban areas, feasting on insects, grains, and even small rodents with its specialized beak designed for cracking hard nuts. Often seen in large flocks, sometimes called a plague when gathered together, this resourceful creature has thrived alongside human expansion despite being classified as Near Threatened due to declining populations.
58	9744	Red-winged Blackbird	Males flaunt crimson shoulder patches and yellow wing bars against all-black feathers, while nondescript brown females nest in tall marsh grasses across wetlands and fields. These gregarious birds gather in massive flocks during migration that can number in the millions. During breeding season, territorial males sing distinctive songs from high perches to defend their harem of up to ten females.
59	10373	Brown-headed Cowbird	The brown-headed cowbird is a small icterid native to North America where males shine with iridescent black plumage and rich brown heads while females appear more subdued in grey tones. This obligate brood parasite lays its eggs in the nests of over 200 other bird species, raising young at their hosts' expense throughout temperate regions across the continent. Living in open country where they follow grazing cattle to catch insects stirred from the ground, these birds have become one of North America's most recognizable avian residents.
60	19893	Barred Owl	Barred OwlA large owl of eastern North America, the barred owl boasts a grayish-brown coat marked with horizontal dark bars across its chest and vertically streaked belly. This powerful nocturnal hunter prefers mature forests but has expanded westward into former spotted owl territory, where its territorial nature and loud eight-hoot call echo through the trees as it hunts small mammals, birds, and even amphibians by silence of flight. Known for being less skittish than many raptors, this opportunistic predator can occasionally be found hunting from suburban perches or diving into snowbanks to catch prey hidden beneath frozen ground.
61	1579017	Cooper's Hawk	Sporting blue-gray plumage and a distinctive white-tipped tail, this medium-sized hawk patrols dense woodlands and bustling city parks with rounded wings. Bold hunters, they ambush small birds and mammals from high perches to snatch prey mid-air. Once feared by humans, these adaptable raptors now thrive alongside people across North America.
62	41663	Common Raccoon	Distinguishable by its distinctive black facial mask and soft gray coat, the raccoon is an intelligent omnivore native to North American woodlands. Known for its dexterous paws, it expertly manipulates objects to uncover hidden treats ranging from insects to urban waste. Highly adaptable, this nocturnal scavenger has successfully colonized everything from mixed forests to bustling city centers.
63	42069	Red Fox	With a sleek reddish coat and a floor-length bushy tail, this adaptable predator roams vast ranges from the Arctic to suburban areas. Thriving in snowy forests or bustling cities, it relies on acute hearing to hunt small mammals at twilight. Intelligent survivors marked by distinctive vocalizations, they remain one of nature's most widespread and cunning omnivores.
64	46095	Groundhog	The groundhog, also known as the woodchuck, is a large lowland rodent native across eastern North America. Standing up to two and a half feet long with ivory-white incisors and short, stubby claws perfect for digging, it inhabits open country near woodland edges and fields where it constructs elaborate burrow systems with multiple entrances. Though considered solitary among its marmot relatives, this intelligent creature communicates threats with high-pitched whistles before retreating to safety underground or climbing trees to escape danger.
65	46217	Eastern Chipmunk	Dressed in reddish-brown fur marked by five distinctive dark stripes, the eastern chipmunk scurries through deciduous woodlands and urban parks across eastern North America. Solitary day-foragers, they busily collect nuts and seeds, stuffing them into their expanding cheek pouches to stash within underground burrows. When winter arrives, they retreat deep into these tunnel systems to hibernate until spring returns.
66	67771	Western Conifer Seed Bug	Native to North American conifer forests, the western conifer seed bug is a small insect marked by distinctive bands along its wing edges. These buzzing travelers feed on developing cones and defend themselves with an unpleasant spray before swarming indoors during autumn. Now established across Europe as well, they continue to seek shelter in buildings to survive the winter.
67	81590	Imperial Moth	The imperial moth displays stunning yellow wings with red, brown, and purple markings, reaching up to 7 inches wide. Adults emerge annually without feeding, while larvae consume diverse hosts like pines and maples through five growth stages. This Saturniid ranges from southern Canada to Argentina, thriving in forests across temperate North and South America.
68	133799	Tiger Bee Fly	The tiger bee fly features a black body with white abdominal spots and wings patterned like tiger stripes, mimicking large bees to avoid predators. Common near carpenter bee nests in eastern North America, its larvae feed on developing bee young while adults serve as important pollinators. Despite their size, these insects are harmless to humans.
69	224157	Black Firefly	The woodland lucy is a diurnal firefly native to eastern North America, darting actively through sun-dappled forests from morning till midday. Adults sport sleek black and red-orange bodies with serrated antennae that males use to detect females perched on low vegetation by scent alone. Their larvae dwell in damp, decaying wood, hunting snails and slugs, while only the young retain their bioluminescent glowadults have no working light organs but may show pale abdominal segments.
70	4756	Turkey Vulture	With its bald red head and silvery-gray wings that glint against dark brownish-black feathers, the turkey vulture soars across the Americas seeking carrion. This exceptional scavenger locates decaying animals using a remarkable sense of smell uncommon among birds, riding thermal currents on infrequent wing beats to locate food from afar. When threatened or after damp nights, it stands in its characteristic spread-winged pose to dry plumage and bake off bacteria while regurgitating foul-smelling meat to deter predators.
71	4956	Great Blue Heron	The great blue heron towers over wetlands with slaty gray wings, red-brown thighs, and a pale head crowned by black breeding plumes. This majestic wader stalks shallow waters from Alaska to Florida, using its dagger-like bill to spear fish, frogs, and even small mammals. Nesting in colonial tree clusters near waters edge, they raise young through dedicated parental care across vast North American habitats.
72	6432	Ruby-throated Hummingbird	The ruby-throated hummingbird dazzles with metallic green feathers, while males display an iridescent ruby-red throat bordered in black against their near-black wings. These tiny migrants undertake a nonstop 900-mile flight across the Gulf of Mexico each spring to breed in eastern forests before returning south for winter. Solitary and agile fliers, they hover effortlessly among tubular red flowers while fiercely defending their territories from rivals.
73	10227	Indigo Bunting	The indigo bunting is a small, striking passerine bird known for the male's brilliant blue summer plumage and muted brown winter coat. This migratory songbird navigates by the stars at night, soaring between southern Canada and South America in search of its brushy woodland and farmland habitats. Its high-pitched, melodic song echoes from perches atop posts and wires as it defends territory with a sharp, chip-like call.
74	11901	Barn Swallow	The barn swallow is a striking bird with steel-blue upperparts, rufous face, and a signature deeply forked tail that fans out gracefully in flight. This open-country dweller builds intricate mud nests on barn beams or bridge undersides while diving to catch insects mid-air above fields and water. Its annual migration across continents has earned it fame as an early herald of spring, with flocks of up to millions gathering in communal roosts before their southward journey.
75	12942	Eastern Bluebird	Eastern bluebirds boast brilliant blue backs and warm brownish-red chests, with males displaying their brightest colors during breeding season. These small migratory thrushes favor open woodlands and orchards, perching atop fences or branches before swooping to catch insects on the ground below. Social birds of eastern North America, they sometimes gather in large flocks across farmlands and pastures throughout the region.
76	14801	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sporting a glossy black cap and pale blue-gray upperparts, the white-breasted nuthatch is a noisy resident of North American deciduous woodlands. This acrobat hops down tree trunks head-first to snatch insects or hammer open seeds with its powerful beak, staying in its territory year-round. Monogamous pairs defend these forest homes within parks and suburban gardens alike.
77	14995	Gray Catbird	Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensisThe gray catbird is a medium-sized North American bird with sleek slate-gray plumage and blackish wings, legs, and bill. Famous for its elusive mew call that mimics a domestic cat's purr, it also skillfully imitates other birds and mechanical sounds from hidden within dense thickets and shrubs. Preferring scrubland, woodland edges, and overgrown gardens where it can forage on the ground, this shy omnivore feeds largely on berries and insects while keeping itself concealed under protective foliage.
78	18236	Northern Flicker	Northern Flicker Colaptes auratusThis medium-sized woodpecker sports brown plumage with black barred wings, distinctive mustachial stripes for males, and a striking white rump that flashes during flight. One of the few woodpeckers that migrates, it undertakes an undulating roller-coaster style flight across most of North America while feeding on the ground to raid ant colonies and catch insects. Famous for its sustained laugh call ki ki ki and drumming on both trees and metal objects to defend territory, it thrives in open woodlands and parks from Alaska down to Central America.
79	117059	Snow Bunting	The snow bunting is a striking Arctic bird with pure white underparts and bold black-and-white wings, perfectly adapted to frozen tundra with specialized feathered feet for warmth. This ground-dwelling species breeds in the harsh high-latitude north before migrating south to temperate fields where it feeds on seeds in massive flocks. Its distinctive rippling whistle call echoes across the landscape as males sing loud warbles from perches to attract mates during breeding season.
80	42223	White-tailed Deer	The white-tailed deer thrives across diverse habitats in the Americas, from arid grasslands to high-elevation Andean mountains. Recognizable by its signature white tail flash during alarm, these crepuscular herbivores display a coat shifting from reddish-brown in summer to grey-brown in winter. Capable of sprinting at speeds up to 60 kmh, they play a significant ecological role as both grazers and prey.
81	46020	Eastern Fox Squirrel	The fox squirrel is North America's largest tree squirrel, sporting a rich brown coat with vibrant orange undertones. These diurnal acrobats spend much time on the ground, leaping 15-foot gaps between trees while caching nuts in leaf nests high above the canopy. They thrive in open forests and urban neighborhoods across their native range.
82	46260	American Red Squirrel	The American red squirrel is a small, bushy-tailed master of pine forests across North America, sporting vibrant reddish fur with a stark white underbelly. This highly territorial pine squirrel hoards conifer cone seeds in midden piles, caching food to survive winter while fiercely defending its year-round territory from intruders. Nesting high among tree branches and expanding into hardwood forests, these squirrels thrive wherever conifers growfrom Canadian boreal woods to Rocky Mountain slopes.
83	39682	Common Snapping Turtle	The common snapping turtle features a rugged, ridged shell in tan or brown tones and a snake-like neck, using powerful beak jaws to ambush prey from mollusks to small mammals in shallow ponds and streams. This cold-hardy omnivore thrives across North Americafrom southeastern Canada to Floridaand can remain active even under ice during winter. Capable of living over a century in the wild, these muscular freshwater turtles grow up to 35 pounds and are formidable defenders of their aquatic territories.
84	65979	American Bullfrog	Resembling miniature alligators with mottled olive-green skin, the American bullfrog dominates shallow waters from ponds to swamps across eastern North America. Males produce a resonant bellowing call during breeding season to defend territories and attract mates while these voracious predators use lightning-fast tongue strikes to snatch prey ranging from insects to small mammals.
85	66003	Northern Leopard Frog	The northern leopard frog features green or brown skin dotted with dark spots rimmed in pale rings and golden eyes, growing up to 11 cm long. It thrives in ponds, swamps, and marshes across forests and urban lawns, preying on insects, small frogs, and even birds while moving to grassy areas in summer. During spring breeding season, males emit a distinctive snore-like call from water bodies as they lay thousands of eggs for tadpole development.
86	47934	Widow Skimmer	The widow skimmer dragonfly displays a striking steely-blue body and black-banded wings, with large eyes meeting at the head's center. This king skimmer breeds in still waters from ponds to streams across most of North America, where nymphs develop in muddy habitats before emerging as insect-hunting adults that specialize in catching mosquitoes.
87	48548	Painted Lady	The Painted Lady butterfly displays vibrant reddish-orange wings patterned with black bands and white spots, making it one of nature's most striking travelers. This remarkable species undertakes epic migrations spanning thousands of miles across continents, journeying between Europe, Africa, and beyond to find favorable breeding conditions. Known for continuous mating throughout all seasons, adults feed on flower nectar while larvae consume Asteraceae plants like thistles and daisies.
88	58579	Question Mark	The question mark butterfly dazzles with its dead-leaf-mimicking underside wings, featuring a distinctive ? pattern that perfectly camouflages it among fallen foliage. From May to September, migratory adults visit wooded parks and open spaces across eastern North America, favoring rotting fruit, tree sap, and carrion when nectar is scarce. Its larvae feed on diverse plants including elms and nettles, showcasing the species' remarkable adaptability in urban and natural habitats alike.
89	60607	Red-spotted Admiral	The white admiral is a striking North American butterfly that comes in two major formsthe northern white-admired version with its bold white wing bands, and the southern red-spotted purple that displays iridescent blue-green hindwings to mimic a poisonous model. Males aggressively defend sun-drenched perches while females lay eggs on birch, poplar, and willow trees across deciduous woodlands. This species is one of nature's most dramatic examples of hybridization, with intermediate wing patterns thriving in the overlap zone between its two regional forms.
90	67760	Japanese Beetle	This scarab beetle features iridescent copper-colored wing covers and a green thorax, with distinctive white tufts of hair beneath its elytra. Adults skeletonize foliage by consuming leaves between veins while larvae feed underground on grass roots. Though harmless in Japan, it has become an invasive pest across North America and Europe, threatening hundreds of plant species including roses, grapes, and tomatoes.
91	68264	Hackberry Emperor	The Hackberry Emperor is a light brown butterfly with black or white wing dots and distinctive tail-like projections at its abdomen's rear. This mercurial species favors hackberry trees and water-rich lowlands, laying eggs in clusters while adults feed on tree sap, sweat, and old fruit rather than flowers. Found from Florida to Eastern Canada across forests and urban areas, it thrives wherever hackberry trees grow.
92	71034	Chinese Mantis	The Chinese mantis is a long, slender praying mantis that ranges from green to brown, sometimes featuring a distinctive green lateral stripe along its front wings. Standing just over 11 cm tall, it is the largest mantid species found in North America, where it has become an invasive ambush predator feeding on insects and occasionally small vertebrates like birds and snakes. Known for its cannibalistic nature, particularly females consuming males after mating, this martial-arts-inspired predator has also inspired two kung fu styles and even became a beloved member of the Kung Fu Panda Furious Five.
93	118490	Chickweed Geometer Moth	The chickweed geometer is a graceful, day-flying moth with pale yellow wings adorned with distinctive red markingsa small central spot on each forewing and two continuous pinkish-red bands across both wing pairs when resting. Its larvae feed on low-growing plants like chickweed, smartweed, and clover throughout the United States and parts of Canada. Adults are most commonly seen from May through October, with males sporting feathery antennae and females bearing slender, thread-like ones.
94	118501	Orange Wing	The orangewing moth is a delicate North American creature with a modest wingspan of 1621 millimetres. This diurnal and nocturnal species emerges twice yearly, fluttering through eastern woodlands in early spring and late June. Its caterpillars quietly feed on thorny locust trees, completing their life cycle in hidden garden corners.
95	120010	Metric Paper Wasp	The metric paper wasp is a darkly colored North American insect with rust-red coloring on its head and body, accented by yellow-tipped legs. These social wasps build open, umbrella-shaped nests on eaves and trees throughout the southern United States and Midwest, nesting from spring through autumn. They hunt soft-bodied caterpillars for their young and display remarkable foraging behavior, taking off horizontally for short trips or soaring upward for long journeys away from home.
96	121594	Evergreen Bagworm Moth	The evergreen bagworm constructs a distinctive tapered case from plant debris that grows to over 6 centimeters as the larva matures. Males resemble fuzzy bees with transparent wings while wingless females remain maggot-like inside their protective cases throughout their lives. This voracious tree-feeding pest thrives across eastern North America, where unchecked populations can devastate arborvitae and red cedar foliage.
97	122214	Horned Passalid	These large, shiny black beetles with clubbed antennae and a small horn between the eyes thrive in rotting oak and hickory logs across temperate forests. They live monogamous lives within self-excavated tunnels where parents care for their larvae by feeding them a mixture of wood chips and secretions. When disturbed, these impressive insectscapable of pulling 50 times their own weightcan squeak using their wings to communicate with colony mates.
98	122765	Turbulent Phosphila Moth	Phosphila turbulenta is a dart moth belonging to the Noctuidae family, native to North American forests and woodlands. Like its nocturnal relatives, this species emerges at night, its delicate wings likely displaying subtle patterns suited to blend with tree bark when at rest. The turbulent moniker hints at the somewhat chaotic flight patterns these moths display as they navigate through woodland canopies in search of mates and suitable resting spots.
99	126889	Margined Calligrapher	The margined calligrapher fly is a widespread North American hoverfly known for its striking appearance: black and yellow-striped abdomen with metallic greenish pleurae. Its larvae play an ecological role by preying on thrips, aphids, and caterpillars in agricultural settings like lettuce and cranberry fields. Adults are often seen sipping nectar from flowers while being drawn to plant volatiles like methyl salicylate.
100	129350	Common Eastern Firefly	The common eastern firefly, also known as the big dipper firefly or lightning bug, is a small soft-bodied beetle with a black or brown body bordered by yellow wing coverings and distinctive pale yellow head markings. These nocturnal insects become most visible at twilight in spring and summer when males patrol the skies in characteristic J-shaped flight patterns to flash their light organs and attract resting females on nearby vegetation. Found across eastern North America in meadows, forests, and other moist habitats, they produce bioluminescent flashes through a chemical reaction using luciferase to communicate during mating rituals that can continue throughout their brief adult lives.
101	143518	Large Maple Spanworm Moth	The large maple spanworm is a robust North American moth of the Geometridae family with a wingspan reaching up to 50 millimeters. Found from Nova Scotia to Texas, this species remains active in forests and fields from spring through autumn. Its caterpillars voraciously consume the leaves of diverse deciduous trees, particularly favoring maples, oaks, and apples.
102	358549	Snowberry Clearwing	The snowberry clearwing moth boasts transparent wings and a bumblebee-like abdomen, earning nicknames like flying lobster as it hovers over nectar-rich flowers in daylight and evening. Found across Canada and the U.S., it feeds on plants such as dogbane and honeysuckle, blending its vivid patterns into forests and meadows from Appalachia to the Pacific Northwest.
