Western Colorado Insect Photo Gallery

A Gallery of Western Colorado Insect Photography This gallery highlights western Colorado insect photography. Click on pictures for higher resolution images. We want your insect photographs! If you have pictures you would like to post in this gallery, please contact Bob Hammon. If you can identify any of these that are not identified, or improperly identified, please let us know.
Index
Arachnid-Spiders & Scorpions	Coleoptera-Beetles	Collembola-Springtails
Diptera-Flies	Hemiptera-True Bugs, Aphids, Cicadas	Hymenoptera-Ants, Bees, Wasps, Horntails
Lepidoptera-Moths & Butterflies	Mantodae-Praying Mantis	Odonata-Dragonflies & Damselflies
Orthoptera-Grasshoppers, Katydids, & Crickets


This page was updated on November 5, 2009	Arachnids	Back to Index

	Thomisidae Crab spider	Crab spiders are common in western Colorado. They can be recognized by their long front 2 pair of legs.
	Theridiidae Western Widow Spider	Western widow, Lactrodectrus lactans, are common inhabitants of western Colorado. Click here for a CSU fact sheet.
	Araenidae Araneus gemmoides Cat faced spider	These cat faced spiders are very visible in the fall. They are in the orb-weaver fammily. Click here for a fact sheet


	Vaejovidae Northern scorpion	The northern scorpion, Paruroctonus boreus, is common in desert areas across western Colorado. This one was photographed on East Orchard Mesa near Grand Junction. Click here for a CSU fact sheet
	Solifugae Solpugid Windscorpion	Solpigids (AKA solfugids, sunspiders, camel spiders) are common in the Tri River Area. They are predatory on insects and other arthropods. They possess large conspicuous jaws used to crush prey, but they do not have venom glands. Click here to link to a fact sheet

	Coleoptera	Back to Index
	Meloidae Blister Beetles	These blister beetles, Lytta nigrocyanea,were photographed just off of I-70 in Grand Co. Utah by Dick Colby. They are on one of the locoweeds (Oxytropis?).
	Meloidae Lytta deserticola	This species, Lytta deserticola , was photographed by Justin Bowen in the Colorado National Monument. Colorado collections of this species are recorded from only a few desert areas of western part of the state.
	Cerambycidae Longhorn Beetle	Longhorn beetles are the adult stages of round headed borers, of which many species attack dying or recently killed wood. This species was collected in a pheromone trap in a pinyon forest near Glade Park (Mesa County).
	Cerambycidae Tetraopes tetraophthalmus Milkweed Beetle	Milkweed beetles are longhorn beetles which feed exclusively on milkweed. This picture was taken by Bob Hammon in the gardens at the Mesa County Extension office.

	Meloidae Nemognatha lurdia	This blister beetle is unique in that its mouthparts are modified into a tube like structure. It was photographed by Patti Susman in Grand Junction on a sunflower.
	Curculionidae Root Weevil	This root weevil is a common home invader in many settings in western CO. There are several similar species. This picture was taken by Bob Hammon.
	Cantharidae Soldier Beetles	Soldier beetles can be found in significant numbers on the flowers of Rabbitbrush. Bob Hammon took this picture in early September 2005, in Unaweep Canyon.








	Collembola	Back to Index
	Springtails	Springtails are one of the most common insects in Colorado. They are sometimes found congregating on snowfields. Linda Corwine photographed these "snow fleas" on snow along a road in southern Montrose County in February 2007.
	Diptera	Back to Index
	Asailidae Efferia sp. Female Robber fly	Robber flies are predators on flying insects. This fly was photographed by Bob Hammon near Gateway (Mesa County) on Sep 1, 2005.
	Tachinidae Spiny tachinid Paradejeania rutiloides	Tachind fly larvae parasitise other insects. This species parasitises caterpillars. Adult flies feed on nectar. This one was photographed by Bob Hammon in September 2005 in Rio Blanco County. The fly is feeding on tailleaf pericome, Pericome caudata.

	Ephemeroptera	Back to Index
	Mayfly
	Hemiptera	Back to Index


	Milkweed aphids
	Rhopalidae Boisea trivittata Box Elder Bug	Click here to view pictures of box elder bugs exhibiting carnivorous behavior.



