The Vermont Entomology Academy is committed to making insect science accessible to learners of all backgrounds—from beginners discovering their first beetle to naturalists documenting new state records. To support that mission, we’ve curated a streamlined reference list of the most reliable field guides, research papers, articles, online courses, videos, and podcasts, organized by the major insect orders.
Whether you’re identifying backyard species, preparing for fieldwork, or deepening your understanding of insect ecology, this collection provides trusted resources across the full spectrum of entomology. Explore, learn, and follow your curiosity—one order at a time.
You do not need to know the science of insects to be amazed by the insects. But we can be inspired even more when we learn a little about them.
Family or Description | Link | |
All Insects | ||
Atlas of Life | VCE Wildlife Atlases *various | |
Atlas of Life | ||
Checklist | ||
Guides | ||
Guides | ||
Guides | BugGuide. *** | |
Guides | ||
Guides | Discover Life *** | |
Guides | ||
Guides | ||
Guides to British insects. | Mike’s Insect keys. Dichotomous keys are designed for use on screen. | |
Photos | ||
Species Profiles | ||
VT Insects | Est. 21.4k insect species in VT | |
Collembola | ||
Springtails | ||
Coleoptera: Beetles. | ||
Beetles | ||
Beetles | ||
Fireflies | 13 species known in VT | |
Fireflies | ||
Fireflies | ||
Fireflies | ||
Fireflies | ||
Fireflies | ||
Fireflies | ||
Fireflies | ||
Fireflies | ||
VT Beetles | Over 1k species in VT. One out of every four creatures on the planet is a beetle. | |
Diptera: Flies | ||
Craneflies | ||
Craneflies | ||
Symphyta / Sawflies | Electronic World Catalog of Symphyta - symphyta on iNaturalist | |
Syrphidae | ||
Syrphidae | ||
Syrphidae | ||
Tachinid Flies Family Tachinidae | Taxonomic and Host Catalogue of the Tachinidae of America North of Mexico | |
Diptera: Fly Genus detail | ||
Condylostylus | Complex Condylostylus sipho: Yellow femora and tibiae combined with marked wings are indicators for the sipho group, rather than in patibulatus, which also has marked wings, but which has all-black legs in both sexes. Sadly, so far, females are indistinguishable between species in this group. Very good side shots of the legs are best for identifying sipho males to species. - alisonnetta on iNaturalist | |
Cylindromyia | There are 17 species of Cylindromyia in the Nearctic (http://www.nadsdiptera.org/Tach/Nearctic/CatNAmer/Genera/Cylindromyia.html). Cylindromyia bicolor is not one of them (it is a European species). The ID engine of iNaturalist is misleading people to put a species name on their Cylindromyia when they should not. - jhskevington, iNaturalist | |
Merodontini | Common Merodontini of the Northeast by Even and Zachary Dankowicz. “Merodontini”: A tribe of hoverflies, also known as "bulb flies," within the family Syrphidae. | |
Orthorrhapha:Family Rhagionidae | This species has a white frons (seen in females only); crescents or complete bands on the first few abdominal segments; dark stigmata in the wings; and often near-white fore tibiae. There's also a table of information on them in the Fly Guides under Orthorrhapha. Table of information on Rhagio in the Fly Guides (search site using 'Rhagionidae', and look in the 'Notes' section). Alisonnetta iNaturalist | |
Hemiptera: True bugs | ||
VT True Bugs | True Bugs: At least 80 species in VT | |
Hymenoptera: Ants, bees, and wasps | ||
CAUTION on making IDs in iNaturalist | When making an ID on iNaturalist, please leave species ID to the experts unless you are very sure and can recognize the features that make it that specific species. Many species cannot be identified from a photo. Many species are very similar to other species. IF in doubt, ID it at a higher rank (taxon). This approach helps maintain data integrity. ID at the taxon rank (level), you are sure of. You can write “I think it is this (____) species” as a comment, even if the (menu selection) is more general. ReCap: If you are only sure that it is an insect, ID it as an insect. If you are sure it is a bee, but not sure of a more detailed taxon for the bee, ID it as a Bee. If you are sure it is Genus Bombus (Bumblebee), ID as Bombus. If you know the subgenus, go with that. But only ID at species if you can support the ID with anatomy details that make it that species. Even a relatively few wrong and speculative IDs (particularly at the species level) ruin credibility. CAUTION: The Artificial Intelligence on iNaturalist makes ID recommendations, but they are often incorrect. | |
Andrena | ||
Atlas of Life | ||
Bee Anatomy | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | VCE: The Bees of VT: Id by Species, Genera, Specialists by host plant or by habitat. | |
Bees | VCE: Vermont Bee Species | |
Bees | ||
Bees | 351 known bee species in VT | |
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees & Wasps | ||
Bees and Plants | Pollen Specialist Native Bees: Native Plants Are Key To Their Survival - Heather Holm | |
Bees: Bumblebees | ||
Bees: Green Bees | ||
Bees: Halictid (Green Bees) | North American Halictid Green Bee Genera Quick Guide, Clare Maffei | |
Bees: Specialist Bees | Pollen Specialist Bees of the Eastern United States, Jarrod Fowler, Sam Droege | |
