Arboreal
Guides
Raphidioptera
snakeflies
Raphidioptera, commonly known as snakeflies, is an order of predatory holometabolous insects comprising approximately 260 species in two families: Raphidiidae and Inocellidae. The order is distinguished by an elongated prothorax that creates a 'neck-like' appearance, giving rise to their common name. Snakeflies are considered living fossils, with modern species closely resembling forms from the early Jurassic period 140 million years ago. They are primarily arboreal predators of small insects, most commonly associated with wooded habitats and tree bark.
Raphignathoidea
Raphignathoidea is a superfamily of mites in the order Trombidiformes, comprising approximately 1,087 species across 62 genera and 12 families. The group exhibits diverse feeding strategies, including predation on small invertebrates, herbivory, and parasitism. Many species have commercial value in biological pest control. The superfamily occupies varied microhabitats from soil and leaf litter to aquatic environments and agricultural crops.
Scolytodes
Scolytodes is a genus of small bark beetles in the tribe Ctenophorini, distributed throughout the Neotropics from Mexico to South America. Many species are associated with specific host plants, particularly Cecropia and Ficus, with some exhibiting ambrosia beetle behavior involving fungal cultivation in galleries. The genus has undergone extensive taxonomic revision, with numerous new species described from Central and South America in recent decades.
Scudderia fasciata
treetop bush katydid, black-striped katydid
Scudderia fasciata is a species of bush katydid in the family Tettigoniidae, commonly known as the treetop bush katydid or black-striped katydid. It is native to North America, with documented records from the northeastern and north-central United States. Like other members of the genus Scudderia, it is an arboreal insect associated with trees and shrubs. The species was described by Beutenmüller in 1894 and is classified within the subfamily Phaneropterinae.
Smiliini
Smiliini is a tribe of treehoppers in the family Membracidae, subfamily Smiliinae, containing approximately 6 genera and at least 40 described species. Members are predominantly Nearctic in distribution and primarily feed on trees, with many species associated with oak (Quercus). The tribe was historically defined broadly to include Telamonini, but phylogenetic analysis has reinstated Telamonini as a separate tribe, narrowing the definition of Smiliini. Several genera within Smiliini, including Atymna, Cyrtolobus, Heliria, and Telamona, are not monophyletic.
Systenus
Systenus is a genus of long-legged flies (Dolichopodidae: Medeterinae) characterized by larvae that develop in dendrotelme habitats—water-filled hollow tree cavities lined with organic soil. The genus is globally uncommon in collections, likely due to its arboreal adult associations and specialized larval habitat requirements. Despite this rarity, some localities show remarkable species richness; for example, eight species were collected from a single site in Costa Rica. The genus occurs in both tropical and temperate regions, with records from Central America, South America, Europe, and North America.
Tettigoniidae
katydids, bush crickets, long-horned grasshoppers
Tettigoniidae is a large family of orthopteran insects containing over 8,000 described species, commonly known as katydids in North America and bush crickets in the United Kingdom. The family is the only extant member of the superfamily Tettigonioidea within the suborder Ensifera. Members are characterized by extremely long, thread-like antennae that often exceed body length, distinguishing them from true grasshoppers. The family exhibits remarkable diversity in size, ranging from 5 mm to 130 mm, and occupies varied habitats from tropical rainforests to temperate grasslands across all continents except Antarctica.
Trachelidae
Broad-Faced Sac Spiders, Ground Sac Spiders
Trachelidae is a family of araneomorph spiders within the RTA clade, elevated from subfamily status in 2014 based on molecular phylogenetic evidence. The family comprises 29 genera and approximately 307 species distributed across tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions worldwide. Members are commonly known as broad-faced sac spiders or ground sac spiders, though many species are arboreal. The family is characterized by reduced leg spines and other distinctive morphological synapomorphies that distinguish it from related families Corinnidae and Clubionidae.
Trichopsocus dalii
Trichopsocus dalii is a small barklouse species in the family Trichopsocidae, characterized by its green coloration. It has been recorded across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and North America. The species is associated with a broad range of woody host plants.
Tydeidae
Tydeidae is a family of soft-bodied mites in the order Trombidiformes, containing over 300 species across three subfamilies. These small arachnids exhibit diverse feeding strategies including scavenging, fungivory, predation, and plant feeding. They are among the most commonly encountered mites in arboreal habitats worldwide, with some species playing significant roles in agriculture as both pests and beneficial organisms.
Vertagopus arboreus
Vertagopus arboreus is a species of elongate-bodied springtail in the family Isotomidae. It is widely distributed across northern Eurasia and parts of Asia. The species is associated with arboreal and ground-level habitats in forested environments. Taxonomic status varies between sources, with some authorities treating it as a synonym of Vertagopus asiaticus.
Xenomyrmex floridanus
Florida Flattened Tree Ant
Xenomyrmex floridanus is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae, known from Florida, the Caribbean, and parts of Mexico and Central America. The species belongs to a small genus of arboreal ants sometimes referred to as flattened tree ants. Two subspecies are recognized: X. f. floridanus and X. f. skwarrae.
Zelus luridus
Pale green assassin bug
Zelus luridus, commonly called the pale green assassin bug, is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae. It is the most common Zelus species in the eastern United States, ranging from 12.5 to 18 mm in length with a pale green base color and variable markings. The species employs a unique predation strategy using sticky secretions from leg glands to trap prey, earning it the common name 'sundew assassin bug.'
Zelus nugax
Zelus nugax is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, first described by Stål in 1862. As a member of the genus Zelus, it possesses the characteristic sticky forelegs used to capture prey, a trait that has earned these insects the common name 'sundew assassin bugs.' The species is distributed across the Americas, with records from the Caribbean, Middle America, North America, and South America. Like other Zelus species, it is a predatory insect that feeds on other small arthropods.
Zopherus granicollis ventriosus
Zopherus granicollis ventriosus is a subspecies of ironclad beetle in the family Zopheridae. Like other members of the genus, it possesses an exceptionally hard, heavily sclerotized exoskeleton that makes specimens notoriously difficult to pin for museum collections. The subspecies is distributed across parts of North America and Middle America. Adults are nocturnal and have been observed crawling on tree trunks at night, particularly conifers. The genus Zopherus is well-known among coleopterists for its extreme body armor and the challenges this poses for specimen preparation.