1000+ Vermont Insect Images from bizarre to beautiful

Images and listing of bugs and other insects that can be found in Vermont. 

Vermont is home to a diverse range of insects. View Vermont A checklist of insect photos from my Jericho (mostly) Vermont observations. Insect Identification in most of the photos (except House Favorites). 

Vermont insects, like Vermonters, are hardy, interesting, and fun to get to know. 

Vermont Bug Safari Menu 

Click on the hotlinks below

House Favorites 

Dragonflies and Damselflies 

Butterflies  

Butterflies and Moths 

Polyphemus Moth (Hand-sized)

My partner came inside, calling Bernie, You need to come outside to see this BIG BUTTERFLY. When we both went out and looked on the ground, she realized it was a moth, and I realized BIG was an understatement. It did not seem capable of flying. There was some damage to the wings. It seemed to be trying, but was incapable of flight. Flapping but not lifting up.

It crawled upon my hand and shivered (rapidly moved its wings without flying) for almost a minute, then held still. A short time later, it flew.

Clearwings and Bee Hawkmoths

Moths in genus Hemaris are known collectively as clearwing moths or hummingbird moths in the US.

Bees

 There are seven families of bees (Andrenidae, Halictidae, Apidae, Mellitidae, Colletidae, Megachilidae, and Stenotritidae). 350+ species of bees have been recorded in VT.

"Over 30% of Vermont’s extant native bee species are preliminarily ranked as critically imperiled or imperiled." - Vermont Center for EcoStudies. All the bee species I observed in Vermont are organized by family. Links associated with each species lead to the iNaturalist site, an online database that provides images and information for each bee specimen in my collection. You can learn, for example, that many species are specialists, relying on specific plants for pollen and nectar. 

Once you click on BEES above, then click on "number observations" on any species to see my photos.

Lady Beetles

 42 Lady beetle species have been recorded in VT

Insect predation 

We all have to eat something.

Solitary bees dig a nest in the ground. 

Approximately 70% of bee species in Vermont, and indeed across North America, nest in the ground. These ground-nesting bees are typically solitary, meaning each female bee is responsible for building and provisioning her own nest, usually in a burrow dug into the soil. 

Insect Hugging, Mating, in Vermont

Sex on six legs, sometimes on eighteen legs. 

Hoverflies

Adult hover flies resemble small wasps, with a black and yellow or white striped abdomen. Hover fly larvae rid your garden of: aphids, young cabbage worms and other caterpillars, and mealybugs. Hover flies do not sting. They will hover like a hummingbird as they drink nectar from flowers.

Insect Mimics in Vermont

Insect in disguise. Alydus is the type genus of broad-headed bugs in the family Alydidae. There are about 11 described species in Alydus, including 2 extinct species. NOT an ant but an ant mimic.

Types of Mimicry: Batesian Mimicry: A harmless insect (the mimic) evolves to look like a harmful or toxic insect (the model). For example, some flies (like hoverflies and bee flies) mimic the appearance of stinging bees or wasps to deter predators. The predator, having learned to avoid the stinging insect, will also avoid the harmless mimic. Müllerian Mimicry: Multiple harmful or unpalatable species evolve to look alike. This mutual mimicry strengthens the warning signal to predators. For instance, various species of bees and wasps share similar black and yellow stripes, making it easier for predators to learn to avoid them. A predator encountering one species will learn to avoid them all, benefiting all the similar-looking species. Aggressive Mimicry: A predator mimics a harmless species to approach or lure its prey. For example, some insects can mimic the sounds of other insects to attract them as prey. Another example is some predatory insects that resemble ants to hunt ants or avoid predation by insects that avoid ants. Self-Mimicry: This type of mimicry, where one part of the body mimics another, is called self-mimicry.

Uncommon Insect Observations in Vermont 

Uncommon: out of the ordinary, unusual, or remarkably great. In 2012, the Polystoechotes punctata or giant lacewing was the first recorded in eastern North America in over 50 years — and the first record of the species ever in Arkansas (at a Walmart). Vermont also has had a share of uncommon discoveries. Thankfully, there is no need to travel to Arkansas or Walmart to discover and observe an uncommon insect taxon. SOME in my list ARE A FIRST FOR VERMONT.

(All 1000) Insect Species I have observed and recorded.

Links associated with each species lead to the iNaturalist site, an online database that provides images and information for each bee specimen in my collection. You can learn, for example, that many species are specialists, relying on specific plants for pollen and nectar. Once you click on the hotlink above, then click on "number observations" on any species to see my photos.

