1,000 Insect Species Found in One Acre of Jericho, VT Yard

The creepy crawlies turned out to be not only beneficial but crazy interesting, and intriguing and got us totally involved in our yard.

1,000 Insect Species Found in our One Acre Jericho, VT. Yard

We started out wanting to make our yard a bird sanctuary.

We learned that a single pair of breeding chickadees must find 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars to rear one clutch of young, according to Doug Tallamy, a professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware. His research shows that native plants are integral food sources for plant-eating insects in a way that non-native plants are not.

We reduced mowing to only pathways and areas we utilized - (if we don't walk or play on it, and can't eat it, why mow it?). Then we added many species of native shrubs, trees*, and a few perennials each year - plants that feed caterpillars and pollinators. We also left the leaves and plant stems in the fall. We built brush piles and dug covered depressions for frogs, toads, snakes, and insects to use for home-building and raising their young. 

*A subset of our plantings include Nannyberry, blackberry,  three cherry bush species, one cherry tree species, blueberry, chokecherry, chokeberry, American cranberry, winterberry, snowberry, elderberry, red raspberry, purple flowering raspberry, ground nut, hazelnut, New Jersey tea, witch hazel, buttonbush, various dogwood species, crabapple trees, yellow birch and two other species of birch, oak, hemlock, spruce, various serviceberry species, cedar, tamarck, balsam fir, red maple, redbud, mountain ash, sumac, willow, hawthorn, alder, and a variety of apple trees. 

Now we are spending more time in our yard observing. Observing the changes in our landscape, ever-increasing, season-long flowering, insect and bird diversity, and their life behaviors. One does not need to be an Emily Dickinson, or Charles Darwin to be committed to the close examination of nature. As they were, we are enchanted by the wondrous complexity of nature. 

I started a dedicated approach to observing and recording insects in the yard in 2020 ( I call it 'inverting'). iNaturalist reports that I recorded nearly 1,000 insect species from 2020 to July 2024 in our yard. A few were the first (on iNaturalist) reported as observed in Vermont. *There are approximately 21,400 species of invertebrate species in VT. (VT F&W). 

With this baseline count and the calculated ratios between flowering plants, we might eventually be able to assess how adding more native plant species might affect the volume and the diversity of insect and bird life we observe in our yard. 

We believe that the overall number of native plants closely reflects the species richness of invertebrate species. We are entertained and enriched as the diversity of life in our yard grows. 

The insects and birds benefit from a food and shelter sanctuary. We gain from increased pollination and a more balanced insect diversity contributing to the health of our vegetable gardens. We enjoy viewing a greater diversity of birds in our yard. We also gain free time by spending less time mowing and weeding. Not the least is our gain in enjoyment walking the paths in our yard. 

Part of the joy of 'inverting' for me, is trying to theorize or guess at the why behind some of the insect behaviors I observe. Sometimes the joy is connecting, by quietly watching with intent focus, or infrequently by petting a bumblebee or a butterfly as an individual will occasionally allow me to do. If I am too bothersome or overstay my visit, a bee will communicate to me by raising one leg or two or flying away.

The stories of what we have observed are many - too many to tell here now - more of those later. Added to the mix, the research I have read over the winter about individual bee species - develops a recipe of intrigue worth dwelling on further.

We are happy to utilize iNaturalist to share photos of the adorable, amazing, interesting creatures we have found in our one-acre yard. To browse the photos choose any of the links below.

• View my latest insect posts from our yard here. 
• View the 100+ bee species observed in our yard here. There are 350+ species of bees in Vermont - who knew!  
  
  
  

• Moths and Butterflies (Lepidoptera) here. 
• Hummingbird moths (Hemaris) here.

• Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) here. 

• 
  Flies (Diptera) here. (Yes many fly species are pollinators)
• Or see a limited set of fly species photos at The Portrait of a Fly. 
  

• Grasshoppers, crickets, and bush-crickets 

(Orthoptera) here. 

• Ants, bees, wasps, (Hymenoptera) here. 
• True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and Allies (Hemiptera) here. 
• Beetles (Coleoptera) here. 
  
  
  
• Lady beetles or Lady bugs (Coccinellidae) here.

Also, see my arachnid observations here, and amphibian observations from our yard here.

Our bird species yard count history

2016: 54, 2017: 59, 2018: 53, 2019: 61, 2020: 83, 2021: 80, 2022: 70, 2023: 78, 2024 through July: 72.  

Total lifetime yard bird species: 126. 

Recommended (aquatic invertebrate) reading: Turning Stones, - Discovering the Life of Water ( 50+ short essays) by local resident and Saint Michaels college professor Declan McCabe. 

What species are in your yard?

Share the world - save the world

 Remember to leave room for wild things

   Let's say YIMBY to nature and rewilding.

Lead us to Nature

we will never again

be lost.   

~Bernie

Insects in our yard 2020 - July 23,  2024

Biodiversity Observations July 2024 Report: Jericho, Underhill, Richmond, Bolton, Vermont

Enjoy the benefits of connection with nature. 

