Central-america
Guides
Brachinus phaeocerus
Brachinus phaeocerus is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae, first described by Chaudoir in 1868. It belongs to the bombardier beetle genus Brachinus, notable for its chemical defense mechanism. The species occurs in Central America and North America, including Mexico and the United States. Like other members of its genus, it possesses the characteristic ability to produce and eject defensive chemicals when threatened.
Brachymelecta interrupta
Interrupted Digger-cuckoo Bee
Brachymelecta interrupta is a species of digger-cuckoo bee in the family Apidae. It occurs in Central America and North America. As a cuckoo bee, it is presumed to be a nest parasite of other bees, though specific host relationships are not well documented. The species was originally described as Melecta interrupta by Cresson in 1872.
Brachynemurus hubbardii
Brachynemurus hubbardii is an antlion species in the family Myrmeleontidae, distributed across Central America and North America. The genus Brachynemurus belongs to a diverse group of antlions whose larvae typically do not construct the characteristic funnel-shaped pits associated with the more familiar genus Myrmeleon. Instead, Brachynemurus larvae bury themselves just below the soil surface and wait for prey to pass by. Adults are delicate, lacy-winged insects that resemble damselflies but possess short, clubbed antennae.
Byturus unicolor
raspberry fruitworm, western raspberry fruitworm, fruitworm beetle
Byturus unicolor is a small fruitworm beetle in the family Byturidae. Adults measure 4–5 mm and are yellowish-brown in color. The species is distributed across Central America and North America. It is commonly known as the raspberry fruitworm due to its association with raspberry plants.
Cacama carbonaria
Downy Cactus-Dodger
Cacama carbonaria is a cicada species in the family Cicadidae, first described by Davis in 1919. It is one of several 'cactus dodger' cicadas in the genus Cacama, known for their association with cactus hosts. The species occurs in Central America, with records from Mexico including Michoacán, Morelos, and Oaxaca. Like other Cacama species, it likely shares the genus-typical traits of fast flight, alert behavior, and association with Opuntia and Cylindropuntia cacti.
Cacama longirostris
Decorated Cactus-Dodger
Cacama longirostris is a cicada species in the family Cicadidae, described by Distant in 1881. It is known from Central America, particularly Mexico. The species belongs to the genus Cacama, commonly referred to as "cactus dodgers" due to their association with cactus hosts. Like other members of this genus, it likely exhibits adaptations for navigating spiny vegetation.
Cacama maura
Black-bellied Cactus-Dodger
Cacama maura is a cicada species in the family Cicadidae, first described by Distant in 1881. It is found in Central America, with records from Mexico including Morelos, Oaxaca, and Yucatán. The common name "Black-bellied Cactus-Dodger" suggests a likely ecological association with cactus habitats similar to its congener Cacama valvata, though specific details about this species remain sparse in the literature.
Cacama pygmaea
Golden-winged Cactus-Dodger
Cacama pygmaea is a cicada species described by Sanborn in 2011 during a taxonomic revision of the genus Cacama. It is one of three new species described in that work, which brought the total known species in the genus to 12. The species is found in Central America, with confirmed records from Jalisco, Mexico. Like other members of the genus Cacama, it is commonly referred to as a 'cactus-dodger' cicada.
Caccoplectus
Caccoplectus is a genus of myrmecophilous (ant-loving) rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae. The genus was established by Sharp in 1887 and contains approximately nine described species. These beetles are associated with ant colonies, a common ecological strategy among pselaphine beetles. Most species have been described from the Neotropical region, particularly Central America.
myrmecophileant-associatedpselaphinerove-beetleNeotropicalStaphylinidaePselaphinaeArhytodinitropicalant-colony-inhabitantinquilinemicrohabitat-specialistleaf-littersoil-dwellingcrypticrarely-collectedsmall-beetlemorphologically-specialized1887-descriptionSharpCentral-AmericaPanamaColeopteraPolyphagaStaphyliniformiaStaphylinoideaPselaphitaegenus-levelnine-speciesconicusdegallierilucidusnuttingipectinatusschwarzisentisspinipessucineasspine-legged-pselaphidChandlerWoldaSchaeffer190619761986type-species-unknownrarely-observediNaturalist:-2-observationsCatalogue-of-Life-acceptedGBIF-acceptedNCBI-acceptedEukaryotaMetazoaHexapodaInsectaArthropodaAnimaliabeetleinsectarthropodanimalCallibaetis californicus
small minnow mayfly
Callibaetis californicus is a small minnow mayfly in the family Baetidae, first described by Banks in 1900. The species occurs across Central America and western North America, including all of Mexico and the western United States. As a member of the Baetidae, it belongs to one of the most diverse families of mayflies, commonly known as small minnow mayflies for their streamlined, fish-like nymphal form.
