Top 20 Most Common Insects in Collingwood

The canadian tiger swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) is a beautiful insect that has earned its name by resembling tiger stripes. They are one of the most popular species when it comes to puddling, which involves butterflies splashing around in mud puddles in an attempt to get nutrients. When mothers lay their eggs, they will fold leave around them as a protective and edible shell, making them great parents.

The common wood nymph (Cercyonis pegala) is a brown butterfly that has eyespots located on it to assist in warding off predators, as they are pretty easily spooked by anything that looks like a giant face. Depending on the location, they may or may not come with the eyespots or additional yellow spots, giving them a good chunk of variance depending on growing environment.

The common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens) is one of the most important pollinator bees in North America. A decline in the bee population will lead to financial hardships for farmers and reduced food yield. Their efficiency in pollination and foraging comes from their ability to drop "traplines." These lines guide other bees to the correct path for food while informing them of depleted locations.

The great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele) is a beautiful butterfly that is orange in color and has a variety of spots on its body like a leopard. Females tend to be a bit darker than their male counterparts. Their caterpillars are black with orange spots and often caught feeding on violets. 

The viceroy (Limenitis archippus) is a butterfly that mimics the Monarch Butterfly. The viceroy is distinct because it is smaller than the Monarch. Still, it manages to use this to ward off most predators. There is also polymorphism, meaning that the colors of this butterfly can change depending on the territory.

The moths are very different in size and reach a wing span of 27 to 40 mm. They have very variable wing tops, from pale yellowish and ocher yellow to brownish. Mostly on the forewing underside near the tip of a small, brightly knurled eye spot is formed, which often shines on the top. At the leading edge there are sometimes further smaller eye spots. On the darker colored light, dark brown or gray rear wing underside as well usually several white or brightly gerandete black Augenflecken are to be seen with silver point, which can also be missing. Unmistakable feature of the species is there a white irregular and interrupted bandage, which already begins at the front edge of the hind wings. The egg is large, ovate and very finely meshed. It is initially pale yellowish green and later marbled reddish brown. The hairless caterpillar is about 25 millimeters long and has small, yellowish point warts and is tapered backwards. It is light green in Europe with a narrow, dark midline and a narrow upper white-yellow and dark upper bound and a lower broader, pale yellow and sharply delineated line. In North America, it varies from green to olive green to brown and has alternately bright and dark vertical stripes. At the end of the abdomen they carry two small pink lobes, which mark the caterpillars of the eye-butterflies (Satyrinae). The head is green or tan. The pupa is green in Europe and North America with light longitudinal lines and in California green to brown.

Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a visually striking species of butterfly. Unusually territorial, males will compete for choice areas, and females will only mate with males that maintain their own territories. This butterfly is known for being particularly patient with human interactions, even to the point of perching on clothing or flesh.

Lethe anthedon, the northern pearly-eye, is a species of alpines, arctics, nymphs and satyrs in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in North America. The MONA or Hodges number for Lethe anthedon is 4568.1. For more images of Lethe (Enodia) anthedon, for more references, and for host plant information (grasses, and carex sedges) go to Enodia anthedon at Wikipedia. (Enodia = old genus name.)

The upperside of the summer form's hindwings are all black, whereas the winter forms hindwings are reddish orange. The underside of both forms is striped with dark and light brown. There is a silvery comma mark in the middle of the hindwing in both forms. Its wingspan is 4.5 - 6 cm.

Its upperside is a light blue in males and a dull grayish blue in females. The underside is gray with a single row of round spots of differing sizes depending upon the region. Wingspan is from 1.8 - 3 cm.