103	567666	Two-spotted Longhorn Bee	The two-spotted longhorn is an elegant bee distinguished by its prominent pair of spots on the thorax and exceptionally long antennae. This member of the Apidae family serves as a dedicated pollinator, frequently visiting flowers with focused purpose across its native range. Its slender build and graceful flight pattern make it a captivating subject for nature observers throughout North America.
104	1081329	Zabulon Skipper	The Zabulon skipper is a small butterfly with slim triangular wings, displaying orange uppersides edged in dark brown in males and dark brown wings marked with glassy spots in females. Found from woodland edges to suburban gardens near streams, it perches all day throughout spring and autumn while males seek mates and females lay eggs on grasses.
105	3892	Greater Yellowlegs	The greater yellowlegs is a majestic shorebird with long, bright yellow legs and a sleek grey-brown upper body that contrasts against its white underparts. It breeds in remote bogs and marshes across central Canada and southern Alaska before migrating through the Americas to winter in warmer waters. With a thin, dark bill perfect for probing shallow wetlands, it hunts insects, small fish, and crustaceans with practiced ease.
106	4798	Piping Plover	Piping Plover Charadrius melodusThe piping plover is a sparrow-sized shorebird with sandy gray plumage that perfectly camouflages against open beach habitats, featuring distinctive black bands across the forehead and chest in breeding adults. Males perform elaborate courtship dances including stone tossing and diving flights, while both sexes use feigned broken-wing displays to distract predators from nesting chicks. This disturbance-dependent species relies on periodically flooded sand bars along Atlantic and Great Lakes coastlines, making it one of the most vulnerable shorebirds facing habitat loss from human development.
107	4893	American Golden-Plover	The American golden plover dazzles with striking breeding plumagea bold black mask against a snowy crown and shimmering gold-spotted back. This hardy traveler breeds on Arctic tundra but undertakes one of nature's longest migrations, flying over 40,000 kilometers to wintering grounds in Patagonia without refueling mid-flight. On tundra fields, beaches, and tidal flats, it forages diligently for earthworms, insects, and crustaceans while fiercely guarding its territory.
108	9100	Song Sparrow	The song sparrow is a small, adaptable New World sparrow with warm brown streaked upperparts, a distinctive dark breast spot, and a characteristic gray face framed by brown eye-streaks. These common birds thrive across diverse habitats from salt marshes to suburban gardens, where they forage along the ground for seeds and insects. Males boast a remarkable singing repertoire that rivals even classical compositions, using complex melodies to defend territory and attract mates.
109	9135	Chipping Sparrow	A small North American bird with a signature rusty crown and gray underparts, males display their most vivid plumage during breeding season. These tame ground-foragers inhabit grassy woodlands, fields, and gardens year-round, forming cheerful flocks that migrate south in autumn before returning north each spring.
110	9346	Baltimore Oriole	Male Baltimore orioles flash brilliant black-and-orange plumage against leafy deciduous trees across eastern North America. Females wear muted yellow-brown tones, and both build hanging pouch nests high in branches to raise young. These acrobatic migrants hunt insects like forest tent caterpillars before fueling migration with ripe berries and nectar from backyard feeders.
111	9528	Eastern Meadowlark	Eastern Meadowlarks flaunt bright yellow underparts crowned with a bold black V on the breast, contrasting against streaked brown wings and striped heads. Their haunting whistles echo across open grasslands where they nest in shallow ground depressions and forage for insects among tall prairie grasses. Once abundant across cleared farmlands, their populations now dwindle as habitat loss threatens these melodious meadow dwellers.
112	11935	Tree Swallow	The tree swallow dazzles with glossy blue-green upperparts and pristine white underbelly, its blackish wings and tail providing a striking contrast. This aerial insectivore soars through open wooded habitats near water across North America, gathering in vast flocks outside the breeding season before nesting in natural or artificial cavities. Socially monogamous pairs fiercely defend their territories while provisioning their young with pure insects gathered from the air.
113	13632	Tufted Titmouse	With its distinctive tufted gray crest and two-toned plumagewhite front paired with a gray upper body and rust-colored flanksthe tufted titmouse stands out among eastern North America's small birds. This curious creature frequents gardens and deciduous woods, often approaching window ledges to peer inside or caching seeds within 130 feet of feeding stations. Known for its whistled peter-peter-peter song, it forms small flocks that associate with chickadees while raising young in tree cavities where even first-year offspring sometimes help rear the next generation.
114	14850	European Starling	The common starling sports glossy black feathers with a metallic sheen that shimmers purple or green, speckled with white spots during winter months on its 8-inch body. These highly social birds form enormous murmurations against the dusk sky while displaying remarkable mimicry abilities, repeating both natural sounds and human speech. Adaptable to urban environments where they nest in buildings and cavities, these omnivorous feeders balance roles as beneficial insect controllers and agricultural pests across continents.
115	18205	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Red-bellied WoodpeckerThe red-bellied woodpecker is a medium-sized bird of eastern North America, distinguished by its gray face and underparts paired with striking black-and-white barred wings and tail. Its most recognizable feature is the vibrant orange-red crown in males or the red nape patch in females, though the pale reddish belly that gives it its name is often hard to spot from a distance. These noisy, territorial foragers drum on tree trunkseven urban aluminum guttersto communicate with mates while hunting insects on dead and decaying trees where they nest and cache food.
116	20044	Great Horned Owl	The great horned owl is a massive nocturnal predator distinguished by its prominent ear tufts and mottled brown plumage that offers exceptional camouflage against tree bark. Highly adaptable across the Americas, it thrives in environments ranging from dense forests to urban neighborhoods while relying on acute hearing and silent flight to ambush prey as varied as rabbits, rodents, and other birds.
117	558433	Blue-winged Teal	This small dabbling duck sports a striking grey-blue head with white facial crescents and sky-blue wing patches that flash when banking on both sexes. Found across North America's marshes and ponds, it darts through calm waters to feast on aquatic plants while nesting near dense emergent vegetation. Among the last dabbling ducks to nest each spring, they depart early in fall for winter along coastlines from California through Texas and southward.
118	792988	Downy Woodpecker	Downy WoodpeckerThe downy woodpecker is North America's smallest woodpecker, measuring just 14 to 18 centimeters with striking black-and-white plumage and a distinctive red patch on adult males' napes. It thrives in forested areas across the United States and Canada, foraging on tree bark for insects, seeds, and berries while delivering rapid drumming calls from its branches. This agile feeder nests in tree cavities near soft wood, often visiting suburban backyards where suet and peanuts provide a seasonal bounty.
119	1264432	American Mink	The American mink sports a sleek, dark coat with webbed feet and a streamlined body, built for gliding through rivers and marshes. This stealthy predator hunts fish, rodents, amphibians, and birds with precision, thriving in coastal and inland waterways. Introduced populations threaten native species like the European mink, where they're considered invasive.
120	28562	DeKay's Brownsnake	De Kay's brown snake is a small, non-venomous charmer that thrives in urban landscapes alongside wetlands and forests across eastern North America. This shy creature favors moist hiding spots beneath rocks and logs, feeding on earthworms, slugs, and snails with specialized jaws designed to extract prey from their shells. Despite its unassuming appearancebrown or gray with a lighter center stripe bordered by black spotsit defends itself with a foul-smelling musk when threatened and often coils its body while swaying in flight attempts.
121	39771	Painted Turtle	The painted turtle features a dark, smooth shell with vibrant orange or yellow stripes along its limbs and neck. It inhabits slow-moving freshwater wetlands, basking on logs to warm up before feeding on aquatic plants and prey. Adults survive freezing winters by hibernating in mud, protected by antifreeze-like blood that keeps their cells from freezing.
122	73788	Common Five-lined Skink	The American five-lined skink is a small, ground-dwelling lizard found throughout eastern North America, most common along the southeastern coastal plain. Juveniles sport striking white stripes down their dark bodies and a brilliant blue tail that fades to pale brown with age, while adults turn more uniformly colored. This adaptable reptile basks in sun-drenched hardwood forests near streams, preys on insects and occasional small prey like mice, and famously detaches its tail when threatened by predators.
123	47916	North American Luna Moth	The Luna moth boasts vibrant lime-green wings and signature long, twisted tails that fool echolocating predators like bats. These fragile nocturnal adults do not feed as winged insects but rely on stored energy to survive brief lives while gliding among broadleaf trees in the moonlight. Native to eastern North America, they are a stunning sight where their name honors the Roman goddess of the night sky.
124	48262	Spotted Apatelodes Moth	The spotted apatelodes is a small moth found from Maine to Texas, active from May to August with a wingspan of 3242 mm. Its larvae start gray but mature into bright yellow caterpillars that feed on oaks, maples, ash, and cherries. Warmer southern regions support two generations yearly, while northern populations have just one.
125	49566	Six-spotted Tiger Beetle	The six-spotted tiger beetle shines with a metallic-green shell and six white spots, its large mandibles suggesting ferocity despite being harmless to humans. Found across deciduous forests from Minnesota to Texas, this agile predator hunts voraciously on sunlit paths and logs, feasting on ants, spiders, and caterpillars before retiring to sandy soil to lay eggs.
126	51702	Seven-spotted Lady Beetle	Crimson and marked with seven distinct black spots, the common ladybug warns predators of its foul taste and chemical defenses. Patrolling gardens and meadows, this voracious insect devours aphids to suppress pest outbreaks. In autumn, adults gather in swarms before retreating beneath bark and leaf litter to overwinter safely.
127	52757	Northern Paper Wasp	The dark or northern paper wasp is a striking social insect native to eastern North America, known for building elegant umbrella-shaped nests from chewed wood pulp suspended from branches and trees. Its colonies follow a strict hierarchy centered around a single dominant queen who fiercely defends the nest while workers gather prey, water, and building materials for their growing family. These wasps display remarkable individual recognition through their unique facial patterns, which help them distinguish friends from foes in territorial disputes and maintain colony order.
128	58525	Spicebush Swallowtail	The spicebush swallowtail is a striking black butterfly found in eastern North American woods, flying low and fast through shaded swamps to feed on nectar. Males sport an iridescent green-blue crescent while females display bright blue, both accented by cream spots and orange patches at the wing bases. These masters of disguise mimic poisonous pipevine swallowtails as adults and transform into snake-like caterpillars to ward off predators before pupating.
129	61492	Golden-backed Snipe Fly	The golden-backed snipe fly is a striking member of the snipe fly family, earning its name from its gleaming golden dorsal surface that catches forest light. This woodland dweller prefers the dappled shade of eastern North American forests, where it navigates dense undergrowth with characteristic grace. A rare and elegant creature, it stands as a quiet sentinel in the temperate woodlands it calls home.
130	82225	Hickory Tussock Moth	The hickory tiger moth dazzles with yellowish-brown forewings speckled with white splotches like stained glass, while its caterpillars sport distinctive black tufts of long, hairlike setae. These striking North American moths primarily devour hickory, pecan, and walnut leaves as larvae grow to 4.5 centimeters before pupating in the leaf litter. Adults emerge in spring, their fuzzy pale brown bodies contrasting beautifully against the forest backdrop.
131	82279	Io Moth	The Io moth dazzles with its sexual dimorphismmales blaze in bright yellow wings adorned with haunting black eyespots, while females sport earthy reddish-brown tones. Its caterpillars undergo a dramatic transformation from orange hatchlings to venomous green spines that ward off predators. Nocturnal adults dance through the night air, relying on scent and striking displays to survive in North American woodlands.
132	84549	Common Whitetail	The common whitetail dragonfly sports a striking checkered appearance with its chunky white male body and translucent wings marked by brownish-black bands, while females sport a more muted brown hue. This agile North American predator hawks mosquitoes and other small insects over ponds, marshes, and slow-moving rivers, with males fiercely defending territories along water's edges. Active from April to September in most regions, both the white-striped adults and their algae-covered nymphs play vital roles in aquatic ecosystemsfrom feeding on mayfly larvae to serving as food for fish and birds.
133	84640	European Paper Wasp	The European paper wasp sports striking yellow-and-black coloration with distinctive facial patterns that signal social rank within colonies. These highly adaptable wasps construct papery nests from saliva and tree fibers, feeding their young on a diverse array of insects rather than just caterpillars. Though native to southern Europe and parts of Asia, they have become invasive in North America where they outcompete native species like Polistes fuscatus.
134	84806	Green Cone-headed Planthopper	Acanalonia conica sports bright green adults with cone-shaped heads, striking red eyes, and visible vein networks on their fore-wings. Native to North America but established across Europe since 2003, these polyphagous planthoppers feed on diverse host plantsincluding cultivated specieswhile producing abundant honeydew that coats their foliage. Both nymphs and adults develop a distinctive hump-backed shape covered in delicate white waxy filaments during development.
135	84950	Eight-spotted Forester Moth	Black with striking white to cream-colored wing patterns totaling eight spots, the eight-spotted forester is a versatile moth that calls the borderlands of forests and fields its home. These diurnal and nocturnal travelers are often mistaken for butterflies, while their larvae feast on grapevines and other creepers, earning them pest status in vineyards. When cornered, they deploy a dramatic defensevomiting a foul orange liquid before dropping from their perch, still tethered by silken threads.
136	118961	Short-winged Meadow Katydid	The short-winged meadow katydid is a graceful insect that calls out from meadows across North America and the Caribbean. Its slender body and characteristic chirping songs mark it as a beloved member of the Tettigoniidae family. Despite its modest wings, this agile hoppers weaves itself into the soundscape of summer nights throughout its range.
137	118970	Common Eastern Bumble Bee	Recognizable by its fuzzy black-and-yellow coat, the Common Eastern Bumblebee is the most widespread pollinator across eastern North America. Adaptable to fields and cities alike, these bees nest underground while diligently traversing traplines of flowers like impatiens and goldenrod. Highly valued for their resilience, they serve as critical partners in pollinating both wild meadows and commercial crops such as tomatoes and blueberries.
138	120217	Banded Tussock Moth	This moth sports a fuzzy yellow body and wings patterned with beige bands edged in bold black lines. Its conspicuous larvae rest openly on leaves, protected by stinging tufts of hair that easily disperse upon contact. Adults acquire chemical defenses by regurgitating onto decaying plants to absorb protective alkaloids.
139	121612	Salt Marsh Moth	The salt marsh moth dazzles with its pristine white head and thorax contrasting against a yellow-orange abdomen studded with black spots. Its wings vary from snowy white in females to vibrant orange in males, while its hairy caterpillar browses on diverse plants like cotton and dandelions across regions from southern Florida to Colombia. Remarkably, this moth can detoxify plant poisons such as pyrrolizidine alkaloids and convert them into sex pheromonesa biological adaptation that turns chemical defense into reproductive attraction.
140	126155	German Yellowjacket	The European wasp sports bold black-and-yellow stripes on a 13-millimeter frame and constructs papery grey nests beneath ground or in buildings. As an opportunistic hunter and scavenger, it hunts small arthropods while feeding on carrion, fruit, and human food scraps. Originally native to Europe, this highly adaptable wasp has become an invasive species across most continents except Antarctica.
141	126267	Spotted Pink Lady Beetle	The spotted lady beetle is an oblong, flattened insect averaging six millimetres long, displaying vibrant pink coloration with distinctive black markings on its wing covers. Its alligator-like larvae actively hunt aphids and other small insects, making this species a valuable natural predator for agricultural crops. Adult beetles often congregate in September before winter hibernation, seeking out leaf litter and protected sites at field edges.
142	133756		This leaf-footed bug sports distinctive leaf-like expansions on its hind legs, each bearing deeper scallops and three striking white spots across the forewings that set it apart from similar species. Wandering widely through North America from New York to Florida and west into Iowa, Minnesota, and Mexico, it roams fields, gardens, and forest edges. A relatively common sight in temperate regions, this bug feeds on plant material while blending subtly into its foliage-rich surroundings.
143	133790	Common Blue Mud-dauber Wasp	Metallic blue mud daubers are non-aggressive wasps renowned for hunting black widow spiders and refurbishing abandoned nests with fresh prey. Their iridescent bodies gleam as they feed on floral nectar while provisioning their young in ground-dwelling mud cells stocked with spider catches. Found across North America, these solitary insects play a vital ecological role by controlling dangerous spider populations through deliberate predation.
144	154329	Cedar Beetle	The cedar beetle, or Sandalus niger, is a North American cicada parasite beetle known for its unique association with elm trees. While males dart through the air during warm afternoons, females remain quietly motionless along tree trunks before soaring high into canopies to deposit their eggs behind bark. This specialized beetle thrives between 15 and 30C temperatures, displaying remarkable behavioral shifts tied to mating and egg-laying cycles.
145	198812	Northern Pearly-eye	Adorned with dark eyespots on rich brown wings, the northern pearly-eye is a resilient butterfly spanning central Canada to Alabama. Adults feast on dung and tree sap while their larvae graze on grasses before overwintering underground.
146	203328	Four-spotted Sap Beetle	The four-spotted sap beetle, also known as the beer bug or picnic beetle, is a North American sap-feeding insect drawn to fruits and vegetables in their damaged, overripe, or decomposing state. These unassuming pests chew deep holes through producesometimes mimicking slug damageand thrive in gardens where they're attracted to fermenting sugars. Keep your harvests fresh by practicing rigorous sanitation pesticides prove ineffective while bait traps offer a practical alternative for population control.
147	216649	Goldenrod Soldier Beetle	The goldenrod soldier beetle, also known as the Pennsylvania leatherwing, is one of North America's most common soldier beetles, thriving across the Midwest in late summer and fall. These dark, glossy beetles favor yellow flowers like goldenrod and serve as vital pollinators for plants including prairie onion. Though they live relatively short lives, their presence signals autumn's approach as they feast on nectar before winter settles in.
