Entomology

Hymenoptera Apidae, Honeybee, Honey Bee
Happy Honey Bee, Hymenoptera Apidae, feeding on late summer bloomer, Rabbitbrush, of the flora family Asteraceae.

Entomology at Red Rocks Park

Exploring the Eco-Savvy Micro World of Insects

Spring, Summer, and Fall at Red Rocks Park reveal more than towering sandstone and epic music. Hidden in the grasses, blooming flora, and crevices of stone lies a bio-diverse, unsung ecosystem—a microcosm of life teeming with insect drama, elegance, and survival.

There’s more to the Beatles than rhythm and harmony—just ask our honeybee, who truly dances with the stars.

Featured Insect: Happy Honey Bee

Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Species: Apis mellifera (Honey Bee)

A late-summer scene: a honeybee delicately feeds on Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus), a native bloomer of the Asteraceae family. With grace and ecological purpose, the bee moves flower to flower, syncing in perfect time with the season’s fading warmth.

“She dances with true stars.”

Coming Soon: Red Rocks Insect Catalog

We are actively collecting, organizing, and presenting the insect fauna of Red Rocks Park by Order and Family. With new data and photography from years of fieldwork (and more to come), our blog and database will grow to feature everything from pollinators to predators.

Stay tuned for further posts and gallery updates.

Predators Among the Petals

Some think of lions, tigers, and bears as the planet’s top-tier predators—but we invite you to look closer. At Red Rocks, the smallest creatures wage the fiercest battles, often beneath our feet or just above the flowers.

Insect Drama: Mantis Death Match

Order: Mantodea
Family: Mantidae

Captured in a remarkable still by photographer T. Johnson, this image features a rare and brutal scene: two female praying mantises in a death-match duel. According to Professor C. Pearson, sightings of Mantidae were abundant during the 2018 season—evidence of a strong, thriving year for these apex insect predators.

In this photo, the victorious female has already severed her opponent’s forelimb, and is beginning to devour her alive—starting, as mantises often do, with the head.

Mantis Death Match
Female Mantodea, Mantidae severing her female opponents arm, rather disarmingly, mantis style. Photo by T. Johnson © 2025 all rights reserved.

“This is likely a territorial battle,” says Dr. Pearson, “a kind of insect declaration: ‘I’ll eat you—and your little babies too.’”
Mantis Death Match
Female Mantodea, Mantidae disarming her rival with precision and finality.
???? Photo by T. Johnson © 2025. All rights reserved.

Entomology reviewed and co written by C. Pearson, PhD.    Multimedia and blogs by T. Johnson, BFA.