Denver-Boulder Metro Area: Bugs
This guide contains spiders, bees, wasps, ants, beetles, dragonflies, grasshoppers, flies and other bugs that can be found in the Denver-Boulder Metro Area, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties.
Dorymyrmex insanus
Dorymyrmex insanus is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. It is endemic to the United States. Dorymyrmex insanus is located in moderately central areas of North America, and can be found in drier areas of the USA.
Odorous House Ant
Tapinoma sessile is a species of small ant that goes by the common names odorous house ant, sugar ant, stink ant, and coconut ant. Their colonies are polydomous (consist of multiple nests) and polygynous (contain multiple reproducing queens). Like many social insects, T. sessile employs complex foraging strategies, allocates food depending on ...more ↓
Western Carpenter Ant
Camponotus modoc or western carpenter ant is a black carpenter ant with dark red legs. Workers range in size from 7 to 13 mm (0.28 to 0.51 in).
Western Thatching Ant
Formica obscuripes (the western thatching ant) is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. It is native to North America. It produces large mounds covered by small pieces of plant material. The number of adult workers per colony may be as high as 40,000. F. obscuripes feeds upon a number of insect species, consumes nectar from homopterous insects they tend, and ...more ↓
Red Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex barbatus is a species of harvester ant from the genus Pogonomyrmex. Its common names include red ant and red harvester ant. These large (5– to 7-mm) ants prefer arid chaparral habitats and are native to the Southwestern United States. Nests are made underground (up to 2.5 m deep) in exposed areas. Their diets consist primarily of seeds, and they ...more ↓
Rough Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex rugosus, or rough harvester ant, is a species of harvester ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae which is endemic to the southwestern United States, specifically New Mexico and southern Colorado.
Western Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, or the western harvester ant, is a species of ant that inhabits the deserts and arid grasslands of the American West at or below 6,300 feet (1,900 m). Like other harvester ants in the genus Pogonomyrmex, it is so called because of its habit of collecting edible seeds and other food items. The specific epithet "occidentalis", ...more ↓
Fire Ants
Fire ant is the common name for several species of ants in the genus Solenopsis. They are, however, only a minority in the genus, which includes over 200 species of Solenopsis worldwide. Solenopsis are stinging ants and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many species also are called red ...more ↓
Temnothorax rugatulus
Temnothorax rugatulus is a species of ant in the genus Temnothorax. It is found in North America. More specifically, it is found in the forests of the western United States Colonies are either monogynous (with single reproductive queen) or polygynous (multiple queens). Queens in monogynous colonies are generally larger (marcogynes), about twice the size of conspecific ...more ↓
Red Pavement Ant
The pavement ant (Tetramorium caespitum) is an ant native to Europe, which also occurs as an introduced pest in North America. Its common name comes from the fact that colonies in North America usually make their homes in pavement. It is distinguished by one pair of spines on the back, two nodes on the petiole, and grooves on the head and thorax .
Common Eastern Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla occidentalis (red velvet ant or eastern velvet ant), is a species of parasitoid wasp native to the eastern United States. It is commonly mistaken for a member of the true ant family, as the female is wingless. The species ranges from Connecticut to Missouri in the north and Florida to Texas in the south. Other common names include cow ant and ...more ↓
Great Golden Digger Wasp
Sphex ichneumoneus, known commonly as the great golden digger wasp or great golden sand digger is a wasp in the family Sphecidae. It is identified by the golden pubescence on its head and thorax, its reddish orange legs, and partly reddish orange body. This wasp is native to the Western Hemisphere, from Canada to South America, and provisions its young with various ...more ↓
Great Black Wasp
Sphex pensylvanicus is a species of digger wasp, commonly known as the great black wasp. It lives across most of North America and grows to a size of 20–35 mm (0.8–1.4 in). The larvae feed on living insects which the females paralyze and carry to the underground nest.
Black-and-yellow Mud Dauber
Black and yellow mud dauber is a common name for the sphecid wasp species Sceliphron caementarium. They are solitary insects that build nests out of mud, in sheltered locations, frequently on man-made structure such as bridges, barns, open porches or under the eaves of houses. These nests are not aggressively defended, and stings are rare.