148	227307	Juniper Geometer Moth	The juniper-twig geometer is a slender-winged moth of the Geometridae family, with a wingspan measuring 21-25 millimeters and an impressive activity period from April through November. This widespread insect flies across eastern North America, ranging from Quebec and New Hampshire to Florida and westward to Texas and Wisconsin. Its larvae specialize on juniper trees, occasionally feeding on arborvitae or pines before dropping down to walk like caterpillar-crowded acrobats in their distinctive inchworm gait.
149	325772		The golden cuckoo wasp Chrysis angolensis wears shimmering metallic hues and belongs to the vibrant Chrysididae family of cuckoo wasps. This clever predator infiltrates mud dauber nests like those of the black-and-yellow Sceliphron caementarium, laying eggs inside the host's provisions before hatching into wasps that feast on paralyzed prey larvae. Recently established in new territories including French Polynesia, this cosmopolitan species continues its ancient game of parental parasitism across continents.
150	1671287	Armyworm Moth	The true armyworm moth spans roughly 4 cm across its wings, featuring grayish-brown forewings marked with distinctive black dots along the edge and a central dark patch speckled with white. Its notorious caterpillars travel in tight, marching lines across fields, devouring grasses and crops as they grow from tiny hatchlings up to 35 mm long before burrowing underground to pupate. Seasonal migrants that move north in spring and south in fall, these moths have evolved remarkable migratory patterns to ensure mating occurs during the warm summer months when their populations thrive.
151	3850	Stilt Sandpiper	This small shorebird stands apart with its exceptionally long pink legs that earn it the stilt nickname, paired with a pale supercilium and white rump that set it apart from similar species. It breeds on open arctic tundra where males perform distinctive display flights over heavily barred plumage before migrating thousands of miles to winter across northern South America. Outside the breeding season, it prefers inland waters over open coasts, foraging by sight on muddy ground for insects and aquatic plants while jabbing with its curved bill.
152	3862	Semipalmated Sandpiper	Semipalmated SandpiperThis tiny shorebird sports a slate-grey back and crisp white underbelly, with jet-black legs and a short, stout dark bill for probing mudflats. Breeding across the southern tundra of Alaska and Canada, these migratory flocks number in hundreds of thousands as they race south to winter along South American coasts. During their epic journey between hemispheres, semipalmated sandpipers rely heavily on horseshoe crab eggs and aquatic insects at key coastal stopovers like the Bay of Fundy.
153	3875	Solitary Sandpiper	A solitary sandpiper is a dumpy wader with a dark green back, greyish head and breast, and crisp white underparts. This shy shorebird breeds in woodlands across Alaska and Canada before migrating alone to Central and South America for the winter. It favors narrow freshwater habitats like ditches, where it hunts tiny invertebrates along pond edges, often seen as a lone traveler during migration season.
154	3959	Red-necked Phalarope	The red-necked phalarope is a tiny Arctic wader with lobed toes perfectly adapted for swimming at the water's surface. Breeding females display striking dark grey backs and chestnut necks, while they spin miniature whirlpools in shallow water to stir up food with their straight, slender bills. Known for their unusual mating system where larger females court smaller males, these remarkably tame birds can traverse incredible journeys from Arctic breeding grounds all the way to tropical Pacific waters during migration.
155	4817	Semipalmated Plover	The semipalmated plover is a diminutive shorebird with a slate-grey back, crisp white underparts, and distinctive black neck banding that frames its dark mask around the eyes. Its partially webbed feet and tiny orange-and-black bill are perfectly adapted for probing sandy beaches and tidal flats in search of insects, crustaceans, and worms. A skilled breeder along the Arctic coastlines of Canada and Alaska, this migratory visitor employs clever broken-wing displays to protect its ground nest from curious intruders before heading south for the winter.
156	5020	Green Heron	Green HeronThis small heron sports a glossy greenish-black cap, chestnut neck, and grey underparts, often pulling its neck tight against its compact body. A skilled forager in wetlands and riparian zones, it patiently perches on branches or shorelines hunting fish, frogs, and aquatic insectsand sometimes employs clever bait-fishing tactics with bread crusts to lure unsuspecting prey into striking range. Loud calls of kyow mark its presence as this solitary hunter masters the art of patience over the water's edge.
157	5206	Red-shouldered Hawk	The red-shouldered hawk boasts striking brown plumage with a rusty-red chest, pale barred belly, and distinctive crimson shoulders that flash when it perches. This medium-sized raptor inhabits deciduous and mixed woodlands near water, where it hunts by surveying from treetops before dropping swiftly onto prey like rodents and rabbits. With its long yellow legs and iconic screaming kee-aah call echoing through forests, this agile hunter patrols its territory with practiced precision.
158	7562	Northern House Wren	This tiny, feisty passerine measures just 11 to 13 centimeters and is named for its habit of disappearing into crevices while hunting or seeking shelter. Found across most suburban areas in southern Canada, the United States, and Mexico, it constructs elaborate cup nests from sticks and debris tucked into cavities as high as 15 meters above ground. Its rich bubbly song echoes through nesting seasons, while this pugnacious bird actively defends territory by puncturing rival eggs and filling out competitors' nests with unwanted sticks.
159	8021	American Crow	The American crow is a sleek, iridescent-black passerine with a distinctive loud caaw call that echoes across North American landscapes. This intelligent omnivore thrives in diverse habitatsfrom bustling cities to open woodlandsfeeding on everything from insects and nuts to carrion and human scraps. Known for their remarkable tool-using abilities and cooperative social bonds, these adaptable birds form lasting family units and gather at massive nightly roosts throughout their range.
160	10094	Dark-eyed Junco	The dark-eyed junco is a small, sparrow-like bird with a slate-gray head and breast, white belly, and reddish-brown flanks. These temperate North American birds nest in coniferous forests but gather in winter flocks around urban feeders. Their white tail feathers flash distinctively when they hop along the ground.
161	10274	Black-headed Grosbeak	The black-headed grosbeak boasts glossy black heads and vibrant orange chests in males, while females wear brown streaks with white facial markings. This migratory bird thrives in wooded areas near waterways, nesting high in tall trees or dense shrubs across North America and Mexico. Remarkably, only this grosbeak is immune to the poison in poisonous monarch butterflies, allowing it to consume them in large numbers during its wintering grounds.
162	16100	Eastern Wood-Pewee	The eastern wood pewee is a small, slender flycatcher sporting gray-olive upperparts and pale underparts washed with soft olive tones, accented by two distinct wing bars. This migratory bird breeds in deciduous and mixed forests of eastern North America, where it waits on tree perches to snatch insects from mid-air, often hovering briefly before its meal. It winters across Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America, returning each spring with its mournful pee-a'wee song echoing through the woods.
163	20315	Short-eared Owl	A sleek predator with mottled tawny-brown plumage and striking yellow-orange eyes framed by black rings, the short-eared owl glides through open grasslands and prairies worldwide with a distinctive moth-like, floppy flight. This nocturnal hunter swoops feet-first over vast meadows to devour voles and other small rodents that hide beneath the ground, occasionally supplementing its diet with rabbits, birds, and insects. Nesting directly on the ground across continents from Europe to the Americas in expansive habitats, this widespread owl is one of nature's most widely distributed raptorsthough declining in parts of the southern United States.
164	144455	Great Egret	The great egret is a majestic all-white heron standing up to three feet tall, distinguished by its bright yellow bill and contrasting black legs. This widespread bird breeds in colonial tree nests near large lakes and wetlands, where it wades gracefully with neck extended before swooping silently on fish, frogs, and other small prey. Though once threatened by feather harvesting for fashion, populations have recovered across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, thriving from tropical zones to expanding northern temperate regions.
165	144497	Wilson's Phalarope	thinkWilson's phalarope is a dainty, salt-loving shorebird that breeds across North American prairies before migrating to high-altitude Andean lakes in Argentina for winter. This unusually large female-priority species boasts bold reddish breeding plumage and distinctive lobed feet adapted for its unique feeding method of swirling in tight circles to create underwater whirlpools.
166	144594	Snowy Owl	The Snowy Owl commands the Arctic tundra with its almost pure white plumage and piercing yellow eyes that stand out against the winter snow. Unlike most owls that hunt at night, this nomadic species hunts by day across vast open grounds, following lemming population cycles to breed before wandering thousands of miles south during food shortages. Its survival depends on fragile habitat conditions as climate change threatens both its prey populations and sea ice hunting grounds.
167	144814	Carolina Chickadee	With a sleek black cap and bib against gray feathers and rusty flanks, the Carolina chickadee hops along branches in mixed forests upside down, hunting insects and caching seeds for winter. This social bird forms lively mixed flocks to share food discoveries through their signature chick-a-dee calls while enduring harsh winters by entering torpor to conserve energy in tree cavities.
168	199840	House Finch	House finches are medium-sized brown birds with square-tipped tails males sport reddish heads ranging from pale yellow to intense crimson based on their berry-rich diet. These adaptable foragers thrive in urban and suburban habitats across North America, where they congregate at bird feeders and nest in cavities like buildings or hanging plants. Originally native to Mexico and the Southwest, they've become widespread through both natural expansion and successful introductions.
169	508048	Sandhill Crane	The Sandhill crane is a majestic North American bird with long dark legs, gray plumage, and distinctive red foreheads. These large cranes soar gracefully using thermals, forming massive migrating flocks that fill the sky with their trumpeting calls. Known for their elaborate mating dances and unison calling in pairs, they thrive in wetlands and open prairies across the continent.
170	979753	Nashville Warbler	The Nashville warbler is a small songbird adorned with a gray head fading into a greenish back, a crisp white belly ringed by golden-yellow throat and breast. This migratory bird breeds across northern North America before wintering in southern California, Texas, and Central America, where it flicks its tail while foraging insects from tree branches and shrubs. Though named after Nashville, Tennessee, the warbler only passes through during migration, nesting instead on the forest floor under protective shrubbery.
171	42652	Virginia Opossum	This cat-sized marsupial sports a grayish-brown coat with a distinctive white face and uses its long hairless tail to climb trees. A solitary nocturnal scavenger, it plays dead or releases foul-smelling fluids when threatened while feasting on insects, carrion, and garbage alike. Ranging from southern Canada to Costa Rica, this adaptable survivor thrives in yards and neighborhoods across North America.
172	39782	Pond Slider	Native to the American South, pond sliders are medium-sized semiaquatic turtles with bright green markings that fade to earthy olive-brown as they age. Their name comes from their startling habit of scrambling quickly from basking logs into deep water when threatened. These long-lived creatures 20-50 years have become widespread invasive species worldwide after being released from the pet trade.
173	67642	Gray Ratsnake	Sporting dark elongate blotches against pale gray scales, this nonvenomous constrictor navigates eastern forests and barns with agile prowess. When startled, it mimics a rattlesnake by rattling its tail or releasing foul musk to bluff threats away before biting if pressed. A powerful scent-hunter, it lays eggs in summer after reaching sexual maturity.
174	26749	Eastern Tiger Salamander	The tiger salamander measures 68 inches long, displaying a striking pattern of black or dark brown skin marked with bold yellow, greenish-yellow, or brown spots across its back and tail. These secretive burrowers spend most of their lives underground in loose soil, emerging only during rainy seasons or annual migrations to breeding wetlands. When threatened, they warn predators by secreting a milky-white toxin from specialized glands embedded in their granular skin.
175	65982	Green Frog	The green frog sports a vivid green head paired with a brown, gray, or dark green body and a white belly speckled with black mottling. During breeding season, males display bright yellow throats and maintain territories along freshwater ponds, lakes, and streams, emitting distinctive plucked-banjo-string calls to attract mates. These mid-sized frogs defend their space through dramatic splashing displays and wrestling bouts that can end underwater submission holds.
176	47914	Pandorus Sphinx	The Pandora sphinx moth features opaque greenish-olive wings held delta-shaped at rest, displaying distinctive dark spots and hidden eyespots when extended. Active at dusk across eastern North America, the adult sips nectar while its larvae voraciously feed on grape vines before burrowing underground to pupate. This species survives either through multiple summer broods or by overwintering as a slender dark brown pupa.
177	51557	Greater Bee Fly	thinkThe large bee-fly is a stout, bumblebee-mimic with a dark body fringed with pale hairs and long, dangling legs. This non-stinging fly feeds on nectar using a long proboscis while hovering with a distinctive high-pitched buzz. Its remarkable camouflage allows it to sneak close to solitary bee and wasp nests to lay parasitic eggs that consume the next generation.thinkThe large bee-fly is a stout, bumblebee-mimic with a dark body fringed with pale hairs and long, dangling legs. This non-stinging fly feeds on nectar using a long proboscis while hovering with a distinctive high-pitched buzz. Its remarkable camouflage allows it to sneak close to solitary bee and wasp nests to lay parasitic eggs that consume the next generation.
178	52904	Elegant Grass-veneer	The elegant grass-veneer moth sports silvery-white wings shaded with brown and marked by seven distinctive black dots along the lower forewing edge. Adults rest with their wings tightly folded into a tube-like shape, displaying an eerie Halloween-mask pattern from above. Found across North America in grassy habitats, this small species 1215 mm wingspan raises generations year-round in southern regions while feeding on grasses as a larva.
179	54064	Eastern Comma	The eastern comma butterfly is a seasonally variable North American species that displays either black or reddish-orange hindwings, with both forms marked by a distinctive silvery comma on the underside. Rather than nectar-seeking, this woodland dweller favors puddling at water sources for minerals and feeds on sap, rotting fruit, and dung. Found near rivers, marshes, and ponds across eastern North America, it overwinters as an adult with some populations migrating south for winter.
180	58532	Orange Sulphur	The orange sulphur butterfly, also known as the alfalfa butterfly, displays vibrant yellow wings with males reflecting ultraviolet lighta dazzling signal used in courtship and species recognition. These butterflies roam throughout North America from southern Canada to Mexico, where their caterpillars feed exclusively on pea family plants like alfalfa at night. Occasionally multiplying into vast numbers, they can become serious agricultural pests to alfalfa crops, yet remain a striking presence across the continent's fields and gardens.
181	58564	Meadow Fritillary	The meadow fritillary sports bright yellow-orange wings patterned with dark zigzagged bands. It lacks the silver spots found on related species and features a mottled purplish-brown underside. A resident of damp pastures and fields, it flutters through open meadows where it supports several broods each year.
182	58586	Viceroy	The viceroy butterfly sports bold orange and black wings that mimic the monarch's warning colors, though it too is unpalatable to predators through Mllerian mimicry. Its caterpillars feed exclusively on willow family trees and disguise themselves as bird droppings while developing. Adults fly actively in late mornings across most of the contiguous United States, nectaring on common wildflowers like milkweed and thistle.
183	58750	Lucerne Moth	The lucerne moth Nomophila nearctica is a 2435 mm Crambidae whose adults dance among North American fields from April through November. Its larvae voraciously feed on celery, alfalfa, and other low-growing herbs, earning nicknames like false webworm and celery stalkworm.
184	61505	Carolina Sphinx	The Manduca sexta is a colossal hawk moth with wings spanning up to 100 mm, gliding silently through the Americas' nights in search of nectar. Its brilliant green caterpillarstobacco hornworms or Goliath wormsgrow to 10 cm long on Solanaceae plants like tobacco and tomato before wandering underground to pupate. Remarkably, these larvae sequester nicotine from their diet into a defensive chemical shield they breathe out to repel predators, clicking warningly when threatened with mandible snaps.
185	62045	Small Milkweed Bug	The small milkweed bug is a vibrant seed bug native to Central and North America, distinguished by its striking orange-red to black coloration and a bold X-shaped pattern on its wings featuring a black heart at its center. Standing just 10 to 12 millimeters tall, this insect primarily feeds on flower nectar and milkweed seeds, though it will turn to other insects when food is scarce. Adults emerge in the spring after overwintering, laying eggs directly on milkweed plants where their young develop through distinct red nymphal stages marked with developing black markings.
186	62780	Ferruginous Carpenter Ant	The ferruginous carpenter ant features distinctive reddish-brown coloring and nests primarily within decaying wood and living trees across the eastern United States. Their colonies construct extensive tunnel networks throughout woodland habitats from Nebraska to Kansas to support thriving populations of worker ants. These insects harbor Acetobacteraceae bacteria in their digestive systems, representing a notable microbial symbiosis among carpenter ant species.
187	81582	Cecropia Moth	North Americas largest native moth, the cecropia features a majestic wingspan of up to seven inches with brownish wings adorned in vibrant red and white crescents. Their larvae transform from black to striking green-blue on maple trees before spinning large cocoons. Adult males roam widely using pheromones to find mates, though the species survives only two weeks without functional mouthparts.
188	81665	White-marked Tussock Moth	Brilliantly colored with a red head and tufts of hair-like setae, the white-marked tussock moths caterpillars bear four distinctive white spines that mimic parasitic wasps to deter predators. These larvae feed on over a dozen tree species across eastern North America, including apple, oak, and maple, while their stinging hairs can trigger allergic reactions in humans. Adult moths with feathery antennae emerge from June to October, though females remain near their cocoons without wings.
189	81687	Large Yellow Underwing	The large yellow underwing is an abundant Palearctic moth sporting a dramatic defense: dull brown to black forewings mask brilliant orange hindwings that flash suddenly during flight, confusing predators. A highly migratory species, it appears in massive swarms across its range from summer through autumn. Its larvaeinfamous cutwormsdevastate gardens by severing herbaceous plants at ground level, overwintering and feeding even on mild winter days.
190	81706	Eastern Eyed Click Beetle	The eastern eyed click beetle dazzles with a glossy black body featuring two striking eyespots framed in white on each side of its heada defensive trick evolved to startle predators. This master of self-defense can also instantly catapult itself out of danger using an internal click mechanism, snapping like a spring-loaded slingshot. Its larvae, known as wireworms, turn the tables by preying voraciously on wood-boring beetles in rotting logs across North and Central American deciduous forests.