Callibaetis pictus
Speckled Dun
Callibaetis pictus is a small minnow mayfly in the family Baetidae, commonly known as the Speckled Dun. It is distributed across Central America and North America, including all of Mexico and the northern and southwestern United States. Like other mayflies, it has an aquatic nymphal stage lasting months to years, followed by a brief adult lifespan measured in hours to days. The species is part of the EPT index (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) used to assess water quality in environmental monitoring.
Calliopsis barbata
Calliopsis barbata is a small mining bee in the family Andrenidae, first described by Timberlake in 1952. As a member of the genus Calliopsis, it belongs to a group of solitary, ground-nesting bees commonly found in open, sandy habitats. The species occurs in Central America and North America, though specific details about its biology remain poorly documented in published literature.
Calliopsis helianthi
Calliopsis helianthi is a species of mining bee in the family Andrenidae. It is native to Central America and North America. Like other members of the genus Calliopsis, this species nests in the ground and is solitary, with each female constructing and provisioning her own nest burrow.
Calliopsis obscurella
Calliopsis obscurella is a small mining bee species in the family Andrenidae, first described by Cresson in 1879. It occurs in Central America and North America. Like other members of its genus, it is a solitary ground-nesting bee. Specific details about its biology and ecology remain poorly documented.
Calliopsis puellae
desert-dandelion nomadopsis
Calliopsis puellae is a mining bee in the family Andrenidae, commonly known as the desert-dandelion nomadopsis. The species was described by Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell in 1933, originally placed in the genus Spinoliella. Its type specimen was collected by Wilmatte Porter Cockerell and her great-niece Lelah Milene Porter in Colorado, and is housed at Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology. The species is found in Central America and North America.
Calliopsis rhodophila
Calliopsis rhodophila is a mining bee in the family Andrenidae, described by Cockerell in 1897. The species occurs in Central and North America, where it nests in sandy soils. Like other members of the genus, it is solitary and ground-nesting. Observations of related Calliopsis species suggest males are notably larger than typical for the genus and exhibit hovering flight behavior near female nesting sites.
Calliopsis scitula
Charming Miner Bee
Calliopsis scitula is a solitary ground-nesting bee in the family Andrenidae, commonly known as the charming miner bee. The species occurs across Central America and North America. Two subspecies are recognized: C. s. scitula and C. s. lawae. Like other members of the genus Calliopsis, it is a small mining bee that constructs burrows in soil.
Calliopsis scutellaris
Calliopsis scutellaris is a species of mining bee in the family Andrenidae, described by Fowler in 1899. The species occurs in Central America and North America. It belongs to a genus of small to very small bees that typically nest in sandy soils.
Calliopsis subalpina
Calliopsis subalpina is a species of mining bee in the family Andrenidae, first described by Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell in 1894. As a member of the genus Calliopsis, it belongs to a group of small to medium-sized solitary bees that nest in the ground. The species occurs in Central America and North America, with records spanning from middle to high elevations. Like other Andrenidae, females construct individual burrows in soil to provision with pollen and nectar for their offspring.
Calosoma angulatum
angulate caterpillar hunter
Calosoma angulatum, commonly known as the angulate caterpillar hunter, is a large ground beetle in the family Carabidae. First described by Chevrolat in 1834, this species ranges from the southwestern United States through Central America into northern South America. It inhabits premontane moist forests and oak-savannah ecosystems. Adults are known to prey on Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm), indicating a role as a predator of agricultural pest caterpillars.
Calycopis isobeon
dusky-blue groundstreak
Calycopis isobeon, the dusky-blue groundstreak, is a small hairstreak butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It ranges from Venezuela northward through Central America and Mexico to central Texas. The species is extremely similar in appearance to the red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops), and the two are sometimes treated as conspecific due to their close morphological resemblance.
Camelopsocus similis
common barklouse
Camelopsocus similis is a species of barklouse in the family Psocidae, described by Mockford in 1965. It belongs to the order Psocodea, a group of small, soft-bodied insects commonly found on vegetation, bark, and leaf litter. The species has been documented in Central America and North America, including Mexico. As with other psocids, it likely inhabits moist microhabitats and feeds on organic detritus, though specific ecological studies are limited.
Canthon cyanellus
Dung beetle
Canthon cyanellus is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by LeConte in 1859. The species belongs to the genus Canthon, a group of dung beetles commonly known as "tumblebugs" for their behavior of rolling dung into balls. It occurs across a broad geographic range spanning the southern United States through Mexico and Central America into northern South America. The species has been recorded from Texas in the Nearctic realm and from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil in the Neotropical realm.
