INSECT

IDENTIFICATION
GUIDE
Dandelion Detectives Nectar-Feeding Insect Guide

Many people are surprised how many different insects feed on

nectar. Some of these insects, like butterflies, get all their food
from flowers. Others eat a wider variety of foods. For example, lady
beetles are predators that eat aphids and other plant pests, but
they also rely on the sugar found in nectar to keep their energy up!

Using the Guide

This guide highlights the adult stage of insects that might visit your
Observation Dandelion. Each detective will find a small number of
insects. Each individual flower in your lawn might provide food for just
a few insects but think about how many creatures can feed from a lawn
full of dandelions and other weeds!

This guide is organized by insect Order and Family. Each Order and
Family have a Latin scientific name. For example, all flies are in the
Order Diptera, which means two wings. Having only two total wings is a
characteristic feature of all flies. Within an order, there are many related
Families of insects. For instance, the hover flies, or Syrphidae, are one
Family within the Order Diptera.

You can identify the insects found feeding on your Observation

Dandelion to Order only, or Order and Family! You do not need to use
the same level of identification for all the insects you see, some are very
tricky to classify- even for experts. You might even see an insect not
shown in this guide! Make sure to note any unique finds in your data
sheet, and the scientists at headquarters will do our best to identify
these mystery insects.
 Insect Anatomy
This guide is focused on the adult stage of nectar-feeding insects.
These insects have three body segments (head, thorax and
abdomen), six legs, two compound eyes, antennae, and wings.

EARWIGS
(ORDER: Dermaptera, FAMILY: Forficulidae) (15-18 mm)

Earwigs are mostly active at night, but they could be tempted

to feed from your dandelion. Earwigs are dark brown to tan,
with a slender flattened body and long antenna. Earwigs
can fly. They have membranous hind wings that are folded
under their shorter, visible front wings. Their characteristic
feature are their cerci, or “pincers”. These do not pose a
threat to people, but it is thought that these may be used in
defense by the earwig if attacked by other insects. Earwigs
get their name from a myth that they crawl into our ears at
night to sleep, but thankfully this is not true!

Flagstaffotos
 Flies
(ORDER: Diptera)

Unlike the other winged insects, the flies only have two wings, one on each
side. Flies also have large eyes. Most people think of flies as pests, but they
play important roles in our environment as pollinators, predators, and as
important food sources for other animals. Did you know that some mosquito
species pollinate orchids? In fact, we would not have chocolate if it was not
for flies - midges are pollinators of cacao, and the seeds of this plant are used
to make this beloved treat! Other flies like long-legged flies and tachinids
are valuable predators of garden pests. Flies can also be very colorful, some
mimic bees and wasps like hover flies and bee flies.

BEE FLIES BLOW FLIES

(FAMILY: Bombyliidae):
(FAMILY: Calliphoridae):
(4-15 mm)
(10-14 mm)
Body covered with dense
yellow to brown hair. Similar size and shape
Holds wings back at an to a house fly but
angle when at rest. Long metallic blue or green
pointed mouthpart used in color. Body has short
for feeding on nectar black bristles. Clear
Jean Hort
within deep flowers. wings with brown veins.
Basile Morin

CRANE FLIES HOUSE FLY

(FAMILY: Tipulidae): (FAMILY: Muscidae): (7-10 mm)
(10-25 mm) One of the most annoying insects
to humans because they pester
Very long legs, slender body and
us in our homes and when
wings, and long antennae. Looks
eating outside. None the less
like a large mosquito! These flies
you may find these common flies
are sometimes called “mosquito
nectaring at your Observation
hawks” due to a myth that they
Dandelion. House flies have a
eat mosquitoes. Unfortunately,
dark body with some dark stripes
this is not the case, the adults
visible on their thorax, short
are short lived and do not eat
antennae, and clear wings.
Björn S other insects. Gladson Machado
 HOVER FLIES LONG-LEGGED
(FAMILY: Syrphidae): FLIES
(10-20 mm) (FAMILY: Dolichopodidae):
(1-9 mm)
Bee and wasp mimics
with black and yellow
Small flies with a slender
markings. Some species
body that is often metallic
are covered with hairs
green or gold and long
and resemble bees,
thin legs. Wings may be
others are shiny, hairless,
completely clear or clear
and wasp-like. Short
with black markings.
antennae. Their common
name comes from an
Charles J Sharp Gail Hampshire
ability to hover in midair!

