John McLaren Park - San Francisco, CA

The Western tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) is a common swallowtail butterfly of western North America, frequently seen in urban parks and gardens as well as in rural woodlands and riparian areas. It is a large, brightly colored and active butterfly, rarely seen at rest; its wingspan is 7 to 10 cm, and its wings are yellow with black stripes, and in addition it has blue and orange spots near its tail. It has the "tails" on the... less ↑

The (Common) Buckeye (Junonia coenia) is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia and all parts of the United States except the northwest, and is especially common in the south, the California coast, and throughout Central America and Colombia. Its habitat is open areas with low vegetation and some bare ground. This species and its relatives were placed formerly in the genus Precis. less ↑

The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae), in the family Nymphalidae. It is perhaps the best known of all North American butterflies. Since the 19th century, it has been found in New Zealand, and in Australia since 1871 where it is called the Wanderer. In Europe it is resident in the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira, and is found as an occasional migrant in Western Europe. Its wings feature an easily recognizable... less ↑

The Gulf Fritillary or Passion Butterfly (Agraulis vanillae) is a striking, bright orange butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, subfamily Heliconiinae. These were formerly classified in a separate family, the Heliconiidae or longwing butterflies, and like other longwings this species does have long, rather narrow wings in comparison with other butterflies. It is not closely related to the true fritillaries. It is a medium to large butterfly, with a wingspan of from 6—9.5 cm. Its underwings are buff,... less ↑

The fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus) is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae and are approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. The males are orange or yellow with black spots while the females are dark brown with orange or yellow spots. The caterpillars are greenish pink with a black head. The caterpillars are often considered pests and can feed on bermudagrass, creeping bentgrass, and St. Augustine grass less ↑

The West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella) is one of three North American species of brush-footed butterflies known colloquially as the "painted ladies". V. annabella occurs throughout much of the western US and south western Canada. The other two species are the cosmopolitan Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) and the eastern Vanessa virginiensis (American Painted Lady). This species has also been considered a subspecies of the South American Vanessa carye, and is frequently misspelled as anabella. less ↑

The Anise Swallowtail, Papilio zelicaon, is a common swallowtail butterfly of western North America. Both the upper and lower sides of its wings are black, but the upper wing has a broad yellow stripe across it, which gives the butterfly an overall yellow appearance. There are striking blue spots on the rear edge of the rear wing, and the characteristic tails of the swallowtails. Its wingspan is 7-9 cm. Its body is somewhat shorter than the... less ↑

A crane fly is an insect in the family Tipulidae. Adults are very slender, long-legged flies that may vary in length from 2–60 mm (0.079–2.4 in) though tropical species may exceed 100 mm (3.9 in). Up until recently, all of the members of the families Cylindrotomidae, Limoniidae, and Pediciidae were included within Tipulidae (at the rank of subfamily); they all share the same common names, and similar biology and morphology. Crane flies are commonly mistaken as "giant mosquitoes". less ↑

The pallid-winged grasshopper (Trimerotropis pallidipennis) is a common grasshopper of the family Acrididae, native to the deserts of western North America from British Columbia to Argentina . They are more active during the summer months, and their pale, mottled coloration makes them hard to see against surfaces such as the granite often found in the gravel of dry river beds . They grow to be 37 mm (1½ inches). The behavior of the pallid-winged grasshopper is apparently determined by... less ↑

Coccinella septempunctata, the seven-spot ladybird (or, in North America, seven-spotted ladybug or "C-7"), is the most common ladybird in Europe. Its elytra are of a red colour, but punctuated with three black spots each, with one further spot being spread over the junction of the two, making a total of seven spots, from which the species derives both its common and scientific names (from the Latin septem = "seven" and punctata = "spotted"). less ↑

Mantis religiosa, referred to as the European Mantis outside of Europe and known simply as the Praying Mantis in Europe and elsewhere, is one of the most well-known and widespread species of the order, Mantodea. Originating in southern Europe, the European Mantis was introduced to North America in 1899 on a shipment of nursery plants. Now they are found all over the north-eastern United States and Canada to the Pacific Northwest. The European Mantis is usually... less ↑

The spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) is a major agricultural pest insect (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 plants, stunting or killing them. These native pests have a wide range of host plants, but will readily infest a field... less ↑

The Acmon Blue (Plebejus acmon) is a North American butterfly. It ranges mainly in California but can be seen north to Oregon and south through Baja California. The tops of the wings are blue with dark edges in males and brown in females. Its underside is white with black spots for both sexes with a red-orange band on the hindwing. Adults feed on nectar while caterpillars can feed on buckwheats, lupines, trefoils, and milkvetches. less ↑

Nymphalis antiopa, known as the Mourning Cloak in North America and the Camberwell Beauty in Britain, is a large butterfly native to Eurasia and North America. See also Anglewing butterflies. The immature form of this species is sometimes known as the spiny elm caterpillar. Other older names for this species include Grand Surprise and White Petticoat. A powerful flier, this species is sometimes found in areas far from its usual range during migration. It is also... less ↑

The redbacked jumping spider (Phidippus johnsoni) is one of the largest and most commonly encountered jumping spiders of western North America. It is not to be confused with the unrelated and highly venomous redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti). When threatened, the redbacked jumping spider can inflict a quite painful bite in self defense, but with no serious medical consequences. less ↑

The four-spot orb-weaver (Araneus quadratus) is a common orb-weaver spider found in Europe and Asia. Females can reach 17 mm in length, especially when gravid, males approximately half that. They are quite variable in appearance, ranging from brown to bright orange or green, but they always have the characteristic four white spots on the abdomen. The darker color morphs are easiest to identify, due to the contrast between the white spots and the rest of the body.... less ↑