Missouri River Corridor Viewing Tips Assassin Bug 1. Go to where the habitat is — visit Sinea diadema state parks and other public spaces. Size: L: 0.47 - 0.63 in. Description: Dark brown or a 2. Do your homework — learn what dull red with narrow head with species live in the area. straw-like beak, flat, expanded Common Green Darner, female abdomen, narrow wings and 3. Think about timing — check what is spines on front legs. active in the area this time of year. Diet: Habitat: Crop fields and gardens The Missouri River corridor includes the 4. Consult an expert — join in on a Viewing: Summer, statewide river channel, the associated floodplain, guided insect hike to learn more. Yellow Garden Spider wetlands, and bluffs. This region consists of 5. Leave no trace — leave wildlife in Insects Argiope aurantia a mixture of riparian and upland deciduous nature and nature the way you Size: L: 0.20 - 1.1 in. forests, and tall- and mixedgrass prairies. The Description: Yellow and black found it. of the orb weaver with long yellow-red Missouri River runs approximately 2,320 miles and black legs. Female: larger from the headwaters in Montana to where it and brighter. Male: more brown. Diet: Insects converges with the Mississippi River in St. Habitat: Rural to urban Louis, Missouri. A 400-mile stretch of the Basic Insect Anatomy Missouri Viewing: Spring-fall, more Missouri River borders eastern Nebraska, common in eastern half running from the South Dakota boarder to Antenna Marbled Orbweaver the Kansas border, separating the state of River Araneus marmoreus Nebraska from Iowa. Head Size: L: 0.20 - 0.71 in. The Missouri River has undergone many Description: Orange to brown, lighter oval abdomen with changes throughout the 20th century. Where Corridor darker markings resembling the river once freely meandered across a vast veined marble. floodplain, channelization, dams, conversion Leg Diet: Insects Habitat: Rural to urban of wetlands, and development of structures and Viewing: Spring-fall, more agriculture fields have transformed this region. Thorax common in eastern half Even so, the Missouri River corridor provides Identification Spined Micrathena habitat not readily found throughout the rest of Micrathena gracilis the state and allows for the success of some Guide Size: L: 0.18 - 0.39 in. species in Nebraska whose geographic ranges Description: Females: Black and white with spines on are limited to this region. abdomen. Males: Brown with flat abdomen. Abdomen Diet: Insects Habitat: Woodlands Viewing: Summer, more common in eastern half OutdoorNebraska.org

Insects MoRvrCor lgl.indd 1 8/13/2019 11:59:26 AM Salt Marsh Moth Monarch ©Jean Obrist, www.discoverlife.org Familiar Bluet ©John Pickering, Red Milkweed Beetle Estigmene acrea www.discoverlife.org Tetraopes tetrophthalmus Danaus plexippus Size: WS: 1.8 - 2.6 in. Enallagma civile Size: WS: 3.3 - 4.8 in. Size: L: 1.3 - 1.7 in. Size: L: 0.20 - 0.23 in. Description: Overall large white Description: Elongated red Description: Orange butterfly with moths with black spots. Males: pale Description: Bright blue black body, veins and borders with with slender abdomen. beetle sometimes with irregular yellow-tan hind wings. Abdomen is black spots and long antenna. white spots, Male: has black spot at orange-yellow with black spots. Diet: Insects center of each lower wing. Habitat: Near still or slow moving Diet: Milkweed Diet: Leafy plants (larva) Habitat: Variable, where Diet: Milkweed (larva), nectar (adult) Habitat: Woodlands, marshes water Habitat: Open fields, rural to urban Viewing: Summer-fall, statewide milkweed is present and fields Viewing: Summer, statewide Viewing: Spring-fall, statewide Viewing: Summer, statewide Regal Fritillary Common Green Darner Anax junius *Brown-belted Bumblebee Carolina Mantis Speyeria idalia Stagmomantis carolina Size: WS: 2.6 - 4.0 in. Size: WS: 2.7 - 3.1 in. Bombus griseocollis Description: Green dragonfly Size: L: 0.37 - 0.75 in. Size: L: 1.89 - 2.24 in. Description: Upper forewing red- Description: Pale green to orange with black, hind wing black Males: blue abdomen with black Description: Bumblebee with stripe along the top. Black spot on black head and wings and brown-gray thick, bent front with row of white spots. Males legs, oversized eyes atop a have row of orange spots. the forehead enclosed by a blue brown belt band on thorax. semicircle. Female: abdomen Diet: Nectar and pollen triangular head. Diet: Violets (larva), nectar (adult) Diet: Insects Habitat: Open fields with violets ranges from reddish-brown to gray. Habitat: Rural to urban Diet: Insects Viewing: Spring-summer, Habitat: Rural to urban Viewing: Summer, statewide, more Viewing: Summer-fall, common east Habitat: Near still or slow moving statewide water eastern half Red Admiral Viewing: Spring-fall, statewide Vanessa atalanta Cobra Clubtail Common Eastern Firefly Two-Striped Grasshopper Size: WS: 1.75 - 3.0 in. Gomphus vastus Photinus pyralis Melanoplus bivittatus Description: Black with white spots Size: WS: 1.9 - 2.2 in. Size: L: 0.39 - 0.55 in. Size: L: 1.2 - 2.2 in. near wing tips, forewing with red Description: Black with yellow to Description: Black-brown, Description: Smooth yellow- band, hindwing with red edge. green markings and a very wide segments outlined in yellow. brown with two distinct Diet: Prefer sap flow or fermenting club (end). Green eyes and yellow Red plate behind head with two pale-yellow stripes. fruit, also nectar (adult) face with a broad blackish stripe. black spots. Last segment of Diet: Plants Habitat: Moist woods, marshes and Diet: Insects body lights up. Habitat: Rural to urban backyards Habitat: Near large rivers with Diet: Insects Viewing: Summer, statewide Viewing: Spring-summer, statewide moderate to strong current Habitat: Rural to urban Viewing: Summer, Missouri River Viewing: Summer, east Zebra Swallowtail corridor Eurytides Marcellus Spotted Lady Beetle Differential Grasshopper Size: WS: 2.5 - 4.0 in. Ebony Jewelwing Coleomegilla maculata Melanoplus differentialis Description: Wings pale white- maculata Size: L: 0.2 - 0.23 in. Size: L: 1.2 - 2.2 in. green with black stripes and long Size: L: 1.5 - 2.2 in. Description: Oval-shaped, Description: Yellow-brown with “tails” on hind wings. Description: Dark metallic dark red to pink beetle with irregular dark V markings on outer hind Diet: Pawpaw leaves (larva), green body with smoky to black black spots. legs. nectar (adult) wings. Diet: Aphids, mites and pollen Diet: Plants Habitat: Moist low woodlands Diet: Insects Habitat: Crop fields and gardens Habitat: Rural to urban near swamps/rivers, also fields Habitat: Near still or slow moving Viewing: Summer, east Viewing: Summer, statewide Viewing: Spring-summer, water SE Missouri River corridor Viewing: Spring-fall, statewide

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Insects MoRvrCor lgl.indd 2 8/13/2019 11:59:36 AM