They derive their name from the distinctive papery nests they construct by chewing plant fibers mixed with saliva.
Paper wasps are a diverse group of social wasps belonging primarily to the genus Polistes, though the term also encompasses several related genera within the subfamily Polistinae. Found worldwide in both temperate and tropical regions, they derive their name from the distinctive papery nests they construct by chewing plant fibers mixed with saliva to form a malleable pulp.
A natural resin secreted by the female lac bug. 300,000 lac insects are needed to produce just one kilogram of shellac.
Shellac is a natural resin secreted by the female lac bug (Kerria lacca), primarily found on trees in India and Thailand. The term “shellac” is derived from the French word laque en écailles, meaning “lac in thin plates,” referencing its flake-like form after it has been refined and dried.
An invasive species causing significant agricultural and ecological damage.
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), native to Asia, is an invasive species causing significant agricultural and ecological damage in the United States. First detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, it has since spread to at least 17 states, including recent detections in Georgia.
There are over 3,390 varieties of cicadas around the world.
This page was last updated on Photo of West Point Cicada added 05/05/2024
Section at bottom on Cicada Killer Wasps added 05/05/2024
Cicadas are fascinating insects known for their distinct buzzing and clicking sounds, which fill the air during the warmer months in many parts of the world. Belonging to the order Hemiptera, cicadas are part of the superfamily Cicadoidea.
The Cicada photo above was taken by me at West Point Lake, Lagrange, Georgia 05/02/2024 -The nearly dead bodies were raining down on the cabin deck where we were staying. The Cicada buzzing was the loudest we’d ever heard. West Point Lake, which is located in Troup and Harris counties, is a man-made reservoir located mostly in west-central Georgia on the Chattahoochee River and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Continue reading “Cicadas”Bees can be trained to sniff out TNT.
Mirjana Filipovic is still haunted by the land mine blast that killed her boyfriend and blew off her left leg while on a fishing trip nearly a decade ago. It happened in a field that was supposedly de-mined. Now, unlikely heroes may be coming to the rescue to prevent similar tragedies: sugar-craving honeybees.
Hated by all collectors!
If you are a collector of any kind of paper items, magazines, newspapers, clippings, books, etc, you have a hatred for these little bugs, silverfish. This Lepisma saccharinum is a small primitive wingless insect. They are hated due to their consumption and destruction of property.
Mud daubers, commonly known in the south as dirt daubers, are fascinating insects.
Have you seen these weird-looking mud tunnel nests? They belong to the dirt dauber (also known as the mud wasp or mud dauber) belonging to the family Sphecidae or Crabronidae. These different families vary in appearance but most are long, slender wasps about 1 inch in length.
Lightning Bugs
The Firefly or Lampyridae are insects in the beetle order (Coleoptera) with more than 2000 species. There is a large amount of variation in their color, shape, size, and features such as antennae. They use bioluminescence during twilight to attract mates or prey.
Distinctive red on body
A member of the golden orb-web spider genus, found in warmer regions and building impressive webs, is the Trichonephila clavata, also known as the Jorō spider. Found in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China and Georgia. They pass through winter as eggs and scatter as juveniles in the spring. The adult female’s body size is 17-25mm while the male is a little smaller at 7-10mm. The females web can be up to 1 meter in length with yellow threads. It has three layers, the central orb and 2 irregular layers, one in front, one behind.
The other day I got out of my car at Kroger and stepped, in a spilled liquid spot, and my leg was instantly covered in fire ants. I immediately started swatting them and took off and emptied my shoe. I got bit 15-20 times around my ankle.
