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Insects and spiders of Alberta

I was very fortunate to work as an entomologist for the Royal Alberta Museum, even though I had no formal education in the field. My interest in insects which started as a young boy, continued into retirement. During the summer I spend much of my free time photographing the insects and spiders of Alberta, Canada. These galleries are the result, and I hope that they will provide pleasure and information to all who look at them. My main purpose is to document the species of insects and other arthropods that occur in Alberta, and I have included some photos that are of poorer quality to achieve this goal. If you have used the galleries to identify an insect that you were wondering about, then that goal is realized.

People who are getting into insect photography and want to identify their insects, usually find this to be a daunting task. Remember that even the best entomologists cannot identify everything they see, especially from a photograph. Many of my insect photos were identified by other entomologists, and there are some that still have not been identified and probably a few that have been misidentified. Fortunately more and more resources are becoming available all the time. I highly recommend as a great web resource for identification. Of the many books available I strongly recommend "Insects, Their Natural History and Diversity" by Stephen Marshall. If anyone can identify a species in these galleries beyond where I have taken it, or can correct an identification where I have erred, please let me know.
Springtails - Collembola
:: Springtails - Collembola ::
Mayflies - Ephemeroptera
:: Mayflies - Ephemeroptera ::
Dragonflies and Damselflies - Odonata
:: Dragonflies and Damselflies - Odonata ::
Stoneflies - Plecoptera
:: Stoneflies - Plecoptera ::
Earwigs - Dermaptera
:: Earwigs - Dermaptera ::
Grasshoppers and Crickets - Orthoptera
:: Grasshoppers and Crickets - Orthoptera ::
True Bugs - Hemiptera
:: True Bugs - Hemiptera ::
Thrips - Thysanoptera
:: Thrips - Thysanoptera ::
Butterflies - Lepidoptera
:: Butterflies - Lepidoptera ::
Moths - Lepidoptera
:: Moths - Lepidoptera ::
Caddisflies - Trichoptera
:: Caddisflies - Trichoptera ::
Nerve-winged Insects - Neuroptera
:: Nerve-winged Insects - Neuroptera ::
Beetles - Coleoptera
:: Beetles - Coleoptera ::
Twisted-winged Parasites - Strepsiptera
:: Twisted-winged Parasites - Strepsiptera ::
Flies - Diptera
:: Flies - Diptera ::
Wasps, Bees and Ants - Hymenoptera
:: Wasps, Bees and Ants - Hymenoptera ::
Spiders and Relatives - Arachnida
:: Spiders and Relatives - Arachnida ::
Centipedes and Millipedes - Myriapods
:: Centipedes and Millipedes - Myriapods ::
:: Crustaceans ::