191	82026	Orange Assassin Bug	Pselliopus barberi patrols North American open habitats throughout spring and autumn with its distinctive black-and-orange body marking. During cooler months, these predatory assassin bugs gather in large groups beneath tree bark to hibernate. With their elongated bodies and piercing proboscis, they're skilled ambush hunters that stalk insects across woodlands and fields.
192	82379	Hummingbird Clearwing	The Hemaris thysbe, or hummingbird clearwing, dazzles with transparent wings edged in reddish-brown that shimmer as it hovers like a tiny bird over colorful flowers. Its light-colored legs and unstriped underside distinguish this spindle-shaped hawkmoth, while rapid wing-beating lets it sip nectar from meadows and gardens across eastern North America. Often mistaken for hummingbirds or bumblebees due to its striking mimicry, this migratory pollinator is most active during the hottest parts of the day.
193	82523	Pure Green Sweat bee	The Pure Green Sweat Bee dazzles with its bright metallic emerald hue and tiny 8mm frame. This solitary bee nests inside rotting logs throughout eastern forests, foraging on diverse flowers while often seeking salt by licking human sweat. Active from early spring through autumn, it can produce up to three generations in a single year.
194	82792	Summer Azure	Pale blue and dusted with extensive white scales, this butterfly shimmers across eastern North American meadows. Adults nectar on diverse wildflowers like vetch and yarrow from June to October, resting low where their chalky undersides blend with the earth. Tiny dark spots mark the hindwings when viewed from below, completing its elegant camouflage.
195	84162	Dogbane Leaf Beetle	The dogbane beetle flaunts iridescent blue-green elytra that double as predator deterrents while it grazes on toxic dogbane plants across eastern North America. This 8-11 mm herbivore has evolved specialized physiology to detoxify poisonous compounds, even sequestering them in its body for defense. Adults feed along leaf margins during summer, leaving distinctive rings of dried latex around their grazing sites.
196	84481	Ebony Jewelwing	The ebony jewelwing is a striking broad-winged damselfly with metallic blue-green iridescence adorning males, while females display a duller brown hue with smoky wings speckled with white tips. Dressed in jet-black wings like polished obsidian, it flits gracefully through the dappled sunlight of wooded streams and rivers across eastern North America. This elusive yet vibrant inhabitant can remain year-round in its native regions, where it hunts tiny aquatic insects from lush vegetation along flowing waters.
197	116681	Ailanthus Webworm Moth	The ailanthus webworm is a vibrant, small moth that resembles a beetle at rest but mimics a wasp in flight, providing striking camouflage. Originally native to the American tropics, it has adapted to thrive on invasive tree-of-heaven across the U.S., where its larvae weave communal leaf nests while feeding. This diurnal pollinator thrives in urban environments, completing generations as quickly as four weeks and occasionally colonizing eastern Canada.
198	118951	Common True Katydid	The northern true katydid is a slender, green insect nearly flightless, preferring to walk or hop through the canopy of deciduous trees where it feeds on foliage. Males produce a distinctive rasping ka-ty-did song that can vary in rate depending on temperature and helps distinguish different populations across its North American range from Maine to Florida. Reaching up to 2 inches long, this common katydid is easily recognized by its characteristic name-giving call that echoes through forests of southeastern Canada into the eastern United States.
199	119789	Yellow-collared Scape Moth	The yellow-collared scape moth's larvae wear bold stripes of dark hues framed by vibrant yellow and orange bands along their soft-spined bodies. Adults have compact wingspans under two inches, roaming fields and forest edges from late spring through summer across eastern North America. These vividly patterned insects flourish in habitats where similar species are absent, creating a distinct presence throughout the region.
200	119994	Eastern Yellowjacket	The eastern yellowjacket is a bold black-and-yellow wasp native to eastern North America, easily recognized by its distinctive dark spots on the forehead. These social insects build large, fragile paper nests underground in sheltered spaces, often near recreational areas and buildings where they become summer pests. While common throughout hardwood forests and suburban landscapes, these wasps aggressively defend their colonies with repeated, painful stings when threatened.
201	121821	Yellow-legged Mud-dauber Wasp	This small solitary wasp measures 2428 mm and displays striking black-and-yellow markings with distinctive yellow legsa trait that sets it apart from other mud daubers. Skilled architect, the female weaves up to 25 cylindrical cells from mud balls collected at puddles and pools, then fills each chamber with paralyzed spiders before laying a single egg. Found across North America, Central America, the West Indies, and introduced to parts of Europe and Pacific islands, this gentle creature nests under bridges, barns, porches, and other sheltered structures, only stinging when defending its home.
202	126712	Eastern Dobsonfly	The eastern dobsonfly is a magnificent insect with a 125-millimetre wingspan and distinctive sickle-shaped mandibles in males that can extend nearly half their body length, while females possess shorter, powerful jaws similar to their aquatic larvae called hellgrammites. Found throughout eastern North America near swift-flowing streams, these insects thrive as fierce predators before pupating into short-lived adults that don't feed much and spend their brief existence mating and laying thousands of eggs along stream banks. Most active at night, they attract attention to lights and complete their life cycle in dense vegetation near water where the larvae once hunted as formidable predators anchored by hooks in fast-moving currents.
203	127133	Fall Webworm Moth	The fall webworm is a hairy moth that constructs massive, messy silk nests on deciduous tree limbs where its bristled larvae feed voraciously on leaves in late summer. Inside these protective webs, gregarious caterpillars synchronize their movements while regulating their body heat against the cooling autumn air. Though they defoliate branches into fuzzy mounds and are a pest, they do not harm healthy trees.
204	129141	Pennsylvania Wood Cockroach	Native to eastern North America, dark brown males of the Pennsylvania wood cockroach sport yellow-trimmed wings that allow swift flights between oak and elm trees at night. These timber-dwellers are often attracted to evening lights and carried indoors by firewood, yet they rarely breed inside homes, preferring to nest beneath loose bark in open woodlands. While a fleeting nuisance during their mating season, this species remains more of a woodland visitor than a persistent household pest.
205	129272	Chestnut Carpenter Ant	thinkThe red hazelnut carpenter ant Camponotus castaneus sports a striking orangish-red body with darker, maroon-colored males and queens that grow progressively deeper in hue as they age. These large insects, often found hollowing out rotting wood, enter an early winter diapause to halt foraging by the first cool days of fall. Colonies can persist for decades under the care of long-lived queens and workers, thriving across eastern North America from Florida to Maine.
206	129423	Pale Green Assassin Bug	Native to eastern North America, this pale green assassin bug sports a lime base coat with markings ranging from deep brown to bright yellow. It waits patiently on leaves or actively hunts insects using leg-mounted sticky traps before delivering an intensely painful bite.
207	129902	Eastern Black Carpenter Ant	The black carpenter ant is one of North America's largest ants, distinguished by a solid black body and faint yellowish hairs along its abdomen. These industrious creatures excavate vast galleries within damp timber in forests and homes, emitting an audible crackle as their colonies expand. Capable of delivering a sharp bite and formic acid spray, they forage nightly over wide distances to sustain their thriving nests.
208	131862	Banded Longhorn Beetle	The banded longhorn is a striking flower-loving beetle native to North America, sporting distinctive banding patterns along its body. Its larvae thrive in decaying wood, particularly within birch and sumac trees, where they develop quietly over time. Adults can be spotted feeding on flowers, adding to their reputation as garden-friendly insects that play an important role in forest ecosystems.
209	133631	Peck's Skipper	The Peck's skipper is a small North American butterfly featuring dark brown and yellowish-orange wings with a distinctive straw-colored patch on its hindwing. These grassy-habitat dwellers rest with their forewings held open in a V-shape, feeding on nectar from wildflowers like red clover and thistles. Males perch openly in sunny areas throughout the day to await receptive females during courtship.
210	133765	Fraternal Potter Wasp	This tiny potter wasp, measuring just 15-20 mm, builds intricate miniature nests from wet mud in glades and forest verges across eastern North America. Females craft pitcher-shaped chambers to house their eggs alongside paralyzed caterpillars, serving as a frozen meal for their developing larvae. While the adults sip nectar from flowers, they leave behind a brooding scene where each sealed pot will hatch a new generation of these black-and-ivory insects by late autumn.
211	142783	Long-necked Seed Bug	The long-necked seed bug Myodocha serripes is a dirt-colored insect native to North America, where it feeds primarily on seeds and acts as a strawberry crop pest. After hibernating alone or in small groups, adults migrate to fields in spring, with most activity concentrated in autumnthough Florida populations remain active year-round without hibernation.
212	143043	Delicate Cycnia Moth	The dogbane tiger moth flaunts striking white wings bordered by buttery yellow margins and scattered with bold black accents across its legs and body. Throughout North American landscapes, this common species feeds on toxic dogbane plants, gaining chemical defenses that deter predators. Its ultrasonic clicks serve as a warning signal to bats while possibly jamming their echolocationa remarkable defense in the night sky.
213	146709	Beech Blight Aphid	The beech blight aphid is a delicate insect with a light blue body covered in long white waxy filaments, giving it a woolly appearance as it colonizes American beech branches and leaves. When disturbed, these curious creatures perform a unique defense by raising their posterior ends and swaying from side to side in an enchanting dance that earned them the nickname Boogie-Woogie Aphid. Their dense colonies produce so much honeydew that infested trees can appear dusted with snow, while their secretions attract ants and support colonies of sooty mold fungus.
214	154427	Picnic Beetle	Glischrochilus fasciatus, commonly known as the picnic beetle, is a shiny sap-feeding insect belonging to the family Nitidulidae. Native to Central and North America, this beetle often congregates at sites of plant injury where it feeds on exuding sap. Its glossy black-and-red markings make it easily identifiable in gardens and wooded areas throughout its range.
215	176124	Spring Cankerworm Moth	Paleacrita vernata, the spring cankerworm, is a North American moth with distinctive sexual dimorphismmales display delicate 1118mm forewings while females remain wingless. These moths are early risers, with adult males emerging from February through late May in search of mates. Their larvae feast on deciduous trees and shrubs including maples, elms, birches, and cherries, where hungry inch-long worms can defoliate entire trees by climbing down to drop onto unsuspecting passersby before using silk threads to climb back into the canopy.
216	200017	F-winged Barklouse	Graphopsocus cruciatus bears a striking pattern of five dark wing marks and a luminous F-shaped design on its second half. Introduced to North America from Asia or Europe in 1930, this psocopteran has since become an established resident of the continent.
217	222712	Common Citronella Ant	The smaller yellow ant Lasius claviger is a species of ground-dwelling insect native to the United States, belonging to the Lasius genus. First described by Roger in 1862, these ants are typically found foraging across lawns and gardens. While relatively inconspicuous compared to their larger cousins, they play an important role in soil aeration and decomposition.
218	258813	Bathroom Moth Fly	These tiny drain flies sport broad wings dusted with brownish hairs and distinctive white spots along their edges. Thriving in damp household plumbing, they breed within decaying organic matter while adults perch motionlessly on walls. Protected by dense waterproof fur, these resilient insects are nearly impossible to drown.
219	363524		This small blue-black moth has a delicate wingspan of just 1014 millimeters, with dark fuscous hindwings that contrast sharply against its forewings. Originally native to Asia and eastern Europe, it has spread across continents as an accidental stowaway in trade routes. Larvae survive on humble goosefoot and orache plants, weaving through gardens and fields where they quietly feed.
220	450366	Two-lined Leatherwing	This two-lined cantharid, also known as the two-lined leather-wing, is a striking soldier beetle native to North America. Its distinctive dark coloration with pale stripes along its elytra gives it an elegant appearance reminiscent of ancient armor. During warm summer evenings, these beetles emerge in large numbers to bask and feed on nectar, often found near ponds or damp areas where their preyother insectscongregate.
221	469282	Swamp Cicada	The swamp cicada is the most common member of its genus across eastern and central North America, where it basks on low vegetation before emerging from morning slumber to sing its shrill tune. As an ectothermic insect, this charismatic bug relies on sunlight to warm its body each day, only buzzing into activity once the morning light reaches a certain warmth. Its distinctive morning chorus echoes through swamps and wooded areas throughout the southeastern United States and parts of Canada.
222	495176	Bare-eyed Bee-mimic Fly	The Mallota bautias is a master of disguise, sporting fuzzy yellow-and-black stripes that closely mimic dangerous bees to ward off predators. This deceptive hoverfly takes flight with characteristic hovering motions over flowers across eastern North America, where it feeds and mates undisturbed by its convincing appearance. Despite its harmless nature, its remarkable bee-mimicry makes it one of nature's most successful impersonators in the meadow landscapes it inhabits.
223	735730		Found across China and the Russian Far East, this moth is the sole representative of its unique genus. Its larvae feed exclusively on specific varieties of Acorus calamus plants within their habitat. Described over a century ago, it remains a distinct find in Eastern entomology.
224	1025871		The black-legged firefly beetle, Phyllophaga bipartita, displays a distinctive glossy black body with two pale spots on its elytra where the wing cover splits into two halves. This North American scarab beetle inhabits forested regions and agricultural fields, often emerging at night to feed on grasses and other vegetation while releasing characteristic clicking sounds during courtship rituals.
225	1038408	Common Checkered-Skipper	Common Checkered-Skipper Burnsius communisThis small butterfly sports a distinctive checkerboard pattern across its wings, with males displaying broader bands than females atop a delicate blue-gray body. Frequently spotted darting through gardens and meadows across southern Canada and the United States, it flies in multiple broods year-round in the south and extends into autumn in northern regions.
226	1456562	Great Spangled Fritillary	The great spangled fritillary is a striking North American butterfly with vivid orange upper wings marked by five black dashes near the forewing base and two rows of black crescent edges along its hindwings. Below, males display reddish-brown patterns while females are darker, both adorned with distinctive silver spots and yellow bands that gleam against the earthy tones of woodland meadows. This beauty thrives in moist habitats across North Americafrom southern Canada through the central plains to eastern stateslaying eggs on native violets that nurture its next generation.
227	4665	American Kestrel	The American kestrel is North America's smallest falcon with striking blue-grey wings spotted in black for males and warm rufous tones on females, sporting distinctive facial markings including vertical black lines on its head. This colorful predator perches elegantly on fence posts or power lines, then hovers like a tiny helicopter over fields to ambush insects, lizards, and small birds before darting down with lightning-fast talons. Found across deserts, grasslands, forests, and even urban landscapes from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, its efficient hunting style has made it one of the continent's most widespread raptors.
228	82530	Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee	The bicolored striped sweat bee sports distinctive yellow and black striping across its compact, fuzzy body. These social insects burrow underground into communal nests where multiple females share a single excavation. Native to North America, this adaptable species has earned special recognition as the official bee of Toronto.
229	81677	Milkweed Tussock Moth	The milkweed tiger moth sports striking caterpillars that transform from gray leaf-skeletonizers into vibrantly tufted forms displaying black, white, and orange hair as they mature on their milkweed hosts. These larvae acquire toxic cardiac glycosides as chemical armor that persists into adulthood, where ultrasonic clicks further warn predatory bats of their unpalatable nature across North American summers.
230	906	Wild Turkey	Despite their substantial weight, wild turkeys are agile fliers capable of surprising bursts of flight beneath the canopy to escape predators. Males display spectacular iridescent plumage with fan-shaped tails during courtship, while gobbling calls can echo through forests up to a mile away. These omnivorous birds thrive in hardwood forests with scattered openings where they feast on acorns, insects, and seeds across diverse habitats from coastal marshes to mountainous regions.
231	981	Ring-necked Pheasant	Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicusThe male sports dazzling iridescent green and purple plumage with a long, streaked black tail spanning up to two feet, while females sport mottled brown camouflage for protection on the ground. Though they prefer to run and hide in dense cover, this game bird will burst into sudden flight at speeds up to 90 kmh when startled. Now found across continents from Asia to North America, they nest directly on the ground and roam loose flocks throughout woodland and farmland habitats.
232	1965	Yellow-billed Cuckoo	The yellow-billed cuckoo sports brown upperparts with black-and-white underparts, and its distinctive curved bill bears bright yellow markings near the lower mandible. Known as 'rain crow' across the southern United States for its tendency to call during hot days before thunderstorms, it breeds in deciduous woods spanning from Canada down to Mexico and the Caribbean. This agile insectivore hunts through dense shrubs and can catch prey mid-flight, favoring tent caterpillars, cicadas, and other insects.
233	2548	Belted Kingfisher	The belted kingfisher is a stocky North American water bird with a slate blue head, distinctive white collar, and a broad blue band across its breast. Often spotted perched prominently on posts or trees near shorelines before making a dramatic vertical plunge to catch fish and other aquatic prey. This species is known for its signature rattling call and excavates long horizontal tunnels in river banks as nesting sites.
234	3857	Dunlin	This small shorebird sports a distinctive black belly patch during breeding season, making it unmistakable among sandpipers. Dunlins gather in large winter flocks along coastal mudflats where they probe for insects with their sensitive black bills using a characteristic sewing machine feeding motion. The Arctic-breeding wader migrates thousands of miles each year between northern tundra nesting grounds and warmer southern coasts worldwide.
235	3866	White-rumped Sandpiper	The White-rumped Sandpiper is a tiny shorebird with dull grey-brown plumage and a striking white eye stripe, easily spotted for its distinctive white rump patch visible during flight. As an extreme long-distance migrant, it undertakes one of the most remarkable journeys in the bird world, crossing the Atlantic to winter along South America's Patagonian coast. Its unique metallic tzeep call resembles pebbles scraping together and helps identify this elusive speckle among flocks of other tiny shorebirds known as peeps.
236	3936	American Woodcock	American woodcock plump bodies blend perfectly into young forest floors with cryptic brown and gray feathers. At dawn and dusk, males perform spectacular courtship flights, spiraling upward from brushy hiding spots while emitting a liquid chirping song that sounds like a twittering melody cutting through the air. Their long, straight bills probe deeply into soft soil to find earthworms hidden beneath the leaves.
