Top 20 Most Common Insects in Calabria

The male is smaller than the female, the front wing of the male is 1.5 - 1.6 cm whereas a female front wing is 2 cm, and has a patch of scent-producing scales known as the androconia, which can be seen as a dark patch on the upperside of the forewing.

Large white (Pieris brassicae) is visually similar but quite larger than its close relative P. rapae. It lays its eggs on food plants such as cabbages – the origin of its common name – leading to many farmers' classifying this species as a pest.

A particularly hated invasive species in North America, european paper wasp (Polistes dominula) is well-known for its tendency to nest on human porches and sting if approached. Nests are controlled by a dominant female queen, who lays most of the eggs. Dominance among individuals can be predicted by the shape, size and number of spots they display, with more spots signaling greater dominance within the nest.

The upperside ground colour is rich silky brown. The forewing has the cell filled with a broad orange-yellow streak which is subapically deeply indented above; a small discal orange-yellow spot present in interspace 1; a much larger, similarly coloured discal spot between veins 2 and 4, on the inner side touching the cell between veins 3 and 4; a subcostal white preapical spot and a quadrate double spot in interspaces 4 and 5, placed obliquely forward to the subcostal spot; this spot whitish above, orange below. Hindwing uniform, with an irregular curved, transverse, upper postdiscal orange patch extending from just below vein 3 to interspace 6, the portion in interspace 6 often detached. The underside ground colour: forewing brown, apex pale purplish irrorated (sprinkled) with minute dark transverse striae and dots, orange markings as on the upperside but paler; hindwing uniform pale purplish irrorated with minute dark dots and transverse striae. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen dark brown; beneath, palpi, thorax and abdomen concolorous with the tint of the underside of the hindwing.

Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata (often abbreviated to Psyllobora 22-punctata), the 22-spot ladybird, (earlier known as Thea vigintiduopunctata) is a 3–5 mm long ladybird commonly found in Europe . The elytra are yellow in colour with 22 black spots. The pronotum is yellow or white with 5 black spots. This ladybird species has been reported in other areas of the province of Kerman, Mazandaran, South eastern province of Khorasan, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari, in Mashhad, Gilan, Lorestan province, Khorasan. Unlike most other ladybirds which feed on aphids, P. 22-punctata eats mildew — especially from umbellifers and low-growing shrubs . The 22-spot ladybird is best looked for amongst low vegetation.

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 species has alternating bands of black and yellow-gold. At approximately 10–15 centimetres (3.9–5.9 in), Scolopendra cingulata is one of the smallest species in the family Scolopendridae. Its venom is also not as toxic as that of other scolopendrid centipedes.

The wingspan of these moths reaches 4.5 - 6 cm. They have black or greyish forewings with white and cream broad patches and spots. The bright red/orange hind wings have black spots. The thorax is black and the abdomen is reddish-orange. The highly-coloured parts are bright scarlet on a newly-emerged insect and tend to dull to orange with age. The caterpillars are black with light brown tufts of hairs, while the head and the legs are reddish. They can reach a length of about 1.2 cm.

Leptotes pirithous is a small butterfly with a wingspan of 21–29 mm in males and 24–30 mm in females. The uppersides of the wings are purple bluish in males, bluish brown in female. The undersides are dark beige striped with white lines. The hindwings show marginal orange and black spots and two small tails.

Limenitis reducta has a wingspan of 46–54 mm. The upperside of the wings is brown black with metallic blue shine, large transversal band of white markings and a submarginal line of small blue dots. The blue sheen varies with the angle of light. The ground colour of underside of the hindwings is red, with a silvery basal area, a row of white markings and a row of black spots. A few white cell spots are also present on the underside of the forewings. The caterpillars can reach a length of 1.1 in. They are light green to dull green on the back, red brown on the underside. On the back there are numerous brown thorns.