Blue Mud Dauber
The blue mud dauber is a metallic blue species of mud dauber wasp that preys primarily on black widow spiders. It does not build a nest, but uses nests abandoned by other mud dauber wasps. Like other mud daubers, it is rarely aggressive.
Steel-blue Cricket-hunter Wasp
Chlorion aerarium, known generally as the steel-blue cricket hunter or aphid wasp, is a species of thread-waisted wasps in the family Sphecidae....
Beewolf
Philanthus gibbosus (commonly referred to as a beewolf) is a species of bee-hunting wasp, the most common and widespread member of the genus in North America.
Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp
Sphecius speciosus, often simply referred to as the cicada killer or the cicada hawk, is a large digger wasp species. Cicada killers are large, solitary wasps in the family Crabronidae. The name may be applied to any species of crabronid which preys on cicadas, though in North America it is typically applied to a single species, S. speciosus. However, since ...more ↓
Long-horned Bee
Svastra obliqua, the sunflower bee, is a species of long-horned bee in the family Apidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Agile Long-horned Bee
Melissodes agilis, the agile long-horned bee, is a species of long-horned bee in the family Apidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Pruinose Squash Bee
Peponapis pruinosa is a species of solitary bee in the tribe Eucerini, the long-horned bees. Its common name is eastern cucurbit bee. It may be called the squash bee, but this name can also apply to other species in its genus, as well as the other squash bee genus, Xenoglossa. This bee occurs in North America from the East Coast of the United States to the ...more ↓
Bumble-bee-mimic Digger Bee
Anthophora bomboides, the bumble-bee-mimic anthophora, is a species of anthophorine bee in the family Apidae. It is found in North America.
White-Shouldered Bumble Bee
Bombus appositus is a species of bumblebee known commonly as the white-shouldered bumblebee. It is native to western North America, including western Canada and the western United States.
Black-and-gold Bumble Bee
Bombus auricomus is a species of bumblebee known by the common name black and gold bumblebee. It is native to eastern North America, including Ontario and Saskatchewan in Canada and much of the eastern United States, as far west as the Great Plains.
Nevada Bumble Bee
The Nevada bumblebee (Bombus nevadensis) is a species of bumblebee. It is native to North America, where it occurs from Alaska to California in the west, and east to Wisconsin, and in Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico.
High Country Bumble Bee
Bombus balteatus, the golden-belted bumble bee, is a species of bumblebee found in Finland, northern Sweden, Russia, and North America from arctic Alaska, Canada, and mountains, and mountain ranges in the United States such as the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains down south to New Mexico.
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus griseocollis is a species of bumblebee known commonly as the brown-belted bumblebee. It is native to much of the United States except for the Southwest, and to the southernmost regions of several of the provinces of Canada.
Morrison's Bumble Bee
Bombus morrisoni is a species of bumblebee. It is native to western North America, including the western United States and British Columbia. It is known commonly as the Morrison bumblebee.
Red-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus rufocinctus is a species of bumblebee known by the common name red-belted bumblebee. It is native to North America where it has a wide distribution across Canada and the western, midwestern, and northeastern United States. It may occur in Mexico.
Black-notched Bumble Bee
Bombus bifarius, the two-form bumblebee, is a common species of eusocial bumblebee of the subgenus Pyrobombus. B. bifarius inhabits mountainous regions of western North America. Its common name refers to the two dominant color polymorphisms, the nominate and nearcticus polymorphisms, present in the species. B. bifarius has been identified as one of ...more ↓
Hunt's Bumble Bee
Bombus huntii is a species of bumblebee. It is native to western North America, where it occurs in western Canada and the United States as far east as Manitoba and Minnesota, and in Mexico as far south as the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. It is known commonly as the Hunt bumblebee or Hunt's bumblebee.
Forest Bumble Bee
Bombus sylvicola is a species of bumblebee native to North America. It occurs throughout most of Canada, its distribution extending into Alaska and the western contiguous United States. In the southernmost extent of its range in California it occurs only at elevation. It is known commonly as the forest bumblebee.
American Bumble Bee
The American bumblebee (Bombus pensylvanicus), also known as the Sonoran bumblebee, is a species of bumblebee native to North America. It occurs in eastern Canada, throughout much of the United States, and much of Mexico.
