If you’re into creepy crawlies, this list is for you. Here are some of the bugs that are found in West Virginia.
- The Cottonwood Borer
Razarax Found in North America east of the Rockies, this bug feeds on cottonwood trees.
- The Assassin bug
fir0002 These bugs have a strong beak, which they use to violently stab their prey. That’s where they get their name.
- The American Bumblebee
I, Tony Wills Bumblebees are social insects, and live in colonies with a queen. Female bumblebees can sting repeatedly. They feed on nectar and use their hairy tongues to lap it up. They are agricultural pollinators, so their decline in recent years has been cause for concern.
- The Bald-faced Hornet
PiccoloNamek Colonies of these insects include 400 to 700 “workers.” The workers will defend their nest by stinging invaders repeatedly. They are found throughout North America but most commonly found in southeast United States.
- The Acorn Weevil
Ryan Kaldari The acorn weevil is a type of bug that infests tree seeds, boring tiny holes in them to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch into grubs, which emerge into the soil and live there for a year or two before maturing into adults.
- The American Salmonfly
Walter Siegmund The Pteronarcyidae are also known as giant stoneflies or salmon flies. Their name comes from their role in the diets of salmon fish.
- The American Carrion Beetle
Michael Patnaude This bug lays its eggs in raw flesh (mostly dead animals). Their young also eat raw flesh. It lives in North America east of the Rocky Mountains.
- Cow killers
Craig Pemberton Mutillidae, or cow killers or velvet ants, are most often bright scarlet or orange, but may also be black, white, silver, or gold. They’re known for their painful sting (hence the name cow killer).
- The Pipevine swallowtail
Meganmccarty These bugs start out like this but end up a beautiful blue butterfly. They’re commonly found in forests.
- The Ailanthus webworm moth.
Greg Hume The Ailanthus webworm moth is commonly found in North America. It is typcally seen during the summer months throughout the U.S. because it doesn’t survive cold winters and migrates.
- Masked hunters
Jeffdelonge This bug is part of the assassin bug family. Its name refers to the fact that it masks itself with dust while it hunts woodlice, lacewings, earwigs, and bed bugs.
- The Black Widow
Bloomingdedalus Identifiable by a reddish hourglass shape on the belly of the female, these spiders are venomous and particularly dangerous for humans.
This is obviously not an inclusive list. West Virginia is mostly forest, so there are plenty of bugs out there too. How many of these have you seen up close or heard about?
Razarax
Found in North America east of the Rockies, this bug feeds on cottonwood trees.
fir0002
These bugs have a strong beak, which they use to violently stab their prey. That’s where they get their name.
I, Tony Wills
Bumblebees are social insects, and live in colonies with a queen. Female bumblebees can sting repeatedly. They feed on nectar and use their hairy tongues to lap it up. They are agricultural pollinators, so their decline in recent years has been cause for concern.
PiccoloNamek
Colonies of these insects include 400 to 700 “workers.” The workers will defend their nest by stinging invaders repeatedly. They are found throughout North America but most commonly found in southeast United States.
Ryan Kaldari
The acorn weevil is a type of bug that infests tree seeds, boring tiny holes in them to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch into grubs, which emerge into the soil and live there for a year or two before maturing into adults.
Walter Siegmund
The Pteronarcyidae are also known as giant stoneflies or salmon flies. Their name comes from their role in the diets of salmon fish.
Michael Patnaude
This bug lays its eggs in raw flesh (mostly dead animals). Their young also eat raw flesh. It lives in North America east of the Rocky Mountains.
Craig Pemberton
Mutillidae, or cow killers or velvet ants, are most often bright scarlet or orange, but may also be black, white, silver, or gold. They’re known for their painful sting (hence the name cow killer).
Meganmccarty
These bugs start out like this but end up a beautiful blue butterfly. They’re commonly found in forests.
Greg Hume
The Ailanthus webworm moth is commonly found in North America. It is typcally seen during the summer months throughout the U.S. because it doesn’t survive cold winters and migrates.
Jeffdelonge
This bug is part of the assassin bug family. Its name refers to the fact that it masks itself with dust while it hunts woodlice, lacewings, earwigs, and bed bugs.
Bloomingdedalus
Identifiable by a reddish hourglass shape on the belly of the female, these spiders are venomous and particularly dangerous for humans.
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