California-endemic
Guides
Pentaphyllus californicus
Pentaphyllus californicus is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, described by Horn in 1870. It belongs to the subfamily Pentaphyllinae, a group characterized by distinctive morphological features. The species is endemic to California, reflecting the biogeographic pattern common to many members of this genus. As with other tenebrionid beetles, it is likely associated with decaying organic matter and forest floor habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Peritelodes obtectus
Peritelodes obtectus is a species of broad-nosed weevil in the family Curculionidae, described by Casey in 1888. It belongs to the subfamily Entiminae, a diverse group of root-feeding weevils. The species is known from California and is part of the genus Peritelodes, which contains multiple North American species. Very little specific biological information has been published for this particular species.
Peritelopsis globiventris
Peritelopsis globiventris is a species of broad-nosed weevil in the family Curculionidae, first described by LeConte in 1857 under the basionym Ptochus globiventris. It belongs to the tribe Peritelini within the subfamily Entiminae, a group characterized by short, broad rostra. The species is known from California and has been documented in association with host plants, though specific details remain limited in available literature.
Phidippus adumbratus
California Red Jumping Spider
Phidippus adumbratus is a jumping spider in the family Salticidae, commonly known as the California Red Jumping Spider. It belongs to the insignarius species group within the genus Phidippus. The species was first described by Gertsch in 1934 from a type specimen collected in Los Angeles. Its specific epithet derives from Latin adumbratus, meaning 'secret' or 'in the dark,' possibly alluding to the missing abdomen of the holotype specimen.
Phloeocharis californica
A small rove beetle endemic to California, described in 1980 from specimens collected in the state. As a member of the subfamily Phloeocharinae, it belongs to a group of staphylinids typically associated with forest floor habitats and decaying organic matter. The species is known from very few records, reflecting either genuine rarity or limited survey effort in its habitat.
Phloeosinus punctatus
western cedar bark beetle
Phloeosinus punctatus is a bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae, known as the western cedar bark beetle. The species colonizes giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) and California incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Females initiate gallery construction and mate monogamously. The beetle undergoes four larval instars, typically producing one generation per year under natural conditions. It has been observed to contribute to branch mortality in giant sequoia, particularly when trees are under environmental stress.
Phobetus mojavus
Phobetus mojavus is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Barrett in 1933. It belongs to the subfamily Melolonthinae (May beetles or June beetles) and the tribe Phobetusini. The species is known from California, with its specific epithet suggesting an association with the Mojave region.
Phobetus palpalis
Phobetus palpalis is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Melolonthinae, and tribe Phobetusini. Described by Saylor in 1936, this species is known from California in the western United States. The genus Phobetus belongs to a group of scarab beetles commonly referred to as May beetles or June beetles, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented in published literature.
Phryganidia californica
California Oak Moth, California Oakworm
Phryganidia californica, commonly known as the California oak moth or California oakworm, is a moth in the family Notodontidae. It is the only member of its subfamily Dioptinae found north of Mexico. The species is notable for periodic population outbreaks that can cause extensive defoliation of oak trees along the California coast. Adults are active from March to November, with two generations per year in northern California and occasionally three in southern California.
Phyllolabis hurdi
A species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae, described by Charles Paul Alexander in 1964. The species epithet honors entomologist Paul D. Hurd. Known from California, USA. Belongs to a genus characterized by distinctive wing venation patterns typical of the Limnophilinae subfamily.
Phyllonorycter arbutusella
Phyllonorycter arbutusella is a micro-moth in the family Gracillariidae, described by Braun in 1908. The species is known from California and British Columbia. Larvae are leaf miners that feed on Arbutus menziesii (Pacific madrone). Adults have a wingspan of approximately 8 mm.
Pinodytes gibbosus
Pinodytes gibbosus is a small, eyeless soil-dwelling beetle in the family Leiodidae. It inhabits leaf litter in California and feeds on fungi. The species was formally described in 2011, making it a relatively recent addition to the taxonomic literature. Its lack of eyes and subterranean habits reflect adaptations to a life spent primarily in dark, decomposing organic matter.
