Field Guide

Land Invertebrates

Showing 31 - 40 of 50 results
Photo of a northern walkingstick on autumn dogwood leaves
Walkingsticks (Stick Insects)
Diapheromera femorata, Megaphasma denticrus, and others
Walkingsticks are long, slender insects that are perfectly camouflaged to look like brown or green twigs. Most species are tropical, but some types are found in Missouri.
Photo of a longjawed orbweaver walking on a plant stalk
Longjawed Orbweavers
Tetragnatha spp.
Longjawed orbweavers are called stretch spiders because they rest with their legs stretched straight out in front of and behind their slender bodies. They build their circular webs horizontally, within a few feet above the surface of a stream or lake.
image of greenbottle fly on carcass
Blow Flies (Bottle Flies)
About 84 species in North America.
Many blow flies are so shiny and colorful they’re called greenbottles and bluebottles. But pretty as they are, it’s hard not to be repulsed by their larval diets.
image of a Tree Cricket on a flower
Tree Crickets
About 20 species in North America in subfamily Oecanthinae
Tree crickets, or pale bush crickets, are a subfamily of crickets that are little seen but often heard. True to their name, instead of living on the ground, they live in trees, bushes, and tall herbaceous plants.
Peacock fly resting on a thistle leaf
Peacock Flies (Tephritid Fruit Flies)
About 300 species in North America north of Mexico
Tephretid fruit flies, in the family Tephritidae, are often called peacock flies for the intricately patterned, often brightly colored wings of many species.
Green stink bug on a leaf
Green Stink Bug
Chinavia hilaris (formerly Acrosternum hilare)
The green stink bug is one of many species of stink bugs. Like others in their family, they emit a foul odor when they are harassed or crushed.
Dogbane beetle resting on a window
Dogbane Beetle
Chrysochus auratus
The shiny, iridescent dogbane beetle is one of Missouri's most beautiful insects. As the name indicates, this beautiful beetle feeds on dogbanes.
Photo of a northern crab spider
Northern Crab Spider
Mecaphesa asperata
The northern crab spider has many spiny hairs covering the top surfaces of the carapace, abdomen, and legs, and it has usually has greenish-yellow or yellow-brown markings.
Photo of a green crab spider on a leaf
Green Crab Spider
Misumessus oblongus (formerly Misumenops oblonga)
The green crab spider has spines, and the entire body and legs are pale green to silvery white. Like other crab spiders, its legs extend outward from the sides, and it can walk in any direction.
Obscure bird grasshopper on a grapefruit tree leaf
Bird Grasshoppers
Schistocerca spp.
About six species of bird grasshoppers occur in Missouri. Most are attractively marked, large insects that gracefully fly from danger, almost like birds.
See Also
Photo of a Yellow-Collared Scape Moth
Yellow-Collared Scape Moth
Cisseps fulvicollis
The yellow-collared scape moth is more often “orange-collared.” And whether you think it looks more like a firefly or a wasp, it’s still a moth!
image of Plume Moth on blade of grass
Plume Moths
Nearly 150 species in North America north of Mexico
Slim, delicate plume moths are instantly recognizable by their T-shaped silhouette, long legs, and muted shades of tan and brown. It can be hard to separate the various species.
Photo of an Isabella Tiger Moth
Isabella Tiger Moth (Woolly Bear; Woolly Worm)
Pyrrharctia isabella
Not many people know the adult Isabella tiger moth when they see one, but we’re all acquainted with its caterpillar, the woolly worm, or woolly bear.

About Land Invertebrates in Missouri

Invertebrates are animals without backbones, including earthworms, slugs, snails, and arthropods. Arthropods—invertebrates with “jointed legs” — are a group of invertebrates that includes crayfish, shrimp, millipedes, centipedes, mites, spiders, and insects. There may be as many as 10 million species of insects alive on earth today, and they probably constitute more than 90 percent all animal species.