Canadian-prairies
Guides
Acanthoscelides seminulum
Acanthoscelides seminulum is a species of leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It was described by Horn in 1873. The species is found in North America, with records from the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. As a member of the genus Acanthoscelides, it belongs to a group commonly known as bean weevils or seed beetles, many of which are associated with leguminous plants.
Anathix aggressa
cutworm, dart moth
Anathix aggressa is a noctuid moth species described by Smith in 1907. It belongs to the cutworm or dart moth group within the family Noctuidae. The species is native to North America, with confirmed records from the Canadian prairie provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. It is assigned MONA/Hodges number 9963.
Chaetocnema opulenta
Opulent Flea Beetle
Chaetocnema opulenta is a small flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, first described by Horn in 1889. It is found in North America, with records from the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. As a member of the Alticini tribe, it possesses the enlarged hind femora characteristic of flea beetles, enabling jumping locomotion.
Gypsonoma adjuncta
Gypsonoma adjuncta is a species of tortricid moth in the tribe Eucosmini, described by Carl Heinrich in 1924. It is a small moth distributed across the Canadian Prairie provinces. The species belongs to a genus whose larvae are typically associated with woody plants, though specific host associations for this species remain poorly documented.
Hockeria eriensis
Hockeria eriensis is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Chalcididae, first described by Wallace in 1942. It belongs to the subfamily Haltichellinae, a group characterized by reduced wing venation and often metallic coloration. The species is known from the Canadian prairies, with records from Alberta and Saskatchewan. As with other chalcidids, it is presumed to be a parasitoid, though specific host associations remain undocumented.
Hydraecia perobliqua
False Rosy Rustic Moth
Hydraecia perobliqua, known as the false rosy rustic moth, is a species of cutworm or dart moth in the family Noctuidae. It was described by Hampson in 1910 and is found in North America. The species belongs to the genus Hydraecia, which includes several closely related species that can be difficult to distinguish.
Hypnoidus
wireworms
Hypnoidus is a genus of click beetles (family Elateridae) whose soil-dwelling larval stages are known as wireworms. Species in this genus are found across Eurasia and North America, with several species recognized as agricultural pests. The genus includes economically significant species such as Hypnoidus bicolor and Hypnoidus abbreviatus, which damage crop roots in the Canadian Prairies.
Hypnoidus bicolor
Bicolour Click Beetle
Hypnoidus bicolor is a click beetle species (Elateridae) found throughout the Canadian Prairies and other parts of the Holarctic region. The species exists as a potential cryptic species complex, with two genetically distinct clades (>4.66% COX1 sequence divergence) identified in prairie populations. Larvae are soil-dwelling wireworms that can damage soybean and other crops, though they are smaller and less destructive than related pest species such as Limonius californicus and Hypnoidus abbreviatus. Population genetic studies indicate uneven gene flow among populations with low regional genetic structuring, and evidence of range expansion coinciding with intensive agricultural practices.
Lytta viridana
Viridescent Blister Beetle
Lytta viridana is a North American blister beetle in the family Meloidae, occurring in mixed colonies with congeners in the Canadian prairies and western North America. Adults are active from late May to late June, feeding primarily on wild and cultivated legumes with occasional consumption of non-leguminous plants including cereals and sugar beets. The species exhibits complex reproductive behavior including multiple matings, multiple egg batches per female, and documented hybridization with L. nuttalli. Embryological development is well-studied, with eggs requiring moist soil conditions and completing development in 2-3 weeks at typical summer temperatures.
Sideridis uscripta
uscripta dart moth
Sideridis uscripta is a species of dart moth in the family Noctuidae, described by Smith in 1891. It is a small to medium-sized noctuid moth found in the northern Great Plains of North America. The species is poorly documented in scientific literature, with limited information available on its biology and ecology. It is one of approximately 20 species in the genus Sideridis, a group of noctuine moths primarily distributed across the Holarctic region.
Trichapion commodum
Trichapion commodum is a species of straight-snouted weevil in the family Brentidae, described by Fall in 1898. It belongs to the subfamily Apioninae, a group characterized by their distinctive elongated rostra. The genus Trichapion is distinguished by having antennae with a scape that is distinctly longer than the head. This species has been recorded from the Canadian Prairie provinces.
Trichordestra dodii
Dod's cutworm moth
Trichordestra dodii is a noctuid moth species described by Smith in 1904. It belongs to the cutworm or dart moth group within the family Noctuidae. The species has been documented in the Canadian prairie provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. Published records indicate a restricted distribution in North America with limited observational data available.
Xanthia tatago
pink-barred sallow, pink-banded sallow
Xanthia tatago is a noctuid moth described in 2003, known by the common names pink-barred sallow and pink-banded sallow. The species belongs to the cutworm or dart moth group within Noctuidae. It is distributed across northern North America, with records from the Canadian Prairie provinces and the northeastern United States.