Golden Northern Bumble Bee
The Yellow Bumble Bee or Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus) is a species of bumblebee native to North America. It have a yellow coloured abdomen and thorax.
Western Bumble Bee
Bombus occidentalis, the western bumblebee, is one of around 30 bumblebee species present in the western United States and western Canada. A recent review of all of its close relatives worldwide appears to have confirmed its status as a separate species.
Western Honey Bee
The western honey bee or European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bee worldwide. The genus name Apis is Latin for "bee", and mellifera means "honey-bearing", referring to the species' tendency to produce a large quantity of honey for storage over the winter.
Green Metallic Sweat Bee
Augochloropsis metallica is a species of sweat bee in the family Halictidae.
Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee
Agapostemon virescens, the bicolored striped-sweat bee, is a species of sweat bee in the family Halictidae. It is found in North America.
Ligated Furrow Bee
Halictus ligatus is a species of sweat bee from the family Halictidae, characterized by those bees that mine or burrow into the ground to create their nests. Moreover, As a member of the Halictidae, H. ligatus is commonly categorized a sweat bee due to its attraction to the salts of human perspiration. H. ligatus, like Lasioglossum zephyrum, is a ...more ↓
Orange-legged Furrow Bee
Halictus rubicundus is a species of sweat bee found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. H. rubicundus was introduced into North America from the Old World during one of two main invasions of Halictus subgenera. These invasions likely occurred via the Bering land bridge at times of low sea level during the Pleistocene epoch.
Zephyr Sweat Bee
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European Wool Carder Bee
Anthidium manicatum, common name European wool carder bee, is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae, the leaf-cutter bees or mason bees.
Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
Megachile rotundata, the alfalfa leafcutter bee or leafcutter bee is a European bee that has been introduced to various regions around the world. As a solitary bee species, it does not build colonies or store honey, but is a very efficient pollinator of alfalfa, carrots, other vegetables and some fruits. Because of this, farmers often use M. rotundata as a ...more ↓
Common Little Leaf-cutter Bee
Megachile brevis is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Say in 1837.
Andrena
Andrena, commonly called the mining bee, is the largest genus in the family Andrenidae, and is nearly worldwide in distribution, with the notable exceptions of Oceania and South America. With over 1,300 species, it is one of the largest of all bee genera. Species are often brown to black with whitish abdominal hair bands, though other colors are possible, most commonly ...more ↓
European paper wasp
The European paper wasp (Polistes dominula often misspelled as dominulus) is one of the more common and well-known species of social wasps in Europe. Polistes dominula is often referred to as the European Paper Wasp because of its native distribution and its nests, which are constructed from paper and saliva. Its diet is more versatile than that of most Polistes ...more ↓
Dark Paper Wasp
Polistes fuscatus, whose common name is the golden or northern paper wasp, is widely found throughout southern Canada, the United States, and Central America. It often nests around human development. However, it greatly prefers areas in which wood is readily available for use as nest material, therefore they are also found near and in woodlands and savannas. P. ...more ↓
Western Paper Wasp
Mischocyttarus flavitarsis is a social paper wasp found in Western North America. Their nests can be found both in forests close to rivers or in close proximity to human life under the eaves of roofs. Despite the fact that M. flavitarsis nests are frequently in close contact with humans, M. flavitarsis typically will not sting, but rather ram into the threatening ...more ↓
Common Aerial Yellowjacket
Dolichovespula arenaria, also known as the common aerial yellowjacket, sandhills hornet, and common yellow hornet, is a species of wasps within the Dolichovespula genus widely distributed in the North American continent.
Bald-faced Hornet
Dolichovespula maculata is a North American wasp commonly called the bald-faced hornet, white-faced hornet, white-tailed hornet, blackjacket or bull wasp. Its well-known features include its hanging paper nests and the females' habit of defending them with repeated stings.
Prairie Yellowjacket
Vespula atropilosa, also known as the prairie yellowjacket, is a black and yellow social wasp that forms annual colonies. Vespula atropilosa was formerly a member of the Vespa family. Males have either xanthic (yellow) or melanic (black) abdominal coloring. The prairie yellowjacket can be found in the Western and Midwestern United States as well as parts of ...more ↓
Western Yellowjacket
The western yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica) is a species of wasp in the genus Vespula.