Nature Comic (New one every Saturday)

Comics by Bernie and Nature! 

Laugh and Learn

De-bugging insects

   Vermont single-panel comics. Captions by Bernie, images by nature. Sponsored by the Insect Alliance, Solidarity for All Life, and our highly valued Local Pollinators. These comics introduced the term "Inverting," which means invertebrate watching, as birding is to bird watching. 

Butterflies by species

(119 species have been recorded in Vermont)

#	Family	Species	Common name
1	Lycaenidae	Lycaena hypophlaeas	American Copper
2	Nymphalidae	Vanessa virginiensis	American Lady
3	Nymphalidae	Vanessa atalanta ssp. rubria	American Red Admiral
4	Nymphalidae	Libytheana carinenta	American Snout
5	Nymphalidae	Lethe appalachia	Appalachian Brown
6	Hesperiidae	Carterocephalus mandan	Arctic Skipper
7	Nymphalidae	Argynnis atlantis	Atlantis Fritillary
8	Nymphalidae	Euphydryas phaeton	Baltimore Checkerspot
9	Lycaenidae	Satyrium calanus	Banded Hairstreak
10	Papilionidae	Papilio polyxenes	Black Swallowtail
11	Lycaenidae	Tharsalea hyllus	Bronze Copper
12	Pieridae	Pieris rapae	Cabbage White
13	Papilionidae	Papilio canadensis	Canadian Tiger Swallowtail
14	Pieridae	Colias philodice	Clouded Sulphur
15	Nymphalidae	Coenonympha california	Common Ringlet
16	Nymphalidae	Cercyonis pegala	Common Wood-Nymph
17	Hesperiidae	Anatrytone logan	Delaware Skipper
18	Hesperiidae	Euphyes dion	Dion Skipper
19	Hesperiidae	Euphyes vestris	Dun Skipper
20	Nymphalidae	Polygonia comma	Eastern Comma
21	Papilionidae	Heraclides cresphontes	Eastern Giant Swallowtail
22	Lycaenidae	Callophrys niphon	Eastern Pine Elfin
23	Lycaenidae	Cupido comyntas	Eastern Tailed-Blue
24	Hesperiidae	Thymelicus lineola	European Skipper
25	Nymphalidae	Lethe eurydice	Eyed Brown
26	Nymphalidae	Argynnis cybele	Great Spangled Fritillary
27	Nymphalidae	Asterocampa Celtics	Hackberry Emperor
28	Nymphalidae	Chlosyne harrisii	Harris's Checkerspot
29	Lycaenidae	Feniseca tarquinius	Harvester
30	Lycaenidae	Satyrium caryaevorus	Hickory Hairstreak
31	Hesperiidae	Lon hobomok	Hobomok Skipper
32	Hesperiidae	Erynnis juvenalis	Juvenal's Duskywing
33	Hesperiidae	Ancyloxypha numitor	Least Skipper
34	Nymphalidae	Megisto cymela	Little Wood Satyr
35	Hesperiidae	Polites mystic	Long Dash
36	Nymphalidae	Boloria bellona	Meadow Fritillary
37	Papilionidae	Papilio solstitius	Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail
38	Nymphalidae	Aglais milberti	Milbert's Tortoiseshell
39	Nymphalidae	Danaus plexippus	Monarch
40	Nymphalidae	Nymphalis antiopa	Mourning Cloak
41	Lycaenidae	Celastrina lucia	Northern Azure
42	Hesperiidae	Polites egeremet	Northern Broken-Dash
43	Hesperiidae	Thorybes pylades	Northern Cloudywing
44	Nymphalidae	Phyciodes cocyta	Northern Crescent
45	Nymphalidae	Lethe anthedon	Northern Pearly Eyed
46	Nymphalidae	Phyciodes tharos	Pearl Crescent
47	Hesperiidae	Polites peckius	Peck's Skipper
48	Nymphalidae	Polygonia interrogationis	Question Mark
58	Nymphalidae	Limenitis arthemis	Red-spotted Admiral
49	Hesperiidae	Epargyreus clarus	Silver-spotted Skipper
50	Lycaenidae	Glaucopsyche lygdamus	Silvery Blue
51	Lycaenidae	Satyrium liparops	Striped Hairstreak
52	Lycaenidae	Celastrina neglecta	Summer Azure
53	Hesperiidae	Polites Themistocles	Tawny-edged Skipper
54	Nymphalidae	Limenitis archippus	Viceroy
55	Pieridae	Pieris virginiensis	West Virginia White
56	Nymphalidae	Limenitis arthemis ssp. arthemis	White Admiral
57	Hesperiidae	Erynnis baptisiae	Wild Indigo Duskywing

Butterflies observed in Jericho (by all observers)

Dragonflies by species

(Order: Odonata, suborder: Anisoptera. 101 have been recorded in Vermont.)