Plagiognathus phaceliae
Plagiognathus phaceliae is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, described by Schuh in 2001. The species name 'phaceliae' indicates an association with plants in the genus Phacelia. It is known from California, USA. As a member of the large genus Plagiognathus, it belongs to a diverse group of small plant-feeding true bugs.
Platyceroides opacus
Platyceroides opacus is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is known from California in western North America. The genus Platyceroides contains small to medium-sized stag beetles with reduced mandibles compared to many other lucanids.
Plebejus icarioides missionensis
Plebejus icarioides missionensis is a subspecies of the Mission blue butterfly, a federally endangered lycaenid butterfly endemic to a restricted range in coastal California. The subspecies is part of a complex that has been subject to taxonomic revision, with some authorities placing it in the genus Icaricia. Its habitat consists of coastal grasslands and scrub where its larval host plant, silver lupine (Lupinus albicaulis), occurs. The subspecies has been impacted by urban development, invasive plants, and fire suppression.
Plebejus icarioides parapheres
Plebejus icarioides parapheres is a subspecies of the Boisduval's blue butterfly complex, originally described from California. It is currently treated as a synonym of Icaricia icarioides parapheres in some taxonomic databases. The species group is associated with leguminous host plants and has been subject to conservation research due to habitat loss pressures affecting related subspecies.
Plectrodes pubescens
Plectrodes pubescens is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Melolonthinae. Described by Horn in 1867, this species is known from California, USA. Very little is known about its biology or ecology. The genus Plectrodes contains few species and is poorly studied compared to related melolonthine genera.
Pleocoma badia hirsuta
Pleocoma badia hirsuta is a subspecies of rain beetle in the family Pleocomidae, described by Davis in 1934. Like other Pleocomidae, adults are active during autumn rains and exhibit strong sexual dimorphism with flightless females. The subspecific epithet 'hirsuta' suggests increased hairiness relative to the nominate subspecies. It is one of several subspecies within the P. badia species complex found in western North America.
Pleocoma bicolor
rain beetle
Pleocoma bicolor is a species of rain beetle in the family Pleocomidae, described by Linsley in 1935. Rain beetles in this genus are known for emerging in response to rainfall events. The species is endemic to California.
Pleocoma blaisdelli
rain beetle
Pleocoma blaisdelli is a rain beetle in the family Pleocomidae, described by Linsley in 1938. It is one of approximately 30 species in the genus Pleocoma, all endemic to western North America. Rain beetles are named for their habit of emerging during autumn or winter rains to mate. The species is recorded from California. Like other Pleocoma, adults are sexually dimorphic and do not feed.
Pleocoma fimbriata
Fimbriate Rain Beetle
Pleocoma fimbriata is a species of rain beetle in the family Pleocomidae, known from California. Rain beetles are characterized by their flightless females and autumn-emerging adults that are often associated with rainfall events. The species was described by LeConte in 1856.
Pleocoma hovorei
Pleocoma hovorei is a rain beetle species described in 2007. It belongs to the family Pleocomidae, a small group of scarab beetles known for their emergence during autumn rains. The species occurs in California, USA.
Pleocoma linsleyi
rain beetle
Pleocoma linsleyi is a species of rain beetle described by Hovore in 1971. The species was named in honor of American entomologist Earle Gorton Linsley. It belongs to the family Pleocomidae, a group of scarab beetles known for their autumn emergence patterns and association with rainfall.
Pleocoma marquai
rain beetle
Pleocoma marquai is a species of rain beetle described by Hovore in 1972. It belongs to the family Pleocomidae, a small group of scarab beetles known for their emergence during autumn rains. The species is known from California and is one of approximately 30 species in the genus Pleocoma.
Pleocoma octopagina
rain beetle
Pleocoma octopagina is a species of rain beetle described by Robertson in 1970. It belongs to the family Pleocomidae, a small group of scarabaeoid beetles known for their autumn emergence following rainfall. The species occurs in California on the lower West Coast of North America.
Pleocoma sonomae
rain beetle
Pleocoma sonomae is a species of rain beetle described by Linsley in 1935. Like other members of the family Pleocomidae, it is a large, fossorial scarab beetle. The species is native to California and is one of approximately 30 described species in the genus Pleocoma. Rain beetles are known for their emergence following rainfall events, particularly in autumn and winter.
