Arctic-alpine
Guides
Amara alpina
Amara alpina is an arctic-alpine ground beetle in the family Carabidae, first described by Gustaf von Paykull in 1790. It inhabits cold regions at high altitudes and high latitudes across the Holarctic, with populations in Scandinavia, Siberia, Mongolia, Alaska, and Canada. Molecular genetic evidence indicates that Beringian populations persisted throughout the Pleistocene, while other regions were recolonized following glacial retreat. The species has been observed feeding on dead insects on snowfields and is associated with specific alpine vegetation.
Arctobyrrhus
Arctobyrrhus is a genus of pill beetles in the family Byrrhidae, established by Münster in 1902. The genus contains at least two described species: Arctobyrrhus dovrensis and Arctobyrrhus subcanus. These beetles are distributed in northern Europe and western North America, respectively. Pill beetles in this family are known for their ability to conglobate, or roll into a ball, as a defensive behavior.
Boloria astarte
Astarte Fritillary
Boloria astarte, commonly known as the Astarte fritillary, is a butterfly species in the family Nymphalidae. It has a broad distribution across northwestern North America and northeastern Siberia. The species exhibits a wingspan of 42–51 mm and is active from mid-June to mid-August. Its larvae feed exclusively on spotted saxifrage (Saxifraga bronchialis).
Coccinella fulgida
Gleaming Lady Beetle
Coccinella fulgida is a small lady beetle species in the family Coccinellidae, described by Watson in 1954. Adults measure 4.50–5.60 mm in length. The species is found in northern North America, with records from Alaska, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, and Quebec. It is among the less commonly documented members of the genus Coccinella.
Colias meadii
Mead's Sulphur, Mead's Sulfur
Colias meadii, known as Mead's Sulphur, is a butterfly species in the family Pieridae native to the Rocky Mountains of North America. It inhabits high-elevation arctic-alpine environments near or at tree line. The species is active during mid-summer, with adults flying from July to August. It exhibits the yellow-orange wing coloration typical of sulphur butterflies, with a wingspan of 35–44 mm.
Diamesa
Winter Midges, Snow Midges
Diamesa is a genus of non-biting midges in the subfamily Diamesinae of the family Chironomidae. Adults are commonly known as winter midges or snow midges due to their unusual cold-season activity. The genus exhibits remarkable cold tolerance, with adults active at sub-zero temperatures and larvae inhabiting cold, running waters. Some species display wing dimorphism, with brachypterous (short-winged) forms adapted for ground mating on snow and ice, and macropterous (fully-winged) forms that swarm in flight during spring.
Erebia
alpines, ringlets, arguses
Erebia is a Holarctic genus of brush-footed butterflies in the family Nymphalidae, containing approximately 90–100 species. The genus is notable for its adaptation to cold environments, with most species inhabiting high-altitude or high-latitude regions. Members are predominantly dark brown to black with distinctive reddish-brown, orange, or rarely yellowish wing blotches or bands that typically contain black spots, sometimes with white centers. The genus exhibits complex taxonomic history with over 1300 described taxa, many of which are junior synonyms. Erebia serves as an important model for studying climate change impacts on montane and arctic-alpine insects due to its thermal ecology and distribution patterns.
Erebia discoidalis
Red-disked Alpine
Erebia discoidalis, known as the red-disked alpine, is a butterfly in the subfamily Satyrinae of family Nymphalidae. It has a transcontinental distribution spanning North America and Asia, occurring in boreal and arctic-alpine habitats. The species is associated with open, acidic wetlands where its larvae feed on cottongrass (Eriophorum) species.
Euxoa churchillensis
Alpine Dart, Churchill euxoa moth
Euxoa churchillensis, known as the Alpine Dart or Churchill euxoa moth, is a noctuid moth species described by McDunnough in 1932. It is characterized by small forewings measuring 10–13 mm in length. The species occupies a distinctive geographic range spanning subarctic Canada and alpine regions of the Rocky Mountains, suggesting adaptation to cold environments. Limited specific ecological data exists for this species, though its placement in the genus Euxoa indicates likely cutworm-type larval biology.
Holoboreaphilus nordenskioldi
Holoboreaphilus nordenskioldi is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Omaliinae. It has a Holarctic distribution spanning northern regions of North America and Eurasia. The species was described by Mäklin in 1878 and is placed in the tribe Coryphiini. Like other members of this genus, it is associated with northern boreal and arctic-alpine habitats.
Mecynargus borealis
Mecynargus borealis is a sheet-web weaving spider in the family Linyphiidae, first described by Jackson in 1930. The species has a Holarctic distribution, occurring in northern Europe, Russia, and North America including Canada and Svalbard. As a linyphiid spider, it constructs flat sheet webs with a retreat for capturing small flying and crawling prey.
Oeneis melissa lucilla
Oeneis melissa lucilla is a subspecies of the Melissa Arctic butterfly, a member of the Satyrinae subfamily within Nymphalidae. This subspecies occurs in North America and has been documented in Russia and parts of Europe. Like other Oeneis species, it inhabits cool, often high-elevation environments. The genus Oeneis comprises Arctic and alpine butterflies adapted to cold climates, with many species showing limited dispersal capabilities.
Pardosa hyperborea
Pardosa hyperborea is a species of thin-legged wolf spider in the family Lycosidae. It has a transcontinental distribution spanning the Nearctic and Palearctic regions, occurring in northern North America, Greenland, and across northern Eurasia from Europe to Siberia. The species inhabits high-latitude and high-elevation environments, reflecting adaptations to cold climates. Like other members of the genus Pardosa, it exhibits characteristic long leg spines and elevated cephalothorax morphology.
Pterostichus adstrictus
Upland Blackclock
Pterostichus adstrictus is a cold-adapted ground beetle with a Holarctic-circumpolar distribution, occurring across subarctic and alpine regions of North America and Eurasia. In North America it ranges from the Bering Sea coast to Newfoundland and south to Pennsylvania, Indiana, South Dakota, New Mexico, and California's Sierra Nevada. European populations were historically known only from northern peripheries (Northern Ireland, Wales, Scandinavia) until discovery in the Austrian Alps, representing a glacial relict with arctic-alpine distribution. The species exhibits stenotopic habitat specificity and has been observed to form locally dense populations despite restricted geographic occurrence.
Quedius fellmani
Quedius fellmani is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It is a Holarctic species with a broad distribution spanning northern and central Europe, Russia across multiple regions including Siberia and the Far East, Mongolia, Greenland, and North America from Alaska through Canada to Colorado and New Hampshire. The species was described by Zetterstedt in 1838.