Writer for A-Z Animals

Kathryn Koehler

Kathryn Koehler is a writer at A-Z-Animals where her focus is on unusual animals, places, and events. Kat has over 20 years of experience as a professional writer and educator. She holds a master's degree from Vanderbilt University. When she is not writing for A-Z-Animals, Kat enjoys puttering in her garden, baking deliciously healthful treats for her family, and playing with her two rescue mutts, Popcorn and Scooter. She resides in Tennessee.

323 Articles

October 2022 Member Since

Articles by Kathryn Koehler

323 articles published

Speckled Leucistic Axolotl front-facing full body shot with tail visible.The axolotl is flesh colored with wide set round black eyes. It has a long tail. It has three pink-to-ornge appendages on each side of its head.

Axolotl Teeth

Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum), also known as the Mexican salamander or the Mexican walking fish, are aquatic amphibians that belong to…

Squash Bee

Are you ready to squash your preconceived notions and learn about a bee that’s got some serious game? Meet the…

Female Tawny Mining Bee - Andrena fulva. The bee is center frame, almost vertical, with her head toward the top of the frame. She has a black head. Her thorax and abdomen are covered in rusty orange setae (hairs). She us foraging on a white / pink flower.

Tawny Mining Bee

As the warming rays of the sun climb higher in the morning sky a tiny but mighty creature emerges from…

A closeup of a fresh emerged male red mason bee (Osmia rufa) on a purple wallflower (Erisymum Cheir). The bee is in the right part of the frame. It is black but covered in burnt orange setae (hairs). The bees head is pointing toward the top of the frame as it forages on a purple wallflower.

Mason Bee

Mason bees in the genus Osmia are a diverse group of solitary bees known for their important role in pollination.…

The southeastern blueberry bee, (Habropoda laboriosa)The bee is left of center frame in flight with its tongueuxtended tower a blueberry flower blossom. The blossoms are white. The bee is black with yellow bands on its abdomen.

Southeastern Blueberry Bee

Allow me to introduce you to the one and only the Southeastern blueberry bee (Habropoda laboriosa), a bee so devoted…

Close-up of a leafcutter bee (Megachile) with a piece of leaf, which is used as building material. The bee is facing the right frame. The bee has a piece of green leaf in its clutches. The bee is black with yellow markings.

Leafcutter Bee

With their incredibly precise and rapidly executed leaf-cutting ability, leafcutter bees might just be the Martha Stewarts of the insect…

A macro shot of an ivy bee (Colletes hederae), seen nectaring on ivy flowers in September. The bee s "C" shaped in the center frameWith its body curved as it forages on a greenish pod. The bee hs a magnificently banded black and yellow abdomen and a densely hairy thorax.

Ivy Bee

Have you heard the buzz? There’s a new kid in town, and its name is the ivy bee (Colletes hederae).…

A hairy-footed flower bee (Anthophora plumipes) flying to the flowers of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) of the family Lamiaceae, Labiatae. Bergen, Netherlands, March 21, 2020. The bee is in mid-flight, facing the right frame. It is approaching the flowering plant that is light purple blooms with green leaves. The plant takes up the right part of the frame.

Hairy-footed Flower Bee

Welcome to the fascinating world of the hairy-footed flower bee (Anthophora plumipes), a tiny but mighty pollinator that is a…

Closeup on a fresh emerged female Orange-legged furrow bee, Halictus rubicundus on a twig against a green background. Th bee is center frame facing left.

Furrow Bee

Furrow bees (Halictus) belong to the family Halictidae, the second-largest family of bees in the world! The family Haliciodae contains…

Macro photo of a cigarette beetle. The beetle is a reddish brown color its elytra are pointing toward the top of the frame; its hind wings are not yet splayed. It appears to be taking off. Its head is facing frame right.

Cigarette Beetle

The cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne), is a small, reddish-brown beetle that belongs to the family Ptinidae. The family Ptinidae contains…

Two mature pink bollworm larvae on a decimated cotton boll The worms are pink with brown heads. They are facing the left. the destroyed cotton boll is white.

