Boreal
Guides
Eurois occulta
Great Brocade, Great Gray Dart
Eurois occulta, commonly known as the Great Brocade or Great Gray Dart, is a medium-sized noctuid moth with a Holarctic distribution spanning northern Europe, Asia, and North America. Adults display distinctive gray forewings with bold black-and-white patterning and a wingspan of 50–60 mm. The species exhibits notable color polymorphism, including a nearly black mountain form (f. implicata) found in Finland, Germany, and Scotland. Larvae feed on various woody and herbaceous plants including Vaccinium, birch, and willow.
Euura
Euura is a genus of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae, subfamily Nematinae, with exceptional species diversity concentrated in northern Holarctic regions rather than tropical zones. The genus contains both free-feeding larvae that consume plant foliage externally and gall-inducing species whose larvae develop entirely within plant galls. Gall-forming females inject a stimulant during oviposition that initiates gall growth before eggs hatch, a distinctive mechanism among gall insects. Taxonomic revision in 2014 consolidated several former genera (Eupontania, Phyllocolpa, Pontania, Tubpontania) into Euura based on phylogenetic evidence. The genus exhibits substantial genetic complexity, with frequent mito-nuclear discordance and multiple functional COI variants within individuals complicating species identification.
Euura alaskensis
Yellowheaded Spruce Sawfly
Euura alaskensis is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae, commonly known as the Yellowheaded Spruce Sawfly. It is native to northern North America and has been recorded from multiple Canadian provinces. As a member of the genus Euura, it likely develops on willow or poplar hosts, though specific host associations for this species require verification.
Euxoa adumbrata
Sordid Dart
Euxoa adumbrata, commonly known as the sordid dart, is a noctuid moth species first described by Eduard Friedrich Eversmann in 1842. It occurs across northern boreal regions of North America and Eurasia, including northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Scandinavia, and the Ural Mountains. The species has one generation per year, with adults active during summer months. Larvae feed on Taraxacum and Polygonum species.
Euxoa dissona
dissonant dart
Euxoa dissona, commonly known as the dissonant dart, is a noctuid moth native to north-eastern North America. It belongs to the large genus Euxoa, which includes numerous cutworm and dart moth species. The species was first described by Möschler in 1860 under the basionym Agrotis dissona. Available records indicate it occurs in boreal and temperate regions of Canada and the northern United States.
Evodinus
Evodinus is a genus of longhorn beetles in the family Cerambycidae, subfamily Lepturinae, and tribe Rhagiini. The genus contains four recognized species distributed primarily in boreal and montane regions of North America and northern Europe. Members are associated with coniferous forests and are characterized by their distinctive elytral sculpturing.
Formica glacialis
Icy Mound Ant
Formica glacialis is a cold-adapted ant species in the Formicinae subfamily, described by William Morton Wheeler in 1908. It belongs to the Formica fusca species group and is primarily found in montane and boreal environments of eastern North America. The species is notable for its association with cold, high-elevation habitats, including areas with persistent snow cover.
Gazoryctra hyperboreus
Gazoryctra hyperboreus is a moth in the family Hepialidae, first described by Heinrich Benno Möschler in 1862. It is a boreal species distributed across northern North America. The species is one of approximately 20 recognized species in the genus Gazoryctra, a group of primitive moths commonly known as ghost moths or swift moths.
Gesneria centuriella
Smoky Gesneria
Gesneria centuriella is a small moth in the family Crambidae with a broad Holarctic distribution spanning Europe, Asia, and North America. The species exhibits considerable geographic variation, with five recognized subspecies adapted to different regions from Eurasia through Alaska to Greenland and the western United States. Adults are active in mid-summer, with North American populations flying from mid-June to July.
Gnaphosa orites
Gnaphosa orites is a ground spider in the family Gnaphosidae with the broadest latitudinal distribution of any species in its genus, ranging from 43° to 70°N across the Holarctic region. The species was first described by Chamberlin in 1922 and has since been recorded from northern Europe, Scandinavia, the Caucasus, and across Russia from Europe to the Far East, as well as North America. A 2011 study documented its southernmost record in the Russian Far East, extending the known range of this cold-adapted species.
Gnorimoschema shepherdiae
Gnorimoschema shepherdiae is a small gelechiid moth described by Ronald J. Priest in 2014. It is distributed across northern North America from Yukon to Michigan. The species is a leaf-mining specialist on Shepherdia canadensis, with larvae that feed internally on host plant foliage.
