Red-spotted Purple

Invertebrates > Butterflies & Moths

The Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis) is an incomparably gorgeous forest butterfly celebrated as one of North America’s most brilliant examples of evolutionary Batesian mimicry. Gliding through sunlit woodland clearings with breathtaking iridescent...

Dog-day Cicada

Invertebrates > Hemiptera

The Dog-day Cicada (Tibicen canicularis), often known as the Northern Dog-day Harvestfly, is the iconic sound of late summer across eastern North America. Appearing reliably each year during the sweltering ‘dog days’ of July and August when Sirius the Dog...

Eastern Honey Bee

Invertebrates > Hymenoptera

The Eastern Honey Bee (Apis cerana), also celebrated as the Asian Honey Bee, is a gentle, industrious social pollinator native to the diverse ecosystems of Asia. Endemic to regions cohabited by ferocious giant hornets, this remarkable bee evolved one of the most...

Violin Mantis

Invertebrates > Insects

The Violin Mantis (Gongylus gongylodes), celebrated internationally as the Wandering Violin Mantis or Indian Rose Mantis, is one of the most astonishingly sculpted, elegant, and famous masters of camouflage in the insect world. Resembling a finely carved, antique...

Homerus Swallowtail

Invertebrates > Insects

The Homerus Swallowtail (Papilio homerus), named in honor of the Greek epic poet Homer, is the largest butterfly species in the entire Western Hemisphere and an undisputed giant of the insect world. Spanning up to six inches across its magnificent wings, this majestic...