What’s the difference between a bug and an insect?
All bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs. Insects typically have a body segmented into three parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), a hard exoskeleton, six legs, and two antennae. Bees are insects. So are dragonflies, ants, butterflies, beetles, moths, and crickets among many others.
But there is one animal in this story that is not an insect. Spiders usually have only two body parts, basically a combined head and thorax (called the cephalothorax) and an abdomen. They don’t have antennae, they have mouths that are designed for piercing their prey, and they are related to ticks and scorpions.
Speaking of bees, Montana has the greatest variety of native bee species of any state–at least 28. There are also bumblebees, honeybees, carpenter bees, mason bees, leaf cutter bees, and several others.
Photos by Skip Via.
Yellow tigertail butterflyTwo-Form bumblebee on the highly invasive knapweed, which, sadly bees love and therefore play a role in its spread.Two-Form bumblebees on goldenrodAmerican emerald dragonflyTwo-From bumblebee on sulphur buckwheatTwo-Form bumblebee on red cloverLonghorn beetle on spireaCrab spider meets bumblebee. Judging from the absence of the bee’s head, it looks like the crab spider won this round. (Interesting fact–crab spiders walk sideways, like crabs.)Mining bee on spireaA gorgeous great spangled fritillary on thistleA nice two’fer: great spangled fritillary aborts an attempted landing on a thistle occupied by a bumblebee.Another two’fer–bumblebee and longhorn beetle on fleabaneZerene fritillaryTwo-Form bumblebee on fleabaneBumblebee on arnicaCabbage butterfly on forget-me-nots.White-lined sphinx moth on phloxPollen-laden Hunt’s bumblebee on salviaAlfalfa looper north on honeysuckleGreen comma butterflyTwo-Form bumblebee on thistlePollen-laden Two-Form bumblebee on St. John’s wortMason bee examining harebellsCheckerspot on yarrowTwo-Form bumblebee on clematis
