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Common Flying Insects

There are many flying insects that commonly buzz both outside and inside. Some, such as the house fly, can carry disease. Others, such as bees, hornets and mosquitoes can cause painful stings. Flying insects are beneficial to plants because when they move from flower to flower they help with pollination by transferring pollen from one plant to another.

House Fly
- House flies are unsanitary insects because they feed on sewage and garbage. According to the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, house flies are suspected of transmitting several diseases to humans, including typhoid fever, dysentery and cholera. They have four long stripes on the tops of their bodies and can't bite. One of the best ways to avoid a house-fly infestation is to keep decaying organic matter, like fruits and meats, out of your home.
Honeybee
- The honeybee is one of the most recognizable flying insects in the world. Honeybees are fuzzy and have black and yellow horizontal stripes on their bodies. As their name implies, they create honey from flower nectar. Honeybees are social insects and create hives with one queen that lays eggs. The hives are filled with honey, which the bees use as a food reserve when flower nectar isn't available. When a honeybee stings something, the bee dies because when the stinger comes out, it tears apart the bee's insides.
Yellowjacket
- There are several varieties of yellowjackets, but all share certain characteristics. Yellowjackets get their name from their yellow and black-striped bodies. They are about a half-an-inch long and can give nasty stings. Be careful around yellowjacket nests because they will aggressively protect them. Yellowjackets can sting multiple times. Their nests are usually layers of combs surrounded by a paper cover.
Moth
- There are more than 160,000 species of moths in the world, according to the Encyclopedia Smithsonian. Moths have scales covering their wings and are unique in that they can coil their proboscis, which is their feeding tube. Moths normally have dull-colored wings. They are generally harmless and eat nectar from flowers.
Butterfly
- There are many different butterfly varieties. They all have overlapping scales covering their wings. The wings are normally brightly colored and can have patterns that look like letters or numbers. Butterflies are cold-blooded, but if their bodies get too cold, they won't be able to fly. These flying insects drink nectar and other juices, such as sap and that of rotting fruit.

Insects & Science