Americas
Guides
Tettigidea
groundhoppers, pygmy grasshoppers
Tettigidea is a genus of pygmy grasshoppers in the family Tetrigidae, tribe Batrachideini. The genus contains at least 40 described species distributed across the Americas, from the United States through Mexico to South America. Members are characterized by their small size, cryptic coloration, and the distinctive pronotum that extends backward over the abdomen.
Theridion australe
Theridion australe is a cobweb spider species in the family Theridiidae, first described by Nathan Banks in 1899. The species is part of the large genus Theridion, which contains numerous small spiders that construct irregular, three-dimensional webs. It has been recorded across parts of the Americas including the United States, Mexico, and Caribbean regions. Like other theridiids, it possesses comb-like spines on the hind tarsi used to manipulate silk.
Tmemophlebia
Tmemophlebia is a genus of bee flies (family Bombyliidae) established by Evenhuis in 1986. The genus comprises approximately 16-17 described species distributed across North and South America. Members of this genus belong to the subfamily Phthiriinae and tribe Poecilognathini.
Tomarus
Tomarus is a genus of rhinoceros beetles in the subfamily Dynastinae. The genus is native to the Americas, ranging from the central United States to Argentina, with some species in the Caribbean. Adults are nocturnal and attracted to lights. The genus has been subject to taxonomic revision, with some species now placed in the restored genus Ligyrus.
Triclonella
Triclonella is a genus of small moths comprising approximately 25 described species. The genus was established by August Busck in 1900. Species within this genus have been described from the Americas, with records spanning from the southern United States through Central and South America. The taxonomic placement of Triclonella has been subject to revision, with sources variously placing it in Cosmopterigidae or Momphidae.
Trigonidomimus
Belfrage's cricket (for T. belfragei)
Trigonidomimus is a genus of crickets in the family Gryllidae, subfamily Pentacentrinae, established by Caudell in 1912. The genus comprises five described species distributed across the Americas, from the southern United States through Central America to South America. Members are classified among the 'anomalous crickets,' a group characterized by distinctive morphological features that set them apart from more typical gryllids. The genus includes the species T. belfragei, commonly known as Belfrage's cricket.
Udea rubigalis
Celery Leaftier, Greenhouse Leaftier
Udea rubigalis is a small moth in the family Crambidae, commonly known as the celery leaftier or greenhouse leaftier. The species occurs throughout the Americas, from North America through Central and South America. Larvae are polyphagous and feed on a wide variety of plants across multiple families. Adults have been documented visiting apple flowers, where they may contribute to nocturnal pollination.
Ufa
Ufa is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae, described by Francis Walker in 1863. The genus is distributed in the Americas and contains multiple species. Phylogenetic relationships suggest Ufa is most closely related to Elasmopalpus, though it shares certain morphological characters in female genitalia with Adelphia.
Vostox
Vostox is a genus of earwigs established by Burr in 1911, comprising more than 20 described species distributed across the Americas. As members of the family Spongiphoridae, these earwigs are characterized by reduced or absent wings and small body size. The genus is relatively well-documented, with 513 observations recorded on iNaturalist.
Wamba crispulus
Wamba crispulus is a species of cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae, originally described as Theridion crispulum by Eugène Simon in 1895. The species has an exceptionally broad distribution spanning the Americas from Canada to Brazil and throughout the Caribbean. It belongs to the genus Wamba, which contains relatively few described species.
Xanthopygus xanthopygus
Xanthopygus xanthopygus is a species of rove beetle (Staphylinidae) in the tribe Xanthopygina. Originally described as Staphylinus xanthopygus by Nordmann in 1837, the species has undergone taxonomic revision with a lectotype designated in 2021. The species occurs in the Americas from the southwestern United States through Central America to South America. As a member of the large rove beetle family, it belongs to a group characterized by shortened elytra and flexible abdomens.
Xenorhipis
Xenorhipis is a genus of jewel beetles (family Buprestidae) native to the Americas, comprising approximately 15 described species. The genus is notable for extreme sexual dimorphism in antennal structure: males possess highly modified flabellate or lamellate antennae with expanded distal segments, while females retain the serrate condition typical of the family. This antennal modification, shared with related genera in the tribe Xenorhipidini, functions in detecting female sex pheromones. Adults are short-lived and rarely encountered in the field.
Zygogramma conjuncta
Zygogramma conjuncta is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, first described by Rogers in 1856. It belongs to a genus of leaf-feeding beetles distributed across the Americas, with several species known for their association with specific host plants. The species has been recorded from North America and Middle America, though its taxonomic status is marked as doubtful in some databases. Like other members of Zygogramma, it likely exhibits the typical dome-like body shape and patterned elytra characteristic of the genus.