Our area has a lot of interesting insects—so many that we can’t cover them all in one episode! That’s why today we’re focusing on the kinds of insects you’ll most likely see around the park, and ones you’re probably already looking for: dragonflies, damselflies, ladybugs, grasshoppers, crickets, fireflies, and solitary bees.
To start off, let’s talk about one of the more favored insects of gardeners and tattoo artists: the dragonfly! Dragonflies are large bugs known for their long, narrow bodies, four perpendicular wings, and big, smushed-together eyes that let them see almost 360 degrees around their heads. Coming in all sorts of colors, they’re known for decorating many bodies of water, from streams to ponds and lakes. It’s because of our wetlands and proximity to the lake that you can usually find dragonflies around the museum, like the Common Whitetail Skimmer.
They’re carnivorous eating mosquitos, bees, gnats, and other small flying insects. They lay eggs in bodies of water that hatch into aquatic larvae, called nymphs or naiads, which become dragonflies without a pupal/cocoon phase.
Dragonflies have a need for speed, going up to 40mph. Some can even fly across oceans for their migrations!
The damselfly is a close relative and often gets confused with being a daintier dragonfly, but there is more to their differences than that. For starters, most damselflies can fold their wings to lie against their back, but dragonfly wings always sit perpendicular, like they’re ready for flight. Damselfly eyes are smaller and sit on opposite sides of a thin stick. They’re shaped sort of like hammerhead sharks. Finally, while damselflies also like to be near a body of water, they prefer to lay their eggs in the plants around it.
Both dragonflies and damselflies grow up in the water. Dragonfly nymphs have gills in their abdomen, so that they can jet-propel themselves across the water in emergencies. Damselfly nymph gills are on a thin stick that sticks out of their abdomen. At their front end, both kinds of nymphs have what’s called a Labial Mask. It’s like a jaw on arms that sticks out of their chins, ready to catch anything from smaller bug larvae to tadpoles and baby fish!
Another bug that’s generally well-loved around here is the ladybug. Also called Ladybird or Lady Beetle, they’re a common symbol used in children’s stories, and are known by farmers for eating aphids off their crops. Convergent Ladybugs are the best crop-protectors because they’re native to the area and can regulate their maturation rates to match how much food is available. Some industrial farming operations will release ladybug populations on their fields as an alternative to pesticides, though it’s debated whether this is effective. Unfortunately, these helpful native insects are in competition with the invasive Asian Multicolored Ladybug, which take over gardens and houses. If you’ve had issues with ladybugs amassing in your house for the cold months and possibly releasing a nasty odor, it’s the Asian Multicolored Ladybug.
You can tell these two apart in a few different ways. Convergent ladybugs have 13 or less dots, while the Asian Multicolored Ladybug tends to have larger numbers. The Convergent ladybugs are also more egg-shaped and have fewer/smaller white blotches on their heads than their Multicolored cousins. Convergent Ladybug larvae look like tiny grey alligators with orange polka dots, while Asian Multicolored larvae are spiky, with an orange stripe down either side of the abdomen.
Another fun bunch of insects are grasshoppers and crickets. Though not closely related, we often associate them with each other because of their similar body shapes, long jumps, and the males ‘singing’ to attract mates. When you get into the grit of it, though, they have some very different features and functions. In fact, locusts are more closely related to grasshoppers!
Grasshoppers are larger, with long bodies that narrow off at the back. They have giant back legs and wings, which some subspecies use for jumps up to 20 times their body length. Some subspecies still fly as well. Usually they’re depicted as being green, but many grasshoppers can change their colour in response to humidity, temperature, and the colour of their surroundings for camouflage. They’re usually herbivores or opportunistic omnivores, eating plants and other insects if they’re easily caught or scavenged.
The ‘song’ that grasshoppers are known for is made through ‘stridulation’. Ridges on their back legs rubbed against the veiny part of their wings, causing vibrations that make a chirping sound. These calls are usually used to find mates or mark territory, so it’s very important that other grasshoppers hear it. That’s why they developed to have ‘ears’ on their bellies! Thin membranes on their sides, called tympanal organs, pick up sound vibrations.