Pink Bollworm

The pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) is a small moth. This only goes to prove that size isn’t everything, because this…

A female wool carder bee on a hairy leaf. The bee is facing the left frame. The bee is mostly black with yellow markings on its abdomen. The leaf is green with white hairs.

Wool Carder Bee

Anthidium manicatum, commonly called the European wool carder bee or simply wool carder bee, is a fascinating and distinctive species…

Macro of Eldana saccharina, against white isolate.

African Sugarcane Borer

The African sugarcane borer (Eldana saccharina) is a moth in a league of its own, or more precisely, a genus…

An orange boat is seen in the center frame but a little far off in a lake that has an enormous rock Cliff on the right the sky blue with white clouds as seen in the background as well as an embankment with some Prairie grass growing on it. The water takes up the foreground and is a deep green with a slightly choppy surface as if a light wind or distant boat is at play.

What’s the Largest Artificial Lake in North Dakota?

Coming in at number 4 on the list of the largest reservoirs in the United States is Lake Sakakawea, the…

Macro of a yellow-faced bee. The bee is facing the camera and has three distinct areas of cream color on its face. the edges of its head are black. The rest of the body is out of focus but seems to be black with yellow accents.

Yellow-faced Bee

Yellow-faced bees are small insects in the genus Hyleaus. Yellow-faced bees are found on every continent except Antarctica. They belong…

Macro of a box-headed blood bee in the sand. The head and the thorax of the bee are black the abdomen is a reddish brown color the bee is horizontal in the frame with its head facing frame left.

Box-Headed Blood Bee

The box-headed blood bee (Sphecodes monilicornis) is a species of sweat bee that is native to Europe but now lives…

An ashy mining bee is in the right half of the frame perched on a light skinned thumb. The bee is facing frame left. It has a black body that is covered in white to gray hairs. Background is green isolate

Ashy Mining Bee

Andrena cineraria, the ashy mining bee, is a species of solitary bee commonly known as the Danubian miner bee or the grey…

Bombus flavidus

Yellowish Cuckoo Bumblebee (formerly Fernald’s Cuckoo Bumblebee)

The yellowish cuckoo bumblebee (Bombus flavidus), was until quite recently called by an entirely different name in North America. Bombus…

Macro of a gypsy cuckoo bumblebee about to forage from a five pedaled fuchsia colored flower with whites stamen. The bee is in flight and has a black face, a yellow collar, and a black thorax. Its abdomen has alternating bands of very lira yellow to cream and black. Its tail is very pale. The bee is almost vertical in the frame and toward the left the flower it is approaching is frame right. The background is out of focus greenery.

Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee

The Gypsy cuckoo bumblebee (Bombus bohemicus), is an obligate parasite. Obligate parasites are physically incapable of caring for their offspring…

Colorful closeup on a fluffy male Field cuckoo-bee, Bombus campestris a bumblebee parasite , on a purple flower. the bee is perch on top of the flower, facing frame left. The bee is striped black and faint yellow.

Field Cuckoo Bumblebee

Field cuckoo bumblebees (Bombus campestris) are common and widespread throughout Europe. These cuckoo bumblebees lay their eggs in the nests…

A very hairy bumblebee is perched on a pink flower with a yellow center the moon will be has a brownish black head a yellow collar a brown thorax and a yellow and brown striped admin with the last segment being a very light yellow to cream color. The bumblebee is center frame at a slight angle with its head in the left part of the frame toward the front and its tail in the right part of the frame toward the back

Forest Cuckoo Bumblebee

The forest cuckoo bumblebee (Bombus sylvestris), also called the four-coloured cuckoo bumblebee, is a species of bumblebee commonly found in…

a vestal cuckoo bumblebee on a green leaf/ The bumblebee is horizontal in the frame, facing the right.

Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee

The vestal cuckoo bumblebee (Bombus vestalis), also known as the Southern cuckoo bumblebee, is a parasitic bee that lives in…

Bombus rupestris, the red-tailed cuckoo bumblebee is visible on a yellow flower, in a field of yellow flowers. The cuckoo bumblebee is in the center frame. The bee is primarily black/browm with an orange tail /

Red-Tailed Cuckoo Bumblebee

Red-tailed cuckoo bumblebees (Bombus rupestris) are a species of cuckoo bumblebees that are native to Europe. They are parasitic, which…

Macro: forest tent caterpillar aggregate.The caterpillars are primarily black with white splotches that look like fat exclamation marks!!! On the tops of their bodies. Blue stripes going down the sides of their bodies are rimmed with yellow stripes. The caterpillars have hairs extending from the sides of their bodies.