Jericho, Underhill, Richmond, Bolton, (VT) Inverting Club Biodiversity monthly report.

JURBIC BIODIVERSITY REPORT

JURBIC  iNaturalist Numbers

Also view my backyard report, 1,000 Insect Species Found in One Acre of Jericho, VT Yard

View Photos

View Jericho insect observations in June here.

View Underhill insect observations in July here.

View Richmond insect observations in July here.

View Bolton insect observations in July here.

My Favorites https://www.inaturalist.org/faves/bugeyedbernie

Click to Compare to the other municipalities (towns, cities, gores) in Vermont 

Click to Read about the "Jericho, Underhill, Richmond, Bolton, Inverting Club" 

 Will you report your observations on iNaturalist?
Links below are short videos on how to upload observations to iNaturalist. Tutorial from North Branch Nature Center. 
iNaturalist: uploading observations using desktops and laptops
iNaturalist: uploading observations with mobile devices

View the latest observations posted on iNaturalist at Jericho, Underhill, Richmond, and Bolton.

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View PLANTS observed growing in Jericho here, in Underhill here, in Richmond here, in Bolton here.

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Observing the behavior and the life cycle of insects is like getting to know someone as an individual vs. knowing them by name and infrequent contact only.

 - Bernie

View the 2023 iNaturalist observation numbers at Discovering Life in Jericho - 2023 by the Numbers

The Eight Major Orders of Insects

There are 26 orders of insects, but the vast majority belong to only these eight. Below is a short guide to the identification of the eight major orders.

        Beetles Coleoptera (“sheath wings”)

• -  largest order of living things with over 290,000 species known worldwide
• -  two pairs of wings, but the outer pair is hardened covering the top of the body and meeting in a straight line down the back.
• -  have “chewing jaws”
• -  metamorphosis is complete
  
  
  Moths, Butterflies Lepidoptera (“scaly wings”)
• -  second largest order of insects (beetles are #1) - mostly moths
• -  two pairs of wings covered with small scales that rub off easily
• -  only insects with sucking mouth parts in the form of a coiled tube.
• -  in the larval stage, most butterfly and moth species feed on leaves, often of a particular plant or related group of plants
• -  metamorphosis is complete
  
  
  Bees, Wasps, Ants Hymenoptera (“membrane-winged”)
• -  third largest order.
• -  have 2 pairs of thin, clear, membraneous wings.
• -  females have a well-developed egg-laying organ and/or stinger at the end of their abdomen
• -  ants have wings only at certain stages of life, some have stingers, too
• -  considered the most highly evolved order of insects.
• -  Most wasps are parasites; their young hatch and develop inside the bodies of other insects or spiders. These parasites are our chief ally in the control of many pest insects.
• -  Bees and wasps are important pollinators of food crops and other plants.
• -  metamorphosis is complete
  
  
  Flies, Mosquitoes, Gnats Diptera (“two wings”)
• -  fourth largest order (third in North America)
• -  if an insect has just one pair of wings, it is a fly of some kind.
• -  all adult flies have sucking mouth parts
• -  metamorphosis is complete
  
  
  Crickets, Grasshoppers, Locusts Orthoptera (“straight wings”)
• -  thin, leathery forewings that cover larger hind wings that are folded like a fan when at rest.
• -  important food for birds and other insect eaters.
• -  metamorphosis is gradual

Dragonflies, Damselflies Odonata (“tooth”)

• -  2 pairs of long, narrow, membranous wings that are roughly equal in size.
• -  they also have large eyes and extremely long, narrow abdomens.
• -  at rest, dragonflies hold wings out flat, while damselflies hold wings together above
  their bodies.
• -  adults feed on other insects (gnats, mosquitoes)
• -  metamorphosis is gradual
  
  
  Aphids, Cicadas, Leafhoppers Homoptera (“same wings”)
• -  2 pairs of membranous wings held in a tent-like or rooftop position over the body when at rest.
• -  adults (except Cicadas) feed on plant sap
• -  metamorphosis is gradual
  
  
  Bugs, Backswimmers, Water Striders Hemiptera (“half-wings”)
• -  identified by a triangle on the back just behind the head. This is formed by the way the insects fold their forewings when at rest.
• -  2 pairs of wings; hind wings are membranous, while the basal half of the forewings is hardened.
• -  metamorphosis is gradual
  
  
  OTHER INSECTS OF IMPORTANCE 

Termites: small, soft-bodied, pale with short, straight antennae. Flying forms have 2 pairs of wings. Do not have constricted waist like ants. Have sophisticated societies - the queen may live 10 years. Most of the 41 species live in the SE. Eat cellulose of the wood fibers making them bad for buildings but valuable for breaking down dead wood in the forests.

Springtails: tiny, wingless with prominent antennae. The forked structure allows them to “spring” into the air. Among the most abundant creatures on earth, are millions per acre. Immensely beneficial in breaking down leaf litter and fungi into soil components. Include “snow fleas.”

Bristletails: wingless, crawling, terrestrial with long segmented antennae and 3 long “tails”. Include silverfish and firebrats. Eat decaying plants outdoors and starchy substances including books, wallpaper, and clothing indoors. Among the most primitive of insects.