Long-tailed Giant Ichneumonid Wasp
Megarhyssa macrurus (common name giant ichneumon wasp), is a species of large ichneumon wasp.
American Pelecinid
Pelecinus polyturator is a large (up to 7 cm) glossy black wasp, the most common and familiar species in the family Pelecinidae. The adults drink nectar. They live in crop fields, woods, and suburban gardens throughout North, Central, and South America. Their antennae are long and the females have an elongated, cylindrical, articulated metasoma. They are parasitoids that lay ...more ↓
Pigeon Tremex
The Pigeon tremex, Tremex columba, is a species of horntail, native to Eastern and Western North America. The females are larger than the males, with females growing to 25-30mm in length, and males about 20-25mm. The larvae feed on dead and dying trees such as beech, elm, maple, and oak.
Elm Sawfly
Cimbex americana, the elm sawfly, is a species of cimbicid sawfly in the family Cimbicidae.
Green Claybank Tiger Beetle
Cicindela denverensis, the green claybank tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in North America.
Twelve-spotted Tiger Beetle
Cicindela duodecimguttata, commonly known as the twelve-spotted tiger beetle, is a species of tiger beetle that is 12-15 millimeters long and is dark brown to black. In most of the beetles in the species, there are twelve spots on the elytra. The species are commonly found along rivers, moist trails, roads, and paths.
Common Claybank Tiger Beetle
Cicindela limbalis is a species of tiger beetle. The length of the beetle is 12–16 millimeters (0.5–0.6 in). The beetle's back is reddish purple and sometimes may be dull green or brown. The species can commonly be found on steep, moist bare clay soil. The beetle can live for 3 years.
Western Tiger Beetle
Cicindela oregona, also called the Western Tiger Beetle, is a species of ground beetles native to North America.
Bronzed Tiger Beetle
Cicindela repanda, commonly known as the bronzed tiger beetle or common shore tiger beetle, is a species of tiger beetle that measures 10–13 millimetres (0.39–0.51 in) long, lives in most of North America. Its labrum is small with one tooth and the pronotum is coppery and hairy. The shoulder marking touches or nearly touches the middle band. It is usually seen in ...more ↓
Oblique-lined Tiger Beetle
Cicindela tranquebarica, the oblique-lined tiger beetle, is a species of flashy tiger beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in North America.
Wood Ground-beetle
Carabus nemoralis is a ground beetle common in central and northern Europe, as well as Iceland and the island of Newfoundland. It has also been introduced to and expanding its range in throughout North America.
Zygogramma conjuncta
Zygogramma conjuncta is a species of beetle belonging to the family Zygogramma.
St. Johnswort Beetle
Chrysolina is a large genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Chrysomelinae. The species Chrysolina cerealis and C. graminis are protected in the United Kingdom. All species of Chrysolina are phytophagous, feeding on specific food plants, and some of them have been used for biological control of weeds. To control Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort), ...more ↓
Green Dock Beetle
Gastrophysa cyanea, the green dock beetle, is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in North America.
Cottonwood Leaf Beetle
Chrysomela scripta, the cottonwood leaf beetle, is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Willow Leaf Beetle
Plagiodera versicolora is a species of leaf beetle (subfamily Chrysomelinae) in the genus Plagiodera.
Spinach Flea Beetle
Disonycha xanthomelas is a species in the tribe Alticini ("flea beetles"), in the subfamily Galerucinae ("skeletonizing leaf beetles and flea beetles"). The species is known generally as the "spinach flea beetle". It is found in North America.
Sumac Flea Beetle
Blepharida rhois (also known as Sumac Flea Beetle) is a species of leaf beetles of the subfamily Galerucinae. The colour of the species is red, with white dots and yellow head. They are 6 millimetres (0.24 in) in length. The species can be found in Oklahoma.
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
The spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) is a major agricultural pest insect of North America (see also cucumber beetle). In the adult form, it eats and damages leaves of many crops, including cucumbers, soybeans, cotton, beans, and many others. In the larval form, which is known as the southern corn rootworm, it tunnels through the roots of young ...more ↓