237	3962	Upland Sandpiper	This small dove-like bird sports a long neck, marbled black-and-brown wings, and surprisingly long yellow legs. It prefers open grassy fields where it scans the horizon constantly for threats. Every autumn, hundreds of upland sandpipers migrate to southern Ecuador, where they plunge into freezing lagoonsstill unexplained behavior that leaves scientists wondering why these birds sacrifice themselves in icy waters each year.
238	4892	Black-bellied Plover	This large shorebird sports a bold black-and-white breeding plumage that transforms into sleek grey feathers along coastal waters worldwide. As one of nature's greatest navigators, it undertakes nonstop transoceanic migrations between Arctic breeding grounds and temperate feeding territories. Though less gregarious than its plover relatives, the black-bellied plover maintains a wide spacing while foraging beaches for molluscs and crustaceans.
239	7019	Greater White-fronted Goose	The greater white-fronted goose sports a distinctive grayish-brown coat marked with speckled dark blotches across its light-colored breasta pattern that earned it the nickname specklebelly in North America. Its most recognizable feature is the clean white patch bordering the base of its pink bill, combined with bright orange legs and a wingspan reaching nearly seven feet. This migratory waterfowl breeds across the Arctic circle before journeying south to wetlands throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas for winter.
240	7120	Muscovy Duck	The Muscovy duck is a striking waterfowl with glossy black plumage marked by bold white wing patches and distinctive red facial wattles on the male. This aggressive bird prefers forested swamps, lakes, and streams throughout the Americas and has established feral populations across continents. Known for its strong musky aroma and tree-roosting habits at night, it's an adaptable species thriving from tropical regions all the way to cooler climates.
241	7513	Carolina Wren	The Carolina wren is the second-largest wren in North America, often heard before spotted as they energetically dart through dense woodland and suburban shrubs where thick cover provides both sanctuary and hunting grounds. Their distinctive teakettle-teakettle-teakettle song echoes year-round through their territories, while pairs remain faithful to one another, raising multiple broods each summer season.
242	9152	Field Sparrow	Field Sparrow Spizella pusillaThis diminutive songbird sports a distinctive grey head crowned in rust, framed by a crisp white eye-ring and pink bill. A master of ground living, the Field Sparrow nests cupped beneath shrubs or grass clumps while foraging on seeds and insects across eastern North America's brushy fields. Some populations journey south to Mexico for winter, while others remain as steadfast year-round residents.
243	9176	White-crowned Sparrow	The white-crowned sparrow bears bold black and white stripes across its gray face, thriving in brushy habitats from northern Canada through the Rocky Mountains and Pacific coast. These remarkable migratory travelers can stay partially awake for up to two weeks during their journey thanks to unique one-hemisphere sleep abilities that allow them to rest while navigating south. Ground foragers feeding on seeds and insects, they gather in social winter flocks before nesting low in shrubs across the taiga and tundra.
244	9721	Common Yellowthroat	Pokdex Entry: Common YellowthroatOlive-backed warblers with bright yellow throats, males sport dramatic black face masks while females display softer colors. Nesting in dense low marsh vegetation, these songbirds hunt insects among the leaves. Their loud 'twitchety' song echoes through wetlands during breeding season.
245	9981	Savannah Sparrow	Small and streaked with rich brown feathers across its back, the Savannah sparrow flits through open grasslands from Alaska to Mexico. Its distinctive white eyebrow stripe contrasts against dark eyes and a speckled breast, while variable plumage ranges from pale inland forms to darker coastal varieties. A migratory seed-eater that forages on the ground in low bushes, this sparrow assembles in winter flocks across its range and sings melodic chirps and trills.
246	10322	Rusty Blackbird	Rusty BlackbirdGlossy black feathers shimmer with green and purple highlights on the male, while females wear softer grey tones over wet forests across Canada. These migratory birds nest in boreal muskegs before journeying south to feast on insects during breeding season and grains during winter months. Despite once being common throughout North America, their population has mysteriously plummeted by nearly 90 in just four decades.
247	10479	Lark Sparrow	The lark sparrow is a distinctive New World sparrow with chestnut cheeks and a dark-streaked brown back against snowy white underparts. This ground-forager hunts for seeds and insects among low bushes, often forming large flocks during migration and winter months. When threatened near the nest, females perform elaborate distraction displays to divert predators away from their grass cup nests.
248	13270	Wood Thrush	The wood thrush sports cinnamon-brown upperparts and a white breast marked with bold dark brown spots, making it instantly recognizable against the forest floor. This North American bird is renowned for its ethereal song, one of the most beautiful on the continent, which males sing in three distinct parts to defend territories across deciduous woods. A migratory traveler that winters in Central America, it spends summer months flipping through leaf litter for soil invertebrates and larvae before switching to fruits in late season.
249	16028	Great Crested Flycatcher	Pokdex Entry: Great Crested FlycatcherThis bushy-crowned tyrant flycatcher is the most widespread member of its genus across eastern North America, sporting brownish upperparts, yellow underparts, and a distinctive grey breast with a long rusty tail. Preferring high canopies in deciduous forests and woodland edges, it employs a patient sit-and-wait hunting strategy while delivering its famous dawn song before daybreak. As an insectivore that prefers butterflies, beetles, and bees over the fly-catchers' namesake prey, this crested hunter perches expectantly, bobbing its head for any sign of aerial prey to snatch mid-flight.
250	16638	Acadian Flycatcher	With olive upperparts washed with green on the breast and distinctive white wing bars, the Acadian flycatcher is a small insect-eating tyrant flycatcher known as an aerial acrobat that can hover and even fly backward. This bird waits on perches in deciduous forests before darting out to catch prey in flight or glean insects from foliage while hovering. Its two-note song sounds like ka-zeep helping identify this species across its vast migratory range from eastern North America to southern Central and South America.
251	17008	Eastern Phoebe	This small gray-brown tyrant flycatcher sports a prominent white throat and buffy underparts, often puffing up its small crest to appear even more big-headed. Known for its sharp fee-bee call, the eastern phoebe pumps its tail up and down when perched while hunting insects from exposed vantage points on wires or branches. This adaptable bird favors urban areas and wooded habitats near water, frequently nesting on man-made structures like bridges and buildings where it builds open-cup nests with a mud base.
252	18204	Red-headed Woodpecker	Pokdex Entry: With its striking crimson crown and neck set against a black back and white belly, this mid-sized woodpecker stands boldly in the open fields of temperate North America. Known for its loud tchur-tchur call and territorial drumming, it hoards insects, seeds, and berries to survive through leaner months. Though adults sport the same vivid plumage, their gray-headed juveniles blend quietly until molting into that unmistakable fiery head by breeding season.
253	18463	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	A medium-sized woodpecker with a bright red forehead, white mantle marked by irregular black bars, and yellow-tinted underparts, the yellow-bellied sapsucker drills distinctive vertical columns of holes in tree bark to access sap and cambium. During breeding season, males drum on dead trees for long-distance communication while defending territories across deciduous forests in Canada and the northeastern United States. In winter, these adaptable birds migrate south throughout the eastern United States and beyond.
254	19765	Eastern Screech-Owl	The eastern screech owl is a compact nocturnal hunter with striking ear tufts and piercing yellow eyes that blend seamlessly into Eastern North American woodlands. Available in either rich rufous or sleek gray color morphs, it adapts remarkably well to urban environments, thriving from busy townsides to quiet forest edges. While often more heard than seen due to its camouflage, this small owl's distinctive horse-like whinny echoes through the night as it pursues insects and rodents from tree-top perches.
255	59220	Cackling Goose	Cackling GooseNative to the frozen tundra of northern Canada and Alaska, this small goose is easily recognized by its striking black head and neck trimmed with a distinctive white chinstrap marking. Highly territorial during nesting season, parents fiercely defend their shallow ground nests and lead families in protective lines while feeding on aquatic vegetation and grains. Despite once facing severe population decline from over-hunting, improved conservation efforts have helped this migratory species thrive across much of its range.
256	72458	Spotted Sandpiper	Dressed in white feathers speckled with black spots, this small shorebird sports short yellow legs and an orange bill tipped in black. Its signature teetering walk and stiff-winged flight over water make it instantly recognizable from its nodding, constant movements as it hunts insects on the ground. While females mate with multiple males before leaving incubation duties to thema rare polyandrous behaviorthese birds remain solitary foragers near fresh water across North America.
257	73148	Louisiana Waterthrush	This large warbler stands out with a plain brown back, white streaked belly, buff flanks, and distinctive bright pink legs. Known for tail-bobbing habits, it hunts in fast-moving streams, catching aquatic insects and small prey along rocky waterways. One of the earliest spring arrivals, it returns to wet woodlands long before most other warblers.
258	144496	Wilson's Snipe	Small, stocky shorebirds with mottled brown plumage and long, dark bills, Wilson's snipe master the art of camouflage among marshes and wetlands. When threatened, these shy creatures flush away in dramatic zig-zag flight patterns to confuse predators, while males perform elaborate courtship displays known as winnowing, soaring high before diving to produce owl-like calls. Year-round residents on the Pacific coast elsewhere, they migrate southward through winter months across the continent.
259	339593	Ruff	The ruff is a striking medium-sized wader known for its flamboyant breeding plumage and pot-bellied silhouette. Male ruffs come in three distinct forms, each displaying uniquely coloured head tufts and ornamental collars to compete at communal mating arenas called leks. This gregarious species breeds across northern Eurasia's wet marshes before gathering in massive flocks on African wintering grounds, where some groups have numbered in the millions.
260	339596	Buff-breasted Sandpiper	Buff-breasted sandpipers feature brown upperparts, a buff face, and striking yellow legs that stand out against Arctic tundra. Outside breeding season, these remarkably tame shorebirds favor short-grass habitats like golf courses over water, while males display white wing undersides during courtship. An exceptional parent, this long-distance migrant feeds its young bumblebees caught from the wilda unique adaptation in the insect-eating bird world.
261	558512	Northern Shrike	The northern shrike is a large songbird sporting a raptor's hooked beak and gray plumage. This butcherbird perches atop tall poles like a vigilant lookout, hunting small birds, mammals, and insects across taiga and tundra habitats. With a reputation for impaling prey on thorns, it can also lure its victims by perfectly mimicking the calls of smaller birds.
262	979756	Tennessee Warbler	The Tennessee warbler is a small New World warbler with an olive back, slate gray head, and white undertail coverts that stand out in its vibrant plumage. This nervous little bird creeps rapidly along branches at all levels while foraging on insects like spruce budworms, flower nectar, and seeds. Breeding pairs inhabit coniferous and mixed forests across eastern North America before migrating to southern Central America and the Caribbean for winter.
263	1651487	Hairy Woodpecker	The hairy woodpecker is a medium-sized bird with sleek black plumage, distinctive white eye bars, and a bold red crown patch on adult males. This North American resident forages by drumming over bark to uncover hidden insects while nesting in tree cavities it carefully excavates. With a population of nearly nine million individuals, this adaptable species thrives across mature deciduous forests from Canada to Mexico.
264	41880	Striped Skunk	The striped skunk sports a bold black-and-white coat and carries a potent musk spray in its rear glands to deter predators. An adaptable omnivore, it thrives across North American woodlands and fields, digging dens in soft earth while hunting insects, small mammals, and seasonal fruits.
265	42051	Coyote	The coyote is a nimble North American canine with light gray fur marked by black and white accents, known for its distinctive howl that echoes across vast plains and urban neighborhoods alike. Though smaller than wolves, this adaptable scavenger hunts rabbits, rodents, and larger prey like deer, thriving from deserts to city streets. Its scientific name, meaning barking dog, reflects the animal's wide vocal repertoire used for communication and warning across its territory.
266	43794	American Beaver	The North American beaver is the largest rodent in North America and an accomplished engineer of aquatic ecosystems. With its broad, paddle-shaped tail and webbed feet, this semiaquatic master constructs massive dams across streams to create deep water refuges around stick-and-mud lodges. Known to mate for life, these industrious builders can remain submerged up to 15 minutes while gnawing through trees with their continuously growing incisors, transforming landscapes into thriving wetland habitats.
267	63113	Northern Short-tailed Shrew	Northern Short-Tailed ShrewThis diminutive mammal packs a venomous punchits saliva contains a potent protease that paralyzes prey up to its own size while it tunnels through moist forests and leaf litter under the cover of darkness. A voracious hunter, it consumes up to three times its body weight daily, storing hoards of worms and insects for lean winter months. Despite its short tail and poor sense of smell, this solitary creature compensates with acute touch sensitivity and a sharp incisor groove that channels its defensive saliva directly onto any threat.
268	39814	Common Box Turtle	Common box turtles can completely seal themselves into an impenetrable box when threatened, using their uniquely hinged lower shell. These terrestrial reptiles roam open woodlands and marshy meadows across eastern North America, foraging on everything from insects to wild berries. Males sport striking red eyes while females display yellowish-brown ones, but both can keep cool in summer heat by smearing saliva over their skin that evaporates like a natural air conditioner.
269	27186	Eastern Red-backed Salamander	The red-backed salamander is a small, hardy woodland amphibian that thrives beneath rocks, logs, and bark across eastern North America. This species comes in two striking color formsa vibrant red-striped morph with aposematic warning colors and a lead-backed variety that stays nearly invisible against forest floorseach displaying unique anti-predator behaviors. As a lungless salamander relying on permeable skin for breathing, it inhabits moist, temperate woodlands where its survival depends on stable microclimates and leaf litter cover.
270	64977	Fowler's Toad	The Fowler's toad sports brown, grey, and rust-red warty skin with a distinctive pale stripe running down its back when mature. A clever survivor, it burrows underground during hot or dry spells and plays dead when threatened, while its toxic skin secretions keep predators at bay. Breeding takes place in shallow ponds during the warmer months, where up to 10,000 eggs are laid at once before hatching into algae-scraping tadpoles.
271	70421	Blanchard's Cricket Frog	Small with warty skin ranging from brown to olive green, Blanchard's cricket frog bears a distinctive dark triangular mark between its eyes. These short-lived amphibians call out with a metallic clicking sound during breeding season in slow-moving waters throughout the Midwest. Their highly vascularized skin makes them susceptible to disease and requires special care when handled barehanded.
272	50147	Halloween Pennant	The Halloween pennant drifts through eastern North American wetlands like an autumn flag waving from plant tips, its orange-yellow wings marked with dark bands that earned it its spooky moniker. Though only about 3.8 to 4.2 centimeters long, this dragonfly is a resilient flyer capable of taking to the air even in rain and strong winds while seeking shade over its thorax on hotter days. Males remain vigilant near American Holly bushes, where they await females before joining them for their unique egg-laying ceremony over open water at dawn.
273	50931	Gray Hairstreak	The gray hairstreak is a delicate gossamer-winged butterfly with gray upper wings marked by an orange spot near the hind edge. When resting, it twitches its tail-like wing extensions to mimic a separate head, confusing predators and buying itself time to fly away. Caterpillars crawl among clovers and mallows while being tended by ants, thriving across woodlands, meadows, and even urban landscapes from tropical regions to temperate zones.
274	51954	Eastern Cicada-killer Wasp	A large, solitary digger wasp with striking black-and-red patterns and yellow stripes on its abdomen. Females hunt cicadas to provision underground burrow nests, while males engage in territorial aerial combat to defend their perching spots. Though impressive in size, they are not aggressive unless handled roughlyfemales sting if grasped, and males jab with a sharp spine but lack stingers entirely.
275	52785	Sculptured Resin Bee	Giant Resin BeeThe giant resin bee stands out with its cylindrical black body dusted in yellowish-brown fuzz and large, transparent wings that darken toward the tips. Females wield impressive jaws to gather sticky resin for capping their brood cells, while males sport a distinctive squared abdomen. These solitary insects nest in wooden crevices from June through September, often reusing cavities originally made by carpenter bees.
276	52902	Faint-spotted Palthis Moth	The faint-spotted palthis moth can be found across North America, from Florida up to Ontario and west to Texas. With a wingspan of 1923 mm, it flies from winter through fall depending on location. Its larvae feed on Bidens species and the leaves of beans, corn, and oak trees.
277	52925	Pearl Crescent	The Pearl Crescent is a striking orange butterfly with black borders that spans from the southernmost states of Mexico to northern Ontario in Canada. Its most distinctive feature lies on the underside of its hindwing, which bears a light crescent set within a dark marginal patchmarking it as a member of the genus Phyciodes. Found darting through open pastures and roadsides throughout its range, adults sip nectar from dogbane, milkweed, and wild asters while males patrol sunny areas seeking mates.
278	55489	Polished Lady Beetle	This immaculate ladybird beetle gleams with a smooth, polished shell that catches the sunlight across Eastern North America forests and gardens. Its glossy red body, marked with black spots, makes it stand out among other beetles as a striking sight in summer landscapes. A native of Coccinellidae family, this species feeds on aphids while keeping predators at bay with its distinctive iridescent sheen.
279	55626	Small White	The small white butterfly sports a delicate creamy-white wingscape marked with tiny black dots, earning it nicknames like cabbage white for its close association with cruciferous gardens. This nimble flyer can cover vast distancesup to 12 kilometers in a single flightwhile its caterpillars voraciously devour leaves, often reducing crops to ruffled ruins. Though sometimes mistaken for a moth due to its plain appearance, this butterfly is a diurnal sight that buzzes through open fields and town gardens with surprising speed.
280	55719	Common Drone Fly	Common drone flies are stocky bee mimics with marbled black eyes and yellow-orange abdominal markings, but they lack the constricted waist of true bees and possess only two wings. Their larvaeknown as rat-tailed maggotsdevelop in polluted water before emerging as pollinators that can outshine honeybees during autumn displays. Males fiercely guard their territories by hovering motionless over flowers, then darting at any intruders to protect their mating grounds.
