Zion is home to many insects and arachnids. There are abundant hiding spaces, food sources, and sunny days to bolster the bug population. Description: small black and red true bug. Description: large black ground-dwelling beetle. Stand on their front legs with backside in the air to emit foul smelling odor as a defense against predators.
Description: Frankenstein-like insect has an ant shaped head and cricket shaped body. Slender body cm long Habitat: widespread throughout park Diet: fermented nectar, especially from whorled milkweed Fun Facts: drinking fermented nectar can cause erratic flight patterns.
Female tarantula hawks will sting and paralyze tarantulas, drag them to a burrow, and lay their eggs inside the tarantula. Wasp larvae will eat their way out of the tarantula. Diadasia diminuta Description: Small black body 7 to 9 millimeters long Habitat: Specialist bee found in desert scrubland where globe mallow plant is prevalent.
Nests are commonly found in compacted soils Diet: Adults gather nectar for food for themselves, gather pollen from globe mallow plant for offspring Fun Fact: Also known as a chimney bee, the Globe Mallow bee creates small towers of dirt near its nest.
Papilio multicaudata Description: large yellow and black striped butterfly with wingspan up to 12 cm. Caterpillars are brown and fleshy. Habitat: near slow-moving water sources especially where milkweed is present Diet: caterpillars will eat leaves of host plants, while adults feed on nectar from thistle, milkweed, lilac, etc. Fun Facts: There are two species of swallowtail butterflies in the park, the two-tailed swallowtail, and the western tiger swallowtail. Adelpha eulalia Description: mostly black butterfly with orange wing spots and white line on each wing.
