Cecropia Moth Facts The most noteworthy fact about the beautiful Cecropia Moth comes as no surprise. It ranks as the largest species of moth endemic to North America. This gorgeous insect displays a moderate degree of sexual dimorphism, much as many other Lepidoptera. However, this distinctive moth species display it in several ways. The female […]
Western Pygmy Blue
The Western Pygmy Blue provides living proof that beauty thrives even amidst great desolation. This delicate insect constitutes one of the smallest butterflies on earth and the smallest known in North America. So: tiny but beautiful. The Lepidoptera remains active year-round in the warmest portions of its range. Though their numbers continue to be unclear, the […]
Bald Faced Hornet
Despite its common name, the Bald Faced Hornet does not rank as a true hornet. This eusocial insect actually constitutes a species of the yellow jacket that constructs rather large conical nests, built from paper-like materials. The colonies of the Bald Faced Hornet sometimes contain as many as 700 workers. This counts as the largest […]
Milkweed
Milkweed forms the name of a genus of unique plants endemic to North America. There is a total of 140 recognized species in the genus. All evolved as endemic to either the continental United States or northern Mexico. The plant derives its name from the presence of naturally occurring latex and alkaloids in its white […]
Plume Moth
Plume Moth is the collective name for any of the approximately 1,000 Lepidoptera species within a uniquely evolved family. Their common name derives from the extremely deep cleft divisions in their wings. We also think the white ones look like little ghosts but that’s material for another story. Each of these species also possesses uniquely […]
Antlion
Antlion forms the collective name applied to a family of insects containing more than 2,000 known species. Yet the term more commonly gets applied to the larval form. The various species appear worldwide in all temperate or tropical climates. A few species of Antlion also live in cold-temperate regions. They primarily prefer to inhabit regions […]
Texas Horned Lizard
The Texas Horned Lizard forms one of the 14 known species of spike-bodied reptiles in North America. Collectively, these species seem popular as horned lizards. The lizard remains native to an area that includes Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, and northern Mexico. Humans have also introduced them into Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas. Their bodies develop far more […]
Menzies’ Wallflower
The delicate Menzies’ Wallflower serves as the common name of a very rare plant species. This lovely small plant currently appears to be endemic to only four known small individual areas in California, in North America. Currently, biologists only know of four recognized subspecies. Also, all known varieties of the Menzies’ Wallflower presently officially list […]
Death Valley
Death Valley remains the name of a severe desert valley located in Eastern California, in the United States. Its unique geology makes it the driest, lowest, and hottest region in North America. Death Valley itself contains numerous unique features. Among them sits the appropriately named Furnace Creek. In this location, in 1913, the highest air […]
Regal Moth
The Regal Moth is one of the largest species of Lepidoptera in North America. Their distinctively shaped caterpillar form is popular as the Hickory Horned Devil. In terms of mass, they are the heaviest moth species north of Mexico. This insect is endemic to the deciduous forest regions of the eastern United States. That range extends […]