Bumble Bees | 17 Bumble Bee Species known in Vermont (4 have are no longer seen in VT) | |
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | Bumble Bee ID By Illustrations (click on images to enlarge) | |
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | Comparing Bombus impatiens, bimaculatus, & griseocollis by neylon on inaturalist | |
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | VCE: Bumble Bees of New England (illustrated guide) | |
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees & Carpenter Bees | VCE: Bumble Bees and Carpenter Bees of Vermont (Rank) | |
Ichneumonid Wasp | ||
Specialist Bees | Guide to Specialist Bees of Ohio and Floral Resources to Target | |
Specialist Bees | Pollen Specialist Bees of the Eastern United States and associated plants | |
Specialist Bees | VCE: Specialist Bees and associated plants | |
Terms that describe a bee | ||
Bees - Genus detail | ||
A Genera List | VT Bee Genera (VCE) | |
A side by side: Green Sweat Bees | ||
A Species List | BEE SPECIES OF VERMONT (VCE) | |
Lepidoptera: Butterflies and Moths | ||
Butterflies | ||
Butterflies | ||
Butterflies | ||
Butterflies | Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada” by Jonathan P. Pelham | |
Butterflies | ||
Butterflies | ||
Butterflies | ||
Butterflies | ||
Moths | ||
Moths | Underwing Moths (Catocala) & Larvae A companion guide for iNaturalists bob_borth on iNaturalist | |
VT Butterflies | At least 120 Butterfly species in VT | |
VT Moths | ||
Odonata: Dragonflies and Damselflies | ||
Dragonflies | ||
VT Dragonflies | 101 Dragonflies and 45 Damselflies known in VT | |
Orthoptera: GrassGrasshoppers, Crickets and bush-crickets | ||
Bush-crickets | Common Bush-crickets. British focus | |
Orthoptera | ||
VT grasshoppers | At least 91 species in VT | |
Misc Taxonomic Orders | ||
Plants for insects | ||
Plants | Pollinator Gardens – going beyond the plant lists to create robust habitat. | |
Field Guide Book | ||
Ants | ||
Appalachian Brown vs Eyed Brown | Appalachian Brown vs Eyed Brown:Habitat: Is it within a wet woodland with sedges? (Appalachia). Is it confined to sedges in an open sunny field/marsh? (Eurydice). Both occur in edge habitat. Appy's are more likely to wander out of their habitat. Intermediate individuals may be difficult, if not impossible, to ID. Field marks vary; a combination of all characteristics should be considered. Color can be key to the species ID — best when seen in life vs photos/specimens. - hobiecat on iNaturalist | |
Aquatic insects | ||
Bees | Bees of the Eastern United States Vol 1 and 2 by Theodore B. Mitchell | |
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Beetles | ||
Beetles | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Butterflies | ||
Butterflies | A Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America: Second Edition | |
Butterflies | ||
Butterflies | ||
Butterflies | Butterflies through Binoculars: The EastA Field Guide to the Butterflies of Eastern North America | |
Butterflies | ||
Butterflies | ||
Caterpillars | Caterpillars of Eastern North America: A Guide to Identification and Natural History | |
Damselflies | ||
Dragonflies & damselflies | A field guide to the dragonflies and damselflies of Massachusetts | |
Dragonflies & damselflies | ||
Dragonflies & damselflies | Field Guide to The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin Provincial Park and the Surrounding Area | |
Fireflies | ||
Fireflies | ||
Flies | Field Guide to the Flower Flies of Northeastern North America | |
Insects | ||
Insects | ||
Insects | Insects of New England and New York, Tom Murray | |
Insects | Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North Americansects-Their Natural History and Diversity- 2006. This is not a Field Guide in the usual sense but it is a gold mine of information, useful | |
Insects | ||
Insects | The Peterson Field Guide Series, A Field Guide to the Insects of America North, Donald J. And White Borror (1970). Though obviously dated, I think it's the best general field guide | |
Insects | ||
Lady Beetles | ||
Lady Beetles | ||
Tiger Beetles | A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States and Canada | |
Wasps | ||
Other Insect Books | ||
Animals | ||
Ants (novel) | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Beetles (fiction) | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Flies | ||
Insects | ||
Insects | ||
Insects | ||
Nature | ||
Wasps | ||
Identification by Key | ||
A1: Key Identification tools | Insect identification by key is a method using a dichotomous key, a tool with paired, contrasting choices (couplets) about physical traits (like wings, antennae, legs, body parts) that systematically narrow down possibilities until you identify the insect's order or species, guiding you down a "fork in the road" of characteristics until you reach a final answer. | |
Andrena | ||
Bees | ||
Bees: Halictid (Metallic Green bees) | Key to Metallic Green Halictid (Family Halictidae) Bees of Blandy Experimental Farm | |
Bees: Polistes ID key (2008) | Identification Atlas of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the northeastern Nearctic region | |
Bees: Polistes ID key (2021) | ||
Bees: Zadontomerus (Small carpenter bees) | ||
Online Video Learning | ||
Bees | My Garden of a Thousand Bees. Nature PBS | |
