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Florida Insects

There is an exuberance of insects in Florida! Many are annoying or even dangerous, such as the fire ant’s sting, the mosquito’s bite, or the termites chewing on your house. Other insects are magnificent, such as the tiger swallowtail pictured at right, or the migrant common green darner dragonfly, or seemingly perverse such as the “ love-bug”. The Schaus' swallowtail butterfly and Miami blue are endangered species in south Florida. Other insects can cause expensive damage to our crops like citrus. Insects such as the bee can be beneficial by pollinating flowers and providing honey.

Insect Pests. The following links contain information about Florida’s least popular insects.

• Two species of red fire ants occur in Florida

• Termite help from Bureau of Entomology and Pest Control.

• Cockroach control ideas from Alabama

• Understanding the Flea from University of Florida

• Mosquito control education

• Little to Love about Love Bugs

• University of Florida pest alert

• Florida Corn Insect Identification Guide

• The Wheel Bug is beneficial, but its bite is severe

Insect Delights. The following list should include something to delight everyone

• The Butterflies of Florida and the Moths of Florida from USGS

• Butterfly gardening in Florida

• Dragonflies and damselflies of Florida

• The Bees of Florida

• Sand dwelling insects of the Florida scrub

• Grasshoppers of Florida

General Insect Links.

• Florida Department of Agriculture Entomology page

• Florida Entomological Society

• Featured creatures from Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

• Florida Department of Environmental Protection identification keys

• University of Florida’s book of insect records