List of Insects in Wisconsin

Earwigs

• Dermaptera, or earwigs as they are more commonly known, can be found all over the state of Wisconsin. Usually dark brown in color, earwigs have long slender bodies with a pincer-like appendage at the rear. They normally inhabit gardens, but sometimes they can be found inside households due to the abundance of dark crevices available, an environment that they often seek out. Although earwigs can be viewed as rather fearsome looking insects, they are harmless and, in some cases, of great use as they are known to eat other household insects. They are small insects and grow to approximately 15 mm in size.

Beetles

• A common insect throughout Wisconsin, beetles are one of the largest orders in the animal kingdom with more than 300,000 different species in the world today. Beetles are not harmful to humans, but can be devastating to agricultural crops and are often looked upon as pests by farmers and agricultural landowners. Although there are many different species, many beetles look similar with a shiny hard shell exterior covering the bulk of their bodies. Wisconsin itself is home to several different species of beetle, including the marsh beetle, scarab beetle, and the click beetle, so named because of the clicking sounds it makes when snapping its wings together.

Butterflies

• Wisconsin has an abundance of butterfly species, including the Swallowtail family of butterflies. Wisconsin Swallowtails consist of Black Swallowtails and the decorative Zebra Swallowtail just to name a couple. There are several other families of butterflies common to the area including Gossamer-wing butterflies, which are normally found around marshlands and damp vegetation, and White butterflies, which inhabit open fields and countryside. Due to the seasonal changes in Wisconsin, most butterflies are only sighted in the state between June and September when it is the height of summer. Perhaps the hardest butterfly to spot in Wisconsin is the Swamp Metalmark. A very rare butterfly, this red species is now on the endangered list in Wisconsin.