ROOT MOSQUITOS
MAGGOT (FAMILY: Culicidae):
FLIES (3-15 mm)
(FAMILY: Anthomyiidae):
Slender body and wings and
(2-12 mm)
long legs and antennae. Some
species have white bands on
Many species look like their legs and body. Males
a small house fly, with a have fluffy antennae. Visible
dark stout body, short long straw-like mouthpart.
antennae, and dark legs. James Gathany
The adult females feed on
Some species have a light blood from humans and other
yellow to orange body animals as well as nectar. The
Ryan Hodnett and legs. males feed on nectar only.

MIDGES TACHINID FLIES

(FAMILIES: Ceratopogonidae and (FAMILY: Tachinidae):
Cecidomyiidae): (1-5 mm) (2-18 mm)
Both families are very small. The Most are dark in color and
Cecidomyiidae have long antennae resemble house flies, but some
and legs, a slender body and clear are brightly colored. Thick
wings with few veins. These flies bristles present on their thorax
feed on many different plants and and abdomen. Tachinids are
insects but do not bite humans. parasitoids, meaning that the
Ceratopogonidae are stouter with females locate insect prey for
Judy Gallagher
shorter legs and broader wings. their offspring. The adult female
Males have fluffy antennae. The adult fly deposits eggs on these insects,
females feed on blood from humans and the larvae that emerge will
and other animals as well as nectar. feed and eventually kill them!
The males feed on nectar only. Charles J. Sharp Many specie attack garden pests.
 True Bugs
(ORDER: Hemiptera)

Did you know that Entomologists only call some insects bugs? The
Hemiptera, or true bugs, have two unique identification features. First,
they have a long thin straw-like mouthpart called a beak that they use to
ingest a liquid meal. True bugs also have interesting wings, their front wing
is typically hardened or leathery at its base, and more membranous and
sometimes transparent at the tip. In addition to nectar, many true bugs use
their straw-like mouthpart to pierce plants and ingest sap. However, the
ambush bug, damsel bug, and minute pirate bug consume insect prey.

AMBUSH DAMSEL
BUGS BUGS
(FAMILY: Reduviidae): (FAMILY: Nabidae):
(5-20 mm) (7-12 mm)

Long narrow head Tan insects with

with a curved beak. a narrow body,
Diamond shaped body. enlarged front legs
Often black or grey and curved beak.
but a few are brightly
colored.
Judy Gallagher Katja Schulz
 Judy Gallagher

Judy Gallagher

LEAF-FOOTED BUGS
(FAMILY: Coreidae): (10-15 mm)
LYGUS BUGS
Large reddish brown or dark grey insect (FAMILY: Lygaeidae): (8-10 mm)
with a pointed head and long antennae.
Some have banding on their abdomen, Dark brown to tan body and wings
visible at the edges when wings are that are bent toward their base, long
at rest. Their name comes from the antennae. Yellow triangle shaped
enlarged leg segment on their hind-leg. marking on the thorax.

Judy Gallagher

gbohne

MILKWEED BUGS
(FAMILY: Lygaeidae): (10-18 mm) MINUTE PIRATE BUGS
(FAMILY: Anthocoridae): (2-5 mm)
Black and orange with a triangular-shaped
head, oval body, and long antennae. Very tiny wedge-shaped insects with black
and white markings.
 Bees, Wasps and Ants
(ORDER: Hymeoptera)

Did you know that Entomologists only call some insects bugs? The
Hemiptera, or true bugs, have two unique identification features. First,
they have a long thin straw-like mouthpart called a beak that they use to
ingest a liquid meal. True bugs also have interesting wings, their front wing
is typically hardened or leathery at its base, and more membranous and
sometimes transparent at the tip. In addition to nectar, many true bugs use
their straw-like mouthpart to pierce plants and ingest sap. However, the
ambush bug, damsel bug, and minute pirate bug consume insect prey.

