Spider And Insects Have Been Seen Crawling On Snow, And That Is Unusual

February 22, 2017

Some parts of the United States saw dramatic shifts in weather conditions. It seems like raining sleet, bouts of sunshine and icy roads can all occur in a single day for Americans living in the northern US. At times when the climatic conditions are erratic, it is not uncommon to see insects that you don't expect to see crawling on rough terrain that could kill them, like snow and ice. Throughout the northeastern US many wildlife enthusiasts have spotted bugs operating in freezing cold temperatures, yet the bugs still appear to be functional. But even more strange are the thousands of bugs huddled together in areas and under conditions where these creatures typically could not survive. It turns out that the insects that people are seeing are likely snow fleas. While it is true that they cannot survive exposure to freezing weather, these insects can pop up from their leaf-made shelters to crawl on the snow during warmer days. Other insects, such as mayflies and damselflies, are also regularly spotted making journeys across snow and ice during the winter months. For these bugs the snow may be cold, and they may barely survive the conditions, but for some bugs apparently foraging for food is better done in the winter with no predators about, after all bugs cannot expect to live without food. Have you ever spotted insects living on ice or snow? Were you able to identify the species?