Galapagos Sulfur Butterfly |
Main Islands |
Endemic Sub-species |
Smaller butterfly with bright yellow wings. |
Monarch Butterfly |
Widespread |
Resident |
Largest butterfly found in the Galapagos. Became residents of the islands after the introduction of the plant, milkweed. |
Galapagos Blue Butterfly |
Widespread |
Endemic |
Very small, light blue butterfly. Best found after a rain. |
Large Tailed Skipper |
Main Islands |
Endemic |
Small brown butterfly with wings reaching up to 2 inches. Found on all main islands, but are uncommon. |
Green Hawkmoth |
Widespread |
Endemic Sub-species |
Large bright green moth. Commonly found flying around ships' lights at night. |
Indefatigable Hawkmoth |
Santa Cruz |
Endemic |
Small light brown moth found only in the highlands of Santa Cruz. |
Fringed Noctuid |
Widespread |
Resident |
Largest moth on the islands with a wingspan reaching up to 6 inches. Most commonly seen at night near lights. |
Longhorn Ant |
Widespread |
Introduced |
Small ant, distinguished by its very long antennae. |
Galapagos Greeneyed Horsefly |
Widespread |
Endemic |
Largest fly in the islands. Common pests to tortoises, sea turtles, iguanas and humans. They bite! |
Galapagos Carpenter Bee |
Widespread - save northern islands |
Endemic |
The only bee in the islands. |
Yellow Paper Wasp |
Widespread - coastal |
Introduced |
Distinguished by striped black and yellow body. First recorded in islands in 1988, is now widespread. |
Spotless Ladybug |
Main islands |
Endemic |
Bright red, spotless ladybug. Important little insect that helps control the population of alphids and scale bugs. |
Giant Long-horn Beetle |
Widespread |
Resident |
Largest beetle in the islands with a pair of large and obvious pinches - nearly a 1/2 inch long. |
Cockroaches |
Widespread |
Endemic and Introduced |
Out of the eighteen species of cockroaches on the islands, 5 of these are endemic. Are particularly fond of ships. |
Galapagos Field Cricket |
Isabela, Santiago, San Cristobal, Espanola, Floreana, Santa Cruz |
Endemic |
A large, dark cricket with a sharp, pointed back end. 8 different species of field crickets are found in the Galapagos. |
Large Painted Locus |
Widespread - save Espanola |
Endemic |
Colorful and large grasshopper. Most commonly found after a heavy rain. |
Spot-winged Glider |
Widespread |
Resident |
Dragonfly with a bright red abdomen. Large - roughly 3.5 inches. Commonly found hunting over lagoons and ponds. |
Squeak Bug |
Widespread |
Resident |
Can "squeak" when picked up or threatened. Has very long antennae and back legs. |
Galapagos Black Widow |
Widespread |
Endemic |
Solid, very dark spider with a blubous abdomen. Lives under logs or in rock crevices. Best to avoid. |
Zig-zag Spider |
Main islands |
Endemic |
Spider commonly sits in the center of its webs. Has a tendency to build its webs across trails and paths. |
Galapagos Centipede |
Widespread |
Endemic |
Large centipede, reaching nearly a foot long, with a powerful set of poisonous fangs. Eats other invertebrates, lizards and small birds. |
Galapagos Scorpion |
Widespread - Coastal and Arid Regions |
Endemic Sub-species |
This small, light brown scorpion is a favorite food of lava lizards. |
Galapagos flightless grasshopper |
Widespread |
Endemic |
Small grasshopper, without wings. Their brown coloring make them very hard to find. |
Star Spider |
Widespread - coastal regions |
Resident |
Easily distinguished by its yellow and black shell-like abdomen. Look for this spider in mangroves in coastal regions. |