Sandhills Region Viewing Tips Blue-eyed Darner 1. Go to where the habitat is — visit Rhionaeschna multicolor Size: L: 2.42 - 2.73 in. state parks and other public spaces. Description: Male: Blue and black 2. Do your homework — learn what abdomen and blue eyes, Female: yellow-green where male is blue. species live in the area. Diet: 3. Think about timing — check what is Habitat: Ponds and lakes near open fields active in the area this time of year. Viewing: Summer, statewide, more 4. Consult an expert — join in on a common west The Sandhills region in Nebraska contains guided insect hike to learn more. Halloween Pennant the largest area of stabilized grass covered 5. Leave no trace — leave wildlife in Celithemis eponina dunes in the western hemisphere. Of the Size: L: 1.4 - 1.7 in. 13 million acres, over a million of these are nature and nature the way you Description: Dragonfly with Insects wetlands. There are 1,600 Sandhill lakes, found it. orange wings with brown bands and red spots on front comprising around 80,000 surface acres of edge of wing. water. These wetland areas are important Diet: Insects for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl, of the Habitat: Marshes, ponds, lakes providing much-needed habitat. This area Basic Insect Anatomy Viewing: Summer, statewide also sits directly atop the Ogallala aquifer, for which the wetlands play an important role Nebraska Spiders in retaining and filtering the water. Antenna This area receives 17 - 23 inches of water Head Goldenrod Crab Spider annually. The sandy soil of the area makes Misumena vatia farming difficult, so this area contains one Sandhills Size: L: 0.11 - 0.35 in. Description: Male: darker yellow of the largest tracts of unplowed prairie in with red and white bands on North America. People primarily use the Leg abdomen, Female: white to Sandhills region for cattle grazing. With few yellow with no markings. lights from buildings and infrastructure across Diet: Insects Thorax Habitat: Rural to urban the Sandhills, there is low light pollution, Identification Viewing: Summer, statewide making the area ideal for stargazing. Guide Bold Jumping Spider Phidippus audax Size: L: 0.5 - 0.79 in. Description: Hairy jumping Abdomen spider, black with white spots, iridescent mouthparts. Diet: Insects Habitat: Rural to urban Viewing: Spring-fall, statewide OutdoorNebraska.org

Insects Sandhills lgl.indd 1 8/13/2019 11:48:58 AM ©Jean Obrist, www.discoverlife.org Yucca Moth Gray Hairstreak Goldenrod Soldier Painted Grasshopper Tegeticulla yuccasella Strymon melinus Chauliognathus pensylvanicus Dactylotum bicolor Size: WS: 0.70 - 1.08 in. Size: WS: 1.0 - 1.25 in. Size: L: 0.35 - 0.47 in. Size: L: 0.78 - 1.37 in. Description: Nondescript white Description: Upperside of wings Description: Golden-orange with Description: Small, colorful moth with dark eyes. dark, underside gray with white variable black markings and black grasshopper with small wings Diet: Yucca seeds (larva) edging, orange patch with black head and legs. and patterns of orange, yellow Habitat: Dry grasslands with yucca spot above wing-tails. Diet: Insects (larva), and blue. Viewing: Summer, west Diet: Fruit (larva), nectar (adult) pollen and nectar (adult) Diet: Insects Habitat: Open fields Habitat: Rural to urban Habitat: Sandy blowouts, dunes Viewing: Spring-fall, statewide Viewing: Summer, statewide Viewing: Summer, west

Orange Sulphur Sandy Rainbow Scarab Beetle *Brown-belted Bumblebee Colias eurytheme limbata Phanaeus vindex Bombus griseocollis Size: WS: 1.4 - 2.45 in. Size: L: 0.43 - 0.5 in. Size: L: 0.29 - 0.5 in. Size: L: 0.37 - 0.75 in. Description: Male: upperside Description: White with green, Description: Bulky oval beetle, Description: Bumblebee with yellow, dark border and cell spot, blue, or bronze markings and metallic in appearance, copper, black head and wings and Female: yellow-white, dark border, spindly legs. gold and green; male has horn. brown belt band on thorax. underside hind wing has gray spot Diet: Insects Diet: Dung Diet: Nectar and pollen with 2 rings and a spot above. Habitat: Sandy blowouts, dunes Habitat: Grasslands Habitat: Rural to urban Diet: Nectar Viewing: Spring-fall, Viewing: Spring-fall, statewide Viewing: Spring-summer, Habitat: Open fields northwest, north-central statewide Viewing: Summer-fall, statewide

Monarch Big Sand Tiger Beetle Dogbane Leaf Beetle Ten-lined June Beetle Danaus plexippus Cicindela formosa Chrysochus auratus Polyphylla decemlineata Size: WS: 3.3 - 4.8 in. Size: L: 0.59 - 0.8 in. Size: L: 0.31 - 0.43 in. Size: L: 0.75 - 1.5 in. Description: Orange butterfly with Description: Red-purple with white Description: Small, oblong beetle Description: Brown body with black body, veins and borders with markings and spindly legs. with metallic green to brown vertical white stripes and white spots, Male: has black spot at Diet: Insects coloration. clubbed antenna, larva can be center of each lower wing. Habitat: Sand blowouts, dunes and Diet: Dogbane and milkweed plants agricultural pest. Diet: Milkweed (larva), nectar (adult) stream banks Habitat: Dogbane and milkweed Diet: Roots (larva), foliage (adult) Habitat: Open fields, rural to urban Viewing: Summer, mostly statewide, Viewing: Summer, statewide Habitat: Associated with sandy Viewing: Spring-fall, statewide excluding southern Panhandle and soil and trees, especially apple southeast corner Viewing: Mid-late summer, west

Regal Fritillary Festive Tiger Beetle © W. Cranshaw, CSU, Bugwood.org Plains Lubber Grasshopper River Jewelwing Speyeria idalia Cicindela scutelaris Brachystola magna Calopteryx aequabilis Size: WS: 2.6 - 4.0 in. Size: L: 0.43 - 0.51 in. Size: L: 1.7 - 2.2 in. Size: L: 1.75 - 2.25 in. Description: Upper forewing red- Description: Metallic beetle with Description: Colorful and Description: Metallic to dark orange with black, hind wing black blue-green had and thorax, red flightless, primarily green with green damselfly with black on with row of white spots. Males abdomen and spindly legs. short wings, Nebraska’s largest outer third of wing. have row of orange spots. Diet: Insects grasshopper. Diet: Insects Diet: Violets (larva), nectar (adult) Habitat: Sand blowouts, dunes and Diet: Forbes Habitat: Clear, sand-bottom Habitat: Open fields with violets stream banks Habitat: Grasslands creeks Viewing: Summer, statewide, more Viewing: Spring-fall, west and Viewing: Summer, west Viewing: Summer, northwest common east common in Sandhills

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Insects Sandhills lgl.indd 2 8/13/2019 11:49:06 AM