Capraita nigrosignata
Germander Flea Beetle
Capraita nigrosignata is a flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is commonly known as the germander flea beetle. The species is distributed across North America and Central America. Its specific association with germander (Teucrium) as a host plant is reflected in its common name.
Carcinops viridicollis
clown beetle
Carcinops viridicollis is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, first described by Marseul in 1855. It is distributed across Central America and North America, with records from the southwestern United States (Arizona), Mexico, and Guatemala. The specific epithet "viridicollis" (green-necked) suggests a distinctive coloration feature. As a member of the Histeridae family, it belongs to a group of beetles commonly associated with decomposing organic matter.
Caristanius
Caristanius is a genus of snout moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. It was described by Carl Heinrich in 1956. The genus contains six described species distributed in the Neotropical region, with records from Guatemala, Mexico, and Central America.
Castianeira variata
Variegated Ant-mimic Sac Spider
Castianeira variata is an ant-mimicking spider in the family Corinnidae, found in North and Central America. Females typically measure 7–9 mm in body length and are larger than males. The species exhibits Batesian mimicry of ants, particularly carpenter ants, as a defense strategy against predators. It is similar in general appearance to C. longipalpus and can be distinguished by specific coloration and pattern details.
Catorhintha apicalis
leaf-footed bug
Catorhintha apicalis is a leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae, distributed across Central America and southwestern North America. First described by Dallas in 1852, this species occurs in Mexico, the southwestern United States (Arizona, California, Colorado), and El Salvador. As a member of the Hypselonotini tribe, it shares the characteristic leaf-like expansions of the hind tibiae typical of many coreids.
Catorhintha flava
Catorhintha flava is a species of leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae, described by Fracker in 1923. It is distributed in Central America and North America, with records from Mexico and Texas. Like other members of Coreidae, it possesses the characteristic leaf-like expansions on the hind tibiae that give the family its common name. The specific epithet 'flava' refers to its yellow coloration.
Cebrenistella
Cebrenistella is a genus of leaf-footed bugs (family Coreidae) in the tribe Hypselonotini, established by Brailovsky in 1995. The genus is known from Central America, with records from Honduras and southeastern Mexico. As a member of Coreidae, it belongs to the diverse group of true bugs characterized by leaf-like expansions on the hind legs in many species. The genus is poorly documented in scientific literature, with limited species-level information available.
Celaenorrhinus fritzgaertneri
Fritzgaertner's Flat
Celaenorrhinus fritzgaertneri is a spread-wing skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae, originally described from Texas in 1880. The species occurs in Central America and North America, with two recognized subspecies: the nominate form and C. f. variegatus. It belongs to a genus of approximately 90 species distributed primarily in the Old World tropics, with this species representing one of the few New World members.
Cenophengus
glowworm beetles
Cenophengus is a genus of glowworm beetles (family Phengodidae) comprising 30 valid species distributed across the Nearctic and Neotropical regions from the southwestern United States through Central America. Males are the only known life stage; females and immature stages remain undiscovered for all species. The genus was revised taxonomically in 2021, with new species described and geographic records expanded to include Belize and Honduras for the first time.
Centris cockerelli
Cockerell's Oil-Digger
Centris cockerelli is a species of oil-collecting bee in the family Apidae, described by Fox in 1899. As a member of the tribe Centridini, it is one of the bees specialized in collecting floral oils rather than nectar. The species occurs in Central America and North America, though specific details about its biology remain poorly documented in scientific literature.
Centris nitida
Shining Oil-digger Bee
Centris nitida is a centridine bee in the family Apidae, commonly known as the Shining Oil-digger Bee. The species is native to Central America and has been introduced to Florida in the United States. It belongs to a genus specialized in collecting floral oils rather than nectar, using these oils to provision nests and feed larvae. Two subspecies are recognized: Centris nitida nitida and Centris nitida geminata.
Ceracis singularis
Ceracis singularis is a minute tree-fungus beetle in the family Ciidae. It was originally described as Xestocis singularis by Dury in 1917. The species is distributed across Central America and North America, including Canada.
Ceraeochrysa smithi
Smith's Green Lacewing
Ceraeochrysa smithi is a species of green lacewing in the family Chrysopidae. It is found across the Caribbean, Central America, North America, and South America. As a member of the genus Ceraeochrysa, it belongs to a group known for larvae that construct dorsal packets of debris for camouflage. The species was first described by Navás in 1914.
