Top 20 Most Common Insects in Lafayette

Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) is among the most recognizable butterflies in the eastern United States, where it inhabits a variety of habitats. This species is diurnal and usually solitary, preferring to fly high above the ground until the time comes to mate. Caterpillars display eyespots to deter birds in between some molting phases.

The name Pachydiplax longipennis implies that the blue dasher has long wings due to the "longipennis" section literally translating to it. But this would be misleading, as the insect does not have particularly long wings. Instead, they stick out with vibrant blue colors. The dasher part of their name may be in reference to their voracious diet, as they can eat up to 10 percent of their body weight daily.

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.

The painted lady is a migratory butterfly that spends part of the year in Northern Africa and then migrates to Europe during the warmer months. Although the adults feed on nectar from flowers, the larvae feed on the leaves of nettles and thistles.

The eastern amberwing (Perithemis tenera) is a beautiful insect that is amber in color. The amber coloring even includes its wings. It is also one of the few dragonflies that mimic wasps. This mimicry encourages potential predators to second guess their actions when considering this insect as a meal.

The silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus) constructs a series of nests throughout its development that depends on its growth stage. Its caterpillar form is considered a major homebody, as they rarely leave the spot they call home. When they are adults, males perch on high branches in order to claim and defend favorable territory. Unusually, silver-spotted skipper adults never visit yellow flowers.

The carolina Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) is a dusty brown mantis where the females are larger than the males, but the males can fly. Under laboratory conditions, females have been observed cannibalizing their mate. However, this has not been observed under natural circumstances.

Ischnura verticalis can reach a body length of 2 - 3 cm. These small green, black and blue damselflies have a slender body with four wings folding over the back. The thorax of the males is black above, with pale green sides and green shoulder stripes. Eyes are dark above, greenish below. Abdomen is mainly black, with thin pale rings. The top of the abdomen (eighth and ninth abdominal segments) is blue, with black markings on sides. The males' abdomens shows tiny projections off the tip (hence the common name verticalis of this species). Females are usually grayish-blue, with greyish markings on the abdomen. In the immature female thorax is bright orange with black dorsal and shoulder stripes. The abdomen is black above and orange below. Eyes are dark above, orange below. The pterostigma is white to light brown. The females may be less commonly yellow-green like the male.

The common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) has distinguishable target-shaped spots on its dark wings, along with patches of orange and white. It produces multiple generations each year as it migrates to sunny landscapes. When it flies, it moves rapidly in an irregular pattern, often low to the ground.

The red-orange X-shaped back of the large Milkweed Bug makes it an instant eye-catcher, which is what it wants. This striking pattern acts as a warning to predators that it will be poisonous to eat, as it contains toxins from the milkweed it feeds upon. The large Milkweed Bug mimics the cry of similar-looking bugs, making it even less appealing to predators looking to catch them.