Greenomyia
Greenomyia is a genus of fungus gnats in the family Mycetophilidae, established by Brunetti in 1912. The genus contains at least two described species: G. borealis and G. baikalica. Records indicate presence in boreal and temperate regions of Europe and North America, with distribution data available from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Heliothis borealis
Boreal Gem Moth, Boreal Gem
Heliothis borealis is a small noctuid moth native to northern North America. First described by George Hampson in 1903, it inhabits boreal and montane regions from Quebec to Alberta, with disjunct populations extending southward in the Rocky Mountains to southwestern Montana. Adults fly in late spring and early summer. Larval biology remains poorly documented, with feeding habits inferred from related Heliothis species.
Hemipachnobia monochromatea
Sundew Cutworm Moth, Sundew Dart
A small to medium-sized noctuid moth found in wetland habitats across northern North America. The common name references an association with sundew plants (Drosera), though the nature of this relationship remains unclear. Adults are active in late summer and early autumn. The species is among the more obscure members of the cutworm moth group, with limited biological documentation.
Hilaira
dwarf spiders
Hilaira is a genus of dwarf spiders in the family Linyphiidae, first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1884. The genus contains 25 species distributed across the Holarctic region, with particularly high diversity in northern Eurasia and North America. Species occur in a range of cold-temperate to subarctic habitats including boreal forests, tundra, and mountainous regions. Several species are restricted to high-latitude or high-elevation environments.
Hippodamia arctica
Arctic lady beetle
Hippodamia arctica is a small lady beetle species in the family Coccinellidae with a Holarctic distribution spanning Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. Adults measure approximately 4–4.5 mm and display a distinctive black body with yellowish-red markings. The species inhabits northern boreal and arctic-alpine regions, with records from British Columbia, Labrador, Yukon, Alaska, and across northern Eurasia.
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.
Hybauchenidium
dwarf spiders
Hybauchenidium is a genus of dwarf spiders in the family Linyphiidae, first described by Å. Holm in 1973. The genus contains four species distributed across high-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including boreal and arctic areas of North America, Europe, and Asia. Species in this genus are small-bodied spiders characteristic of the sheet-web building Linyphiidae.
Hybauchenidium gibbosum
Hybauchenidium gibbosum is a dwarf spider in the family Linyphiidae, originally described from Greenland by Sørensen in 1898. It has a broad Holarctic distribution spanning northern Eurasia and North America. As with most linyphiids, it is small-bodied and ground-dwelling, though detailed natural history remains poorly documented.
Hydnobius substriatus
Hydnobius substriatus is a species of round fungus beetle in the family Leiodidae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1863. It is distributed across northern North America, with records from Canada and the northern United States. As a member of the genus Hydnobius, it is likely associated with fungal habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Hylobius warreni
Warren's rootcollar weevil, Warren rootcollar weevil
Hylobius warreni is a flightless weevil native to boreal forests of Canada, where it is a significant pest of coniferous trees. Adults feed on bark of spruce, pine, and other conifers before oviposition, while larvae tunnel in the root collar region, often girdling and killing young trees. The species has emerged as a particular concern in areas affected by mountain pine beetle outbreaks due to increased reforestation efforts. Population levels are influenced by stand density, tree age, and depth of duff material around tree bases.
Hypnoidus nocturnus
Nocturnal Click Beetle
Hypnoidus nocturnus is a species of click beetle (Elateridae) commonly known as the Nocturnal Click Beetle. It is distributed across northern and western North America, including Alaska, western Canada, and associated regions. The species is characterized by its small size, dark coloration, and the ability to produce a clicking sound by flexing its body—a defensive mechanism shared with other members of the family. Observations of this species remain limited, with few documented records in public databases.
Hypselistes florens
Peatland Sheetweb Weaver
Hypselistes florens is a dwarf spider in the family Linyphiidae, commonly known as the Peatland Sheetweb Weaver. It is found across northern North America, with records from the United States and Canada. The species includes two subspecies: the nominate H. f. florens and H. f. bulbiceps. It is one of the more frequently observed sheetweb weavers, with substantial observational data available.
Idiodonus aurantiacus
Idiodonus aurantiacus is a leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, first described by Provancher in 1872 under the basionym Jassus aurantiacus. It belongs to the tribe Platymetopiini within the subfamily Deltocephalinae. The species has been documented across northern North America, with records from Alaska and several Canadian provinces as well as Montana. Like other leafhoppers, it is presumed to feed on plant sap using piercing-sucking mouthparts, though specific host plant associations remain undocumented.
