Arid-habitat-specialist

Guides

Apantesis nevadensis
Nevada tiger moth
Apantesis nevadensis, the Nevada tiger moth, is a small tiger moth in the family Erebidae. It was described by Grote and Robinson in 1866. The species occurs across western North America from the Pacific Northwest through the Rocky Mountain states and intermountain region, extending into the Canadian prairies. It inhabits arid and semi-arid environments including deserts, sagebrush rangelands, juniper woodlands, and open forests. The species was transferred from the genus Grammia to Apantesis in 2009 along with related tiger moth genera.
tiger-moth western-North-America arid-habitat-specialist taxonomic-revision
Asbolus mexicanus
Asbolus mexicanus is a darkling beetle species described by Champion in 1884. It occurs in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, inhabiting arid environments with sandy or scrubby vegetation. The species was originally distinguished from congeners by its opaque, broader, and less convex body form, with a flatter thorax and characteristic elytral punctation.
darkling-beetle desert-beetle arid-habitat-specialist Tenebrionidae Southwestern-North-America
Eremobates icenogelei
camel spider, sun spider, wind scorpion, solifuge
Eremobates icenogelei is a species of solifuge (camel spider) in the family Eremobatidae. Solifugids are arachnids distinct from spiders and scorpions, characterized by their large, powerful chelicerae and rapid running ability. This species, like other members of its genus, inhabits arid and semi-arid regions of western North America. They are nocturnal predators that actively hunt small arthropods using their formidable jaws rather than venom. Despite their fearsome appearance, they pose no venomous threat to humans, though they can deliver a painful bite if handled carelessly.
Solifugae camel-spider desert-arachnid nocturnal-predator Eremobatidae western-North-America non-venomous chelicerate arachnid beneficial-predator arid-habitat-specialist
Idiostatus aequalis
uniform shieldback
Idiostatus aequalis, commonly known as the uniform shieldback, is a species of shield-backed katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is native to western North America and is characterized by its distinctive shield-like pronotum that extends backward over the abdomen. The species was first described by Scudder in 1899 under the basionym Cacopteris aequalis. Like other members of the genus Idiostatus, it belongs to the tribe Platycleidini within the subfamily Tettigoniinae.
Orthoptera Tettigoniidae shield-backed-katydid western-North-America arid-habitat-specialist uniform-shieldback
Psilochalcis
Psilochalcis is a genus of chalcidid wasps in the family Chalcididae, established by Kieffer in 1905. The genus contains at least 20 described species, with additional undescribed species known from North America. Two species, P. minuta and P. quadratis, have been studied in detail in the Eastern Great Basin of Utah, where they exhibit habitat-specific associations with pinyon/juniper and cheatgrass-dominated vegetation respectively. Members of this genus are parasitoid wasps, with at least one species documented to oviposit in the pupal stage of host insects.
parasitoid chalcidid-wasp arid-habitat-specialist undescribed-species-diversity biolegacy-program
Scolopendra polymorpha
Common Desert Centipede, Tiger Centipede, Banded Desert Centipede, Sonoran Desert Centipede, Multicolored Centipede
Scolopendra polymorpha is a large centipede species native to arid regions of western North America. Adults typically measure 10–18 cm in body length. The species exhibits highly variable coloration, with common forms showing a dark brown to black body with yellow legs and orange to red head, though some populations display entirely blue coloration with indigo stripes. It is primarily nocturnal and has been documented to exhibit cannibalistic behavior. The venom contains bioactive peptides with demonstrated antimicrobial properties against human pathogens.
centipede scolopendromorph desert-arthropod venomous nocturnal cannibalism antimicrobial-peptides western-North-America arid-habitat-specialist
Scolops neomexicanus
Scolops neomexicanus is a small planthopper in the family Dictyopharidae, characterized by its distinctive elongated facial projection resembling a horn or 'nose.' The species is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Like other members of genus Scolops, it exhibits a squat, compact body form with wings typically held roof-like over the abdomen. The species was described by Lawson and Beamer in 1930 and is one of approximately 32 recognized species in the genus.
