16 Types of Moths in Colorado (and How to Identify Them)
Step outside near a porch light on a warm Colorado evening and the sheer variety of moths fluttering in can be startling.
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Delve into the fascinating world of insects — the most diverse group of animals on Earth, covering beetles, butterflies, ants, bees, and thousands of other six-legged creatures and their behaviors, habitats, and roles in ecosystems.
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Step outside near a porch light on a warm Colorado evening and the sheer variety of moths fluttering in can be startling.
The bee most people picture, the honey bee, is not even native to Tennessee.
Florida hosts more than 200 documented beetle species, according to the InsectIdentification.org database, making Coleoptera one of the state’s most varied insect orders.
Vermont’s fields, bogs, and hardwood forests support far more butterflies than most residents realize.
Alabama’s humid climate and mix of hardwood forests, pine woods, and garden plots make it a haven for caterpillars of every size, color, and temperament.
Wisconsin’s prairies, oak forests, and wetlands support one of the largest and least-appreciated animal groups in the state.
Step outside on a mild Oregon evening and a moth the size of a small bird might bump against the porch light.
In 2022, a University of Washington professor found something unexpected clinging to a garage wall in Bellevue: a moth with a wingspan of nearly 10 inches, the largest moth species ever recorded in the United States.
Arizona’s blistering summers and dry desert landscape seem like the last place mosquitoes would thrive, yet the state hosts dozens of species that survive heat, drought, and monsoon flooding alike.
A Red Admiral will land on a hiker’s shoulder, sit for a full minute, and then dart off to chase away a rival male twice its speed.
A tiny metallic-green insect landing on your arm mid-hike is usually not hunting your snack — it wants the salt in your sweat.
Most people can name a handful of North Carolina butterflies, but moths rarely get the same attention despite vastly outnumbering them.
Nebraska’s backyards, cornfields, and river bluffs support a far wider cast of wasps than most homeowners realize.
Step outside on a warm Garden State evening and switch on a porch light, and within minutes something will show up fluttering around the bulb.
Step outside on a warm Iowa evening and you’ll notice something quickly: flies are everywhere.
Anyone searching for the different types of beetles in Colorado will quickly discover a surprisingly large cast of characters, from wood-boring pests threatening ash trees to gentle, fuzzy pollinators drifting over wildflowers on the plains.
A honey bee working a coneflower gets most of the attention in a Maryland backyard, but it represents a tiny fraction of the state’s actual bee diversity.
Utah’s mix of high desert, mountain canyons, and irrigated farmland supports a surprisingly diverse caterpillar population, and not all of them are welcome in the vegetable patch.
Oklahoma’s warm, humid summers and scattered wetlands make it prime real estate for mosquitoes, and the numbers back that up.
Maryland is home to some of the largest and most colorful moths in North America, alongside a handful of small, drab species that sneak into pantries and closets.