Bees
Did you know there are 4,000 species of bees in North America? All bees
are vegetarians - they feed only on pollen and nectar from flowers. Almost
all bees have dense hairs somewhere on their body that allows females to
collect pollen from flowers. Only a few species of bees are social, such as
honey bees and bumble bees, meaning that they live together with many
other bees in a colony where they share duties like collecting food and
caring for young. However, most bees are solitary, which means that each
female bee creates her own nest in the soil, in hollow twigs or stems, or in
wood. Within her nest, the females make individual compartments called
cells using mud or leaves. Inside each cell they place pollen and nectar and
deposit an egg. The bee larva that hatches will develop by feeding on this
food source. All bees have four wings, two on each side, which helps to
distinguish them from flies that mimic bees!
 GREEN BUMBLE BEES
SWEAT BEES (FAMILY: Apidae):
(FAMILY: Halictidae): (8-21 mm)
(3-11 mm)
Social insects that live
These metallic green
in small colonies that
bees are actually Sarah Scott
are often made below
attracted to the salts
ground in abandoned
present in our sweat!
rodent burrows! Large,
They are very docile and
furry bees covered with
rarely sting humans.
black and yellow hairs.
Judy Gallagher They are solitary bees,
and each female builds
her nest in the soil.
Sarah Scott

EUROPEAN LARGE
HONEY BEE CARPENTER
(FAMILY: Apidae): BEE
(12-15 mm) (FAMILY: Apidae):
(15-23 mm)
Honey bees are responsible
for the pollination of one Look similar to bumble
third of our food! They are bees but with a shiny
social insects that have black abdomen
Sarah Scott
large colonies where they without hair. Males are
produce honey. Workers territorial but cannot
from the colony might sting, females rarely
visit your Observation Sarah Scott sting humans. Carpenter
Dandelion. Look for bees bees are solitary, each
covered with hairs that female constructs her
have dark brown and yellow own nest in wood.
bands on their abdomen.

MANY MORE! You may find other types of bees that do not
match up with these images. Many solitary bees are challenging to
identify from photos, even for professional Entomologists! Don’t forget
to note any unique finds on your data sheet.
 Parasitoid Wasps
There are thousands of species of parasitoid wasps in North America.
They are solitary and most are extremely tiny, as minute as a pencil
point! Parasitoid wasps are very important because they attack
garden pests. Female wasps will seek insect prey to feed her offspring
and use their ovipositor (a long thin organ that looks like a stinger) to
lay her eggs inside the pest! The wasp larvae develop by feeding on
these insects. Some parasitoids have a very long ovipositor that looks
like it could really hurt, but these insects cannot sting humans, and
pose no threat at all. Parasitoid females gain the energy to seek out
food for their offspring by feeding on nectar from flowers.
 Scott Justis

Peter Cristofono

Scott Justis

Stephen Luk
Roy Cohutta Brown

ICHNEUMONID TINY PARASITOIDS

(MANY FAMILIES): (< 6 mm)
WASPS
(FAMILY: Ichneumonidae): There are many other species of
(3-40 mm) parasitoids that might find your
Observation Dandelion. These have
This family includes the largest the characteristic wasp body shape,
of parasitoid wasps. Vary widely with an abdomen that narrows at
in color and pattern, but many the base. Due to their size, it will
have a visible long ovipositor. The be challenging to see many other
short-tailed ichneumons are the features in your photos. Below
exception, these are reddish brown, are some images under strong
with a slender abdomen, large clear magnification – they can be very
wings, and long antennae. colorful and even metallic!
 Stinging Wasps
Stinging wasp are common throughout North America and may be
either solitary or social. They are known to use smaller insects as prey.
Female wasps in this group have a modified ovipositor called a stinger
that is used to paralyze prey before feeding on them or to protect
intruders from invading their nest. Some families within this group
will paralyze prey and lay their eggs onto them. As the larvae of the
stinging wasp develop, they will feed of the paralyzed insect!

