Kentucky Bugs

Insects and their relatives in Kentucky This site will have timely information on insects and their relatives in Kentucky.

08/24/2025

Pumpkin the corn snake and Frosty the curly-haired tarantula are with us tonight (Aug 23, 7-10pm) at Raven Run for the annual (free!) Critter Crawl!

08/21/2025

This Saturday, Aug 23, 2025, join UK CAFE Extension (including reps from UK Entomology and Forestry), EKU, and other folks as they lead you through a nocturnal Critter Crawl at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary from 7-10pm. Bring a flashlight and your walking shoes as you take to the trails to learn about nighttime insects, reptiles, birds, and other Critters! The event is free!

08/14/2025

Congratulations to all the 4-H Entomology Project winners at this year's Kentucky St Fair! The winning projects will be on display in the Cloverville area of St. Fair from now until Aug 24, 2025.

CLASS CHAMPIONS
Charlotte Rexroat (Taylor Co): Class Champion, 1st Year Pinned Insect Collection (Class 687A)
Madison Maynard (Taylor Co): Class Champion, 1st Year Digital Insect Collection (Class 687B)
Linus Butsch (Campbell Co): Class Champion, 2nd Year Pinned Insect Collection (Class 688A)
Harrison Ramsay (Madison Co): Class Champion, Junior Level Entomology Video Project (Class 690C)

GRAND CHAMPIONS
Grand Champion: Paisley Brinkman (Campbell Co), also Class Champ, 3rd Year Pinned Insect Collection (Class 689A)
Reserve Grand Champion: Cheyenne Brinkman (Campbell Co), 3rd Year Pinned Insect Collection (Class 689A)

Learn more about 4-H Entomology projects by visiting your local KY Extension office (there's one in every county!) or by checking out our resources at https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/4-h-and-youth-entomology.

06/20/2025

In support of Pollinator Week 2025, UK Entomology will be at McConnell Springs this Saturday June 21 from 10am-1pm with our live insect+spider zoo. Come meet Lazy the tarantula!

05/16/2025

As Brood 14 makes its presence known around Central and Eastern KY, you may notice that some of them have blue eyes! While periodical cicadas are known for their red eyes, a small percentage have smoky (some would say smouldering) blue eyes. This is simply an uncommon color variation among the population... in the same way that humans can have different eye colors, so can cicadas. While blue-eyed cicadas are certainly less common than their red-eyed comrades, they are probably more common than the "one in a million" figure that you sometimes read on the internet... we have already heard of two such blue-eyed examples that have been found here in Fayette County in the last couple of days.

Pictured below are two views of a handsome one taken by Brian Powers and family. The photo on the left was taken soon after the creature emerged from its final nymphal stage, and shows an overall pale coloration, indicating that the cicada is still in its "teneral" state (meaning that the insect has just shed its skin, and is very soft!). The photo on the right shows the creature a little bit later, after the creature has hardened and most of its features (but not the eyes!) have darkened in color.

05/13/2025

Periodical Cicadas are Back in The Bluegrass!

Have you read the news? The cicadas have, because they are into periodicals. The periodical cicadas of Brood 14 live in Central and Eastern Kentucky all the time, but they are usually hidden underground, where they feed on tree roots as wingless nymphs. They only emerge from the soil every 17 years, and this is one of those years! They will come out of the ground, shed their skins one last time, and then take to the skies. After that, they will only live for a couple of weeks, and during that time they will sing really loud, mate, lay eggs (inside living tree twigs) and then die. Then, just a few weeks later, the eggs will hatch into very small nymphs. Those nymphs will burrow underground until the year 2042 (!) when the process will repeat itself.

Periodical cicadas will be seen (and heard) in the Bluegrass and surrounding areas from around May - June, and they will be present in the millions! They are harmless to people and pets, but young trees can be damaged by the egg-laying.

Note that Kentucky is also home to "annual cicadas." Annual cicadas are very similar to periodical cicadas, but they emerge every year instead of every 17 years, and they arrive later in the summer. Annual cicadas are a little larger than periodical cicadas, and their eyes are dark green/black instead of vivid red. They also do not emerge in the HUGE numbers that you get with periodical cicadas (but there are still quite a few annual cicadas every summer!)

Periodical cicadas have just been spotted in Fayette County over the last couple of days, and are already present in large numbers further south. Get out and witness this amazing phenomenon, but bring your earplugs! (Photos by Dr. Jennifer White, University of Kentucky)

04/29/2025

Invasive species like Spongy Moth, Spotted Lanternfly, and Imported Fire Ant threaten our commonwealth! Help UK Entomology by finding and reporting invasive species in your neighborhood!

09/27/2024

While many of us see ladybugs soley as beneficial creatures, this specific species is an invasive creatures. The Asian Lady Beetle may be helpful in the spring, in the fall and winter they can be a huge pest. As the weather begins to turn cold and the outdoors become unhospitable, these insects migrate anywhere they can inside. In Kentucky, this mass entrance usually occurs in the beginning of October.

09/23/2024

Funnel weaving spiders are known for their intricate, funnel shaped webs. They sit at the vortex of the funnel and wait for prey to fall into their web. Unlike orb-weaving spiders, their webs are not sticky. The shape of the web and the webbing itself makes it hard for prey to manuver or escape. The spider uses that to her advantage, darting out of safety to inject it with venom and drag it back into her funnel to eat.

They’re shy spiders with some incredible adaptations. They typically weave webs close to the ground where there is a nice tight spot they can build their web around. Next time you see one, try dropping an insect into her web, and watch what happens.

09/17/2024

Look out, there's bird p**p! Or is there? This moth, called the Beautiful Wood Nymph, or the Bird P**p Moth, uses mimicry to keep itself safe from predators.
While it is unlikely to see this moth this late in the year, it is certainly not impossible. They typically tend to be most abundant in July, and sightings drop off in August and September.

09/16/2024

If you have houseplants and really good eyesight, this insect may look familiar to you. Measuring at only 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch long, these tiny jumping insects can be hard to spot if you aren't looking for them. This particular species is a slender springtail.
They generally make their homes in waterlogged soils, such as an overwatered house plant, or in other generally moist areas, such as near plumbing leaks in bathrooms or kitchens.
While they are mostly harmless, they can be a sign of high moisture in an area and can indicate a leak. They may also become annoying if found in very large numbers. If this is the case, the best treatment is simply to dry out the area very well and keep it dry. Pesticides are ineffective against these insects.

09/13/2024

Fall is the perfect time to be on the hunt for these little caterpillars! Commonly called the woolly bear or the wooly worm, this caterpillar is the immature stage of the Isabella Tiger Moth.
There is a folktale that says that this caterpillar can predict the changing of the seasons through its coloration! The more brown segments the caterpillar has, the more mild the winter is supposed to be. But be careful - if the the caterpillar has mostly black segements, then this predicts a severe and long winter.
While there may or may not be truth in the caterpillar's meterological abilities, they are still fun insects to see around. Not all "furry" caterpillars are safe to touch, but these are safe to touch and pet gently. However, I would still recommend hand washing after to avoid any potential irratation from the caterpillar's "hairs".

Address

Lexington, KY
40546

Website

https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/entfacts

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kentucky Bugs posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your university to be the top-listed University in Lexington?