One thing for sure: Florida has no lack of insects. They crawl, swim, fly, and burrow. Some are bright and colorful and make us smile. Others, not so much.
Since Florida rarely chills down, insects are everywhere. Most are beneficial, but biting insects can make you sick.
What are Insects?
Insects have three body segments and six legs. They often have wings. Bees, beetles, butterflies, flies, and mosquitoes are all insects, along with millions of other tiny creatures with no spines (invertebrates).
Although spiders, scorpions, and ticks are not insects, we discuss them here because “insect repellent” affects them all, and a lot of people assume they are insects. What’s the difference?
Arachnids have two body segments and eight legs. They never have wings.
Biting Insects in Florida
With the amount of time we spend outdoors, we constantly have to deal with biting insects. These types of insects are the most problematic, so we’ve tackled descriptions of them first.
The Trouble with Ticks Let's face it: Florida is a breeding ground for ticks, and summer is prime time for these nasties. Here's what you can do to minimize tick bites and how to handle if you do get bitten. 
Things That Bite: Ticks and Chiggers Since they crawl on your skin and attach themselves to you to feed, ticks and chiggers are especially creepy. Unlike mosquitoes, you can't just swat them away. Here's the difference between them.
Things that bite: Mosquitoes Mosquitoes make summer hiking a challenge in Florida. Here's why they're a problem and what you can do to fight back. 
Things That Bite: Spiders Florida has four species of venomous spiders, including the red widow spider, which is only found in our stateThere are many other types of insects in Florida that are beneficial for pollination, composting, and being a part of the food chain.
Insect Identification Tools
Use these websites to learn more about insects and arachnids in Florida
UF Insect ID Lab
The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is a fabulous resource for researching both common and unusual insects and arachnids. Dig into their database here.
Florida Museum of Natural History
At the Florida Museum, the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera & Biodiversity focuses on one important segment of the insect population: butterflies and moths. Their image gallery includes species from around the world.