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | Vermont's Wild Bees: Past, Present, and Future 10-5-23: Spence Hardy | |
Bumble Bees | Bumblebee Short Course For Community Scientists | |
Bumble Bees | Heather Holm, Bumble Bee Banquet: Selecting Native Plants for Bumble Bees | |
Bumble Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | Keynote Speaker: Dr. Hollis Woodard, “The Ontogeny of Sociality in Bumble Bee Queens” | |
Bumble Bees | ||
iNat download | How to download iNaturalist data onto your desktop (to a CSV.) | |
iNaturalist (value) | How Your iNaturalist Data Makes a Difference for Biodiversity | |
iNaturalist on a mobile device | Naturalist: uploading observations with mobile devices. Fewer functions than a desktop application. (How to video) | |
iNaturalist on Desktop | iNaturalist: uploading observations using desktops and laptops (How-to video) | |
iNaturalist use Tips | VCE: Lunchtime Learning Videos by Julia Pupko. Tips for using iNaturalist to it's fullest. (List of videos) | |
iNaturalist: Making IDs | Identifying on iNaturalist: How you can help! Using the Identity page starts at 18:43. | |
Insects | Bugs that Rule the World Nature PBS (requires PBS Subscription) | |
Insects (Film) | Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (2009). “Carefully look at nature, including insects. It’s actually a way of life.” | |
Phenology | ||
Specialist Bees | Bryan Danforth: Host-plant Specialist Bees – Biology, Biodiversity, Conserving Them in Your Backyard | |
Research Papers | ||
BB’s and Flooding | Unveiling the submerged secrets: bumblebee queens' resilience to flooding | |
Bees | Zachary Portman’s list of Classic and helpful papers by Mitchener, Mitchell, and Jander | |
Bees - Augochloropsis | ||
Bees - Hymenoptera: Apoidea | ||
Bees - Phenological trends | Ecological traits explain long-term phenological trends in solitary bees | |
Bees & Blueberries | UVM Graduate Research Feature: Leslie Spencer and Wild Pollinators | |
Bees at play | ||
Bees behavior | ||
Bees of Connecticut | Biodiversity of Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) in Connecticut (USA), J. Asher, et al | |
Bees, nesting | Nest observations reveal hygienic nest architecture and behavior in an Arctic bumble bee species | |
Bees: Agapostemon | ||
Bees: Zadontomerus (Small carpenter bees) | ||
Bumble Bees | ||
Climate Change: BB’s | Warming summer temperatures are rapidly restructuring North American bumble bee communities | |
Foraging range | ||
iNaturalist | PDF: Community involvement in natural history: a growing opportunity for entomology and science | |
Insect pollinators | Insect pollinators: The time is now for identifying species of greatest conservation need - Hardy, McFarland et al | |
Lasioglossum & Agapostemon | Some relevant keys to look at for determining which characteristics should be seen for species ID: A review of the Augochloropsis (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) and keys to the shiny green Halictinae of the midwestern United States, AND Taxonomy of Agapostemon angelicus and the A. texanus species complex (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) in the United States AND Revision of the metallic Lasioglossum (Dialictus) of eastern North America (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Halictini) - xianzx on iNaturalist | |
VT Atlas of Life | ||
Podcasts | ||
Bees | Vermont's bee populations are failing. Here's what you can do to help | |
Bumble Bees | Episode 19: What’s all the buzz about bumblebees? with Michael Whitehead | |
Articles | ||
Bees | Bees are sentient’: inside the stunning brains of nature’s hardest workers | |
Bees | ||
Bees | If bumblebees can play, does it mean they have feelings? This study suggests yes | |
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | Nine new-to-Vermont bee species discovered - Hardy, Asher et al | |
Bees | Parasitized bees are self-medicating in the wild, study finds | |
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bumble Bees | Conserving Bumblebees. Guidelines for creating and conserving habitat. | |
Bumble Bees | Strategy To Protect State And Federally Recognized Bumble Bee Species Of Conservation Concern | |
Bumble Bees | Washington State Becomes First To Adopt A Statewide Strategy To Protect Bumble Bees | |
E-butterfly | ||
iNaturalist (setting your license choice) | What are licenses? How can I update the licenses on my content? | |
iNaturalist Annotations | Annotate a Sighting: recommended fields for bees (when relevant) include “ Interaction->Visited flower of: “, “ Pollen present in corbicula or scopa”, and “ Interaction->Preyed upon by: ” | |
iNaturalist forum | iNat Forum Various themes or topics | |
iNaturalist primer | ||
iNaturalist use Tips | ||
iNaturalist use Tips | Tech Tip Tuesday. series of short articles. From little tricks that help you record better data to suggestions on how to make your observations easier to identify. | |
Odonata | ||
Odonata | Odonata Central: How to use the Odonata website. | |
Newsletters | ||
Insects | ||
iNaturalist Projects | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Bees | ||
Insects | ||
Lady Beetles | ||
Mating bees | ||
Mimics | ||
Nesting bees | ||
Odonata | ||
Plant/Pollinator | ||
VT Stats by city |
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