Alkaline
Guides
Cicindela fulgida fulgida
Crimson Saltflat Tiger Beetle
Cicindela fulgida fulgida is a subspecies of tiger beetle restricted to saline and alkaline habitats in the central and western Great Plains of North America. Adults are active primarily during spring and fall, with larvae constructing distinctive turreted burrows in dry, salt-encrusted soils. The species exhibits strong habitat fidelity to wet, alkaline environments including saline flats and dry alkaline creek beds. Larval burrows feature unique above-ground turret structures thought to function in thermoregulation.
Ephydra
brine flies, alkali flies
Ephydra is a genus of shore flies (Ephydridae) with cosmopolitan distribution. Several species are notable for inhabiting extreme environments, including hypersaline lakes and hot springs. The genus includes the alkali fly (Ephydra hians), which forms dense populations in alkaline lakes such as Mono Lake, California, and serves as a critical food source for migratory birds. Larvae are aquatic or semi-aquatic, with morphological adaptations for feeding and respiration in mineral-rich waters.
Hesperopsis libya
Mojave sootywing, Mohave sootywing, Great Basin sootywing, Lena sooty wing
A small skipper butterfly of the family Hesperiidae, found in arid regions of western North America. Adults have a wingspan of 22–32 mm and exhibit variable flight periods depending on latitude, with multiple generations in southern California and single generations in northern parts of the range. The species is tightly associated with saltbush (Atriplex) host plants in alkaline desert environments.
Sphenophorus aequalis ochreus
clay-colored billbug
Sphenophorus aequalis ochreus is a subspecies of the clay-colored billbug, a weevil in the family Curculionidae. Billbugs are significant turfgrass and agricultural pests whose larvae bore into plant stems, roots, and crowns. This subspecies has been documented in association with saltmarsh bulrush stands near alkaline lake margins in New Mexico, where adults were observed walking, mating, and burrowing into soil at the base of plants. The species complex presents identification challenges due to morphological similarities among related billbug taxa.