Whoa, I Haven't Seen That Bug Before! Quiz

Answer: tarantula

This is a Mexican red-kneed tarantula, my favorite tarantula species (really), especially when viewed from a distance - like three miles! Tarantulas are big, hairy and have a scary reputation but they don't always bite; they may just release some of their body hairs, which can cause tormenting itching in some people. This is a desert dweller; it doesn't care much for snow sports.

Answer: mosquito

I know this one was very easy to identify but for those of us who come from forested New England, it's great to brag about living where mosquitoes don't. They're very uncommon in the Mojave Desert, partly because of the dearth of standing water. Even the Las Vegas Strip, with all its fountains, ponds and waterfalls, doesn't have a noticeable population of them.

Some mosquitoes may arrive stowed away in tourists' luggage, but they don't last long. And we're just fine with that.

Answer: carpenter bee

The carpenter bee comes by its name honestly because it will drill or bite through wood when making a nest. There are some species of carpenter bee that have yellow or white markings but all-black seems to be the predominant color scheme in southern Nevada.

There are some carpenter bees in southern New England but they seem happy to stay there rather than venturing into the colder northern region.

Answer: black widow

The most venomous spider in North America, the female black widow is the one that bites.They are relatively small but their venom is powerful. The males may have red or yellow stripes, the female has the red hourglass on her abdomen. With all the various types of bugs, venomous or not, out here it's not unusual for those of us in the southwest to have an exterminator come around every month or two. My exterminator found a black widow in my garage.

It doesn't live there anymore.

Answer: black fly

Spring means the cold in northern New England goes away, the trees leaf out, the grass turns green and the black fly is just waiting to bite a chunk out of you. They are small and always hungry. They are in season from about mid-May to mid-June. They are bad enough in New England, but a plague in Canada. Except for the occasional colony found near slowly flowing water they aren't a problem in the desert southwest.

Answer: Aphrodite

It is the Aphrodite fritillary butterfly to be exact, named for the Greek goddess of beauty and love. Fritillary means that it has orange-brown wings with black checks. Check! The males patrol for females during the warm hours of the day so you'd think they would be a natural for Las Vegas but no, except for a few in northern Arizona and New Mexico, they prefer more temperate climates, up through New England into Canada.

Answer: termite

There are many species of termite; this one is in its winged stage. Once established they may be there to stay. Termite queens can live 30 to 50 years, the longest-lived of all insects. They cause billions of (your choice of monetary units) in damages each year.

They are found in most of the United States, and worldwide for that matter. The only thing that keeps them out of northern New England is the -20 degree Fahrenheit winter.

Answer: brown recluse

The brown recluse spider was primarily found in the central and southern U.S. but has expanded its territory into the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. A bite from one of these is nothing to be casual about. They can cause some painful and very ugly bites which can necrotize. They normally nest in rotting tree bark but find cardboard an acceptable substitute. They will also crawl in between the sheets of that little-used bed in your guest bedroom. Ack!

Answer: Puritan tiger beetle

Only a half inch (13 mm) long, it grabs its prey much like a tiger would, hence that part of its name. They like the sand and clay deposits left from the last ice age. The Connecticut River, the boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire, and continuing through Massachusetts and Connecticut was their home territory. Dam-building and modifications to the river destroyed most of their habitat and they are now an endangered species.

The arid caliche soils of the Mojave Desert are not to their liking.

Answer: Karner blue

The Karner blue is the state butterfly of New Hampshire. Its wingspan is only about an inch (2.5 cm). There are some populations of it in the midwest and the Atlantic states but the New Hampshire population is dying out. Its larvae are solely dependent on wild blue lupines for food. Efforts to reseed the plants have only had moderate success.

The only range left for Karner blues in New Hampshire is in the city of Concord's pine barrens, which are right behind one of the places I worked. We were always on the lookout for them during summers, but never saw one.