Isochnus flagellum
Isochnus flagellum is a small weevil in the family Curculionidae, tribe Rhamphini. The species was originally described as Orchestes flagellum by Erichson in 1902. It is known from high-latitude regions of North America including Alaska, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territories. As a member of the genus Isochnus, it belongs to a group of leaf-mining weevils associated with birch and alder foliage.
Judolia quadrata
Judolia quadrata is a species of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, subfamily Lepturinae. First described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1873, it belongs to a genus of Holarctic flower longhorns. The species is distributed across northern North America including Canada and the northern United States.
Laphria posticata
Boreal Laphria
Laphria posticata is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, commonly known as the Boreal Laphria. The genus Laphria includes species known for effective bumble bee mimicry, with Laphria posticata occurring in northern regions of North America. Robber flies in this genus are aerial predators that capture prey in flight.
Lapposyrphus
Lapposyrphus is a genus of hoverflies (family Syrphidae) established by Dušek & Láska in 1967. The genus was historically treated as part of Eupeodes, from which it was later separated based on morphological distinctions. It contains two species: L. lapponicus and L. abberrantis. Members are found in northern and boreal regions of Europe.
Lasconotus borealis
Boreal Ironclad Beetle
Lasconotus borealis is a species of ironclad beetle in the family Zopheridae, distributed across northern North America including Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and other parts of Canada. The species belongs to a genus characterized by heavily sclerotized, cylindrical bodies. Very little detailed biological information has been published for this specific species.
Lasionycta phoca
Lasionycta phoca is a species of noctuid moth described by Möschler in 1864. It is endemic to eastern and central Canada, occurring from Labrador westward to the coast of Hudson Bay. Adults are active during June and July, exhibiting both diurnal and nocturnal flight patterns over tundra habitats. The species is attracted to light.
Lasionycta secedens
Lasionycta secedens is a Holarctic moth species in the family Noctuidae. It was first described by Walker in 1858 under the name Plusia secedens. The species occurs across northern North America and northern Eurasia, with two recognized subspecies: the nominate form in eastern Canada and northern British Columbia, and subspecies bohemani in northern Eurasia, Alaska, and Yukon. A taxonomic revision published in ZooKeys in 2009 treated this species among 43 Lasionycta species in North America.
Lasionycta taigata
Northern Bog Arches
Lasionycta taigata is a noctuid moth described by Lafontaine in 1988. The species is strongly associated with boreal wetland habitats, specifically open peatlands and fens within the taiga zone. It represents one of 43 species recognized in a 2009 revision of the genus Lasionycta, which included 17 newly described species. The specific epithet 'taigata' references its primary distribution in taiga ecosystems.
Lepthyphantes turbatrix
Lepthyphantes turbatrix is a sheetweb spider in the family Linyphiidae, first described by O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1877. It is known from high-latitude regions including Greenland and North America. Like other linyphiids, it constructs flat, horizontal sheet webs to capture prey. The species has been documented through limited observations, with 17 records on iNaturalist.
Lepyrus palustris
Marsh Weevil
Lepyrus palustris is a true weevil in the family Curculionidae, characterized by the distinctive elongated snout typical of weevils. The species has a transcontinental distribution spanning the Holarctic region, with records from both North America and Europe. As a member of the large and diverse genus Lepyrus, it inhabits marshy environments as suggested by its specific epithet 'palustris'.
Leucobrephos
Leucobrephos is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae, subfamily Archiearinae. The genus was described by Grote in 1874 and contains three recognized species: L. brephoides, L. middendorfii, and L. mongolicum. Species in this genus are distributed across northern regions of Eurasia and North America.
Ligmargus funebris
Dark Click Beetle
Ligmargus funebris, commonly known as the Dark Click Beetle, is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. This beetle is found in boreal and subarctic regions of North America, including Alaska, western Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon), and potentially extending into northern forested areas. Click beetles are named for their ability to right themselves when flipped on their backs by rapidly flexing their thoracic hinge, producing an audible clicking sound. The genus Ligmargus belongs to the subfamily Dendrometrinae and tribe Athoini.
Lioon simplicipes
pill beetle
Lioon simplicipes is a species of pill beetle in the family Byrrhidae. The species was described by Mannerheim in 1852 and is known from North America, with records from Alaska and British Columbia. Like other members of Byrrhidae, it is characterized by its ability to conglobate—curl into a tight ball when disturbed. The genus Lioon contains species adapted to cool, often montane or northern environments.
