Although this section is aimed at answering the questions of Albertans, anyone in North America is likely to find most of the information relevant to where they live. Hopefully you will recognize your "bug" in the photographs shown here and will get all the answers you are looking for. This section will be expanded as time goes on to include all species about which we regularly get phone calls. More information on commonly seen butterflies and moths of Alberta can be obtained at the Butterflies North and South web site. If your bug is not here, you might consider bringing it into the museum and comparing it to the specimens in the Alberta Insect Collection, a cabinet containing specimens of many of Alberta's most common and more interesting insects and other arthropods.

For additional information on various species of bugs found in Alberta, we recommend Bugs of Alberta by John Acorn and Ian Sheldon. For additional information on butterflies, Alberta Butterflies by C. D. Bird et al. is an excellent book. For a smaller field guide, get John Acorn's Butterflies of Alberta. Tiger beetle enthusiasts should buy John Acorn's great book Tiger Beetles of Alberta. Finally, every gardener and bug enthusiast should own a copy of The Prairie Gardener's Book of Bugs by Nora Bryan and Ruth Staal. These books are available at the Royal Alberta Museum's gift shop as well as many book stores throughout the province.

Photo Gallery: The species of invertebrates covered here have been grouped into four categories. By clicking on the link at left for the desired category you will bring up the next page that includes thumbnail photos of all the species covered in that category. The four categories are:

• Most insects
• Caterpillars and other immature insects
• Moths and butterflies
• Spiders and other non-insects

Note: We cannot provide advice on controlling insect pests. If you need more information beyond what has been provided here, we suggest you either search further on the web, or talk to a local exterminator.