	Hymenoptera	Back to Index
	Apidae Bombus griseocollis Bumblebee	There are many species of bumblebees in western Colorado . Bob Hammon photographed this B. griseocollis flying in to a white foxtail lily at the Mesa County Extension office in 2005.
	Sphecidae Chlorion aerarium Cricket Hunter	This beautiful cricket hunter was photographed by Dick Colby in his back yard in Grand Junction. These sphecid wasps are very common in the lower altitudes of western Colorado. They specialize on hunting crickets, as the picture aptly displays. They paralyze their prey, bury it and lay an egg on it. The wasp larva then consumes the cricket.

	Vespidae Dolichovespula maculata Bald faced Hornet nest	These large paper copvered nests are very commmon in the Grand Valley. They are abandoned at the end of the season and are often brough into the Extension office. Click here for a bulletin on wasps and hornets.






	Lepidoptera	Back to Index
	Hesperidae Skipper	This skipper was photographed by Bob Hammon at McGinnis Canyons Conservation area near Grand Junction on Sep 15, 2005.
	Lycaenidae Brephidium exilis Pygmy blue	The pygmy blue is the smallest butterfly in North America. Larvae feed on plants in the Polyganaceae family. This butterfly was photographed by Bob Hammon at the Mesa County Fairgrounds on Nov. 10, 2005.
	Lycaenidae Lycaenea rubidus Ruddy copper Female	Ruddy coppers are common from the agricultural areas of the lower altitudes up to almost treeline in western Colorado. Bob Hammon shot this female in Gunnison County in 1985,
	Lycaenidae Paratrytone snowi Snow's Copper	Snow's copper inhabits alpine environments and is often found near remnant snow fields above treeline during July. This male was photographed by Bob Hammon on July 15, 2005 in Gunnison County.
	Noctuidae Noctuid larva	Bob Hammon shot this colorful noctuid moth larva on Black Mesa, Montrose CO in August 2006.
	Nymphalidae Chlosyne whitneyi Rockslide checkerspot	The rockslide checkerspot inhabits alpine talus slopes above treeline. This picture was taken by Bob Hammon on July 1, 2005 in Gunnison County.
	Pieridae Pontia occidentalis Western white	A common inhabitant of the western US. Here is the Butterfliesandmoths.org link
	Nymphalidae Junonia coenia Common Buckeye	This colorful butterfly migrates to western Colorado. Bob Hammon shot this picture at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. Here is the Butterfliesand moths.org link.
	Satyridae Erebia callias Colorado Alpine	This is a high altitude tundra that has limited didtribution in a few western states. This picture was taken in Gunnison County CO. Click here for more information.

Pieridae Colias meadii Meads sulfur	A high altitude sulfur. This mating air was photographed in Gunnison County by Bob Hammon. Click for more iinfrmation.
Pieridae Pontia beckerii Beckers White	Click for more information

Lycaenidae Lycaenia cupreus Lustrous copper	This is a high altitude butterfly that flies near snowbanks in July. Click for more information.
Danaidae Danaus plexippus Monarch Butterfly	Monarchs migrate through western Colorad during the summer and in some years can be very common.
Swallowtail Butterfly	Swallowtail on Lilac bush Picture taken by Melissa Franklin (May 2007) near Collbran, CO
Pieridae Euchloe ausinoides Large marbeled white	This butterfly is sitting on a bistort in Gunnison County. Click for more information
Satyridae Oeneis sp. Arctic	This Arctic landed on a snowbank above 12,000 ft in July. Bob Hammon shot the picture in Gunnison County.
Nymphalidae Euphydryas anicia Anicia Checkerspot	The Anicia checkerspot flies across higher altitudes in Colorado. Bob Hammon shot this mating pair in 1982.
Lycaenidae Plebejus melissa Melissa's Blue	This colorful blue is very common across the west. It is a common inhabitant from the lower elevation agriculturaan areas up to above treeline. Butterfliedand moths.org link
Lycaenidae Plebejus melissa Melissa's Blue
Pieridae Pontia sp	This gray veined white is feeding on a willow flower in the early spring.
Satyridae Neominois ridingsii Ridings Satyr	A rangeland butterfly photographed by Bob Hammon near Maybell CO in Moffat County. Link here
Sphingidae Pachysphinx occidentalis Poplar Sphinx	This is one of our largest hawkmoths in western Colorado. We get lots of pupae of this in the Grand Junction Extension office. Populus is the host plant. Link here
Sphingidae Smerinthus sp
Hesperidae
Nymphalidae Nymphalis milberti Milbert's Tortoise Shell	This common nettle feeder can be found on the peak of any mountain in the west at some time. These were shot on a wagon wheel in a farmr field.