Top 20 Most Common Insects in Martinsville

1. 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.

2. Cabbage white

Cabbage white (Pieris rapae) derives its common name from its habits as a caterpillar, which is a ferocious pest for cabbage, kale and broccoli farmers. In North America, it is one of the first butterflies to emerge in spring, heralding the beginning of the season.

3. Silver-spotted skipper

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.

4. Common Buckeye

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.

5. Eastern tiger swallowtail

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.

6. Pearl crescent

The pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos) is an orange butterfly that lives in open areas that are generally moist and sunny. These butterflies are attracted to puddles, and the males will often fight with other male butterflies that land near the same puddle. However, females are not as aggressive and prefer to stay in groups.

7. 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.

8. Inland floodwater mosquito

A common species of mosquito, inland floodwater mosquito (Aedes vexans) is often encountered near areas containing water such as grassy pools, shallow ponds, and even wet ditches. Only the females bite humans for their blood, as males subsist upon nectar and sap. Inland floodwater mosquito is a noted carrier of diseases such as Zika virus and myxomatosis.

9. Common Eastern Bumble Bee

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.

10. Painted lady

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.

11. Common house mosquito

Among the most common mosquitos in the Unites States, common house mosquito (Culex pipiens) is a ubiquitous biting pest. It has adapted to thrive in human-touched conditions and even to feed on the blood of avian species closely connected to humans, such as pigeons and doves. However, only females consume blood; the males survive on sap and nectar.

12. Orange sulphur

The Colias eurytheme, also known as the orange sulphur butterfly, is widely distributed in North America. It is easily found and recognized in the fields and gardens owing to its special characteristics. If you look carefully at it, you will see obvious orange color on the top of the wings and solid black borders, as well as a black spot on each forewing.

13. Spicebush swallowtail

The spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) is a butterfly with an extreme love for plants in the Lauraceae family, such as spicebushes. Their preference is so strong that an experiment proved they would rather die than choose another host. Their two subspecies, *T. troilus *troilus and *T. troilus *ilioneus, differ based on location. The *T. troilus *ilioneus has more bluish spots and prefers redbay and swampbay plants.

14. Eastern Carpenter Bee

The eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) is considered a pest and a benefit in the same body. It has earned its pest status from its ability to tunnel into human-made structures and weaken them. They can also stain their excrement on the building as they leave the tunnel. Their benefits as pollinators heavily outweigh any damage they do to structures.

15. Woodland malaria mosquito

The woodland malaria mosquito (Anopheles punctipennis) is identified with a unique wing pattern when compared to other mosquitos. Otherwise, they are known to live inside of abandoned buildings or tree stumps during the winter period, which is why they enjoy woodlands. As stated by the name, it is also a vector for malaria, which is concerning given females enjoy blood meals.

16. Brown-belted bumble bee

The brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis) can be distinguished from other bumble bees because of the brown belt on its abdomen. It's often found in urban landscapes, near sunflowers, thistles, and milkweed. The males often fly very high in search of females, and they've even been spotted at the top of the Empire State Building.

17. Eastern pondhawk

The eastern pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) has much in common with American fishermen, they love living near the sides of ponds. They are a beautiful insect that is easy to distinguish when it comes to different genders. Females are bright green with bands around the abdomen and the males are bright blue with a green face.

18. Margined calligrapher

The margined calligrapher (Toxomerus marginatus) is a type of hoverflies, that are often seen hovering above flowers. These insects can survive in a wide variety of habitats, which makes them awesome survivors. Also, they are known for bright colors when they develop in warm locations. When they are in cold locations, they are known to be much darker.

19. Red admiral

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.

20. Widow skimmer

The widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) is a large insect that grows to be incredibly large with a bulbous head and body. As they age, they are known to grow whitish, much like our grandparents' hair. They live in the water until their final molt, where they reveal their wings, it is at this point it reveals why it has part of a group called the king skimmers.

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