Tent Caterpillar

Tent caterpillars are the larval stage of certain species of moths. They are called tent caterpillars because they build silken…

puss caterpillar - Megalopyge opercularis -head shot with selected focus on the head and mouth parts, larval form of southern Flannel moth on oak leaves

Asp Caterpillar

An asp caterpillar is a type of caterpillar that can be found in various regions of the world, including North…

Macro of a white-marked tussock moth caterpillar. The caterpillar is facing the camera, center frame, on a leaf that has holes in it. The caterpillar is incredible! it has large false eyes that make it appear to be animatronic, It is really otherworldly looking. The top of its back is brown. White hairs (setae) extend from the side of its body, which is white.

Tussock Moth Caterpillar

The tussock moth caterpillar is the larval stage of a tussock moth, which is a type of moth in the…

spongy moth on a leaf

Tussock Moth

Tussock moths are a group of moths in the family Erebidae. These moths are found throughout the world and have…

Macro of gypst moth caterpillar, facing the camera. It is on a green leaf. There are five pairs of blue dots and pairs of red dots visible along the learnt of the caterpillars hairy body.

Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

The gypsy moth caterpillar is the larval stage of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), a species of moth that is…

Barbut's cuckoo bumblebee (Bombus barbutellus) feeding on purple flowers of common comfrey plant (latin name Symphytum officinale)

Barbut’s Cuckoo Bumblebee

Barbut’s cuckoo bumblebee (Bombus barbutellus) is a species of parasitic bumblebee that lives in Europe. Cuckoo bumblebees do not build…

Lemon cuckoo bumblebee on a zinnia that appears to be airbrushed. The flower is yellow on the ends of its petals followed by orange and then pink toward the center. The stamen are yellow. The bee is perched on the center of the flower with its head facing the bottom of the frame. It’s wings are facing the top of the frame and are brown. Most of what you can see of the bee is black however it is obvious that there is yellow on its thorax.

Lemon Cuckoo Bumblebee

Bombus citrinus is distinctive for the lemon-yellow coloration of its thorax. The lemon cuckoo bumblebee is native to North America,…

Macro of a Southern flannel moth caterpillar, called a puss caterpillar. It s covered in lkhaki colored hair. It is is rounder on the end in the left frame. The end in the right frame comes to a point. It is on a green leaf with visible veins.

Puss Caterpillar

The puss caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis), also known as the Southern flannel moth caterpillar, is a venomous caterpillar found in the…

A fuzzy Southern Flannel Moth (Megalopyge opercularis) rests after emerging from its cocoon. The moth looks a bit like a tiny gerbil. The body is covered in carmel colored hairs that resemble fur. The moth is on agreen leaf.

Southern Flannel Moth

The Southern flannel moth (Megalopyge opercularis) is a species of moth native to the Southern United States. The adult moth…

a bright green luna moth caterpillar against white isolate. The caterpillar is segmented with evenly spaced grange dots on each segment. The caterpillar is on a twig.

Luna Moth Caterpillar

The luna moth caterpillar (Actias luna), is the larval stage of the luna moth, a large green moth found in…

Macro of a luna moth against black background. The moth is bright green with golden yellow false eyes visible on its hindwing. Its top wings are edged in russet along the top. The moth is perched on a wing.

Luna Moth

The luna moth (Actias luna) is large and green and native to North America. It is known for its long,…

Macro of a dolly bear caterpillar on a stick. The caterpillar is vertical. It is covered in bristly hairs that are black on the top and bottom thirds, and rusty-orange in the center third. Against a marbled olive background, presumably out go focus nature.

Woolly Bear Caterpillar

The woolly bear caterpillar (Pyrrharctia Isabella), is the larval stage of the Isabella tiger moth. They are also called banded…

An incredibly cute Eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar. The caterpillar is bright green with black and white eyespots.

Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

The tiger swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio glaucus), is the larval stage of the tiger swallowtail butterfly, which is native to North…

an Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly feeding from Joe Pye weed, with cardinal flower in the background.

Tiger Swallowtail

The Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus), is a species of butterfly found primarily in North America. It is known for…

Dinosaur Coelophysis

Dinosaurs That Lived In and Around New York (And Where To See Fossils Today)

Fossils are more than just the fascinating bones of ancient animals. They’re important markers that tell the story of life…

a photograph of a black swallowtail caterpillar with visible osmeterium, the scent glands that secrete a foul odor to ward off predators/ The osmeterium are orange and look like horns protruding from its ear. The body of the caterpillar is striped yellow green and black/ Against a background of greenery.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

The black swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes), also known as the Eastern black swallowtail caterpillar, and the parsnip swallowtail caterpillar, primarily…

Largest caterpillars - Parsleyworm

Swallowtail Caterpillar

With almost 600 different species of swallowtail butterflies, it would follow that there are almost 600 different species of swallowtail…

Texas Thistle

Swallowtail Butterfly

Did you know that there are approximately 600 species of Swallowtail butterflies? Swallowtail butterflies, in the family Papilionidae, have distinctive…

In the left frame a black swallowtail butterfly emerging from a chrysalis that is in the right part of the frame. The butterfly is clinging to a small brown twig from which the chrysalis has been suspended. The butterfly itself is primarily black with some orange and white spots.

Black Swallowtail

The black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) also known as the Eastern black swallowtail is a species of butterfly that can…

T. rex

3 Dinosaurs That Lived in South Carolina (And Where To See Fossils Today)

Several million years ago, dinosaurs walked the earth. Many of them lived in parts of what is now the United…

A light-skinned human right hand is visible upper left frame holding a clear plastic spray bottle that is filled with water. The sprayer is emitting a triangle-shaped spray of water mist toward the Chinese money plant that is center to right frame in a withe ceramic pot on an elevated blonde wood plant stand. The plant stand is on a white table. grey wall and window in background

Pilea Peperomioides

Pilea Peperomioides, commonly referred to as the Chinese money plant, is a popular houseplant with a fascinating history. Pilea Peperomioides,…

Closeup of pilea peperomioides Chinese money friendship UFO plant potted houseplant propagated cuttings in green stoneware planter isolated on white background being held by a left , light-skinned human hand.

Chinese Money Plant Care: Everything You Need To Know

Chinese money plant care: everything you need to know will walk you through the steps to having a healthy Chinese…

a light-skinned forearm and hand is visible in the upper right frame of the photograph watering a potted Pilea peperomioides houseplant on a wooden table with a natural top, but white edges. The pot that the plant is in is white. The plant is green with round leaves about the size of half dollars. there are a dozen or so leaves in the photo using white metal watering can.

Chinese Money Plant Watering: How Much And When To Water

Chinese money plant watering: how much and when to water can be answered in a variety of ways depending on…

Full frame Chinese money plant against whit isolate. The plant consists of flat and somewhat concave round green leaves with a cream to yellow dot where the plant stem is connected. The leaves face all different directions and are of varying heights and sizes.

Chinese Money Plant Propagation: A How-To Guide

Propagating Chinese money plants is a practically foolproof endeavor. If ever there was a plant that screams propagate me it’s…

Closeup of pilea peperomioides Chinese money friendship UFO plant potted houseplant propagated cuttings in green stoneware planter isolated on white background being held by a left , light-skinned human hand.

The Meaning Of Chinese Money Plant

As its name suggests, the Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) is native to China. The Chinese have prized Pilea peperomioides…

Full frame Chinese money plant against whit isolate. The plant consists of flat and somewhat concave round green leaves with a cream to yellow dot where the plant stem is connected. The leaves face all different directions and are of varying heights and sizes.

Hanging A Chinese Money Plant: Tips And Ideas

When you are prepared with the correct tools and knowledge, hanging a Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) is a straightforward…

Closeup of Pilea peperomioides houseplant in terracotta pot on white table at home. Sunlight. Chinese money plant with water drops on green leaves.

How To Propagate A Chinese Money Plant

The Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) is an easy plant to propagate with a fascinating history. All you need to…