Insects are such an important part of this world. We could not live without them although precious few people understand their value.
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 this. Some overwinter 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!
The information that is included within came from a variety of sources.
Before we head into the listing, I want to mention that we should treat invertebrate humanely as they do 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)
