Entomological Society of Alberta

Hello ESAB Members! For the next feature winner of the Alberta Lepidopterists' Guild photo contest, we have Calvin Snider who won best photo for the "adult butterfly" section. Their photo features Tharselea helloides (purplish copper), which belongs to the family Lycaenidae.

Meet the Nevada Bumblebee, Bombus nevadensis! These bumblebees are often found in association with grasslands and/or meadows. The Nevada #bumblebee sports quite a long proboscis, making them an important #pollinator for our native species like milkvetch! 📸: Tom Koerner/USFWS

The annual Strickland Memorial Lecture is coming up on April 8th at the University of Alberta North Campus! Details about event times, locations, and payment can be found on the attached posters.

It’s #InvSpWk! Today’s theme is Pathways of Spread. Firewood can carry invasive insects like the emerald ash borer and the spongy moth. While not established in #Alberta, they pose a risk to our ecology & economy. 🔥🪵Burn it where you buy it!

Join the conversation and help raise awareness about the threat that invasive species pose to lands and waters in Canada. Participate by learning about invasive species and share your knowledge using #InvSpWk. 💭 invadingspecies.com/invaders/ invasivespeciescentre.ca/learn/

Wondering what the insect survey results for 2025 are? You can check them here! alberta.ca/alberta-insect… Wheat Midge, wheat stem sawfly, Bertha, pea leaf weevil, cabbage seed pod weevil & grasshopper. Big thank you to Ag Fieldmen, Crop Consultants, Farmers 1/2

(2/2) Thank you Jacob for taking the time to share your experience with and love of #insects and #entomology with us!

(1/2) Excited to introduce November’s Up-and-Coming #entomologist, Jacob Landry-Doran! #albertaentomology

With Halloween near, todays creature feature: D. maculata, the bald-faced 'hornet' (actually a #yellowjacket)! Capable of spraying venom in intruders' eyes and highly defensive, they also feed on pest #insects & can pollinate! Perhaps a "misunderstood monster"? 📸 Aaron Andronyk

Entries are open for the #InsectWeek #Photography #Competition 🦗 Show us your best shots of the incredible world of insects for a chance to win great prizes. (T&Cs apply) 🗓️ Deadline: 31 October 🔗 insectweek.org/2025-photograp… #InsectWeek #PhotographyCompetition #Entomology

'Tis the season for vampiric inverts! Many #Tabanidae (#horseflies) are anautogenous: females need a blood meal for egg maturation. Folks in #Alberta know these are rather persistent flies with sharp bites and hypnotic eyes! 📸: Al Poplin (1) & cutecreepycrawlies on Instagram (2)

For folks in Lethbridge and surrounding areas... Jessenia literally wrote the book on bumble bees lethbridgeherald.com/news/lethbridg… via @leth_herald

Want to learn about beneficial insects? @FieldHeroes makes an appearance at the @CanEntomologist meeting in a great talk by @haleycatton !

At Calgary for the @CanEntomologist × @EntSocAlberta joint meeting! @LeafHopeCan in the house, with more of our lab and project team arriving soon 👏 I can’t wait to see all the insect science happening in Canada! 🪲🇨🇦

(2/2) Thanks again to Dr. Judge for chatting with us, and sharing these lovely #insect photos! Check out those vibrant #eumastax #grasshoppers!

(1/2) Pleased to introduce ESAB’s October Featured #Entomologist, Dr. Kevin Judge!

The Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Societies of Canada and Alberta is approaching fast! Interested to see what's on? Check out our event website! entsocalberta.ca/jam2025/

Today we’re looking at one of #Alberta’s largest orb-weavers: the cat-faced #spider (#Araneus gemmoides)! They vary in colour but always sport “cat ear” horns. Not uncommon in autumn, you might find them under eaves by porch lights, waiting for a meal! 📸: Al Poplin & Kirra Kent.

On Wednesdays, we wear pink! Our #Orthopteran friend does too, thanks to #erythrism, usually caused by a mutation. Many #insects rely on concealing colouration to match their environment, so spotting a bright pink one when the expectation is something more covert is a treat!

Mayfly Monday! Today’s feature: one of the Western green drakes, Drunella grandis. The “green drake” name also applies to other species, like D. doddsii. These large nymphs crawl rocky riverbeds. Often, duns struggle to emerge, making them great for trout! 📸: Robert Hinchliffe

Help protect our environment by learning how to identify and report invasive species! While participant age of 8+ is recommended, we suggest the whole family come out for this workshop! For more info and to sign up, check out the eventbrite page at: bit.ly/44UBFDv