John and Jane Balaban

SPIDER WASPS Dan Leeder

(FAMILY: Pompilidae): (5-40 mm)

Solitary wasps, that can have black FLOWER WASPS

or metallic bodies, long legs, and
(FAMILY: Scoliidae): (20-50 mm)
dark wings. Females have curled
antennae. Females construct a
nest below ground and fill it with Large black solitary wasps with bright
paralyzed spiders that her offspring colored markings. Wings have wrinkles
feed on! The female is able to towards the tip. Females construct
paralyze the spiders with a venom a nest belowground. In addition to
she produces by stinging them. nectar, they feed on yard pests like
Spiders wasps can sting humans but grubs! Flower wasps can sting humans,
they are not aggressive. but they are not aggressive.
 THREAD-WAISTED WASPS
(FAMILY: Specidae): (15-35 mm)

Get their name from a long slender first segment

of their abdomen that creates a “waist”. Body
is often brown or black with bright banding,
some species are dark and metallic. Females
of these solitary wasps build their nest below
Scott Peden ground, or above ground using mud!

Matt Edmonds Kevin Hall Robin McLeod

YELLOWJACKETS, HORNETS
AND PAPER WASPS
(FAMILY: Vespide): (10-30 mm)

Social wasps that live within a nest. These wasps make their own paper-like building
material by mixing chewed wood with their saliva and water. Female workers
forage for caterpillars and other insects to feed to developing larvae in the nest.
They also commonly feed on floral nectar. These wasps are brown to black with
yellow markings and do not have hairs. Their wings are dark yellow to brown.
Social wasps are more aggressive than solitary species and can sting humans.
 Ants
ANTS
(FAMILY: Formicidae):

There are hundreds of ant species throughout North

America. Ants are typically reddish brown to black.
They have bent antennae and distinct constriction
between their three body segments. Ants are social
insects that have large colonies built below ground.
They are extremely strong and can lift up to 20 times
Ryan Hodnett
their own body weight!

Thrips
(ORDER: Thysanoptera):

Tiny wormlike insects with visible antennae. Thrips may or may not have wings.
If wings are present they will be slender and flat against the abdomen, with
feathery edges (this is challenging to see without a microscope!)

Salvador Vitanza, PhD

Joseph Morse

PREDATORY THIRPS PLANT-FEEDING THRIPS

(FAMILY: Aeolothripidae): (1-14 mm)
(FAMILY: Thripidae): (1 mm)

Tiny and slender, black body with black Tiny and slender, light yellow to tan in color
and white banded wings. with light wings.
 Lacewings
(ORDER: Neuroptera)

The lacewings are important predators of garden pests that

also nectar at flowers. The name of the order comes from
their intricately veined wings, that look a bit like lace.

Katja Schulz Katja Schulz

GREEN LACEWINGS BROWN LACEWINGS

(FAMILY: Chrysopidae) (8-25 mm) (FAMILY: Hemerobiidae): (2-13 mm)

Bright green body is long and thin, large Long and thin brown body, large eyes,
eyes, and long antennae. Four large and long antennae. Four large wings
wings held like a tent over abdomen. with brown and white patterning are
held like a tent over abdomen.
 Beetles
(ORDER: Coleoptera)

Beetles are a large insect order and many families include nectar feeding species.
One distinguishing feature shared by beetles are their hardened wing covers,
called elytra. The elytra cover the hind wings, which are used in flight. Look
closely at your Observation Dandelion, some of these beetles are very tiny!

Katja Schulz Katja Schulz

Gail Hampshire

TUMBLING FLOWER BEETLES

CARPET BEETLES (FAMILY: Mordellidae): (3-8 mm)
(FAMILY: Dermestidae): (2-12 mm)
Wedge-shaped insects that narrow to a point
Adults are round or oval shaped. They have at the end of their abdomen with visible
short legs and antennae. Elytra and thorax antennae. They get their name from the
are often multicolored including brown, jumping and tumbling motions they make
black and white. If you saw a carpet beetle using their enlarged back legs when disturbed.
under a microscope you would see their They may be uniformly dark or have spots,
bodies are covered by tiny colored scales! stripes, or other patterns on their elytra.