Podabrus
soldier beetle, leatherwing
Podabrus is a genus of soldier beetles (family Cantharidae) found in California. Adults are elongate beetles with soft, flexible wing covers that give rise to the common name "leatherwings." The genus is one of three common genera of soldier beetles in California, alongside Cantharis and Chauliognathus. Members of this genus are diurnal and frequently observed on flowers or foliage.
Podabrus
soldier beetle
Podabrus is a genus of soldier beetles (family Cantharidae) found in California. Members are elongate beetles with soft, flexible wing covers that give rise to the common name 'leatherwings.' The genus is one of approximately 11 genera of soldier beetles occurring in California, with about 160 species total in the state. Adults are diurnal and frequently observed on flowers or foliage.
Polistes dorsalis californicus
California Paper Wasp
Polistes dorsalis californicus is a subspecies of paper wasp endemic to California, described by Bohart in 1949. As a member of the genus Polistes, it constructs open-faced paper nests from chewed wood fibers mixed with saliva. The species exhibits typical paper wasp social structure with small colonies founded by overwintering queens in spring. Like other Polistes, it functions as both a predator of caterpillars and a pollinator of flowering plants.
Polyphylla anteronivea
Saline Valley Snow-front June Beetle, Saline Valley Snow-front Scarab
Polyphylla anteronivea is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Hardy in 1978. It belongs to the genus Polyphylla, commonly known as lined June beetles, which are characterized by their large size and distinctive antennae. The species is known from limited observations in North America, specifically from California.
Polyphylla nubila
Atascadero June beetle
Polyphylla nubila, the Atascadero June beetle, is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is native to North America, with distribution records indicating presence in California, USA. The species belongs to the genus Polyphylla, a group commonly known as lined June beetles or ten-lined June beetles, characterized by males with enlarged, fan-like antennae used to detect female sex pheromones. Like other members of this genus, P. nubila is likely associated with sandy habitats and exhibits nocturnal activity patterns.
Porphyrorhegma
Porphyrorhegma is a monotypic genus of crambid moths in the subfamily Odontiinae, established by Munroe in 1961. The genus contains a single species, Porphyrorhegma fortunata, recorded from California. Knowledge of this genus is limited due to its rarity and restricted distribution.
Pristomerus baumhoferi
Pristomerus baumhoferi is a species of ichneumonid wasp described by Cushman in 1930. It belongs to the genus Pristomerus, a group of parasitoid wasps within the family Ichneumonidae. The species is known from limited collection records in California.
Prodoxus marginatus
Prodoxus marginatus is a small moth in the family Prodoxidae, endemic to California. It is the smallest species in the genus Prodoxus, with a wingspan of 8–12 mm. The species inhabits coastal chaparral and montane dry shrubby grassland habitats. Larvae feed on Yucca whipplei, indicating a specialized host relationship with this yucca species.
Promyrmekiaphila
Promyrmekiaphila is a genus of mygalomorph trapdoor spiders endemic to California. First described by Schenkel in 1950, the genus currently contains three species: P. clathrata, P. winnemem, and P. korematsui. These spiders construct silk-lined burrows with wafer-like trapdoor lids and exhibit strong geographic population structuring with deep genetic divergence, particularly within P. clathrata. The genus is notable for morphological conservation despite considerable genetic differentiation, representing a cryptic species complex.
Psammobotys fordi
Psammobotys fordi is a moth species in the family Crambidae, described by Eugene G. Munroe in 1961. It is known from California, where it has been recorded in sandy habitats. The genus name Psammobotys derives from Greek roots referring to sand, suggesting an association with sandy environments. The species is one of relatively few documented members of this genus.
Psammopolia insolens
Psammopolia insolens is a noctuid moth restricted to Pacific Coast sand beaches in central California. The species occurs from Carmel to Bodega Bay, with most records from the San Francisco area. Adults are active in May and again from mid-September through October. The genus name Psammopolia reflects its specialized psammophilous (sand-loving) habitat.
Psaphida damalis
Psaphida damalis is a noctuid moth species described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1879. It belongs to the genus Psaphida, which includes several North American sallow moths. The species is endemic to California and is part of the owlet moth family Noctuidae.
