California-endemic-fauna
Guides
Aceria baccharices
Mule Fat Blister Mite, mulefat leaf-blister mite
Aceria baccharices is an eriophyid mite species native to North America that induces distinctive leaf galls on two host plants in the genus Baccharis. First described by Hartford H. Keifer in 1945, this microscopic arachnid creates warty, protruding galls on leaf surfaces that serve as protected nurseries for developing mite populations. The species exhibits strong host specificity, with populations in northern California associated primarily with Baccharis salicifolia and southern populations utilizing Baccharis glutinosa. Adults eventually exit the galls through anterior holes, which may remain visible on the leaf surface.
Agdistis americana
Sea-heath Plume Moth
Agdistis americana is a plume moth in the family Pterophoridae, first described by Barnes and Lindsey in 1921. It is known from western North America, particularly California. The species has a wingspan of approximately 24 mm. As a member of the genus Agdistis, it belongs to a group of moths commonly associated with coastal and salt marsh habitats, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited.
Aligia californica
Aligia californica is a species of leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, subfamily Deltocephalinae, described by Van Duzee in 1925. It is native to the western United States, with records from California and Oregon. As a member of the tribe Platymetopiini, it belongs to a group of deltocephaline leafhoppers whose members are generally associated with herbaceous vegetation.
Antron douglasii
Spined Turban Gall Wasp
A cynipid gall wasp that induces distinctive spined turban galls on oak leaves. The galls are characterized by their fleshy, pink to reddish appearance with bristly projections. This species is part of the highly diverse oak gall wasp fauna of western North America. The wasp manipulates plant tissue development through chemical cues, though the precise mechanism remains unknown.
Coleophora discostriata
Coleophora discostriata is a small case-bearing moth in the family Coleophoridae, first described by Walsingham in 1882. It is known from California and other parts of the western United States. The species is associated with oak (Quercus) host plants, with larvae constructing distinctive pistol-shaped cases. Adults are active in mid-summer.
Eronyxa
Eronyxa is a genus of beetles in the family Lophocateridae (formerly treated as Trogossitidae). The genus was described by Reitter in 1876. Larvae of Eronyxa expansus have been documented as common predators of the incense cedar scale (Xylococculus macrocarpae) in California.
Okanagana formosa
Okanagana formosa is a species of annual cicada in the family Cicadidae, described by Davis in 1926. It belongs to the western North American cicada genus Okanagana, which comprises approximately 60 species. Like other Okanagana species, it is not a periodical cicada and does not exhibit synchronized mass emergence patterns. The species has been documented from California, Nevada, and Utah.
Okanagana napa
Okanagana napa is a species of cicada in the family Cicadidae, first described by Davis in 1919. The species epithet "napa" refers to Napa County, California, indicating its type locality. It belongs to the genus Okanagana, a group of cicadas distributed primarily in western North America. Like other cicadas, it is presumed to have a subterranean nymphal stage and adult emergence tied to seasonal patterns.
Poecilobrium chalybeum
Poecilobrium chalybeum is a small longhorn beetle and the sole species in the monotypic genus Poecilobrium. It was first described from California in 1873 by John Lawrence LeConte. The genus was established by Horn in 1883. Records indicate presence in California, Mexico, and the broader United States.
Pseudomasaris edwardsii
Edwards' pollen wasp
Pseudomasaris edwardsii is a small pollen-provisioning wasp in the family Vespidae, subfamily Masarinae. Unlike most vespid wasps that provision nests with paralyzed insects, females collect pollen and nectar to feed their larvae. The species has been documented nesting in California, with confirmed records from Pasadena and Sierra Madre. It represents one of the few known pollen-collecting wasps in North America, sharing this unusual dietary strategy with its congener P. vespoides.
Stobaera giffardi
Stobaera giffardi is a species of planthopper in the family Delphacidae, described by Van Duzee in 1917. It belongs to a genus of small, slender delphacid planthoppers found in North America. The species is known from California and represents one of several Stobaera species distributed in western North America. Like other delphacids, it likely inhabits grassland and wetland habitats associated with its host plants.
Trimerotropis arenacea
Rehn's dune grasshopper
Trimerotropis arenacea, commonly known as Rehn's dune grasshopper, is a band-winged grasshopper species in the family Acrididae. The species was described by Rehn in 1910. It is known to occur in sandy dune habitats in western North America, particularly in California. As a member of the genus Trimerotropis, it shares characteristics with other band-winged grasshoppers that typically inhabit arid, open environments.
Trogloderus vandykei
Trogloderus vandykei is a darkling beetle (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in the psammophilic genus Trogloderus. Originally described as a subspecies of T. costatus from outside 29 Palms, California, it was elevated to species status by Johnston (2018). The subspecific name T. costatus mayhewi was synonymized with T. vandykei. Like other members of its genus, this species is associated with sandy habitats in the western United States.
Tytthus fuscicornis
Tytthus fuscicornis is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, described by Thomas J. Henry in 2012. It is known from California and New Mexico in the southwestern United States. As a member of the genus Tytthus, it belongs to a group of minute pirate bugs that are generally recognized as predators of other small arthropods.