#	Family	Species	Common name
1	Aeshnidae	Aeshna canadensis	Canada Darner
2	Aeshnidae	Aeshna constricta	Lance-tipped Darner
3	Aeshnidae	Aeshna eremita	Lake Darner
4	Aeshnidae	Aeshna tuberculifera	Black-tipped Darner
5	Aeshnidae	Aeshna umbrosa	Shadow Darner
6	Aeshnidae	Anax junius	Common Green Darner
7	Corduliidae	Cordulia shurtleffii	American Emerald
8	Corduliidae	Dorocordulia libera	Racket-tailed Emerald
9	Corduliidae	Epitheca canis	Beaverpond Baskettail
10	Corduliidae	Epitheca cynosura	Common Baskettail  ?
11	Gomphidae	Phanogomphus borealis	Beaverpond Clubtail
12	Libellulidae	Celithemis eponina	Halloween Pennant
13	Libellulidae	Erythemis simplicicollis	Eastern Pondhawk
14	Libellulidae	Ladona julia	Chalk-fronted Corporal
15	Libellulidae	Leucorrhinia glacialis	Crimson-ringed Whiteface
16	Libellulidae	Leucorrhinia intacta	Dot-tailed Whiteface
17	Libellulidae	Libellula incesta	Slaty Skimmer
18	Libellulidae	Libellula luctuosa	Widow Skimmer
19	Libellulidae	Libellula pulchella	Twelve-spotted Skimmer
20	Libellulidae	Libellula quadrimaculata	Four-spotted Skimmer
21	Libellulidae	Nannothemis bella	Elfin Skimmer
22	Libellulidae	Pachydiplax longipennis	Blue Dasher
23	Libellulidae	Perithemis tenera	Eastern Amberwing
24	Libellulidae	Plathemis lydia	Common Whitetail
25	Libellulidae	Sympetrum costiferum	Saffron-winged Meadowhawk
26	Libellulidae	Sympetrum obtrusum	White-faced Meadowhawk
27	Libellulidae	Sympetrum semicinctum	Band-winged Meadowhawk
28	Libellulidae	Sympetrum vicinum	Autumn Meadowhawk

Damselflies by species 

(Order: Odonata, suborder: Zygoptera. 44 known to be in Vermont.)

#	Family	Species	Common name
1	Calopterygidae	Calopteryx maculata	Ebony Jewelwing
2	Coenagrionidae	Argia fumipennis	Variable Dancer
3	Coenagrionidae	Argia moesta	Powdered Dancer
4	Coenagrionidae	Chromagrion conditum	Aurora Damsel
5	Coenagrionidae	Coenagrion resolutum	Taiga Bluet
6	Coenagrionidae	Enallagma annexum	Northern Bluet
7	Coenagrionidae	Enallagma aspersum	Azure Bluet
8	Coenagrionidae	Enallagma carunculatum	Tule Bluet
9	Coenagrionidae	Enallagma civile	Familiar Bluet
10	Coenagrionidae	Enallagma ebrium	Marsh Bluet
11	Coenagrionidae	Enallagma geminatum	Skimming Bluet
12	Coenagrionidae	Enallagma signatum	Orange Bluet
13	Coenagrionidae	Ischnura posita	Fragile Forktail
14	Coenagrionidae	Ischnura verticalis	Eastern Forktail
15	Coenagrionidae	Nehalennia gracilis	Sphagnum Sprite
16	Coenagrionidae	Nehalennia irene	Sedge Sprite
17	Lestidae	Lestes congener	Spotted Spreadwing
18	Lestidae	Lestes eurinus	Amber-winged Spreadwing
19	Lestidae	Lestes inaequalis	Elegant Spreadwing
20	Lestidae	Lestes rectangularis	Slender Spreadwing

*The VT Bug Safari is a chance to find out what species are in your yard. Led by Insect ambassador bugeyedbernie. Contact me to schedule a bug safari at your place.