Pseudopamera sp-one-calif
Pseudopamera sp-one-calif is an undescribed seed bug species in the family Rhyparochromidae, provisionally designated from California specimens. The genus Pseudopamera comprises small to medium-sized ground-dwelling seed bugs with characteristic body proportions. This species represents one of several Californian Pseudopamera lineages awaiting formal taxonomic description. Members of this genus are typically associated with ground layer habitats and seed-feeding ecology.
Psychomastax psylla
San Jacinto monkey grasshopper
Psychomastax psylla, commonly known as the San Jacinto monkey grasshopper, is a species of monkey grasshopper in the family Eumastacidae. It was described by Rehn and Hebard in 1918. The species is endemic to North America, with records from California. Monkey grasshoppers are a distinct group within Orthoptera characterized by their small size and unusual morphology compared to typical grasshoppers.
Ptomaphagus californicus
Ptomaphagus californicus is a species of small carrion beetle in the family Leiodidae, described by J.L. LeConte in 1853. The species is known from California and broader North America. As a member of the carrion beetle family, it is associated with decomposing organic matter, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited in published sources.
Pycnocoris ursinus
Pycnocoris ursinus is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, first described by Van Duzee in 1914. It belongs to a small genus within the diverse mirid fauna of western North America. The species is documented from California, with limited published information on its biology. As with many mirids, it likely feeds on plant fluids, though specific host associations remain unconfirmed.
Quernocoris caliginosus
Quernocoris caliginosus is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, described by Weirauch in 2006. It is a true bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) belonging to the large and diverse mirid fauna of western North America. The genus Quernocoris is associated with oak (Quercus) habitats, reflecting its etymology. As a recently described species, detailed natural history information remains limited in the primary literature.
Ranzovius californicus
Ranzovius californicus is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, first described by Van Duzee in 1917. It exhibits an unusual ecological relationship with spiders, specifically inhabiting the sheet webs of Hololena curta and feeding on prey captured in those webs. This kleptoparasitic or commensal behavior distinguishes it from most other mirid bugs. The species is known from California and broader North America, though detailed biological information remains limited.
Renclasea falli
Renclasea falli is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, described by Tishechkin & Caterino in 2009. It is known from California, USA. As a member of the subfamily Haeteriinae, it belongs to a specialized group of histerid beetles. The genus Renclasea was established relatively recently, reflecting ongoing taxonomic refinement within the Histeridae.
Rhachocnemis validus
Coast Sand-treader Cricket
Rhachocnemis validus, known as the Coast Sand-treader Cricket, is a species of camel cricket in the family Rhaphidophoridae. It is native to coastal regions of California and is distinguished from similar taxa by its specialized adaptations for life in sandy habitats. Unlike the unrelated "plasterer bees" (genus Colletes) that share a similar common name pattern, this species is an orthopteran with nocturnal habits and is not a pollinator.
Rhaphiomidas acton
Rhaphiomidas acton is a species of mydas fly (family Mydidae) found in southern California. It is one of three recognized species in the genus Rhaphiomidas. The species comprises three subspecies: R. a. acton, R. a. maculatus, and R. a. maehleri. Members of this genus are among the largest flies in North America and are of conservation concern due to habitat loss.
Rhexidius incomptus
Rhexidius incomptus is a species of ant-loving beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Schuster & Grigarick in 1962. It belongs to the subfamily Pselaphinae, a group of small rove beetles known for their myrmecophilous associations. The species is documented from California, USA.
Salmoperla
Salmoperla is a genus of stoneflies (Plecoptera) in the family Perlodidae, tribe Arcynopterygini. Described in 1987 by Baumann and Lauck, this genus is known from California. As a member of the Systellognatha, Salmoperla belongs to a group of predatory stoneflies characterized by specialized mouthpart adaptations.
Salmoperla sylvanica
Salmoperla sylvanica is a species of stonefly in the family Perlodidae, described in 1987 from California. It belongs to the tribe Arcynopterygini within the subfamily Perlodinae. Like other perlodid stoneflies, it is associated with freshwater habitats. The species is known from very few records, with only two observations documented on iNaturalist.