Reference: Peterson First Guides / Insects by Christopher Leahy Observing Insect Lives by Donald Stokes, 1983

Traditional research on pollinators has focussed on specific bee groups, such as honeybees and bumblebees (Kremen et al., 2002; Klatt et al., 2014; Lemanski et al., 2022). However, recent studies have demonstrated the equally critical roles played by other insect groups, including ants, beetles, bugs, butterflies, flies, and wasps (Rader et al., 2016; Rader et al., 2020; Requier et al., 2023).  - Masari Date, Yuya Fukano, Sayed Ibrahim Farkhary, Kei Uchida, Masashi Soga, (April 2024).

Saturdays The Insect Cartoon Issue

 From the archives: #6 Bug-inspired single-panel comic 

                               Can't find the darn switch to turn the light on!

VT Bug Eyed Bug-inspired single-panel comics use photos and captions as touchpoints - the invertebrate society reaching out to the human society. Images from Nature. Captions and (their) story by Bernie Paquette.

A cartoon is a single drawing which communicates a moment in time, such as touchpoints on a customer journey, where empathy is important. Cartoons can tell you how people [or insects] are feeling. A cartoon adds emotional content. There’s a point of view represented — it could be yours, the artist’s or that of a real or created character. [The word "panel" may also refer to a cartoon consisting of a single drawing; the usage is a shortened form of "single-panel comic".]

Comics, cartoons, and illustrations can be an excellent way to deliver a message. They help people look at things (including themselves) differently.

From David Blumenstein (a service designer and cartoonist) at https://davidblumenstein.medium.com/illustrations-vs-cartoons-vs-comics-9babcc09f999

Vermont Cartoonist heads to his 1.3-acre yard to explore ties between cartoons and insects. 

Observing invertebrates, especially insects - I call it inverting. The inverting movement is people seeing connections between all invertebrate life and ourselves. Tools such as iNaturalist, Seek, and bug-inspired comics help raise our awareness and empathy and most importantly encourage us to look closely at the life going on all around us - as close as in our backyards.

Watching insects eating, mating, pooping, cleaning themselves, warming up in the early morning, falling down then getting right back up, behaving as predators or prey, as meat eaters or vegetarians, seeking host plants or other animals to raise a family, defending their families, and all the unique ways each of the species goes about these aspects of life - gives us a perspective on how we go about the details of our daily lives.

And sometimes, how insects look or behave is beautiful, sometimes it is funny, sometimes it evokes an "OMG did you see that?".  

What's so funny about insects?

Each Saturday VT Bug Eyed bug-inspired single-panel comics bring the Vermont insects, some of whom may live in your yard, to the forefront. The single-panel comics shoot for a laugh but also aim to inform, encourage your own observations in your yard, and entice thinking big about small life forms. The captions are the monologue of an insect with complex miniaturized bodily functions and life behaviors resulting in an oversized positive effect on the world as we know it today. It is about blowing up the insect image and breaking down the enormous diverse life of the planet's most underappreciated animals. 

Each one tells a different story or provides a message or information about the taxa (genus or species).

Was there an amphibious monster sighted in Richmond? See comic number 113 for evidence. 

As comic number 132 (Darth Vader) states, "This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of many insects.  Without flies, bees, and other pollinators, flowers will be no more. Unless mankind changes its ways!". 

Number 129 speaks to the wisdom of the fly. 

Number 126 Circus Act, tells of a spider's pride. 

Number 118 Muck on the Menu fills us in on the taste of waste - we are lucky some insects eat our crap. 

Start your Saturday with a morning beverage and VT Bug Eyed Insect-inspired comic, then get outside for inverting fun. 

Did you enjoy the Fourth of July fireworks? View them nightly in your yard - they are called fireflies or lightning bugs of which there are about 150 species in the United States. 

Ever heard of honey bees? They are not native to North America. What do you know about the approximately 350 species of bees native to Vermont? Did you know most of them are solitary bees and live most of their life underground, unlike honeybees who live year-round in hives?

It is easy to get to know your yard neighbors. Go outside and take a closer look, nature will entertain, fascinate, and entice you to find out more about the vast species of insects that live as close as your yard. 

View a new comic every Saturday at Vtbugeyed.blogspot.com. 

Bugs voted the cartoon "The Oldest in Vermont" as their favorite from the Seven Days Cartoon issue, (What's So Funny? Coloring Outside the Lines in the Cartoon Issue, July 10,2024). Nature not only deserves a closer look but also rewards those who look closely and attentively at animals and plants.

Which VT Bug Eyed Bug-inspired comic is your favorite?

My sister gets all the laughs!

Mama said, "Honey do you want people to laugh at your jokes like they do with your sister the cartoonist, or do you want folks to admire your beauty?"

View the latest bug-inspired comic in Volume VI at https://vtbugeyed.blogspot.com/2024/01/nature-inspired-single-panel-cartoons.html

Lead us to Nature

we will never again

be lost. 

    - Bernie