281	56756	Harlequin Bug	Harlequin Cabbage BugThis brilliantly marked stinkbug dazzles with its vibrant red, orange, yellow and white patterns against a black body. It feeds voraciously on cruciferous crops like cabbage and broccoli, storing their chemical defenses as a warning to predators. The insects lay distinctive black-and-white striped eggs in clutches across fields, completing 16 generations each year depending on the climate.
282	56925	Red-banded Leafhopper	Graphocephala coccineaThis dazzling leafhopper dazzles observers with its brilliant blue-and-red wing stripes set against a vivid yellow body. Native to meadows and woodlands from Canada down to Panama, the candy-striped sharpshooter feeds on plant sap across North and Central America. Though smalljust 6.7 to 8.4 mm in lengthit carries dangerous bacteria that can devastate elm, oak, and other ornamental trees.
283	58561	American Snout	The American snout butterfly looks like a dead leaf, with elongated proboscis and antennae that give it a beak-like snout. Its wings are patterned black-brown with white and orange markings, featuring distinctive squared forewing tips. These masters of camouflage hang upside-down beneath twigs to become nearly invisible when observed.
284	59300	Celery Looper Moth	The Celery Looper is a nocturnal moth of the Noctuidae family, sporting a wingspan of 3540 mm. Its larvae are voracious feeders, browsing on low-growing plants like clover, lettuce, and corn across North America. Despite its name, this species prefers humble forbs rather than celery alone.
285	59774	Blue Dasher	The blue dasher is a striking dragonfly with shimmering blue males featuring vibrant eyes and yellow-striped thoraxes, while females display subtler brown-and-yellow patterns across their abdomens. This agile predator waits patiently near ponds and slow-moving waters before darting to snatch flying insects, capable of consuming up to 10 of its body weight daily. During the day it hunts from perches at night, roosting in trees above its aquatic territory where it defends space with fierce territorial displays.
286	60428	Ferruginous Tiger Crane Fly	Nephrotoma ferruginea is a towering crane fly with elegant, spindly legs that can span up to 15 centimeters in length. This graceful insect feeds primarily on nectar and spends its short adult life high above the forest floor. Despite their imposing size, these creatures are surprisingly fragile fliers that rarely travel far from their woodland habitats.
287	61495	Eastern Pondhawk	Eastern PondhawkThis athletic dragonfly is a striking sight soaring above ponds and still waters across eastern North America. Males sport a vibrant blue abdomen with a green face that gradually dulls to powdery bluish-grey with age, while females display a bright green body with dark banding. A swift-flying predator that patrols territories over floating algal mats, it dips low to lay eggs directly into the water before vanishing back into the summer sky.
288	62978	Silvery Checkerspot	The silvery checkerspot boasts a pale yellow-orange upper body trimmed in dark borders, with distinctive white-centered spots dancing along its hindwings and a shimmering white crescent marking the margin. These graceful nymphaline butterflies inhabit moist streamsides, meadows, and forest openings across North America, from southern Canada down to Florida and Texas. During warmer months, adults sip nectar from red clover, common milkweed, and dogbane while their caterpillars feast on various asters, skeletonizing leaves in early instars before hibernating as third-instar larvae.
289	69737	Tersa Sphinx	The Tersa Sphinx is a magnificent moth of the family Sphingidae, recognized for its imposing presence in gardens from Massachusetts to southern Brazil. Its larvae feed on an eclectic diet of flowering plants including Catalpa and Inga vera, making them frequent garden visitors where they thrive on nectar-rich blooms. This ancient species was first cataloged by Carl Linnaeus in 1771, though occasional strays now wander as far north as Canada.
290	70997	American Pelecinid Wasp	Glossy black and up to seven centimeters long, this wasp sports distinctive long antennae that sweep through gardens and woodlands throughout the Americas. Female hunters pierce June beetle grubs to lay their eggs while adults sip nectar during late summer evenings. In some populations, females reproduce without males at all, making them the sole carriers of life in certain regions.
291	71154	Oleander Aphid	Oleander aphid is a tiny, yellow-and-black striped insect native to tropical and Mediterranean regions. This prolific reproducer feeds on milkweeds, oleander, and periwinkle plants, often spreading viral diseases in the process. While wingless forms are common, some develop wings when populations need to migrate to new host plants for survival.
292	81674	Spotted Grass Moth	The spotted grass moth glides through eastern North America's meadows and fields, its yellow-toned wings spanning just 15-19 millimeters. Adults take to the air from May through August, drawn to warm summer days where they search for mates among the tall grasses their larvae call home.
293	82177	Black Soldier Fly	The black soldier fly is a master recycler, with larvae capable of consuming vast amounts of organic waste and converting it into nutrient-rich protein. These 16-millimeter mimics sport metallic blue-to-green thorax reflections and deceptive wasp-like features to deter predators from this industrious decomposer. Native to the Neotropics, they now thrive across all continents as essential partners in composting and sustainable agriculture.
294	82582	Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle	The milkweed leaf beetle wears its bright orange and black coat like armor, broadcasting a poisonous warning to any predator foolish enough to try a bite. Resembling a scaled-up ladybird, this round-bodied insect thrives on toxic milkweeds that deter most herbivores across eastern North America. From orange jellybean-like eggs to soil-burrowing larvae and eventual adults seeking winter shelter, every stage survives where others cannot.
295	82724	Big-headed Ground Beetle	This big-headed ground beetle sports large, toothed mandibles that it uses to hunt prey in the dark. A nocturnal digger, Scarites subterraneus spends most days hiding beneath logs, rocks, and leaf litter in coastal forests and meadows. When startled, it stiffens its limbs and plays dead until danger passesoften lured out of hiding by porch lights after sundown.
296	82832	Twice-stabbed Stink Bug	The twice-stabbed stink bug is a bold little creature found across North America, from Canada down to Mexico. Adults sport a striking black coat adorned with vibrant red, orange, or yellow bands and two distinctive spots at the back of their shell. As they grow through several stages, their markings shift dramatically, turning young nymphs from fiery red to pristine white before settling into adulthood's bold colors.
297	83802	Locust Borer	The locust borer is a master of disguise, its striking black-and-yellow stripes fooling predators into thinking it's a wasp or bee. From August to October, these beetles feast on goldenrod pollen before females seek out wounded black locust trees to lay their eggs. Inside the tree tunnels they create, tiny white larvae hatch and spend winters hibernating before boring deep into the trunk as destructive borers.
298	84023	Walnut Sphinx	The walnut sphinx is a graceful nocturnal moth with a 4575 mm wingspan that dances over North American forests from the Atlantic to the Rockies. Its caterpillar feeds on nut-bearing trees and boasts a remarkable defense: when threatened by birds, it expels air through its abdomen's spiracles to emit a piercing whistle that startles predators and may cause them to reject this strange-looking meal.
299	84038	Leconte's Haploa Moth	Leconte's Haploa is a medium-sized moth with a wingspan ranging from 36 to 50 millimeters, found across eastern North America from Nova Scotia down to Georgia and west through Manitoba. Its larvae are polyphagous feeders that develop on a wide variety of plants including apple trees, blackberries, peaches, spearmint, and trembling aspen. Adults rest with wings closed, displaying their distinctive markings against branches while awaiting warm weather to emerge from sheltered spots.
300	84188	False Potato Beetle	False Potato BeetleThese beetles dwell in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, emerging from soil during late spring to begin breeding. Adults sport distinctive black and white wing patternsmarked by a unique brownish band replacing one of the characteristic white stripes. While they feed voraciously on solanaceous weeds like horsenettle and bittersweet, this species avoids potatoes entirely, distinguishing it from its notorious relative.
301	84286	Northern Walkingstick	The common walkingstick is a master of camouflage, resembling a weathered twig with its slender, elongated body. Males sport a brown hue measuring about 3 inches, while females grow larger at nearly 4 inches in a greenish-brown shade and lack wings entirely. Native to North American deciduous forests, these leaf-eating insects often feast high in the canopy of oak and hazelnut trees during their active hours.
302	84333	Beautiful Wood-nymph	Eudryas grata, known as the beautiful wood nymph, is a moth that masterfully mimics bird droppings to evade predators. Its caterpillars feed on an eclectic range of plants including grapes, Virginia creeper, and hops across eastern United States forests.
303	84403	Red-headed Bush Cricket	The red-headed bush cricket sports striking coloration with its crimson head and thorax contrasting against black wings and pale yellow legs. Males amplify their distinctive rattling trill by positioning themselves between curved leaves to attract mates. Found throughout the eastern United States, this small 7-9mm omnivore feeds on flowers, leaves, and smaller insects.
304	84752	Greater Anglewing	Greater angle-wing katydids master the art of camouflage with their green, rhombus-shaped bodies that perfectly mimic leaves. Perched high in trees and shrubs across North America, they remain nearly invisible until late summer, when males begin their distinctive ticking calls. At just under three inches long, these insects blend seamlessly into their leafy environment while signaling to mates.
305	84844	Organ-pipe Mud-dauber Wasp	Shiny black with pale yellow leg tips, this organ pipe mud dauber constructs distinctive clusters of mud tubes that stand like tiny organ pipes against the forest backdrop. The docile wasp is a spider-hunting guardianfemales paralyze arachnids to provision their larvae while males guard the nest entrance. Native to eastern North America, this beneficial species thrives in smooth, shaded vertical surfaces where it builds its unique family homes.
306	85024	Eastern Giant Swallowtail	The eastern giant swallowtail towers among North American butterflies, boasting an impressive wingspan of up to 19 centimeters with striking black forewings crossed by diagonal yellow bands. Its larvae are living masterpieces of disguise, mimicking bird droppings to fool predators while voraciously consuming citrus foliage in deciduous forests. A powerful glider that soars effortlessly on thermal currents, this majestic species is both a garden attraction and an agricultural pestearning its caterpillars the nickname orange dog.
307	85362	Great Golden Digger Wasp	The great golden digger wasp gleams with golden fuzz across its head and thorax, while its legs and body blaze with reddish orange hues. This burrowing expert spins intricate underground chambers for her young, provisioning them with paralyzed crickets and other Orthoptera she hunts with surgical precision. Before dragging each catch into the burrow, she compulsively inspects the entranceher ritual so rigid it earned this behavior the nickname sphexish.
308	94575	Blue-tipped Dancer	The Blue-Tipped Dancer gracefully glides through streams and wetlands across Central and North America, its slender body tipped with brilliant blue hues along the wings. A member of the Coenagrionidae family, this damselfly perches delicately on vegetation in quiet ponds and forest edges. Listed as Least Concern, these active insects maintain a stable population, their darting movements earning them their charming moniker among nature's most elegant aerialists.
309	99892	Double-striped Bluet	The double-striped bluet is a petite damselfly measuring just 2128 mm in length, distinguished by its unique shoulder stripe divided into two sectionsa rare feature among its kind. Adult males sport a striking abdomen that alternates black and blue segments with the final three segments entirely blue, while females display more subdued tan to olive coloring. These graceful insects favor calm waters alongside lakes and ponds, where they glide effortlessly over their aquatic surroundings.
310	102006	Dragonhunter	The dragonhunter is the largest clubtail dragonfly in North America, boasting black-and-yellow markings and bright green eyes. Males can be spotted from afar as they curl their abdomens beneath them while soaring, forming a distinctive sideways J shape. This voracious predator takes on larger insectsincluding dare devil clubtails and monarch butterflieswith surgical precision to avoid ingesting harmful toxins.
311	103498	Fragile Forktail	This diminutive damselfly measures just 21 to 29 millimeters in length yet is a common sight across eastern North America. Both males and females sport distinctive exclamation mark-shaped stripes on their shoulders, a key identifying feature of this forktail species. The fragile forktail favors wetland habitats along the American east coast, where it can often be found resting with its wings folded.
312	108344	Wandering Glider	Globe Skimmer Pantala flavescensThis golden dragonfly is the world's most widespread insect flyer, roaming every continent except Antarctica on annual migrations spanning thousands of miles. With wingspans up to 8.4 cm and a distinctive yellow-gold thorax, it soars tirelessly at heights of over 6000 meters without ever perching. These wanderers fly in massive swarms during monsoon season, riding thermal currents across oceans and deserts in the longest non-stop journey known in any insect species.
313	118503	Virginia Creeper Sphinx	The Green Grapevine Sphinx is a striking woodland dweller with green-brown striped forewings and vibrant orange hindwings that span just two to three inches. These large moths emerge on warm mid-afternoons and are most active at dusk, where they nectar from flowers and seek sugar baits under the night sky. The species thrives across central and eastern North America, preferring brushy habitats where its caterpillarsrecognizable by their striking blue horns and colorful stripesfeed voraciously on Virginia creeper and grape vines throughout the summer months.
314	118531	Maple Looper Moth	The Maple Looper Moth inhabits eastern North American forests, where its slender, pale wings reach spans of 3343 mm during April through September flights. Its larvae are distinctive loopers that feed on birch, maple, and walnut trees, leaving behind a trail of small holes as they work their way through the foliage. With just one generation per year, this Erebidae moth plays a quiet but vital role in forest ecosystems.
315	118967	Twenty-spotted Lady Beetle	The twenty-spotted lady beetle is a small North American resident, measuring just 1.753.0 mm with a striking white background adorned with dark or orange spots on its wing covers. Its most remarkable feature is the M-shaped arrangement of four to five dark spots on its pronotum, which sets it apart from other colorful beetles. This unique patterned predator uses olfactory senses to locate and devour powdery mildew, making it a natural ally against plant diseases in its native habitat.
316	119561	Narrow-headed Marsh Fly	Narrow-headed Marsh FlyThese wide-bodied hoverflies master the art of hovering in North American wetlands, feeding nectar from flowers with effortless flight. Larvae drop into ponds to thrive on decaying organic matter, while adults sport distinctive yellow-and-black banding that catches the light among marsh blooms.
317	121236	Bruce Spanworm Moth	The Bruce spanworm is a native autumn moth with dramatic sexual dimorphismmales fly with 2530mm wingspans while females sport tiny, non-flying wings that appear almost vestigial. Emerging October through December, they feast on maple, beech, and aspen buds before dropping to the soil to pupate in earthen cocoons for months until winter's end.
318	121237	German Cockroach	The German cockroach is a small, tan-to-black insect distinguished by two dark parallel streaks running along its back. Despite possessing wings, it prefers crawling over flying but can glide when startled, often scattering in kitchens, restaurants, and other warm human dwellings where food scraps thrive. This tenacious scavenger survives on almost anything from meat to toothpaste, emitting an unpleasant odor when disturbed, while reproducing faster than any other household cockroach to perpetually infest its cozy cracks and crevices.
319	122381	Eastern Tailed-Blue	The Eastern Tailed-Blue is a small, elegant butterfly distinguished by its delicate trailing tail that fans from its hindwings. Males glow in electric blue on their upperside, while females shimmer in softer tones of light blue to warm brown across sunny open clearings throughout eastern North America. In a remarkable display of mutual protection, their caterpillars secrete a special substance that attracts ants for defense against predators.
320	123516	Clubbed Mydas Fly	The clubbed mydas fly is a large, striking insect with a prominent orange-red marking on its abdomen that belies its bold, unflinching flight patterns. This deceptive predator mimics venomous spider wasps with a mock-stinging posture, curling and jabbing its abdomen to ward off potential threats. Native to eastern North America, it frequents deciduous woodlands and fields during the summer months to feed on nectar and pollen.
321	123611	Suzuki's Promalactis Moth	Promalactis suzukiella is a diminutive moth measuring just 4.5 to 7 mm across, fluttering through the air from March to late September. Native to Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, this elegant insect has colonized much of the United States since the early 2000s. Its larvae quietly feast under the bark of rotting logs of cherry, oak, and peach trees, making their home in decaying wood across multiple generations each year.
322	125792	Oblong Woolcarder Bee	The oblong woolcarder bee sports distinctive rust-colored secretions on the outside of its nests, marking its hidden brood chambers made from harvested vegetable wool. Favored in warm, dry grasslands and along flowering stone walls across Eurasia, this megachilid wasp-bee visits Fabaceae plants like Lotus to gather pollen for its colonies. Introduced to northeastern North America since 1995, it now thrives in gardens offering both suitable nesting cavities and blooming food sources.
323	126153	Nessus Sphinx	The Nessus sphinx is a vibrant day-flying moth distinguished by two bright-yellow bands across its abdomen. During its active season from April to July, adults dart through eastern forests and gardens sipping nectar from flowers like lilac and geranium. Its larvae have a voracious appetite, feeding on grapevines and pepper plants before transforming into the striking adult form.
324	126206	Carolina Grasshopper	Carolina Grasshopper Dissosteira carolinaThis thermophilic grasshopper loves basking on gravel roads and bare ground in the hottest parts of North America. Known for its rapid wing transitions, it can seemingly appear and vanish in under nine milliseconds when taking flight from predators, often confusing observers with its butterfly-like bobbing flight. Males court females by hovering overhead while clicking their wings, a soft yet persistent call that can continue for over five minutes.
325	126209	Citrus Flatid Planthopper	The Citrus Flatid Planthopper is a tiny but distinctive 5.58 mm insect with large yellow eyes and wings held like folded sails when at rest. Its bluish-white wax coating gives it a pearlescent appearance as it gregariously feeds on plant sap, dripping sweet honeydew that attracts bees. Though native to North America, this sap-sucking pest has spread across Europe and beyond, wreaking havoc on citrus trees, grapes, and ornamental plants alike.
326	126211	Four-lined Plant Bug	The Fourlined Plant Bug is a striking insect native to North America, sporting four bold black stripes across a bright green or yellow body with an orange head and crimson eyes. This tiny pest prefers mint and flowering plants in gardens and fields, where it creates small holes by feeding on leaves during late spring and early summer. Though harmless to humans, its vivid markings make it stand out as nature's own miniature painter among the foliage.
327	126215	Four-toothed Mason Wasp	The four-toothed mason wasp sports a striking black abdomen crowned with a broad ivory band on its first segment. This solitary potter weaves intricate nests from clay and seals them in abandoned tunnels, hollow stems, and old dauber nests across eastern North America. With an unusually long 30-minute courtship dance and two generations each year, it feeds larvae a diet of caterpillars and pollen before overwintering as resilient pupae.
