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The European mantis is a species of praying mantis that can be found in Europe, Africa, Asia, and has been introduced to North America as well. Like all species of mantids they get the “Praying” part of their name from the positioning of their forelimbs. These insects are threatened by […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The tobacco beetle, aka cigarette beetle, cigar beetle, or paprika beetle, is similar in appearance to the drugstore beetle. They can be found worldwide, sans Antarctica. They have a preference for tropical habitats. That being said, they do not thrive in colder environments. With a global distribution and reputation of […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The emerald ash borer, aka EAB, feeds on various ash species and hails from north-eastern Asia. Removed from their native locale, they are considered an invasive species and are highly destructive to ash trees native to Europe and North America. Female beetles lay eggs in bark crevices. Once they hatch, […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Argentine ant is a highly invasive species of ant that causes an incredible amount of harm to communities of native arthropods, vertebrates, and plants within their invaded range. They hail, originally, from Argentina in South America. They face the threat of being outcompeted by fire ants. Their extreme genetic […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The copper chafer, aka rose chafer, can be found from the Canary Islands, to Portugal, and Spain, west towards Vladivostok in the Russian far east, to Mongolia, and North China. These insects face the threat of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of forest management that removes leaf matter […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Chinese mantis is originally native to Asia and the nearby islands. However, they were accidentally introduced to Mt. Airy, a neighborhood in Philadelphia, United States. From there they spread throughout the eastern half of the United States. They are now considered an invasive species. These mantids face the same […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The drugstore beetle, aka bread beetle, biscuit beetle, and often misnamed the biscuit weevil (seeing as they aren’t weevils), can be found worldwide. These beetles have a symbiotic relationship with a yeast-like fungus which is transmitted from female to larvae through the oviduct. They face the threats of predatory beetles, […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

It seems that wherever you go something is trying to kill bees. The European beewolf is no exception. These predatory wasps hail from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. They may be predatory, but they face the threat of fungal and bacterial pathogens that can infest their nests and kill […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The titan beetle is touted as 1 of the largest known insect species and 1 of the largest known beetles. These giants live in South America. More specifically in north-central Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guianas, Peru, and Venezuela. They face the threats of habitat loss and destruction due to rapid […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The varied carpet beetle is a globally distributed pest beetle that can be found on every continent, sans Antarctica. They can be found anywhere from bird’s nests to inside homes. These beetles are considered an invasive species, even though they occur naturally in some locales. Therefore, the IUCN does not […]

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