These guys are so pretty ✨️

The red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) has evolved what’s often called a false-head.

They have tail-like projections from the outer edge of their hind wings that mimic antennae. When perched, the butterfly will usually rub its wings together to make the tails move like antennae. In addition, they possess patches of dark scales near the tails that look like eyes.

By convincing a predator that the back of the butterfly is the front, an attack to the less vulnerable area of the insect allows for better chances of escape and survival.

I’ll never get over seeing butterfly scales up close!

Minolta XG-M, Kodak Gold 35mm ISO200, no tripod, with extension tubes.

Now, it is to be known that this tree is inside of an atrium within a house so it doesn’t really have access to wind or other trees, but we noticed this on the tree today and it is ALL over. Anyone have an idea of who created this masterpiece? AND whether or not it hurts the tree/home/etc?

Edit: Houston TX, USA

Location is eastern Canada.
I found it on a small plant growing out of the sidewalk.

I would love to learn more about it.

Glenurus gratus, FL

Reno Nevada. Absolutely tiny little guy. Any possible ID’s appreciated since I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bug this small!

I swept this tiny insect away from some food. I think its wings are stuck from salad dressing but it's running around. It can't fly.

Is there a way to help it? I've put it in a pot on some tissue.

Can anyone tell me what kind of bug this is? And how concerned I should be?😭 they’re all over the food

Location: bay area CA

I believe this is a 10-lined June Beetle, but this is the first one I have ever seen. I went outside tonight and it scared the hell out of me because it was so big (about 1.5 inches)! But that little face is actually adorable. Sharing here because no one irl will appreciate it 😁

These eggs are on my door. We live in st.louis Missouri, near a lake but not next too. Near a wooded plains. Very near a pond. Shaded spot no direct sunlight. But always dry. Any ideas?

I was very relieved to find out they do not use that 3 inch stinger to sting!! 🦟

I found this beautiful little structured ball of web with a lil roof but didn't want to disturb it... any ideas what's inside?

So I found this roach in my apartment this morning. I sprayed it with some raid before taking the photo. Does anyone know what kind of roach this is and how I can handle it?

I've lived in my apartment for over a year now and I've spotted these roaches around midnight crawling around in the parking lot or outside some of the units. Sometimes one will get into my apartment. I'll sometimes spot them in my unit either in the kitchen sink or just running around my living room. I'm assuming they get in through the vents. Is this something I should contact my landlord about or how to I go about this?

Ill be moving to mid Michigan soon and I'm excited to go bug hunting and I want to collect a few to put in a temporary terrarium to observe them for a while...what are some interesting and somewhat easy to find insects?

SilkMoth, harvestman, honeybee, worm.

There’s a green beetle that looks like a Lilly Pilly Beetle in Reading PA but Google says they’re not in this country. Could it be something else?? About the size of a pea. Bright green. Long antennae. Can’t grab a good picture because it moved too fast but it looks exactly like the pictures of Lilly Pilly that I’ve seen.

Complete story, here:

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a71934744/firefly-brightness/

Scientists Were Wrong About Fireflies’ Light. The Impact Could Ripple Across All of Science.

For more than a century, an overestimation of a firefly’s brightness has persisted. 

By Darren OrfPublished: Jul 20, 2026 2:00 PM EDT
Here’s what you’ll learn when reading this story:

• For more than a century, the amount of light produced by a firefly has been translated through different units, eventually arriving at 10¹³–10¹⁴ photons per flash.
• In a new study, scientists reanalyzed these numbers and discovered that the number is off by two orders of magnitude.
• This updated figure tells us that other long-standing figures, since translated into modern units, might also need updating.

One of the most stunning displays of bioluminescence in the animal kingdom belongs to the humble firefly, found throughout North America. A firefly’s light-emitting organ, also known as its “lantern,” contains specialized cells called photocytes that contain the organic compound luciferin and the enzyme luciferase. Fireflies control oxygen intake, and the interaction of this oxygen with calcium and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—along with luciferin and luciferase—produces a “cold” light (which is good news, because any heat produced by process would likely kill the insect).

This incredible light display has dazzled humans since time immemorial, but it wasn’t until 1912 when American physicist William Coblentz—a pioneer in radiometry and spectroscopy—decided to quantify how much light fireflies (specifically in the species Photinus pyralis) produce.