Lithomoia germana
American Brindle, American Brindle Moth
Lithomoia germana, commonly known as the American Brindle, is a noctuid moth with a broad distribution across northern North America. Adults are bivoltine, active in spring and again in late summer to early autumn. The species is notable for hibernating as an adult, an overwintering strategy that allows early spring emergence. Larvae feed on woody plants in Salicaceae and Betulaceae, while adults visit goldenrod flowers for nectar.
Lixus terminalis
Lixus terminalis is a species of true weevil in the family Curculionidae, first described by LeConte in 1876. This species belongs to the large genus Lixus, which comprises stem-boring weevils distributed across multiple continents. The species is recorded from northern regions of North America including Canada and Alaska.
Lozotaenia hesperia
Lozotaenia hesperia is a small tortricid moth described by Powell in 1962. It occurs in boreal and subarctic regions of North America, with records from Alaska and Yukon in the northwest through the Prairie Provinces to Quebec in the east. Adults are active during a brief period in mid-summer. The species is one of approximately 25 recognized species in the genus Lozotaenia, which is distributed primarily across the Holarctic region.
Lygus shulli
Lygus shulli is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, first described by Knight in 1941. It belongs to the economically significant genus Lygus, whose members are major agricultural pests of cotton, strawberries, and other crops. The species occurs in boreal and western regions of North America. Like other Lygus species, it possesses piercing-sucking mouthparts and is associated with herbaceous vegetation.
Macaria brunneata
Rannoch looper
Macaria brunneata, the Rannoch looper, is a day-flying geometrid moth with a distinctive resting posture. The species shows a disjunct distribution across the Northern Hemisphere, occurring in boreal and montane regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. In Britain, it is highly localized to mature pine forests in central Scotland. The caterpillars feed on Ericaceae, particularly Vaccinium species.
Macaria oweni
Owen's larch looper, Owen's angle moth, Owen's Angle
Macaria oweni is a small geometrid moth native to northern North America. The species is specialized on tamarack (Larix laricina) as a larval host. Adults are active during early summer, with a single annual generation. The moth was first described from specimens collected in New England.
Macaria signaria
dusky peacock, pale-marked angle, spruce-fir looper, Northern Conifer Angles
Macaria signaria is a small geometrid moth with a wingspan of 20–28 mm. Two subspecies are recognized: M. s. signaria across Eurasia and M. s. dispuncta in North America. The species is associated with coniferous forests and has been documented feeding on spruce and larch as larvae.
Manica
Manica is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae, family Formicidae. The genus contains six described species. These ants are distributed across the Holarctic region, with species found in North America and Eurasia. Manica ants are known to inhabit cool, montane environments and are among the few ant genera capable of surviving at high latitudes and elevations where conditions are challenging for most ant species.
Margaiostus glacialis
Glacial Click Beetle
Margaiostus glacialis, commonly known as the Glacial Click Beetle, is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The species epithet 'glacialis' suggests an association with cold or glacial environments. It belongs to the genus Margaiostus, which is part of the tribe Pomachiliini within the subfamily Dendrometrinae. The species has been documented in northwestern North America, including Alaska, Alberta, and British Columbia.
Megarthrus excisus
Megarthrus excisus is a species of rove beetle (Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Proteininae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1863. The species is broadly distributed across northern North America, with records spanning boreal and temperate regions of Canada and the northern United States. Like other members of the genus Megarthrus, it is associated with forest floor habitats and decomposing organic matter. The genus is characterized by distinctive modifications of the male genitalia and antennae structure.
Mesembrina latreillii
Mesembrina latreillii is a large, conspicuous muscid fly historically considered to have a broader distribution but now regarded as restricted to the Nearctic Region following taxonomic revision. The species belongs to a genus typically associated with boreal forests and high-elevation habitats in the Northern Hemisphere.
Mompha idaei
Mompha idaei is a small moth in the family Momphidae, described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1839. It has a Holarctic distribution, occurring across boreal regions of North America and Europe. The species is notable for its larval association with Epilobium (willowherb) species, where larvae develop in the roots.
Morychus
pill beetle
Morychus is a genus of pill beetles (family Byrrhidae) established by Erichson in 1846. These beetles are characterized by their compact, rounded body form that allows them to roll into a defensive ball. The genus belongs to the tribe Morychini and is distributed across northern Europe, with records from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Members of this genus are associated with mossy and lichen-rich habitats.