Insects are the most important part of our world. We could not live without them and it’s important we understand their value. Without insects, we would not have birds, reptiles, amphibians, or small mammals because they serve as the protein required for rearing those young. Insects require native plants to “host” their young. When non-native plants replace native plants, we lose insect habitat and ultimately the insects.
In 2013, I started photographing and documenting those at Driftless Prairies. A few years later, I began vouchering them for the Wisconsin Insect Research Collection. Lafayette County has little known about insects in our county and my work will change that.
Insects that overwinter have adapted only 1 stage of their lifecycle to survive the cold. Overwintering strategies differ by species but can be as eggs, larvae, pupae, or adults. Lepidoptera, as an order, has the most diverse methods of overwintering in their families and species but seldom do they overwinter as caterpillars. There are exceptions though! There are always exceptions!
The information that is included within came from a variety of sources.
Before we head into the listing, we should treat invertebrates humanely as they feel pain much as humans do. This information came from a study that was discussed in one of Thomas Eisner’s books.
Acari – Mites and Ticks
Arachnids – Spiders
Coleoptera – Beetles
Diptera — Flies
Dermaptera (Earwigs)
Diplopoda (Millipedes)
Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)
Gastropoda (Snails and Slugs)
Hemiptera – True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids, and Allies
Hymenoptera – Ants, Bees, Sawflies, and Wasps
Isopods (Pillbugs, Sowbugs, or Roly polys)
Lepidoptera – Butterflies
Lepidoptera – Moths
Mantidae (Mantids)
Mecoptera (Scorpionflies, Hangingflies and Allies)
Neuroptera (Antlions, Lacewings, & Allies)
Odonata – Dragonflies and Damselflies
Opiliones – Harvestmen
Orthoptera — Grasshoppers, Locusts, Katydids, Crickets
Phasmida (Walkingsticks)
Plecoptera (Stoneflies)
Trichoptera (Caddiflies)