328	126217	Orange Mint Moth	Pyrausta orphisalisThis vibrant orange-spotted moth drifts through North American summers with a 1517 mm wingspan, visible from mid-June until late July across the continent. Though small, it carries an important ecological role as its larvae feast on native mint species like Monarda in their habitats from Newfoundland to New Mexico.
329	126276	Ipsilon Dart Moth	The Dark Swordgrass moth is a small nocturnal wanderer with dark brown forewings marked by distinctive black Y patterns and pale hindwings. Its larvae crawl underground after the fourth instar to sever plant stems at ground level, earning them the dreaded cutworm nickname among farmers worldwide. Adults migrate seasonally between regions and feed on flower nectar from linden trees and wild plums.
330	126616	American Dun-bar Moth	Cosmia calamiThis American dun-bar moth sweeps across North American forests with wingspans reaching 1.3 inches in graceful nocturnal flight. Its larvae play an unusual ecological role by hunting geometrid caterpillars instead of grazing on leaves. This predatory larva prefers oak trees, where it hunts its prey among the Quercus foliage.
331	126765	Diamondback Moth	The diamondback moth is a tiny, grayish-brown lepidopteran with a distinctive cream-colored diamond pattern running along its narrow wings. Though barely visible at only 15mm in wingspan, it's responsible for devastating damage to cabbage and other cruciferous crops worldwide through its voracious larvae, which chew irregular window-pane holes into leaves. As one of the world's most widely distributed moths, this resilient pest has evolved resistance to pesticides and biocontrol agents, making it a persistent agricultural nemesis.
332	126848	Common Picture-winged Fly	With wings like a dark brown canvas and a slender black body, this picture-winged fly is easily spotted fluttering through humid forests and swamps across the eastern United States. Known as detritivores, these 7mm-long creatures feed on decaying plant matter rather than living food, making them a common sight in landfills and shaded fields alike. During mating season, they engage in an elegant courtship dance of gentle wing waves and occasionally blow delicate bubbles from their mouths before laying eggs in rotting vegetation.
333	126995	Bent-lined Dart	Bent-line Dart Choephora fungorumThis noctuid moth inhabits eastern North America, stretching from the Great Lakes region down to Florida and west to Kansas. With a wingspan of 3347 mm, it takes flight in the late autumn months as its larvae feast on clover, tobacco, and various herbaceous weeds.
334	127392	Hackberry Thorn Gall Midge	The hackberry thorn gall midge is a tiny fly whose larvae create distinctive spiky galls on hackberry tree branches. These microscopic creatures go through their entire life cycle embedded within the plant tissue, forming defensive structures that resemble miniature cacti. Though nearly invisible to the naked eye, they're nature's master architects of intricate botanical sculptures.
335	129042	Spring Fishfly	The spring fishfly sports distinctive saw-toothed antennae and a robust, dark body built for aerial precision. These formidable insects patrol North American waters as adults, using their powerful jaws to catch flying prey mid-air. Before adulthood emerges from the water, they spend months developing underground, transforming into winged hunters that guard their territory until spring arrives.
336	132210	Mottled Tortoise Beetle	The mottled tortoise beetle is a striking member of the Chrysomelidae family, found spanning the Caribbean through Central and South America. Its larvae are protected by ingenious shields crafted from shed skins and frass that they carry to shield their backs from predators. Like its namesake, this beetle displays remarkable defensive behaviors throughout its life cycle.
337	132225	Two-striped Planthopper	Acanalonia bivittata, the two-striped planthopper, is a vibrant insect native to grasslands across Australia and New Zealand. Adults display a predominantly green coloration with occasional pink variations and distinctive reddish stripes along their wing edges. As one of the most widespread members of its genus, this species can be found inhabiting tall grass and vegetation throughout its range.
338	132719	Reticulated Net-winged Beetle	The reticulated net-winged beetle sports distinctive banding across its wings, giving it a striking striped appearance. These day-active beetles favor dead and decaying trees, where they lay their eggs and pupate among the rotting wood. While adults bask in sunlight during daylight hours, their larvae remain hidden in leaf litter, hunting for small arthropods as they grow.
339	133439	Golden Tortoise Beetle	Golden tortoise beetles boast a dazzling metallic green or gold shell that catches the sunlight, often adorned with tiny ridges that can hold dew droplets like miniature ornaments. These leaf beetles curl their bodies when threatened and are commonly found resting on plants they feed upon. Their iridescent exterior gives them an almost jewel-like appearance against the foliage of meadows and forests throughout North America.
340	133764	Swift Feather-legged Fly	This fuzzy-legged fly bears a distinctive feather-like fringe on its hind legs, giving it its namesake feature. About the size of a housefly, it hovers over nectar-rich flowers before hunting squash bugs and stinkbugs for egg-laying. Its larvae parasitize agricultural pests, earning this species an unsung role in organic farming.
341	135276		Lebia viridis is a diminutive predatory ground beetle measuring just 5-7 millimeters in length. These diurnal hunters are frequently spotted on flowers and vegetation throughout North America, Mexico, Guatemala, and Cuba. Active during daylight hours, they patrol their territories in search of unsuspecting prey.
342	135318	Harnessed Tiger Moth	Harnessed Tiger MothThese striking moths boast bold black and orange wings that serve as warning signals to potential predators, advertising their distasteful reputation. Like cicadas, they produce high-frequency clicks from tymbals on their thoraxa dual-purpose defense mechanism for scaring off threats and communicating during mating. Their caterpillars feast on common garden plants, while the adults fly briefly through spring and summer across North America before completing their life cycle.
343	142994	Cross-lined Wave	With its distinctive hooked forewings and pointed hindwings, this cross-lined wave moth glides through late spring and early summer air. Its caterpillars weave between Polygonum and Rumex plants before transforming into moths that dance across the eastern United States from May to September. Adults with a wingspan of 2028 mm add intricate patterns to their native habitats along the Eastern Seaboard.
344	143028	American Bird's-wing	The American bird's-wing is a striking cutworm moth belonging to the Noctuidae family, known for its distinctive markings that resemble a bird's wingspan when viewed from above. This nocturnal species roams the North American landscape, emerging under the cover of darkness where it hunts and feeds among fields and forests. Its elegant, darting flight pattern earned it the name bird's-wing as it skims through summer night skies across its continental range.
345	143030	Sweetheart Underwing	The Sweetheart Underwing is a large moth with a wingspan reaching up to 95 mm, flying across North America from August through October. Its larvae feed on poplar and willow trees before emerging as adults known for their distinctive underwings. From Nova Scotia south to Florida and west into Arizona and Montana, this graceful insect graces the late summer nights.
346	143151	Black-legged Meadow Katydid	The black-legged meadow katydid is a slender insect with distinctive dark-tipped hind legs and delicate, elongated antennae. Found throughout the grasslands and wet meadows of North America, this graceful grasshopper-like creature uses its wings to create melodic chirping sounds during breeding season. Its vibrant green coloration blends seamlessly with tall grasses as it navigates the damp, open habitats where it thrives.
347	143323	Large Tolype Moth	The Tolype velleda sports a 32-58 mm wingspan with dark gray wings featuring wavy bands visible whether open or closed. Females grow larger than males during their June-November adult phase. Their larvae feast on diverse hardwoods like apple, oak, and birch trees before maturing.
348	143610	Oak Besma Moth	The Oak Besma is a woodland geometer moth found across North America's forests and woodlands, displaying distinct sexual dimorphism with a wingspan of 2741 mm. Its larvae feed voraciously on oak and birch leaves throughout the growing season, while adults emerge in spring to flutter between two generations each year.
349	143615	Celery Leaftier Moth	The Udea rubigalis, known as the celery leaftier, is a small moth found across the Americas that favors vegetable gardens and greenhouses. Its larvae are masters of disguise, expertly tying leaves together while feasting on a wide variety of plants. While often considered agricultural pests, they play an important role in the natural ecosystem.
350	143662	Brown Prionid	Orthosoma brunneum is a distinctive longhorn beetle featuring several prominent spikes on its thorax, giving it a uniquely armored appearance. As the sole representative of its genus, this brown-colored beetle stands apart from all other species in the Cerambycidae family. Its rugged, spined form provides both protection and identification among forest-dwelling insects.
351	143728	Oblique-banded Leafroller Moth	The oblique banded leaf roller is a petite, light-brown moth with a wingspan of about 25 mm, emerging twice yearly to feast on rosaceous plants across North America and beyond. Its larvae sport green bodies and black heads as they masterfully roll and tie leaves for shelter while feeding voraciously on fruits. Damage to orchard trees is often spotted when leaves appear chewed or neatly rolled uptelltale signs of this stealthy pest at work.
352	145436	Transverse-banded Flower Fly	Transverse Banded Drone Fly Eristalis transversaThis hoverfly is easily spotted hovering motionless among flowers, where adults feed on nectar and pollen for energy. Its striking appearance features an opaque black body adorned with three elegant grayish-olive transverse bands and vibrant yellow markings along the thorax. While its rat-tailed larvae remain undocumented in the wild, the adults are common companions throughout North America east of the Mississippi River.
353	145659	American Dagger	The American dagger moth sports striking white markings across its gray wings and a bold black dash near each forewing's tip, gliding through eastern North American forests during warm spring and summer nights. Its fuzzy caterpillars emerge in late summer sporting vibrant yellow hairs that can irritate skin despite being harmless to handle.
354	146713	Grateful Midget	The Grateful Midget Moth is a diminutive nocturnal beauty with a wingspan of just 2026 mm, darting through North American skies from April to October. These industrious creatures undergo multiple generations each year while their larvae feast on forbs, oak leaves, and decomposing foliage. Despite its unassuming size, this grateful moth plays an important role in its ecosystem across the continent.
355	146945		With delicate, iridescent green wings and distinctive golden eyes that give the species its name, this lacewing patrols gardens across North America hunting aphids. While native from Canada down to Mexico, Golden-Eyed Lacewings were once imported to New Zealand in 1926 for pest controlbut ultimately failed to establish themselves there. Their shimmering bodies make them easy to spot as they drift through foliage on warm summer days.
356	153076	Bronzed Cutworm Moth	The bronzed cutworm soars with wings spanning up to 40 mm across North America from July through October. Its larvae feed voraciously on grasses and corn crops before pupating underground, earning this shaded umber moth a notoriety among farmers. While absent from Florida and neighboring regions, the species thrives in agricultural landscapes throughout most of its range.
357	153079	Giant Crane Fly	The giant crane fly stands among the largest of its kind, with a delicate yet imposing presence near water's edge. As a larva, it calls riparian aquatic habitats home, subsisting on leaf litter broken down by specialized gut microbes. Though they may appear fragile, these insects play an important ecological role in wetland ecosystems.
358	154469	Crowned Slug Moth	Isa textula is a slender moth of the slug moth family found across eastern North America, from the Great Lakes region down through Florida and into Texas. Its caterpillars are leaf-eaters with particular taste for oak, cherry, maple, and beech trees. Like its namesake slug moths, this species has earned its place in the wild as a common forest dweller.
359	155387	Inland Floodwater Mosquito	The inland floodwater mosquito sports a distinctive white-scaled proboscis and B-shaped markings along its abdomen, perfectly adapted to humid grassy pools. While males sip sweet nectar from flowers, the females hunt blood meals from cattle and humans to nourish their eggs. These opportunistic pests thrive in roadside ditches and flooded fields, leaving behind dormant eggs that hatch when fresh waters return.
360	174124	Ample Sap Beetle	Cryptarcha ampla is a slender, sap-loving beetle that scurries across sun-drenched hardwoods and fallen logs throughout North American forests. This nitidulid expertly extracts nutrients from tree saps, its iridescent elytra catching the dappled light as it feeds. A common yet unassuming forest inhabitant, it plays a vital role in processing decaying wood and dispersing plant nutrients across woodland floors.
361	176720	Fan-shaped Fire-colored Beetle	This brilliant red beetle glows like embers, drawing its name from its flame-like coloration that stands out against forest floors across the eastern United States. While adults rarely feed, larvae dwell in decaying wood where they consume fungi as their primary sustenance. Its vibrant hue serves both camouflage among autumn leaves and a warning to predators of its chemical defenses.
362	178403	Dark-banded Owlet	Dark-banded owlet Phalaenophana pyramusalis, the graceful North American moth with a 2125 mm wingspan that graces summers from June to July across central Canada and the southern United States. These nocturnal fliers multiply rapidly with two or more generations each year, while their unique larvae specialize in feasting on moist, blackened decaying leaves found across the forest floor.
363	194598	Rustic Quaker	The Rustic Quaker is a widespread noctuid moth found from eastern North America through Mexico, Cuba, and Brazil. With a modest wingspan of 28-35mm, this grayish-brown beauty takes flight between May and August in late spring warmth. Its caterpillars are nature's generalists, feasting on dandelions, plantains, grasses, and willows to grow into the adult form.
364	198996	Spring Beauty Miner	The spring beauty miner bee is a small, fuzzy bee native to North American prairies and meadows. As its name suggests, this solitary insect emerges in early spring when other pollinators are scarce. It excavates burrows in loose soil for nesting, where females lay their eggs near flower stems that will later sprout above ground.
365	198997	Dunning's Miner	Dunning's miner bee is a small, fuzzy pollinator that digs intricate tunnels into sandy, loamy soils to raise its young. Solitary and active from spring through summer, these bees dart across meadows and gardens seeking nectar and pollen from early-blooming wildflowers. Their presence in North American prairies and open habitats makes them vital partners for native plant reproduction.
366	199870	Meal moth	The meal moth is a small, cosmopolitan creature with surprisingly colorful wings that rest at a sharp 90-degree angle to its body. Its caterpillars burrow into silk-lined tunnels within stored grains and cereals, making them a common household pest where moisture infiltrates grain supplies. Despite being considered a nuisance, this quick-living moth can produce multiple generations per year and has even found use in traditional Chinese insect tea.
367	203352	End Band Net-winged Beetle	The end band net-winged beetle is a distinctive member of the Lycidae family found throughout eastern North American woodlands. This woodland dweller is easily recognized by the unique transverse depression that crosses its wing cases. During warm summer months, adults lay their eggs on decaying trees where their young feed on small arthropods hidden beneath the bark.
368	203417	Diamondback Spittlebug	Diamond-backed spittle bugs bear brown wings marked with distinctive dark diagonal bands and a curved tip. These insects feed on grasses, shrubs, and herbs while protecting their nymphs beneath frothy spittle masses that shield them from predators.
369	205238	Pale Metanema Moth	The pale metanema is a delicate geometer moth with slender wings spanning 25-36mm across, distinguished by fine yellow lines that adorn its subtle coloration. Adults emerge from late May through mid-July across vast stretches of North American forests, from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic coast. The larvae feed primarily on poplar and occasionally willow trees, playing a crucial role within their woodland ecosystems.
370	215388	Red-winged Longhorn Beetle	Brachyleptura rubrica is a striking longhorn beetle whose adults feed on spiraea shrubs across their range. Named after Thomas Say, this cerambycid was first described in 1824 and can be found inhabiting areas where its host plants thrive. Its reddish hue hints at the Latin name rubrica, meaning little red.
371	215426	Rock-dwelling Harp Ground Beetle	A rugged ground beetle of the Carabidae family, Bradycellus rupestris roams the soil and leaf litter across North America. Its dark, hardening carapace protects it as it hunts small invertebrates beneath the forest floor. Though seldom seen above ground, this cryptic predator leaves a subtle trail of activity that hints at its nocturnal hunting rounds.
372	215979	Carolina Leafroller Cricket	The Carolina leaf-roller is a diminutive yet distinctive raspy cricket native to the eastern United States. This small insect has earned its name by rolling and tying leaves together to construct protective shelters for resting within. Known for its rasping song, it remains a quiet inhabitant of the forest undergrowth, blending seamlessly into its woodland environment.
373	216775	Tricolored Harp Ground Beetle	This vivid metallic ground beetle boasts iridescent colors that shimmer in the dappled forest light. Roaming across forests and wetlands from southern Canada down to Guatemala, Chlaenius tricolor hunts by day and night with a powerful pincer grip for catching prey.
374	217496	Dusky Groundling	Dusky Groundling moths have a modest wingspan of 2938mm, taking flight under the cover of darkness from spring through fall across eastern North America. These nocturnal visitors complete two generations each year, with their larvae feeding on native Eupatorium plants and lettuce. Their dusky coloring helps them remain camouflaged while skirting close to the ground during nighttime hours.
375	217515	Pecan Gall Curculio	This true weevil is found across North America, where it makes its living on pecan trees by feeding exclusively on galls created by hickory leaf stem gall phylloxera. The pecan gall curculio has adapted to a specialized niche, thriving only on these plant-made shelters rather than eating leaves directly. It's a small but dedicated insect that plays an important role in the life cycle of its unique host.
376	217522	Pigweed Curculio	The amaranth weevil is a tiny, slender beetle in the Curculionidae family, easily identified by its elongated snout characteristic of true weevils. Native to North America, this creature spends its life cycle feeding on and hiding within amaranth plants. Though often overlooked, these small beetles play a role in their ecosystem as part of the broader plant-insect food web.
377	218166	Walnut Caterpillar Moth	The walnut caterpillar moth is a member of the Notodontidae family with a wingspan measuring 35 to 50 millimeters across eastern North America. Adults emerge from May through August, while their larvae feast on hickory, walnut, willow, oak, and thorny locust trees. This elusive moth calls forested areas home, weaving its life cycle through the branches of native hardwoods.