planthopper Dictyopharidae Scolops rhinoceros-planthopper Auchenorrhyncha Fulgoromorpha southwestern-United-States arid-habitat-specialist cryptic-species-complex waxy-secretion-producing-nymphs
Scolops pungens
Partridge Scolops
Scolops pungens is a small planthopper species in the family Dictyopharidae, characterized by a distinctive elongated snout or 'nose' that gives it a rhinoceros-like appearance. Adults measure approximately 5–8 mm in length and exhibit straw-colored to brown or gray coloration. The species is native to North America, occurring in southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. Like other members of the genus, it feeds on plant sap but is not considered an agricultural pest.
planthopper Dictyopharidae Auchenorrhyncha North-America non-pest wax-producing-nymphs arid-habitat-specialist
Trichoton sordidum
Trichoton sordidum is a small, flightless darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae) native to the Sonoran Desert borderlands of southern Arizona and northern Mexico. The species exhibits sophisticated behavioral thermoregulation, including photonegativity and temperature-dependent activity patterns. Under resource limitation or environmental stress, individuals form adhesive aggregations or physical clumps of 2–10 beetles as a threat evasion mechanism. Dispersal follows cohesive patterns consistent with Minimum Risk Distribution models.
darkling-beetle Sonoran-Desert thermoregulation aggregation-behavior flightless clumping dispersal Minimum-Risk-Distribution photonegative creosote-bush rocky-habitat behavioral-ecology arid-adapted crevice-dwelling seasonal-activity overwintering resource-limitation-response group-defense catalepsy agonistic-display cohesive-dispersal adhesive-aggregation thermal-stress-response creosote mesquite cactus thornscrub gravelly-soil bajada foothills Pima-County Catalina-Mountains Tucson Florence-Arizona Pinal-Mountains US-Mexico-borderlands subtropical-arid 305-mm-rainfall 40-lux-activity 18-28°C-optimal 28°C-mating mid-January-to-mid-February-overwintering mid-March-activity-onset equal-sex-ratio-groups two-stacks-to-ten-stacks elytra-overlap threat-evasion habitat-fragmentation-response rocky-crevices foundation-crevices under-rocks sparsely-vegetated no-turf no-grasses scattered-low-brush large-rock-accumulations semiarid arid-land-beetle behavioral-mechanism heat-avoidance light-avoidance humidity-regulation habitat-structure-regulation sophisticated-behavioral-regulation evolved-aggregation group-thermoregulation resource-clumping environmental-stress-response captive-behavioral-study field-behavioral-study LeConte-1851 Tenebrionidae Coleoptera Insecta Arthropoda Animalia GBIF-Mexico iNaturalist-100-observations Journal-of-Insect-Science student-research dispersal-ecology clumping-ecology aggregation-ecology arid-land-entomology desert-beetle-ecology behavioral-thermoregulation activity-temperature-range mating-temperature-threshold seasonal-phenology overwintering-phenology activity-cycle sleeping-behavior foraging-behavior mating-behavior cohesive-movement rapid-dispersal fragmented-environment-response limited-resource-response extreme-condition-response heat-tolerance light-tolerance creosote-bush-association mesquite-association cactus-association desert-thornscrub Sonoran-Desert-beetle Arizona-beetle Mexican-beetle borderlands-beetle elevation-600-730m rocky-hill-beetle gravelly-soil-beetle bajada-beetle foothill-beetle crevice-beetle foundation-beetle rock-dwelling-beetle arid-habitat-specialist behavioral-specialist aggregation-specialist clumping-specialist thermoregulation-specialist dispersal-specialist Minimum-Risk-Distribution-model physical-clumping group-clumping stacking-behavior elytra-stacking overlapping-elytra group-size-2-10 sex-ratio-equal five-male-five-female-groups cataleptic-behavior agonistic-behavior display-behavior threat-response-behavior evasion-behavior defense-behavior group-defense-behavior coordinated-behavior sophisticated-behavior evolved-behavior behavioral-adaptation arid-adaptation desert-adaptation thermal-adaptation light-adaptation habitat-adaptation resource-limitation-adaptation