I once stumbled across an area where female Bembix wasps were emerging. The males were flying around frantically and occasionally they would find a female who was having trouble getting through the crust on the soil so they would help her dig out and mob her when she got free. Already mated females were busy digging new nests. I could have watched them for hours but my coworkers were not so impressed.
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All dragonflies! They’re terrifyingly efficient predators, and the way they’re structured is almost mechanical- especially when they swivel their heads around to get quick glances of their future targets… The way they soar through the air is unique, not quite like a bird but also not quite like the other insects.
Plus, their range of colors is infinite. Imagine any color and there’s bound to be a dragonfly that matches.
There’s not many other insects that are quite impressive as the larger dragonflies. Watching darners hover and skate through the air seemingly forever without landing once is mesmerizing.
Here’s one of my favorite dragonfly pictures- it’s an eastern pondhawk! Not a rare species by any means, but willing to pose for pictures!
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It is always so interesting to just sit and watch them, many people also tend to think they are harmful like paperwasps and yellowjackets, but they are so docile and do not mind the attention of people. It is also interesting to see what kind of food they bring to the nest to cache.
So it’s hard to pick but two of my favorites are the spotted cucumber beetle:
(public domain photo from this observation)
And the striped cucumber beetle:
(public domain photo from this observation)
We have both where I am but spotted are more common. I love the aesthetics of both of them. I love polka dots and stripes and it’s like, nature provides both!
My favorite thing about the spotted cucumber beetles is that they have a tendency to like to eat yellow flowers, and they are adorably shy, like sometimes one will be nibbling on a flower petal and then if I get too close it goes and hides in the center of the flower. It’s super cute!!!
I always get happy when I see one of these little guys.
But in reality I have many types of favorite insects. I am also a huge fan of scoliid wasps, and bald-faced hornets, bumblebees, and carpenter bees. Oooooh and espeically false potato beetles I absolutely love false potato beetles. Oh and I also like leafhoppers a lot. So many cute insects!!!
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I’ve seen them here in South Carolina a few times. In spite of their formidable appearance like they are carrying a circular saw on their back—they tend to be cautious rather than aggressive.
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(we/us pronouns)
Bombus fascinate us. We like to look closely at them. We like color bands and patches on them, too: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/92721249
We also like the appearance of Borer beetles: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/83984169
Ambush bugs look cool: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/92515248
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I love syrphids. They are very abundant here, colourful and diverse, always a joy to watch around Apiaceae flowers.
I also have a soft spot for scorpionflies.
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So obviously every group of insects has their fascinating features and I could nod agreeingly with pretty much everything written here before me. I also learnt some new stuff again, thanks!
But my favorite are Bombus. Not for any particular reason. It’s not rational. I just love them, unconditionally. ;D
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I’d like to just jump in and mention that the name “bombus” makes me giggle and I like it
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The insect name that made me giggle when I first saw it was Lalapa lusa. As of today, no iNat observations!
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I’ve been making an effort to keep an eye out for syrphids more lately. They’re delightful to watch, the way they hover still above flowers is mesmerizing.
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Funny to see that on this thread. It has become one of the very few beetles outside of Coccinellidae that I can ID now, simply because it frequently turns up IDed as a Lady Beetle. 
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Stick insects, leaf insects, all mantids.
But I really wanted to say spiders. 
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Isn’t that a kissing bug? It might be interesting to look at, but they can carry chagas disease. I wouldn’t let that one stick around 
It’s a harmless Coreidae
It’s neither, it’s an assassin bug (Reduviidae) but not one of the kissing bugs (Triatominae). Harpactorinae I would say and probably a Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus) I guess. They are venomous and can have a very painful bite but do not carry chagas disease.
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It’s certainly one!
Disease vector or no, all assassin bugs freak me out a little. Okay behind glass, but I don’t think I would want to get that close to one anyway.
Dragonflies and Damselflies are my favorites also! Besides all the wonderful qualities and colors you mentioned of Odonata, their wings work independently of each other! I found that fascinating! I was watching something on tv (which I rarely do) and saw a robotic dragonfly! I forgot who constructed it, yet it was really cool! In fact, I wanted one! There are many videos of different robotic dragonflies and the video I first saw and liked is called “Incredible Robot Dragonfly - Earth Unplugged.” (I wasn’t pleased that in one video they used a real dragonfly for some control purpose. That’s so cruel and unnecessary!) I do like watching them fly over water because then I know the water is good! If they aren’t present, then I consider the water too polluted to sustain life, and I call that ‘dead water.’
I know I mentioned this in another forum, yet we had a slow stream installed in our backyard with an 18” waterfall at the end. Our installer said all his other clients have their water features power washed yearly or more often. We have never had ours cleansed because we had it constructed for dragonflies! It’s so natural with the bits of algae, underwater and exposed plants and ferns. The stones he chose are wonderful! We have 4 underwater lights and 3 up lights shining in the trees behind it! Our grandchildren even wade in it. Wading in creeks was a childhood favorite pastime of mine! Raise your hand if you’re a Pisces too! 
I still love bugs…
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