378	218670	Small Mulberry Borer	Dorcaschema alternatum is a longhorn beetle of North American forests, first cataloged by Thomas Say in 1824 under its original name Saperda. This cryptic insect feeds on Morus celtidifolia mulberry trees and remains elusive within its woodland habitat. Despite its humble classification, the species has survived alongside changing landscapes across much of the United States since European settlers first encountered it.thinkDorcaschema alternatumThis longhorn beetle prowls North American forests in quiet mystery, originally classified under the genus Saperda when Thomas Say cataloged it in 1824. It feeds on Morus celtidifolia mulberry trees and maintains a cryptic presence throughout its woodland habitat across the United States.
379	218671	Ashen Longhorned Beetle	This longhorn beetle sports an elegant dark-gray body with subtle metallic undertones that shimmer in filtered sunlight. Native to the United States and first described in 1795, this Cerambycid larva feeds on dead wood, helping recycle nutrients through forest ecosystems. Its slender antennae can actually extend beyond its body lengtha classic trait of the family it belongs to.
380	219184		Enochrus sayi glides silently across water surfaces as a nocturnal scavenger, drawn to the scent of decaying organic matter. This hydrophilid beetle inhabits freshwater environments throughout North America and Oceania, where it plays a vital role in nutrient cycling beneath the surface. Its iridescent exoskeleton reflects moonlight as it navigates ponds and streams at night.
381	221006	Contrasted Dryopid	The Helichus lithophilus is a long-toed water beetle with unusually elongated claws on its middle legs, adaptations that help it navigate aquatic vegetation with surgical precision. Found across North American freshwater habitats, this Dryopidae relative hunts small prey in warm waters where it thrives as both predator and scavenger. Its distinctive leg structure allows it to cling to underwater plants with remarkable stability even in fast-moving currents.
382	221995	Undulate Sigil Lady Beetle	This undulating lady beetle sports distinctive wavy markings across its elytra, a pattern that gives it its name. Found throughout North America, these tiny predators hunt aphids and other soft-bodied insects with impressive efficiency. When threatened, they may drop to the ground and play dead to avoid detection by larger animals.
383	222462	Japanese Maple Leafhopper	The Japanese Maple Leafhopper is a delicately built insect with translucent wings veined in ruby red and adorned with purplish-brown bands across its surface when at rest. Though native to eastern Asia, it hitched rides on traded maple plants to spread across Europe, North America, and Australia. Feeding primarily on maples, this tiny leafhopper causes little damage despite being monitored by growers wary of disease-carrying bugs.
384	222761	Ringed Harp Ground Beetle	This small beetle measures under half an inch long, sporting brown or dark purple armor with pale wing-tip markings interrupted by a fine black border. Found across Canada, it feeds on plant foliage and flowers.
385	224032		This tiny weevil calls the eastern United States home, with its specialized snout perfectly adapted for feeding on plant stems and roots. Despite its small stature, this true weaver of beetle family Curculionidae moves through forest underbrush with deliberate purpose. Its presence marks it as a native part of the region's diverse insect communities, quietly contributing to soil health while plants grow around it.
386	224357	Aster Leafhopper	The aster leafhopper is a tiny green insect adorned with six distinctive black spots on its head, earning it the nickname six-spotted leafhopper. These migratory insects ride spring southerly winds northward across the United States, arriving earlier and in greater numbers than resident populations. As a dangerous agricultural pest, they transmit aster yellows disease, causing yellowing leaves and deformed flowers across vegetable crops like carrots, celery, and lettuce.
387	224756	Pine tree Spur-throat Grasshopper	The pine tree spur-throat grasshopper is a distinctive member of the Acrididae family that roams North American woodlands and open habitats. These insects are easily recognized by their dark coloration and prominent spurs along their hind legs. Like many grasshoppers, they possess the characteristic spur-throated appearance that gives them their common name, blending well among pine needles and grasses as they hop across their territory.
388	225487	Lacustrine Gazelle Beetle	Pokdex Entry:This small black beetle with vibrant orange legs can be found ranging from southern Canada to the eastern United States. Most active at night, this 912 mm ground dweller darts quickly across forest floors and lake edges in places like Tennessee and Wisconsin. Its nimble movements make it a quick flash of dark silhouette against moonlit water.
389	226718	Black Vine Weevil	Black Vine WeevilMatte black and unable to fly, the adult weevil creeps through gardens at night, leaving notched scars on leaf edges like nature's signature. Beneath the soil, legless grubs gnaw silently on roots and cambium, thriving underground where herbaceous plants grow in containers or rich earth. Though originally from Europe, this stealthy pest has found a comfortable home across North American landscapes, turning otherwise healthy gardens into hunting grounds for hungry larvae.
390	227975		A small scarab beetle of the Scarabaeidae family, this lesser June beetle roams across North American landscapes. Adults emerge in late spring and early summer to feed on foliage, making them active sights in meadows and forests. Though smaller than their greater counterparts, they remain a common sight among June-beetle families throughout their range.
391	227978		Phyllophaga hirticula is a robust scarab beetle native to North American forests and woodlands. This ground-dwelling insect feeds on plant matter, often found resting near its host vegetation by day. Despite its burrowing habits, it plays an important role in the decomposition cycle of forest ecosystems.
392	228432	Yellow-necked Soldier Beetle	Podabrus flavicollis Yellow-Collared Soldier Beetle glides gracefully through North American forests, distinguished by its striking pale collar encircling the head like a decorative band around a knight's neck. This soldier beetle belongs to Cantharidae family and often ambles along forest floors in search of decaying vegetation to feed upon. Its sturdy black elytra protect delicate wings beneath while it moves with deliberate purpose, embodying the quiet resilience of woodland inhabitants.
393	228468		This woodland ground beetle is a hungry guardian of croplands, feasting on corn rootworms, armyworms, and other agricultural pests to keep harvests healthy. Found from the Caribbean through North America's prairies, it patrols fields as a beneficial carnivore. Sexes differ by their foretarsus shapemales sport heart-shaped joints while females have thinner ones.
394	228634	Small Bird-dropping Moth	The small bird-dropping moth is a diminutive nocturnal beauty with a wingspan of just 16-20 mm, fluttering through eastern North America's twilight skies from May to September. Its larvae thrive in open fields and riparian zones, feeding on Ambrosia plants before pupating into delicate adults that drift softly over waste places and rural landscapes. These night-flying moths blend seamlessly with their surroundings, taking flight under the cover of darkness across Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and throughout the eastern United States.
395	229091		Pseudobaris nigrina is a diminutive flower weevil with a dark, sleek body that camouflages beautifully against wildflower petals across North America. This beetle navigates its floral habitat stealthily, feeding on plant tissues while its slender form moves deftly among delicate blooms.
396	231539	Black Smooth Hispine	Stenispa metallica is a striking tortoise beetle known for its metallic sheen that catches the light in dappled forest undergrowth. This hispine beetle roams across Central and North American woodlands, where it feeds on plant leaves. Its tough exoskeleton gives it a classic armored appearance typical of the family Chrysomelidae.
397	232373		Tenebroides americanus: A small, elongated beetle that specializes in gnawing through tree bark, often found hiding within hollow trunks where its long mandibles work tirelessly to carve out fresh meals. With its dark, slender body and persistent chewing habits, it's one of the most dedicated wood-eaters among insect communities.
398	233560	Southern Yellowjacket	The southern yellowjacket sports striking black and yellow stripes with an orange-hued queen commanding enormous colonies of up to 450,000 cells built in yards and disturbed areas throughout eastern North America. These social wasps coordinate their attacks using chemical alarm pheromones that release deadly stings when defending their nests, making them a persistent urban pest. They often parasitize other wasp species while feasting on insects and carrion without ever producing honey.
399	233860	Rustic Borer	The rustic borer beetle sports sleek black wing covers marked with sinuous grey bands and a distinctive yellow patch near the base. Larvae burrow deep into oak sapwood, while adults feed on nectar from goldenrod blooms scattered throughout eastern North America.
400	258804		This robust horse fly sports large compound eyes and powerful legs adapted for grasping onto its mammalian hosts. As an efficient predator of insects and parasite to larger animals, it thrives in grassy, marshy habitats across the United States and Mexico. Known for delivering a painful bite, subsimilis seeks out warm-blooded prey during the daytime hours.
401	294434		Known colloquially as the American dung fly, Xylomya americana roams forests across North America seeking avian hosts. This unique blood-feeder walks along bird bodies rather than perching on them while feeding on their blood. Though small in stature, this species is unmistakable among flies for its distinctive walking-while-feeding behavior.
402	301456	Southern Masked Chafer	The southern masked chafer is a small brown beetle with a distinctive black head, native to the southeastern United States. Adult females emerge from underground at sunset in summer and emit signals to attract males who dart through the air in zig-zag flights. While harmless themselves, their white grub larvae feast on grass roots and can devastate lawns during dry spells, turning once-lush turf into brown, pullable tufts.
403	303039	Redbud Seed Weevil	The redbud bruchid is a distinctive pea or bean weevil native to Central and North America. Though small in stature, this beetle plays a role in the plant-herbivore dance of its forest understory habitats. While not often seen above ground, it remains an intriguing member of the Chrysomelidae family among insect lovers who know where to look.
404	322972	Hackberry Nipplegall Psyllid	The hackberry nipplegall maker is a tiny plant-parasitic insect that feeds on hackberry trees, causing distinctive swelling and nipple-shaped galls to form in its place of feeding. This curious hemipteran creates unique deformities across the branches it inhabits, resembling small breast-like protrusions along the bark. Despite its diminutive size, this species plays a notable role in altering the appearance and texture of its host trees.
405	325437	Goldenrod Bunch Gall Midge	Rhopalomyia solidaginis is a masterful architect of nature's twisted gardens, spinning intricate rosette galls from goldenrod stems across eastern North America. This bivoltine gall midge crafts two distinct seasonal wonderstiny spring chambers hidden in plain sight and larger summer rosettes up to 5 centimeters wide where larvae nest like miniature communities within leaf clusters. Only a close observer would notice these botanical sculptures hiding the second-largest members of their genus, waiting patiently until emergence transforms them into winged adults that will perpetuate their craft anew.
406	329512	Velvety Powder-post Beetle	Trogoxylon parallelipipedum A velvety powderpost beetle that hides within wood, leaving tiny exit holes in its wake. Found across Australia, Europe, Northern Asia, and North America, this cryptic larva quietly bores through timber undetected until the damage is done. Its soft, textured exterior belies a hidden drilling prowess as it tunnels deep into structural wood for generations.
407	332250	Coastal Plain Meganola Moth	This nocturnal beauty sports delicate wings spanning 18-24mm and glides through North America's coastal forests from April to August. Its larvae feed exclusively on oak trees, making it an important part of forest ecosystems. Though found from Maine to West Virginia, the coastal plain meganola moth remains one of nature's most understated wonders.
408	342593	Orange Stripe-backed Moth	Battaristis vittellaThe stripe-backed moth bears a delicate 8-10mm wingspan marked by distinctive dark stripes along its pale wings. Native to eastern North America, this tiny lepidopteran favors gardens and wooded areas across the eastern United States and southern Canada. Despite its diminutive size, the species displays an elegant flight pattern that gives it an unexpectedly graceful presence among larger nocturnal visitors.
409	359686	Cross-striped Cabbageworm Moth	The cross-striped cabbageworm is a petite moth with a 25-millimeter wingspan that glides through the eastern United States' forests and agricultural landscapes. Adults rest delicately on foliage while their larvae feed voraciously on cabbage and related plants, earning them a reputation as garden pests. Their subtle gray-brown patterns provide perfect camouflage against tree bark and leaves during quiet moments between flights.
410	360116	White-margined Burrowing Bug	The white-margined burrower bug is a true bug with distinctive white borders along its wings. This unique species exhibits remarkable parental care, as the female digs shallow burrows to deposit her eggs and guards them until hatching. After birth, she continues to nourish her young for days before they leave to feed on nettles and mint plants independently.
411	425250	Yellow-shouldered Drone Fly	Native to western North America, this hoverfly flits gracefully across skies from spring through fall, favoring hilltops where it can catch the warm afternoon breeze. Its wings display distinctive reddish-brown bases against clear hyaline transparency, while a band of long white setae runs along its body's black third tergite. Females are further distinguished by their silvery-white frons marked with a bold black stripe running down the center.
412	452452	Greater Tail-light Carabid	This tiny ground beetle roams the forest floors of the Caribbean, Central America, and North America with purposeful precision. Its sleek, dark exoskeleton blends perfectly with the leaf litter as it scours the soil for prey. A master hunter of its domain, Paraclivina bipustulata moves with swift determination across continents it has called home for eons.
413	455262	Redbud Borer	This metallic wood-boring beetle shimmers with iridescent blue-green hues as it emerges from decaying redbud trees across North America. With its distinctive humped thorax and glossy body, the redbud borer spends most of its life tunneling through wood to feed on nutrient-rich timber. As a member of the Buprestidae family, it completes its larval development deep within hollowed logs before emerging as a striking adult to attract mates with metallic flashes in dappled sunlight.
414	455539	Pale pond lily leaf beetle	The aquatic leaf beetle Donacia hypoleuca glides through North American freshwater ecosystems with striking metallic colors that shimmer under the sunlight. These Chrysomelidae family members can be spotted along marshy edges where they graze on aquatic vegetation and feed on plant life. Their semi-aquatic lifestyle allows them to navigate both submerged habitats and terrestrial surroundings with ease.
415	464635		This large crane fly of the family Tipulidae roams the swamps and marshes across the central and eastern United States. Though it may resemble a moth at first glance, its delicate wings and slender legs mark it as one of nature's largest insects. Despite its size, it feeds on pollen and plant nectar before taking to flight during dusk hours.
416	469257	Linne's Cicada	Linne's cicada stands among nature's loudest inhabitants, its powerful wings beating through the humid air of Eastern woodlands from the United States into Canada. This large-bodied annual boasts distinctive markings along its wing veins and obliquely cut tail ends that help distinguish it from cousins. During its brief summer emergence, it sings a haunting call that echoes across forest clearings, signaling its short but vibrant seasonal life.
417	469268	Scissor Grinder	The scissor grinder cicada wears a vibrant green coat with intricate black markings across its body, while its entirely black abdomen provides striking contrast. Inhabiting wooded areas throughout the eastern United States, this insect is famous for its distinctive sound resembling scissors grinding against a wheel. Its proboscis pierces tree bark to drink fluid from the xylem, feeding quietly amidst grasslands and forest edges.
418	488865		Pseudotephritina cribellum is a small, delicate picture-winged fly belonging to the Ulidiidae family, native to North America. Its distinctive wing markings give it an elegant appearance that belies its reputation as a nectar-feeding insect drawn to flowers and water sources. This subtle yet active flyer often buzzes around damp habitats, making it a fascinating micro-wildlife observer's favorite in garden ecosystems.
419	494868	Illustrious Greenbottle Fly	Green Bottle FlyThis metallic blue-green fly glimmers in sunlight with a thorax that shifts between bronze and purple hues. Adults feast on flowering plants for nectar while females hunt carrion to nourish their eggs before laying up to 700 during their brief three-week lifespan. Their larvae, known as maggots, feed exclusively on decaying matter and are so predictable in development they help forensic experts determine time of death.
420	624408	Marsh Dagger	Henry's marsh moth glides through North American night skies with a modest wingspan of 35-40 mm, active from spring to early autumn. These noctuid moths are partial nomads, drawn to wetlands where larvae devour cattails, sedges, and willows. The species spans the continent from coast to coast, thriving across eastern states and southern Canada.
421	740041	Walker's Annual Cicada	Walker's cicada is a master of sound, ranking among the loudest insects on Earth with its deafening chorus echoing across the northern Great Plains. This species favors riparian habitats near poplar and willow trees where the humid air nourishes its vibrant wings. With such piercing volume, even its brief presence commands attention in the summer heat.
422	764604		Acraspis villosa is an unassuming gall-forming wasp that calls North America its home, from Canadian boreal forests to U.S. woodlands. This tiny creature transforms bur oak trees into elaborate miniature habitats, sculpting living structures from the plants it parasitizes. Its cryptic existence as a leafy mimic allows it to thrive undetected within the complex ecosystem of forest canopies.
423	907615	Rice Root Aphid	The oriental grass root aphid lives a dual existence, developing protective galls on elm leaves before winged adults migrate to feed on cereal crop roots. Though native to Asia, it has spread across Europe and the United States as an agricultural pest. This tiny insect weaves together two very different worlds in its remarkable life cycle.
424	937696		The Clitemnestra bipunctata is a striking sand wasp with distinctive black markings on its wings. This member of the Bembicidae family nests beneath loose sand, where they hunt for prey to provision their broods. Found across Central and North America, these wasps blend seamlessly into their sandy habitats during daylight hours.
425	1005580		Nestled among household dust, this tiny oval-bodied fly hides in the quiet corners of human homes. Known for its unassuming presence, it spends most days resting on ceilings and walls, drawn to warmth and light sources. A modest member of the Muscidae family, it blends seamlessly into our daily lives, often unnoticed until someone brushes against one while reaching for a snack.
426	1373714	Unicorn Prominent	The Unicorn caterpillar moth spans 2435 millimeters with delicate wings that grace North America's temperate forests south of the Arctic Circle. Its larvae feast on a diverse menu of hardwood trees including birch, aspen, and poplar before pupating underground each year. This graceful creature completes one generation annually, blending into its woodland habitat season by season.
427	1445691	Common Silverfish	Silverfish are small, silvery insects with a tapering abdomen that moves in a distinctive wiggle, earning their aquatic name. These nocturnal dwellers thrive in damp corners of homes, feasting on starches, paper, and book bindings while avoiding the light they detest. Though considered household pests, these wingless bugs can survive for years if given adequate moisture.
428	1455248	Huron Skipper	This tiny grass skipper butterfly measures just under an inch wide, migrating annually from the southeastern United States to South America. Males wear brilliant tawny orange wings edged in dark bands with prominent black markings, while females display glassy spots on their darker, olive-hued undersides. During flight, both sexes reveal elegant chevron patterns that frame a warm yellow-brown center on their hindwings.