Arid-regions
Guides
Acanalonia saltonia
Acanalonia saltonia is a planthopper species in the family Acanaloniidae, first described by Ball in 1933. The species is known from arid regions of the southwestern United States and appears to be associated with the Salton Sea area in California. As a member of the Acanaloniidae, it belongs to a family characterized by a distinctive flattened, often greenish body form. Very few observations of this species have been recorded, suggesting it may be uncommon or underreported.
Acrolophus furcatus
Acrolophus furcatus is a small moth in the family Acrolophidae, described by Lord Walsingham in 1887. The species is known from arid and semi-arid regions of southwestern North America, with records from Arizona, California, and Texas. Like other members of the genus, it is commonly referred to as a 'grass tubeworm moth' due to larval behavior. The family Acrolophidae was historically treated as a subfamily of Tineidae but is now recognized as distinct.
Archodontes melanopus aridus
Willow Root Borer
Archodontes melanopus aridus is a subspecies of longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae: Prioninae) described by Casey in 1924. It is part of the Mallodonina subtribe within the Macrotomini tribe. The subspecies epithet 'aridus' suggests association with arid environments. Based on its placement within Archodontes melanopus, it likely shares the common name 'Willow Root Borer' with the nominate subspecies, indicating larval development in willow roots.
Aridia compressa
Aridia compressa is a species of planthopper in the family Dictyopharidae, first described by Ball in 1909. It belongs to the infraorder Fulgoromorpha, a group known for their distinctive head morphology and often elaborate pronotal extensions. The species is recorded from arid and semi-arid regions of the western United States.
Ataenius confertus
Ataenius confertus is a small aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. The species was described by Fall in 1909 and is known from arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Like other members of the genus Ataenius, it is likely associated with decomposing organic matter, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Chrismania pictipennalis
Chrismania pictipennalis is a species of moth in the family Crambidae, subfamily Odontiinae. It is the sole member of the genus Chrismania. The species has been recorded from arid regions of the southwestern United States, specifically southern California and Arizona. It was first described by Barnes and McDunnough in 1914.
Coelella distincta
Coelella distincta is a leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, subfamily Neocoelidiinae. The species was originally described as Neocoelidia distincta by Oman in 1931 and later transferred to the genus Coelella. It is known from the southwestern United States, with records from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. As a member of the Auchenorrhyncha, it possesses piercing-sucking mouthparts and is likely associated with woody or herbaceous vegetation typical of arid and semi-arid regions.
Coquillettia albella
Coquillettia albella is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, described by Knight in 1968. The species is known from arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It belongs to a genus of mirids associated with desert and scrubland vegetation.
Dichroplus notatus
Mexican Dichroplus
Dichroplus notatus is a grasshopper species in the family Acrididae, subfamily Melanoplinae, described by Bruner in 1908. It is native to arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. The species is part of the diverse Dichroplus genus, which contains several economically significant grasshopper pests in South America, though D. notatus itself has not been documented as a major agricultural pest.
Efferia tolandi
Efferia tolandi is a species of robber fly (family Asilidae) described by Wilcox in 1966. The genus Efferia comprises medium to large-sized predatory flies found primarily in arid and semi-arid regions of North America. Members of this genus are characterized by their robust build, large compound eyes, and predatory habits. Efferia species are often encountered at light traps and are active predators of other insects.
Marganana suilla
Marganana suilla is a species of leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, first described by Ball in 1935 as a variety of Ponana marginifrons before being transferred to genus Marganana. The species has been recorded in the southwestern United States (Arizona) and Mexico. Like other members of the Gyponini tribe, it belongs to a group of leafhoppers characterized by broad, often flattened body forms. The species has been documented in 49 iNaturalist observations, suggesting it is not uncommon in its range but remains poorly studied in published literature.
Nemomydas
mydas flies
Nemomydas is a genus of large mydas flies (Diptera: Mydidae) comprising at least 23 described species distributed primarily in the Americas, with one species (N. gruenbergi) recorded from East Asia. The genus was established by Curran in 1934. Species exhibit considerable diversity in distribution, ranging from the southwestern United States through Central America to the Caribbean and South America.
Neotrichonotulus inurbanus
Neotrichonotulus inurbanus is a species of scarab beetle in the subfamily Aphodiinae, described by Gordon and Howden in 1973. It belongs to a genus of dung beetles found in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America and Mexico. The species is poorly documented in scientific literature and has no recorded observations on iNaturalist.
Oecleus monilipennis
A small planthopper in the family Cixiidae, first described by Van Duzee in 1923. The species is known from arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Like other cixiids, it likely feeds on plant roots during the nymphal stage and above-ground plant parts as an adult. The specific epithet 'monilipennis' refers to the beaded or necklace-like appearance of the wing venation.
Okanagana schaefferi
A western North American cicada species described by Davis in 1915. Records indicate presence in arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States including Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. As a member of the genus Okanagana, it belongs to a group of annual cicadas rather than the periodical cicadas of eastern North America.
Ornativalva
A genus of small moths in the family Gelechiidae, containing approximately 50 described species arranged into seven species groups. Most species occur in arid and semi-arid regions of the Palearctic, with particular diversity in the Mediterranean, North Africa, Central Asia, and China. Several species have been documented as significant pests of tamarisk shrubs.
Oslaria
Oslaria is a genus of moths in the family Noctuidae, erected by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1904. The genus contains three described species distributed in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Members of this genus are part of the diverse owlet moth fauna of arid North American regions.
Paravilla syrtis
Paravilla syrtis is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae. It occurs in arid regions across western North America, ranging from the Yukon through the United States to Mexico. As with other bee flies, adults are likely nectar feeders, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Pilophorus tibialis
Pilophorus tibialis is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, first described by Van Duzee in 1918. It belongs to the genus Pilophorus, which is noted for ant-mimicking species that exhibit morphological and behavioral adaptations resembling ants. The species has been documented in western North America and Mexico.
Therevidae
Stiletto flies
Therevidae, commonly known as stiletto flies, is a family of brachyceran flies in the superfamily Asiloidea containing approximately 1,600 described species worldwide. The family is most diverse in arid and semiarid regions with sandy soils. Adults are small to medium-sized (2.4–18 mm) with hairy bodies and are often brightly colored, with many species exhibiting wasp or ant mimicry. Larvae are apodous, eucephalic, and predatory, living in soil and other substrates where they hunt insect larvae.
Trigonorhinus
fungus weevils
Trigonorhinus is a genus of fungus weevils in the beetle family Anthribidae, comprising approximately 15-16 described species. The genus includes wood-boring species that develop in plant tissues, with at least one species documented as a pest of Caragana liouana in arid regions of China. A notable species, Trigonorhinus sp., has been demonstrated to rely on gut bacterial symbionts for production of male aggregation pheromones essential for mate attraction.
Xenorhipidini
Xenorhipidini is a small tribe of jewel beetles (family Buprestidae) comprising approximately 8 described species across three genera. The tribe is notable for extreme sexual dimorphism in antennal structure: males possess highly modified flabellate or lamellate antennae with expanded distal segments covered in olfactory sensillae, while females retain unmodified serrate antennae. This modification, unique among non-monotypic buprestid tribes, is associated with pheromone detection. Members are found in arid and semi-arid regions of North and South America and the West Indies.