Ceraleptus pacificus
Ceraleptus pacificus is a leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae, first described by Barber in 1914. The species is distributed across western North America and Central America. As a member of the true bugs (Hemiptera), it possesses piercing-sucking mouthparts typical of the order.
Ceratina cobaltina
Cobalt Small Carpenter, cobalt ceratina
Ceratina cobaltina is a species of small carpenter bee in the family Apidae, first described by Cresson in 1878. It is native to Central America and belongs to the genus Ceratina, which comprises small, often metallic bees that nest in pithy or hollow plant stems. Like other members of its genus, it is a solitary bee that contributes to pollination services in its native range.
Ceratocombus vagans
litter bug
Ceratocombus vagans is a species of minute true bug in the family Ceratocombidae, commonly known as litter bugs. The species has been described as one of the most generalized members of Hemiptera: Heteroptera, with predatory feeding habits that support the hypothesis that primitive heteropterans were predaceous. It occupies a wide geographic range across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Ceratomia igualana
Ceratomia igualana is a hawkmoth in the family Sphingidae. It is known from a limited number of specimens collected from Mexico to Costa Rica. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in size, with females notably larger than males. Biological details including larval host plants, adult behavior, and complete life history remain undocumented due to its rarity in collections.
Cerceris tolteca
Cerceris tolteca is a species of solitary wasp in the family Crabronidae (formerly Philanthidae), described by de Saussure in 1867. The species is found in Central America. As a member of the genus Cerceris, it likely exhibits the characteristic hunting behavior of provisioning underground nests with paralyzed insect prey for larval development, though specific biological details for this species remain undocumented in available sources.
Cerotoma ruficornis
bean leaf beetle
Cerotoma ruficornis is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as the bean leaf beetle. It is found across the Caribbean, Central America, and North America. Two subspecies are recognized: C. r. ruficornis and C. r. sexpunctata. The species is associated with soybean agriculture and has been studied alongside the related C. trifurcata as a pest of legume crops.
Chaetarthria ochra
Chaetarthria ochra is a species of water scavenger beetle in the family Hydrophilidae. It was described by D.C. Miller in 1974. The species is known from Central America and North America, with records from the southwestern United States (Arizona and California) and Mexico. As a member of the Chaetarthriinae subfamily, it belongs to a group of small hydrophilid beetles often associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats.
Chaetofoveolocoris hirsutus
Chaetofoveolocoris hirsutus is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae. It is a small, hirsute true bug with limited documented information. The species was described by Knight in 1928 and is known from scattered records in Central America and North America, specifically from Mexico (D.F.) and the southwestern United States (Arizona, Texas). As a member of Miridae, it likely feeds on plant fluids, though specific host associations remain undocumented.
Chaetoleon pusillus
Chaetoleon pusillus is a species of antlion in the family Myrmeleontidae. It is native to Central America and North America. The species was originally described as Brachynemurus pusillus by Currie in 1899. As with other antlions, the larvae are predatory and construct pit traps in sandy substrates to capture prey.
Charidotella bifossulata
Charidotella bifossulata is a species of tortoise beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, characterized by the distinctive shield-like body form typical of this group. The species was described by Boheman in 1855. It is distributed across Central America and North America. Like other members of Charidotella, it likely feeds on plant foliage, though specific host associations remain poorly documented.
Charidotella emarginata
Charidotella emarginata is a species of tortoise beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in Central America and North America. As a member of the tortoise beetle subfamily Cassidinae, it possesses the characteristic shield-like body form and expanded elytral margins that cover the legs and much of the body when at rest.
Chariesterus cuspidatus
Chariesterus cuspidatus is a species of leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae, first described by Distant in 1892. It belongs to the tribe Chariesterini within the subfamily Coreinae. The species has been recorded from parts of North and Central America including Texas, northwestern Mexico, and Panama. Like other members of Coreidae, it is a true bug with piercing-sucking mouthparts. Available information about its biology and ecology remains limited.
Chauliognathus scutellaris
Texas soldier beetle
Chauliognathus scutellaris, commonly known as the Texas soldier beetle, is a species of soldier beetle in the family Cantharidae. The species occurs in Central America and North America. Like other members of the genus Chauliognathus, it is likely associated with flowers and exhibits diurnal activity patterns, though species-specific ecological details remain limited in published literature.
Chelinidea
cactus bugs, cactus leaffooted bugs
Chelinidea is a genus of leaf-footed bugs (family Coreidae) comprising five described species distributed across Central and North America, with three species introduced to Australia. Members are specialized feeders on cacti in the genus Opuntia, making them significant in both natural ecosystems and agricultural contexts. The genus represents the sole member of the monotypic tribe Chelinideini.