Top 20 Most Common Insects in Saskatchewan

The Melissa blue (Plebejus melissa) is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in western North America, from Canada to Mexico. The Karner blue (Plebejus melissa samuelis) is a subspecies of the Melissa blue, and was described by the novelist/lepidopterist Vladimir Nabokov. The wingspan is 22–35 mm. Below, the hindwing orange submarginal band, often with distal iridescent blue points, help to distinguish this species from the more muted colors and markings of the similar Plebejus idas. The marginal line is wider where the veins intersect. The fringes are not checked. The butterfly flies from April to August depending on the location. The larvae feed on Lupinus, Medicago and Lotus species.

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 wingspan is 4 - 5 cm.

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.

The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is the most recognizable butterfly in North America. It is best known for its appearance, but should be better known for the fact that it has a 3000-mile migration that takes the butterfly 4 generations to complete. Their diet is also a natural deterrent for predators, as they eat milkweed, a poison that induces vomiting.

The four-spot (Libellula quadrimaculata) is one of the large dragonflies and reaches a body length of 4 to 4.5 centimeters with wingspan between 7 and 8.5 centimeters. Each of the four wings has a striking dark spot in the area of the distinctive transverse vein (nodus), after which the species received both its scientific and its trivial name. This dragonfly is also known for its mass migrations in swarms of impressive dimensions. The entire stock is not considered to be threatened.

Erebia epipsodea, the common alpine, is a butterfly species of the subfamily Satyrinae of family Nymphalidae. It is found in North America from Alaska south through the Rocky Mountains to northern New Mexico and east across the prairie provinces to southwest Manitoba. The wingspan is 34–45 mm. Adults are on wing from mid-June to early August. The larvae feed on various grass species.

The yellow-banded bumble bee is black and yellowish-tan, and has a characteristic fringe of short yellow-brown hairs on its fifth abdominal segment. The queen is about 0.7 in long. The front half of the thorax is yellowish-brown, as are segments 2, 3 and 4 and the sides of segment 6 of the abdomen. The other parts of the thorax and abdomen are black. The worker is similar in appearance to the queen but smaller at a length of 0.35 to 0.55 in. The male is intermediate in size, being 0.5 to 0.7 in long. In the male, abdominal segments 2, 3, and 7 are yellowish-brown as are usually the sides of abdominal segment 6.

Its upperside is dark orange with many rows of black markings and black wing margins. Its underside is a light brown with many silvery-white spots. Wingspan ranges from 5 - 6 cm.