Appalachian-fauna
Guides
Apheloriini
cherry millipedes
Apheloriini is a tribe of large, colorful flat-backed millipedes endemic to the temperate forests of eastern North America. All species produce hydrogen cyanide as a chemical defense, which generates a characteristic cherry or almond odor from benzaldehyde byproducts. Members display bright aposematic coloration warning predators of their toxicity. The tribe includes seven genera, with greatest diversity concentrated in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Species in this tribe participate in Müllerian mimicry rings, resulting in extreme intraspecific variation in color patterns.
Atlanticus monticola
Least Shieldback, Davis' Shield-bearer
Atlanticus monticola, commonly known as the least shieldback or Davis' shield-bearer, is a species of shield-backed katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is a small orthopteran insect native to the southeastern United States. The species was described by Davis in 1915 and is one of several species in the genus Atlanticus, which are characterized by their distinctive shield-like pronotum that extends backward over the abdomen.
Cambarus dubius
Upland Burrowing Crayfish
Cambarus dubius, commonly known as the Upland Burrowing Crayfish, is a burrowing crayfish species native to the central and southern Appalachian region of the eastern United States. The species has a complex taxonomic history with multiple distinct color phases historically recognized across different geographic areas. Recent taxonomic work has restricted C. dubius sensu stricto to populations with orange dorsal and lateral coloration and cream ventral surfaces, found in the central and northern Allegheny Mountains and high elevations of the Appalachian Plateau. The species constructs distinctive burrow systems and faces conservation concerns due to limited distribution data and habitat alterations.
Cherokia georgiana
Georgia Flat-backed Millipede, Wrinkled Flat-backed Millipede
Cherokia georgiana is a monospecific millipede genus in the family Xystodesmidae, representing the sole species in genus Cherokia. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of seven gene loci supports recognition of a single highly variable species, with three formerly recognized subspecies (C. g. ducilla, C. g. latassa) now synonymized. The species exhibits extensive morphological variation in coloration, body size, and paranota shape that correlates with geography and elevation rather than phylogenetic relationships. It is sister to the genus Pleuroloma.
Clinidium apertum allegheniense
Clinidium apertum allegheniense is a subspecies of wrinkled bark beetle described in 1975 by R.T. and J.R. Bell. It belongs to the subfamily Rhysodinae, a group of beetles highly specialized for life under bark and in decaying wood. The subspecies is part of the Arctoclinidium subgenus, which contains North American species. Like other rhysodines, it exhibits morphological adaptations for navigating tight spaces in wood-decaying habitats.
Hahncappsia neomarculenta
Hahncappsia neomarculenta is a crambid moth described by Hahn William Capps in 1967. The species is endemic to the eastern United States, with records from six states in the Appalachian and mid-Atlantic regions. Adults are active during late spring and early summer.
Melanoplus serrulatus
Nantahala Short-wing Grasshopper
Melanoplus serrulatus is a spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae, described by Hebard in 1937. The common name "nantahala short-wing grasshopper" references the Nantahala region of western North Carolina, where the species is known to occur. It belongs to the large genus Melanoplus, which contains many North American grasshopper species. Available information on this species is extremely limited.
Orfelia
fungus gnats
Orfelia is a cosmopolitan genus of fungus gnats in the family Keroplatidae, comprising approximately 46 described species. The genus is notable for containing Orfelia fultoni, whose larvae produce the bluest bioluminescence (~460 nm) known among insects via a novel luciferin-luciferase system involving keroplatin. Species occur across multiple continents including Europe, Asia, and North America. In Australia, members of this genus serve as important pollinators of native greenhood orchids through pseudocopulation.
Panorpa cryptica
cryptic scorpionfly
Panorpa cryptica is a scorpionfly (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) described in 2015 from the southern Appalachian region of the United States. It represents the first nearly cryptic species of scorpionfly documented from the United States, initially distinguished from the morphologically similar Panorpa nebulosa through mitochondrial COI DNA analysis. The species occurs in northern Georgia, southwestern North Carolina, and northwestern South Carolina.
Phausis reticulata
Blue Ghost
A firefly species in the family Lampyridae known for the distinctive blueish-white glow of males observed at night. Males are fully winged and capable of flight, producing a steady continuous glow rather than flashing patterns typical of many fireflies. Females are wingless, paedomorphic, and retain a larval body form into adulthood. The species exhibits strong sexual dimorphism in both morphology and bioluminescent display.
Pteronarcys proteus
Appalachian Salmonfly
Pteronarcys proteus, commonly known as the Appalachian salmonfly, is a giant stonefly in the family Pteronarcyidae. It is among the largest stonefly species in North America. Adults are known for their distinctive appearance and are most frequently encountered near clean, fast-flowing streams. The species has been documented in the eastern United States, with records from Kentucky through New England.
Sabaconidae
sabaconid harvestmen
Sabaconidae is a family of harvestmen (Opiliones: Dyspnoi) comprising approximately 50 described species. The family exhibits a disjunct distribution spanning eastern North America and temperate Eurasia, with notable diversity in the southern Appalachian Mountains and the Altai Mountains of Russia. Species-level taxonomy within the family has been complicated by cryptic diversification, particularly in widespread species such as Sabacon cavicolens, which shows evidence of multiple allopatric lineages separated by vicariance and rare long-distance dispersal events.
Xenotrechus condei
Northern Xenotrechus Cave Beetle
Xenotrechus condei is a cave-dwelling ground beetle in the family Carabidae, subfamily Trechinae. It is one of several species in the genus Xenotrechus, a group specialized for subterranean habitats. The species was described in 1967 from specimens collected in the United States. It represents a lineage of beetles that have adapted to permanent darkness and associated cave conditions.