Can you spot all the bugs hiding in this scene? Insects are masters of camouflage and can blend into their environments so well that you need a second close look to spot them. Click on all the bugs that you find to learn more about them and their relationship to Ontario's Parks.

You just spotted a Lady Bug!

This is an attractive little bug and very useful to humans as well. In fact all insects, even the so called "pests", are vital to life on Earth. Without insects life as we know it would cease to exist! Ladybugs are important predators because they feed on aphids which in turn eat crops and plants in large numbers sometimes causing serious damage. Ladybugs are easy to find in a park. If you should spot one lying on its back (they hate that) please flip it over - you'll be glad you did.

You just spotted a Praying Mantis!

The praying mantis is an exquisite predator perfectly evolved for hunting. It will sit motionless for hours waiting for another insect to crawl or fly within range and then seize it and proceed to devour it alive! The mantis will eat any number of insect pests so they are a welcome sight in our provincial parks. The praying mantis may look large and frightening but it poses no danger to humans and is one of the most fascinating insects to watch (especially as it eats the head of a captured prey.)

You just spotted a Flesh Fly!

Flesh flies are a common sight in provincial parks. They like to feed on sweet stuff like nectar or sap that is flowing from tree wounds. Of course, they will also feed on any sweets you leave exposed at campsites so its always a good idea to keep your campsite clean and free of any food that may attract the flesh flies. The adult female lays her larvae within rotting flesh or within other insects or animals. The larvae then feed on the living host until they mature. Remind you of something?

You just spotted a Gypsy Moth!

Yeah I know it looks like a caterpillar not a moth. This is actually the caterpillar stage of the Gypsy Moth which is a huge pest not only within Ontario's parks but in forests throughout Ontario. It typically feeds on oaks but will attack almost any tree or shrub. The female gypsy moth can't fly and lays her eggs on the branch or bark of a tree. She may even lay her eggs within the flaps of a camping tent, so its a good idea to give your tent a thorough cleaning and check before you leave.

You just spotted a Karner Blue Butterfly!
These small delicately hued butterflies are a rare sight in Ontario's parks these days. Unfortunately the use of pesticides, and habitat destruction, has reduced their numbers in southern Ontario. You may still be lucky enough to spot the Karner Blue in Pinery Provincial Park.

You just spotted a Dragonfly!

The dragonfly is one of nature's greatest and most elegant aerial acrobats. Watching them fly is a joy to behold. Adult dragonflies have voracious appetites and they feed mainly on other flying insects such as flies, wasps, gnats, beetles, and mosquitoes. Dragonflies can usually be found around streams or ponds. If you should spot a dragonfly, notice how it flies with amazing precision, agility and speed.

You just spotted a Monarch Butterfly!
One of the most beautiful butterflies to be found in our provincial parks, the monarch butterfly is renowned for its migratory treks. Rock Point Provincial Park, on Lake Erie, is visited each September by throngs of monarch butterflies readying themselves for their awesome journey to Mexico where they hibernate on mountaintops during the winter.

You just spotted a White Butterfly!
	Which is not hard to do because the White Butterfly is among the most common butterfly in the world. These butterflies like warmth and sunshine and can be found in meadows, woodlands, fields and around drying puddles of water.

You just spotted a Garden Carpet!
The garden carpet moth likes to sit on tree trunks which makes it particularly hard to spot since it is so well camouflaged. Like most moths and butterflies, the Garden Carpet undergoes a transformation from caterpillar to imago. The imago is the final adult form of the insect. It typically has wings and is sexually mature and ready to reproduce.

You just spotted a Common Wasp!

You had best watch your step with these insects! Wasps can deliver a nasty sting. If you should encounter a wasps nest, do not, I repeat do not disturb the nest by poking it with a broom handle. Wasps will defend their nests with ferocious intensity. If you see a nest, leave it alone! On a positive note, many species of wasp are predators of caterpillars which cause a great deal of damage to trees and vegetation.

You just spotted a Ant!

Some scientists think that ants make up about 10 per cent of the world's entire animal biomass. WOW! It's no wonder you see ants everywhere in Ontario's parks, particularly where there is food. For this reason, ants can sometimes be pests at campsites. Of course, crushing individual ants out of existence is pointless because ants are social insects that belong to colonies that contain tens of thousands of ants led by a single queen. If you want to control ants at a campsite, don't leave scraps of food or trash lying around.