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Eupeodes montivagus
Red-tailed Aphideater
A flower fly (Syrphidae) known as the Red-tailed Aphideater. Adults are pollinators that visit flowers for nectar. Larvae are aphid predators, with females laying eggs in or near aphid colonies. The species was first described from Colorado by William Morton Wheeler in 1895.
Eupeodes volucris
Large-tailed Aphideater, Bird Hover Fly
Eupeodes volucris is a hover fly (family Syrphidae) commonly known as the large-tailed aphideater or bird hover fly. Larvae are aphid predators, feeding on plant-sucking insects. Adults are pollinators that visit flowers for nectar. The species is notable among syrphid flies for its relatively large size and distinctive abdominal patterning.
Parancistrocerus bicornis
Parancistrocerus bicornis is a small mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae, described by Roberts in 1901. Like other members of the genus, it is a solitary, cavity-nesting wasp that provisions its nests with paralyzed caterpillars as food for its larvae. The species is part of a taxonomically challenging group where live specimens and even microscope examination often cannot reliably distinguish between closely related species such as Parancistrocerus and Stenodynerus.
Podabrus binotatus
soldier beetle
Podabrus binotatus is a soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. Adults are elongate beetles with soft, flexible wing covers that give rise to the common name 'leatherwings.' The species has been observed feeding on aphids and other soft-bodied insects in gardens. Like other cantharid beetles, it possesses defensive chemical glands.