Hobbies And Interests
Flies
There are several families of order Diptera that live in Wyoming. This order comprises the insects known as flies. Adult flies are identifiable by their two functional wings and two halteres, club-like appendages that are basically modified hind wings. Many species of Diptera have been identified in Wyoming. They include members of the families Asilidae, Bombyliidae, Tachinidae, Therevidae and Sarcophagidae.
Bugs
Hemiptera is the name of the order that contains what are known as the true bugs. In Wyoming, several families of Hemiptera have been identified, including species in those of Lygaeidae and Pentatomidae. Lygaeidae contains species such as the colorful black and red Milkweed bug, the chinch bug and seed bugs. Pentatomidae contains the bugs known as stink bugs, of which Wyoming is home to at least four species.
Bees, ants and wasps
Order Hymenoptera contains the insects known as bees, ants and wasps. Hymenoptera means "membrane-winged." This order is especially prolific in Wyoming where species in the families of Argidae, Cynipidae, Formicidae, Ichneumonidae, Mutillidae, Pompilidae and Sphecidae have been identified. These insects are pollinators and play an important to the health of Wyoming's ecosystems.
Butterflies and moths
The order of Lepidoptera contains the butterflies and the moths. The name Lepidoptera means "scale wing." These insects have four membranous wings, with the hindwings being smaller than the forewings. Both are largely or entirely covered with scales. These pollinators are important to Wyoming both as food for other animals and as pollinator's for its plants.
Beetles and weevils
The order of Coleoptera contains all of the beetles and weevils, and is the largest order in class Insecta. These insects have a hard, dense exoskeleton covering most if not all of their body surface. Specialized hard outer wings cover and protect the delicate hindwings. These wings, known as elytra, are held out to the sides of the insect's body where they provide aerodynamic stability. Many species of Coleoptera are found in Wyoming, including species in the families of Carabidae, Cetoniidae, Cicindellidae, Elateridae, Meloidae, Scarabaeidae, Staphylinidae and Tenebrionidae.
Spiders
The order of Araneae contains the spiders. Spiders contain a unique body style consisting of five segments in the abdomen and eight legs. They secrete silk threads from spinnerets, specially modified abdominal segments. Silk is used to spin webs for catching prey, for encasing eggs, for building nests or burrows and for reproduction. Spiders are abundant in Wyoming, and species have been found and identified from the families of Epeiridae, Gnaphosidae, Linyphiidae, Lycosidae, Salticidae, Theridiidae and Thomisidae.