Top 20 Most Common Insects in Sherwood
Venturing through the microcosm bustling in Sherwood, insects stand as tiny, yet crucial contributors to our ecology. With a diverse population, they invariably have roles of both pests and benefactors. This list explores the 20 most common insects that call Sherwood home, underlining their ecological roles and unique adaptations to urban life.
Most Common Insects
1. Crowned orbweaver
A common species of orb-weaver, crowned orbweaver (Araneus diadematus) builds large and noticeable webs. Only the females build webs, and they may prey upon their mates before, during or after engaging in sexual intercourse. Crowned orbweaver is reluctant to bite humans and will not do so unless scared or provoked. It avoids danger by vibrating in its web until it becomes a blur, confusing predators.
2. 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.
3. Yellow-faced bumble bee
The yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) is known for its mostly black body with a yellow face. Their population is not dropping, but continued expansion of urban human populations is causing some difficulty for this bee to make nests. But what it does find it tends to monopolize due to its early arrival in the season.
4. Blue dasher
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.
5. Pacific forktail
The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 1876 by Selys.
6. Common whitetail skimmer
Common whitetail skimmer has black bands on its translucent wings which make it easy to identify. The common whitetail skimmer is found throughout North America and serves a vital ecological purpose. The dragonfly’s compound eyes provide it with a 360-degree field of vision, allowing it to spot prey like spiders and other nuisance insects.
7. Eight-spotted skimmer
The eight-spotted skimmer (Libellula forensis) is identified by the eight black markings on its wings. It is occasionally confused with the Twelve-spotted skimmer that is sometimes called the Ten-spotted skimmer. You may attempt to desperately count the number of spots on these fast-moving skimmers, but the major differentiation in this one is the lack of black tips on their wings.
8. Western pondhawk
The erythemis collocata is a dragonfly species of the genus Erythemis from the subfamily Sympetrinae. Its circulation area extends over the west of the USA and Mexico. The status of the species is partly controversial, and it is considered by some to be a subspecies erythemis simplicicollis collocata. In the latest publications, however, it is currently considered as a separate species.
9. Western box elder bug
The western box elder bug (Boisea rubrolineata) is most recognized by the annoyance it causes during the fall, as it has a tendency to invade homes in search of warmer protection. It has a prominent red border against a dark body that makes it easily identifiable. Other than this, they are a fairly harmless insect which may only damage some commercial fruits occasionally.
10. Isabella Tiger Moth
The isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella) grows into the Isabella Tiger Moth. In folklore, the amount of brown on their band is said to determine the length of the upcoming winter. Over the winter it freezes completely. It prevents the damage of tissue by producing a liquid that preserves the tissue.
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