Late summer tends to bring out larger insects, such as the praying mantis, as well as caterpillars on their way to becoming remarkable butterflies and moths. In Iowa, summer-like weather clung until the first official day of fall with lower temperatures predicted for the autumnal equinox on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. While anecdotally, fewer monarch […]
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Tag: insects
What do lightning bugs eat?
Summer is still, officially, several days away, but summer insects already have been active. Lightning bugs, also known as fireflies, are among the insects that fascinate young and old alike. Several years ago, I attended a Winter Gardening Fair in which entomologist Donald Lewis answered some of my burning questions regarding this beneficial beetle. Lewis […]
How extreme cold influences Iowa’s insec
As Midwesterners and people elsewhere search for the silver lining to our recent frigid temperatures, some have pointed to a decline in the pest population, specifically insects. This report from Minnesota Public Radio notes that the extreme cold is beneficial to the state’s ash trees, as it could kill off a large percentage of emerald […]