The Insect Arena

The Insect Arena I photograph insects/ other wildlife in their natural habitat. Not an entomologist. Go outside! Explore! Not affiliated with the bug fighting pages. No AI.

Nature enthusiast and nemophile (look it up- a great word!) with a passion for bugs.

I can never remember if these are the stinging kind or not. I have to look it up every single time. The orange spots o...
05/31/2026

I can never remember if these are the stinging kind or not. I have to look it up every single time. The orange spots on the sides should make this the Fir Tussock Moth (Orgyia detrita), which while still having urticating hairs, they are not attached to venom glands as they are in the White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma). They can still cause irritation in more sensitive people, but not as ouchy. March 2023. Largo, Florida, USA.

This Paper Wasp (Polistes) had built a nest under the metal spiral staircase of our Airbnb this vacation. We had used i...
05/31/2026

This Paper Wasp (Polistes) had built a nest under the metal spiral staircase of our Airbnb this vacation. We had used it several times and only realized they were there about halfway through the week. We were a little more respectful of their presence after that, but they really didn't seem to give a crap that we were even in the vicinity. Southern Paper Wasp (P. bellicosus), I think. March 2023. St Petersburg, Florida, USA.

These attractively colored Damselflies were a pretty common sight around the water's edge. I'm pretty sure these are a ...
05/30/2026

These attractively colored Damselflies were a pretty common sight around the water's edge. I'm pretty sure these are a Rambur's Forktail (Ischnura ramburii). They've got a fairly short wing to abdomen length ratio and the way their color trnsitions from the black and green to fiery orange and yellow to a bright, powdery blue is especially eye catching. March 2023. Tampa, Florida, USA.

Blue Dashers (Pachydiplax longipennis) aren't an uncommon sight in most of the United States. I was so focused on the d...
05/30/2026

Blue Dashers (Pachydiplax longipennis) aren't an uncommon sight in most of the United States. I was so focused on the dragonfly that I didn't see the spider's web it pretty much landed right on or the spider (lower right hand corner) that thought better of trying to take down the comparative giant. The way it was holding its front legs made me think Long Jawed Orb Weaver (Tetragnathidae), but I don't think there's enough info there to really tell for sure. March 2023. Tampa, Florida, USA.

Not being super familiar with the habits of most flies, I can't say how this little island of death ended up. The dead ...
05/26/2026

Not being super familiar with the habits of most flies, I can't say how this little island of death ended up. The dead fish was only a couple of feet off shore, and the rotting flesh of course attracted some opportunistic dipterans to deposit some babies with assurance of a good meal before pupating. From what I understand, the larvae that are ready to pupate will normally drop off into the soil to do so, and herein lies the problem. They try it, end up in the water and drown or become fish food themselves or endlessly search for an appropriate place to transform into adulthood (which in this scenario is non existent). Maybe this is even a super specialized species built for this kind of thing and they're going to bore into that co**se, pupate inside it and we'll soon have adult flies pouring out of that hollowed out eye socket (straight out of a horror movie). March 2023. Tampa, Florida, USA.

This White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae) looks lke it's had at least one close brush with death. The eye spots on the win...
05/26/2026

This White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae) looks lke it's had at least one close brush with death. The eye spots on the wings, while serving as a deterrent against some predators, can draw the attention of other, braver ones away from the actual head of the victim. Instead of an instant kill, the butterfly loses a bit of wing and escapes (depending on the persistence of the attacker). March 2023. Tampa, Florida, USA.

These gorgeous spiders are usually willing photo subjects, even after unintentionally bumping their web. They'll usuall...
05/21/2026

These gorgeous spiders are usually willing photo subjects, even after unintentionally bumping their web. They'll usually make a half-hearted attempt at fleeing, stopping short of reaching any real shelter. Even if they do make a full retreat, you'll find them nestled in the cracks of some tree bark, giving you a wonderful view of their glimmering silver, green, and black dorsal side. These should all be Leucauge argyrobapta, three different individuals. March 2023. Tampa, Florida, USA.

Met this chick at a bar in Georgia. Gave her some of my drink (she looked thirsty), but she flew off before I could get...
05/07/2026

Met this chick at a bar in Georgia. Gave her some of my drink (she looked thirsty), but she flew off before I could get her name or number. I think she said she was into woodworking or something like that. February 2023. Athens, Georgia, USA.

Not great with most Flies (Diptera), but I would think this is probably one of the Blow Flies (Calliphoridae) with its c...
05/04/2026

Not great with most Flies (Diptera), but I would think this is probably one of the Blow Flies (Calliphoridae) with its characteristic metallic blue green color. They're actually quite eye catching as long as you don't think about the filth they've probably been wallowing in. March 2023. Largo, Florida, USA.

I'm not sure how this Crane Fly would've ended up with its legs in the wrong spot like this, but I'm pretty sure it woul...
04/30/2026

I'm not sure how this Crane Fly would've ended up with its legs in the wrong spot like this, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be the M.O. of the spider. Long-jawed Orbweavers (Tetragnathidae) have the habit of sitting outstretched on slender branches, four legs out front, four legs behind so that if you weren't looking closely, you'd probably never see them. March 2023. Largo, Florida, USA.

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