Hemiptera | True Bugs Diptera | , Mosquitos Neighbors in L.A. In Los Angeles, over 3,000 of insects have been observed on the iNaturalist/Seek apps, and new species are still being discovered today! Anyone can add observations to these apps and become a community scientist. This visual guide offers a sample of insects you may find living in the city. As you can see from these photos, plants provide Large Milkweed Bug Oleander Aphid Mexican important habitat for many insects including food and Oncopeltus fasciatus Aphis neri Copestylum mexicanum shelter. In return, many insects help pollinate flowering Summer/Fall Summer/ Fall Year-round plants. Look high and low and see if you can find some of Leaves of tropical Stems of milkweed, Larvae feed on rotting cactus the species featured here. These photos are of the adult milkweed oleander, and periwinkle and adults hover around stage of the ’s life. Treat all living beings with respect 15-20 mm body 1-2 mm body flowers. and observe insects with your eyes, not your hands. Special Photo by Jesse Rorabaugh Photo by Jesse Rorabaugh ~2cm black body thanks to Amanda Klingler, Sean O’Fallon, Eva Horna Lowell, Alejandra Photo by James Maley Gamboa, & Noa Pinter-Wollman for their contributions to this guide.

Lepidoptera | Butterflies, Moths Mantodea | Mantids

Painted Lady Butterfly Western Tiger Swallowtail White-lined Sphinx Mourning Cloak Butterfly Arizona Mantis cardui rutulus Hyles lineata antiopa Stagmomantis limbata Year round, mostly Spring Spring/Summer Spring/Summer Summer/Fall Summer/Fall Urban parks and gardens, Commonly found at dusk Adults found on & elm Shrubs and trees Open, sunny areas with rural woodlands hovering above larkspurs, trees as well as other plants Body up to 7.5 cm long. Females flowers, especially thistle 7-10 cm wingspan thistles, & petunias 7-10 cm wingspan are usually green but may be 5-7.5 cm wingspan Photo by James Maley 5-7.5 cm wingspan Photo by Robb Hannawacker grey, brown, or yellow. Photo by Jules Cooch Photo by Robb Hannawacker Photo by James Maley | Wasps, Bees, Ants

Valley Argentine Ant Guinea paper wasp Western Honey Bee Honey-tailed Xylocopa sonorina Linepithema humile Polistes exclamans Apis mellifera Striped Sweat Bee Spring / Early Summer Spring / Summer / Fall Spring / Summer Spring/Summer/Fall melliventris Build nests by burrowing Build nests in the ground and Forage on flowering plants and Live in nests built in trees or Spring / Summer / Fall into wood or foraging for forage for food in large groups build paper nests that hang off buildings & forage on flowers Found visiting flowers on flowers 1-3 mm body trees and human structures. 10-15mm fuzzy yellow body 6-9mm body. Head and thorax 2.5cm long fuzzy body Photo by Jesse Rorabaugh 12-16mm body with unique with black stripes are bright green, abdomen pale yellow stripes Photo by Noa Pinter-Wollman yellow with brown/black stripes. Photo by Terry Huang | Crickets, Coleoptera | | Dragonflies, Damselflies

Gray Bird Figeater Red Shouldered Flame Skimmer Vivid Dancer nitens Cotinis mutabilis Leaf Beetle saturata vivida Spring/Summer Common Saxinis saucia Spring/Summer Spring/Summer Ground or stems of plants Spring / Summer Spring / Summer Ponds, streams, & pools Ponds, streams, & pools 4-7 cm body Prefer shady, damp areas Larvae feed on roots. Adults 5-6 cm wingspan 3-4 cm long body that is Photo by James Maley and in mulch found on leaves. Photo by Robb Hannawacker vibrant blue 3 cm iridescent body 6 mm body with red spots Photo by Jesse Rorabaugh Photo by Jesse Rorabaugh What is an insect? Key to Insects Insects are small that have six legs and generally one or two pairs of wings. are a broader Why do we organize living things? group that includes spiders, millipedes, and other animals that we may think of as insects, but aren’t in this more specific category. We organize things into Insects are the most diverse group of animals on Earth, with over categories to make 800,000 described species—this is more than half of all known sense of our world. living organisms! Scientists study the similarities and differences in Ready to explore more? organisms to better Become a community scientist and start understand how they making observations on the iNaturalist and evolved over time and Seek apps! These are free, easy to use, and can are related to each General help us study what lives in our city. other. Check out this iNaturalist is an online community that allows example from Wikipedia you to share observations to discuss, identify, of how a species is and create research-quality community science classified from broad data for science and conservation. Seek allows groups like kingdoms curious naturalists of all ages to earn badges (Animalia = Animals) to and participate in challenges to observe a unique species Specific organisms with on-screen identifications (Figeater beetle). based on data from iNaturalist.

Class Order Common Name Description Depiction

Broad, flattened body Blattodea Cockroaches Head usually concealed

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Coleoptera Beetles Hard elytra

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Insecta Dermaptera Earwigs “Pincer”-like cerci (6 legs)

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Diptera Flies, mosquitos Only order with 2 wings

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3 “tail-like” filaments Ephemeroptera Mayflies Wings very different in size

‡ Class Order Common Name Description Depiction

Sucking mouthparts True bugs Wings half hard, half Hemiptera (aphids, membranous or all leaoppers) membranous ‡

Usually with a constricted Hymenoptera Wasps, bees, ants “waist”

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Lepidoptera Butterflies, moths Scale-covered wings

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Insecta Mantids Grasping, spiked forelegs (6 legs) Mantodea (praying mantis) for catching prey

Class Order Common Name Description Depiction ‡

Neuroptera Lacewings Clear, vein-filled wings

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Dragonflies, Long body, hind and front Odonata Damselflies wings of similar size

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Grasshoppers, Orthoptera crickets Long hind legs for jumping

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Phasmida Walkingsticks Looks like a twig or leaf

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* Andrew Howells § Thomas Weissling ¶ P earson S cott F oresman † http://www.livingwithbugs.com/springtails.html ‡ http://biokeys.berkeley.edu/inverts/index.html

Special thanks to Dr. Shannon Murphy Use this ruler to measure insects you find! 10mm = 1cm of the University of Denver for sharing this helpful key to insect orders. cm 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10