Because grasshoppers are a major food source for larger animals and a population regulator for many plants, and they’re super sensitive to their surroundings, they make a great indicator species. Indicator species are tracked by scientists and conservation experts because the size of their populations can show a lot about the health of the ecosystem they inhabit.
Crickets look like short, squat, dark grasshoppers with antennae. They have similar back legs made for leaping, but most are wingless. They tend to be nocturnal (coming out at night) and omnivorous. They usually lay eggs in the fall, overwinter and hatch in the spring, and take 6-12 moults to fully mature. Adults live 6-8 weeks.
They often chirp high pitched, pulsing or buzzing, but every species sounds a little bit different. For species that have wings, their chirp is made by rows of teeth on the forewings, which rub together. Smaller crickets tend to chirp faster than the larger ones, and all chirp faster when it’s hot outside. They sense sound through their forelegs.
These bugs fill summer with song, day and night, while dragonflies and ladybugs fill the day with colour. Our area is also home to fireflies and glow worms. They are easily recognized by their bioluminescent (organic light-up) abdomens. There are many different species who glow for different reasons, at different stages of maturity, and with their own unique flashing patterns. Here we can only outline some firefly basics.
First, the difference between a firefly and what we commonly call a ‘glowworm’ is the presence of wings. Most ‘glowworms’ are either firefly larvae, which flash to deter predators, or wingless firefly females that are common to certain species. These landlocked fireflies tend to feed on soft-bodied insects like snails, slugs, and worms. Some of the flying adults are pollinators that live on flowers, some are carnivores, and some don’t live long enough to eat at all.
Second, adults tend to be most visible in late summer because they like to mate and lay their eggs in the fall. Larvae usually hatch in the winter, where they remain underground or behind the protection of tree bark, waiting to emerge in spring, fully maturing at the start of summer. Adult fireflies live about two months.
Third, the firefly flash is one of the most efficient light sources; energy is converted into almost 100% light instead of turning into heat. They use this flash for many reasons. The most recognized reason is to attract mates. This is why every species of fireflies has different flashing patterns, so that they’re drawn to compatible mates. However, certain species of fireflies have figured out how to imitate others, luring other species in to be eaten. And the last function of the flash, for larvae especially, is deterring predators, who recognize their glow as a sign of toxicity.
The last insect we’re going to talk about in this episode is the bee. There are many different species and subspecies of bees in Canada, most of which don’t even live in a hive! If you’re interested in learning about hives and honeybees, check out Episode 54 of our podcast, “Honey and Honey Houses”. For now, we’re going to turn our focus to the majority of Canada’s bee population: not the honeybee, not the bumblebee, but the solitary bee.
Solitary bees, as the name suggests, live alone. They don’t have queen-drone-worker divides, they don’t produce wax or honey, and (lucky for us!) they don’t tend to sting—because there’s no hive or queen to protect, most solitary bees under threat will try to save themselves. This does not make them lesser bees. In fact, they are one of the most important pollinator forces in Canada!
Eggs are laid in spring or summer, hatching and pupating, then emerging in early fall or waiting for spring. Males hatch first, and have very short life spans, so they seek females and mate as fast as they can. During the short period of competition, male solitary bees will sleep in the cups of flowers, hoping the females approach. After mating, the females go to nest. Tunnel-nesters will seek out trees for empty hollow holes, abandoned nests of other bugs, or bore their own tunnels, while ground-nesters go through a similar process in the dirt. She will store lots of pollen and nectar in these holes, for her 1-20 larvae to eat while they mature. Once they’re big enough and the weather is right, they emerge and repeat the cycle.
Many carpenter and sweat bees are solitary, like the Bicolor Striped Sweat Bee. These little bees are attracted to and consume sweat. This can be startling, but it is best to leave them alone because swatting will encourage them to sting.
Another interesting local is the Common Eastern Plasterer Bee, which produces a waterproof, biodegradable, plastic-like substance to line their nests. One fun fact about these bees, is they are currently being studied as a potential replacement for petroleum-based plastics!
Look at that, we are at the end of the episode already! Time truly ‘flies’ when you’re having fun! Thank you so much for reading!