Critters

Welcome to the Critters page!

ISABELLA TIGER MOTH

Also called Woolly Bears in their larval state, Isabella Tiger Moths can be found in meadows all across WNC, along with other locations such as Southern Canada and Mexico. Their diet mainly consists of garden plants like honeysuckle, sunflowers and echinacea, better known as coneflowers. As of 2024, they are not at risk of endangerment, meaning they are least concern.

FUN FACT: In their larval state, they can withstand being frozen for short periods of time

SIX - SPOTTED TIGER BEETLE

Usually found in forests and fields, the Six Spotted Tiger Beetle feasts on a variety of different arthropods including ants, crickets, grasshoppers and even other beetles. They can be identified by their bright green color, and while their name says otherwise, they can actually have anywhere from 0 to 6 spots on their wings. As of 2024, they are considered least concern for endangerment.

FUN FACT:They can move so fast, they temporarily lose their vision

CARPENTER ANT

Choosing to build their nests in damp or decaying wood like dead trees, Carpenter ants don’t actually eat wood. Their diet actually includes a variety of sweets like honey, syrup and sugar. Along with nesting in decaying wood, they also set up satellite nests, spreading their colonies over a large area. As of 2024, they are not at risk of endangerment. Least concern.

FUN FACT:They can actually pop/explode when they are threatened

STINK BUG

As their name suggests, Stink Bugs can be quite smelly. They tend to reside in narrow spaces such as peeling bark or cracks in floorboards, and if they are squashed, they release a strong, long lasting odor. Their diet mainly consists of fruits and vegetables including apples, berries, corn and peppers. As of 2024, they are considered least concern for endangerment.

FUN FACT:They don’t have mouths! They have straw-like “mouthparts” that they insert into their food.

COPPERY LEAFHOPPER

About ¼ of an inch and a brownish gray color, Coppery Leafhoppers can be found anywhere that supports vascular plants, but for WNC, that's limited to mostly forests. Their diet includes the sap from many different plants such as flowers, grasses and fruit trees. As of 2024, they are not at risk for endangerment. Least concern.

FUN FACT:They can jump higher than 5 times their body length.

MONARCH BUTTERFLY

Choosing to live in prairies and meadows, Monarch Butterflies love to eat the nectar located in the flowers that they drink from. The Monarch Butterfly eats the nectar through a body part, called the proboscis, that extends from the butterfly's mouth. In WNC, they are common along the Blue Ridge Parkway. As of 2024, they are threatened of becoming endangered in the near future, as they are Threatened.

FUN FACT: They migrate annually to parts of California and Mexico.