Top 20 Most Common Insects in Statesville

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 yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) is an arachnid that connects itself to its web to feel vibrations that signal to him prey has been caught. Its venom is harmless to humans but perfect for catching smaller insects that might cause harm to your garden. Yellow garden spiders web construction process includes bridge construction and scaffolding, making it among the more complicated web patterns.

The luna Moth (Actias luna) is a beautiful moth with lime-green wings and a white body. It warns away those who approach with clicking noises. If this fails, it will expel the contents of its intestines, which will deter most predators. Its long tail is also thought to confuse bats by messing with their echolocation.

The sociable eastern Tent Caterpillar likes to enjoy gatherings within their nests in the trees where they rest. These caterpillars build a communal tent soon after they hatch, and together work to expand it after coming home each day from feeding. When they feel threatened, colonies of eastern Tent Caterpillar will all thrash about together to create a moving mass of bodies, scaring off timid predators.

The fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus) is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae and is approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. The males are orange or yellow with black spots while the females are dark brown with orange or yellow spots. The caterpillars are greenish pink with a black head. The caterpillars are often considered pests and can feed on Bermudagrass, creeping bentgrass, and St. Augustine grass. Fiery skippers, along with all other species of skippers and skipperlings, can hold their wings in a "triangle" shape. The forewings are held upright, and the hindwings are folded flat. This position is thought to better absorb the sun's rays. The fiery skipper lives in North and South America, from Canada to Argentina. It is a migratory species.

The wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus) gets its name from the spiked wheel on the top of his head. The punk rock look suits these bugs, as their bite tends to be more painful than a bee sting. Another nickname, assassin bug, is earned through its hunting of many bugs we would consider as crop pests and indoor pests. Their saliva is toxic, usually killing prey within 30 seconds of injection.

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.

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.

The ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata) is a member of a family called the broad-winged damselflies. This one distinguishes itself by being bright green and metallic, which makes it a unique and beautiful creature. Females are brown and lack the same color as males. They typically hang out around the shaded riverside, giving them something in common with most fishermen.

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.