Top 20 Most Common Insects in St. Joseph

The wingspan is 1.2 - 1.8 cm.

Acronicta insularis, the cattail caterpillar (when referring to the larva) or Henry's marsh moth (when referring to the adult), is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1868. It is found from coast to coast throughout the United States and southern Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba). The wingspan is 35–40 mm. Adults are on wing from April to September. The larvae feed on Typha and Polygonum species, as well as various grasses and sedges, poplar and willow. Acronicta insularis was formerly called Simyra insularis. In 2015, the genus Simyra, along with Oxicesta and Eogena, were moved to Acronicta based on phylogenetic analysis. The MONA or Hodges number for Acronicta insularis is 9280.

An unusually large and heavy species of moth, large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba) is dreaded by gardeners for the larvae's habit of causing fatal damage to the base of virtually any herbaceous plant. Large migrations occur some years, but how those years are determined is not yet known. Its contrasting colors (yellow-orange and brown) are thought to confuse would-be predators.

The slender is small about 3 - 3 cm in length.

Sericoplaga externalis is a butterfly from the grass moth family (Crambidae). The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 1892 by Warren.

The nais tiger moth (Apantesis nais) looks like the Zebra of the moth world. While it is mostly black, its cream-colored lines act as a border to the black parts. They can also be identified with hindwings that can be reddish or yellow. While it isn't one of the flashiest of the tiger moth family, it is still a beautiful moth.

Podabrus tomentosus is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. It is found in North America.

Hornworm parasitic wasp is a beneficial insect that attacks various species of hornworms, including the crop-damaging tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta). The white pupae are easy to spot as they emerge from their hosts. Food flowers like aster and yarrow can be planted to attract these insects to the garden.

The hummingbird clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) not only looks like a hummingbird, but it also hovers near flower to suck nectar. So, these insects are most commonly found in gardens, meadows, and forests, and they can migrate long distances. The adults benefit the environment by pollinating flowers, but the larvae are often pests for tobacco and tomato plants.

The wingspan is 1.3 - 1.6 cm.