Top 18 Most Common Insects in Santiago Atitlan
Insects, nature's bustling bionetwork builders with diverse features, populate every nook and cranny of the globe, including our beloved Santiago Atitlan. The region's varying geography impacting insect diversity, creating a vibrant ecosystem. These tiny powerhouses play major roles from humble pollinators to inconvenient pests, influencing the balance in Santiago Atitlan. Unveiling the 'Top 18 most common insects,' we explore the symbiotic bond between Santiago Atitlan's environment and its insects.
Most Common Insects
1. Western honey bee
Western honey bee（Apis mellifera） is the most common species of honeybee in the world. Among the first domesticated insects, its cultural and economic impact on humanity has been vast and far-reaching, providing honey, wax and its services as a pollinator. Western honey bee faces challenges worldwide, such as colony collapse disorder, and populations are thought to be decreasing.
2. Monarch butterfly
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.
3. Zebra longwing
The zebra longwing (Heliconius charithonia) is a beautiful butterfly that has a texture resembling a zebra. They feast and pollen and nectar, using the pollen to produce chemicals that poison predators if they are eaten, deterring most predators from attack. Unfortunately, their populations have been decimated after being caught in the crossfire of sprays meant to control mosquitos.
4. Fox-colored stingless bee
The fox-colored stingless bee (Trigona fulviventris) primarily feeds on pollen and nectar, but it has also been known to feed on fungi and dead animals. It builds its nest on the ground near the roots of trees, and it stores nectar and pollen inside. It can be aggressive, so it will attack and bite small arthropods that invade its nest.
5. Mexican silverspot
Dione moneta is a butterfly from the Nymphalidae family. The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 1819 by Jacob Hübner.
6. Juno longwing
Dione juno, the Juno silverspot, juno longwing, or Juno heliconian, is a species of butterfly of the subfamily Heliconiinae in the family Nymphalidae found from southern United States to South America. 
7. Red postman butterfly
The red postman butterfly (Heliconius erato) is a beautiful black and white butterfly that is a skilled actor. It exhibits mimicry to resemble a butterfly similar to the Common postman to deter predators. Also, its favorite host plants are passion flowers. But it has been known to be picky about the quality of the flower.
8. Mexican treehopper
9. Multicolored asian ladybeetle
Often confused for the ladybug, multicolored asian ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis) is a separate species that, unlike the ladybug, is a household pest. It is considered particularly annoying for its habit of returning to places from which it is removed. One of the most variable species in the world, there are many different colors and patterns multicolored asian ladybeetle may display, making identification potentially difficult.
10. Tetragonisca angustula
The Tetragonisca angustula is a bee that makes up as the best of all worlds. First, this is a bee that does not have a stinger, which means that they are not harmful to humans. They also produce honey, which is an awesome addition that makes them perfect for beekeeping. However, they do produce "bouncers" in the form of larger soldiers that are good at protecting the nest.
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