Itsy-Bitsy Made Big
Read more
Spiky, Hairy, Shiny: Insects of L.A.
If we want to understand how our decisions shape the world around us, we can start by simply paying attention to what insects are doing in our own neighborhoods.
On any given day in L.A., count on running into thousands of insects, many of which are barely visible. Since 2012, volunteers and Museum scientists have been collecting and photographing samples of this diversity as part of the BioSCAN (Biodiversity Science: City and Nature) project—in the process documenting environmental change over time. Spiky, Hairy, Shiny, an online exhibition, zooms in on this hidden world: come meet these six-legged Angelenos and let their beauty surprise and delight!
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
The soft fuzz and black-and-yellow stripes of this flower fly (Helophilus latifrons) help it mimic bees and wasps. Specimen length: 14 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
Is it an insect, or a stuffed animal? The acorn weevil's (Curculio occidentis) "fur" provides important camouflage. Specimen length: 7 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
The dazzling gems on the mason bee's (Osmia sp.) "crown" are actually three additional eyes called ocelli. Specimen length: 9 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
The orange-on-black markings of the Halloween ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) say "Stay away! I taste terrible!" Specimen length: 5 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2020. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
The female eupelmid wasp (Metapelma sp.) relies on her elbow-like antennae to "sniff" out other insects in which to lay her eggs. Specimen length: 7 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
The mantisfly (Plega sp.) relies on its spine-covered forelimbs to catch its prey. Specimen length: 18 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
Do you think you could spot this keeled treehopper (Antianthe expansa, or thornbug) clinging to the side of a stem? Specimen length: 7 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
The torymid wasp's (Diomorus zabriskii) color is the result of light refracting through the many ridges and fissures of its exoskeleton. Specimen length: 5 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
At 4 mm, the branching antennae and huge torso of the male eucharitid wasp (Pseudochalcura gibbosa) is barely visible to the human eye. Specimen length: 4 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
Being as fuzzy as a native California digger bee has advantages (Anthophora californica), including that pollen sticks to the bee's body. Specimen length: 13 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2020. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
The compound eyes of the male soldier fly (Euparyphus cinctus) give it an almost 360-degree view of its surroundings. Specimen length: 5 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN / Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
Look for the leafhopper (Draeculacephala sp., a type of sharpshooter) among the plants of the L.A. Basin. Specimen length: 5 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN / Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
Sharpshooters (Graphocephala versuta) slurp up plant fluids and shoot the remaining liquid waste out their tail end. Specimen length: 6 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
The "tail" of the snakefly (Agulla sp.) is actually an ovipositor, a specialized body part used by females to lay eggs. Specimen length: 13 mm
Photo: Lisa Gonzalez, 2019. © BioSCAN/Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
The dense, spiky hairs of the tachinid fly (Archytas sp.) set it apart from its housefly relatives. Specimen length: 15 mm
Soothing Sounds
When you have a quiet moment, put on your headphones and be transported via the sounds of Los Angeles insects, from dawn to dusk.
BioSCAN: The World's Largest Urban Biodiversity Study
What makes BioSCAN the biggest survey of its kind? First of all, the number of insect traps (80) placed by Museum staff and volunteers. Second, the urban setting: the BioSCAN project is discovering new species and examining insect distributions in the core of the Los Angeles Basin and out to the coast, mountains, and nearby deserts. Through biodiversity studies like these, scientists can track which species are in an area and how common they are. To date, we have identified 800 species, including 47 species new to science. For more results, see here.
We set up Malaise traps at sites across the L.A. Basin. Site hosts monitor the traps and remove the sample once a month.
We bring the samples back to the Museum, where we process them and record the data.
Work-study students and volunteers sort the insects.
After preliminary sorting, our entomologists identify the species.
We dry and label specimens; some go to collaborators at other institutions, but most stay in our collection.
Our ecologists analyze the data.
We publish and share our findings.
Finding Insects in Your Neighborhood
No matter where you live in Los Angeles, you can find—and support—native insect communities. Roll over a few of our BioSCAN collection sites on the map below to see examples.
Activities
Here are some things you can do at home (or just about anywhere) to observe and learn more about the insects around you.
Acknowledgements
The BioSCAN project was made possible in part through the generous support of Esther S.M. Chui-Chao and The Seaver Institute. The project also would not have happened without the collaboration of our BioSCAN site hosts, who provided access to their yards, community gardens, local green spaces, and schools. We are grateful for their cooperation and dedication.