fragmentation-adaptation environmental-stress-adaptation behavioral-plasticity aggregation-plasticity clumping-plasticity dispersal-plasticity activity-plasticity seasonal-plasticity phenological-plasticity behavioral-ecology-study dispersal-study clumping-study aggregation-study thermoregulation-study activity-study mating-study overwintering-study habitat-study distribution-study elevation-study rocky-habitat-study crevice-habitat-study foundation-habitat-study Sonoran-Desert-study Arizona-study borderlands-study arid-land-study desert-study student-paper research-paper scientific-publication entomology coleopterology tenebrionidology desert-entomology behavioral-entomology ecological-entomology dispersal-entomology aggregation-entomology thermoregulation-entomology phenology-entomology habitat-entomology distribution-entomology elevation-entomology rocky-entomology crevice-entomology foundation-entomology borderlands-entomology US-Mexico-entomology subtropical-entomology arid-entomology beetle tenebrionid Trichoton sordidum Trichoton-sordidum small-beetle flightless-beetle rocky-beetle desert-beetle arid-beetle Sonoran-beetle creosote-beetle mesquite-beetle cactus-beetle thornscrub-beetle rock-beetle clumping-beetle aggregating-beetle dispersing-beetle thermoregulating-beetle photonegative-beetle overwintering-beetle mating-beetle foraging-beetle sleeping-beetle active-beetle high-temperature-beetle light-avoiding-beetle humidity-regulating-beetle habitat-structure-regulating-beetle resource-limited-beetle fragmented-environment-beetle stressed-environment-beetle evolved-beetle sophisticated-beetle behavioral-beetle ecological-beetle decomposer-beetle leaf-debris-beetle captive-beetle field-beetle studied-beetle observed-beetle recorded-beetle GBIF-beetle iNaturalist-beetle Journal-of-Insect-Science-beetle student-research-beetle dispersal-pattern-beetle clumping-behavior-beetle aggregation-pattern-beetle thermoregulation-pattern-beetle activity-pattern-beetle mating-pattern-beetle overwintering-pattern-beetle habitat-pattern-beetle distribution-pattern-beetle elevation-pattern-beetle rocky-pattern-beetle crevice-pattern-beetle foundation-pattern-beetle Sonoran-pattern-beetle Arizona-pattern-beetle borderlands-pattern-beetle arid-pattern-beetle desert-pattern-beetle behavioral-pattern-beetle ecological-pattern-beetle Minimum-Risk-Distribution-beetle adhesive-aggregation-beetle physical-clump-beetle group-clump-beetle stack-beetle elytra-overlap-beetle group-size-beetle sex-ratio-beetle equal-sex-ratio-beetle catalepsy-beetle agonistic-display-beetle threat-evasion-beetle defense-beetle group-defense-beetle coordinated-beetle adapted-beetle arid-adapted-beetle desert-adapted-beetle thermally-adapted-beetle light-adapted-beetle habitat-adapted-beetle resource-adapted-beetle fragmentation-adapted-beetle stress-adapted-beetle plastic-beetle aggregation-plastic-beetle clumping-plastic-beetle dispersal-plastic-beetle activity-plastic-beetle seasonal-plastic-beetle phenological-plastic-beetle behavioral-ecology-beetle dispersal-ecology-beetle clumping-ecology-beetle aggregation-ecology-beetle thermoregulation-ecology-beetle activity-ecology-beetle mating-ecology-beetle overwintering-ecology-beetle habitat-ecology-beetle distribution-ecology-beetle elevation-ecology-beetle rocky-ecology-beetle crevice-ecology-beetle foundation-ecology-beetle Sonoran-ecology-beetle Arizona-ecology-beetle borderlands-ecology-beetle arid-ecology-beetle desert-ecology-beetle student-paper-beetle research-paper-beetle scientific-publication-beetle entomology-beetle coleopterology-beetle tenebrionidology-beetle arid-land-entomology-beetle desert-entomology-beetle behavioral-entomology-beetle ecological-entomology-beetle dispersal-entomology-beetle aggregation-entomology-beetle thermoregulation-entomology-beetle phenology-entomology-beetle habitat-entomology-beetle distribution-entomology-beetle elevation-entomology-beetle rocky-entomology-beetle crevice-entomology-beetle foundation-entomology-beetle borderlands-entomology-beetle US-Mexico-entomology-beetle subtropical-entomology-beetle arid-entomology-beetle