Judy Gallagher Judy Gallagher

xpda
SOLDIER BEETLES
SOFT-WING (FAMILY: Cantharidae): (10-20 mm)

FLOWER BEETLES Long and slender with long antennae. Look a

(FAMILY: Melyridae): (2-7 mm) lot like fireflies but have a visible head when
looking down at the top of beetle. Most have
Brightly colored with metallic markings. dark elytra, but some, like the goldenrod soldier
Long antennae, males have an enlarged beetle, are bright orange with black markings.
segment of their antennae. Can also have a brightly colored thorax or head.
Udo Schmidt Gilles San Martin Bruce Marlin

SAP BEETLES FIREFLIES

(FAMILY: Nitidulidae): (1-15 mm) (FAMILY: Lampyridae): (4-18 mm)

Shiny and oval, with clubbed antennae. Can Beetles are longer than they are wide. Dark
be uniformly tan or black in color or black with body and wings with light yellow to orange
yellow to orange markings. One common markings. A plate called a pronotum covers
species is the picnic beetle, named as such both the head and thorax. These insects
because it is attracted to the food at picnics produce light from a bioluminescent organ in
and is a nuisance at outdoor gatherings! their abdomen and use it to find mates!

Line Sabroe
Judy Gallagher Judy Gallagher

LADY BEETLES
(FAMILY: Coccinellidae): (1-10 mm) LONGHORN BEETLES
(FAMILY: Cerambycidae): (3-60mm)
Also called ladybugs, these insects are predators
of plant feeding insects. They also gain energy by Their name comes from their very long
feeding on nectar. Lady beetles are round to oval antenna that are often as long or longer than
with very short antennae. Many lady beetles have the beetle’s body! Most species have slender
red elytra with black spots, like the pink lady beetle. bodies that are longer than they are wide,
The multicolored Asian lady beetle has light orange
and long legs. Longhorn beetles are often
to red elytra but may or may not have spots present!
This beetle has a W shaped pattern on its pronotum, dark brown or black, but those that visit
a plate that covers the thorax. Lady beetles do vary flowers often have bright markings. Some
in color, the checkerspot lady beetle has yellow species of longhorn beetle like the banded
elytra with black square-shaped spots. longhorn beetle mimic wasps!

WEEVILS
(FAMILY: Curculionidae): (5-15mm)

One distinguishing feature of weevils is a head that

narrows into a snout! They also have bent antennae that
are clubbed at the tip. Beyond these features this large
Gilles San Martin Gilles San Martin beetle family can vary widely in color and size.
 Butterflies and Moths (ORDER: Lepidoptera)

You will not find butterflies feeding on your Observation Dandelion due to
funnel being too small for most species to enter. However, these beautiful
pollinators commonly feed on lawn weeds and some common species to
watch for are shown here! Scales coat the wings of these insects to produce
a multitude of different color patterns. Butterflies have long antennae and
a long, coiled mouthpart called a proboscis that they use to feed on nectar.
Moths are less likely to be spotted as they are mostly active at night. One
exception is the hummingbird moth, which has a thick hairy body and clear
wings. They resemble a hummingbird when they fly!

John Flannery Charles J Sharp

AMERICAN PAINTED LADY COMMA

(FAMILY: Nymphalidae) (FAMILY: Nymphalidae)

John Acorn
Kenneth Dwain Harrelson

RED ADMIRAL MOURNING CLOAK

(FAMILY: Nymphalidae) (FAMILY: Nymphalidae)
 Piccolo Namek Zeynel Cebeci

VICEROY CABBAGE WHITE

(FAMILY: Nymphalidae) (FAMILY: Pieridae)

Judy Gallagher D. Gordon E. Robertson

CLOUDED SULPHUR EASTERN TAILED BLUE

(FAMILY: Pieridae) (FAMILY: Lycaenidae)

Hemaris Thysbe M J Rodock

HUMMINGBIRD MOTH MONARCH

(FAMILY: Sphingidae) (FAMILY: Danaidae)

Judy Gallagher Andrew Cannizzaro

SILVER-SPOTTED TIGER SWALLOWTAIL

(FAMILY: Hesperiidae) (FAMILY: Papilionidae)