Conservation-indicator
Guides
Agathidium
slime mold beetles
Agathidium is a genus of small beetles in the family Leiodidae, notable as the largest insect group documented that principally feeds on slime moulds. The genus includes approximately 100 described species distributed primarily across the Holarctic region. Several species have gained public attention through their unconventional scientific names honoring political figures and fictional characters. Some species possess the ability to roll into a nearly complete sphere, and males of certain species exhibit asymmetrical mandibular horns used in combat and courtship.
Cicadettana calliope
Southern Grass Cicada
A small North American cicada species known as the Southern Grass Cicada. Adults emerge and lay eggs in late spring. The species has a median total life cycle of approximately four years from egg to natural adult death. Formerly placed in the genus Cicadetta, it was transferred to the revalidated genus Cicadettana. The species is notable for increasing in abundance in prairies managed with spring and fall prescribed burns, unlike prairie cicadas in the genus Tibicen which are negatively impacted by such burns.
Diplopoda
millipedes
Millipedes (Diplopoda) are a class of myriapod arthropods characterized by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments, a result of segmental fusion during their evolutionary history over 400 million years ago. They are primarily detritivores that play critical roles in ecosystem nutrient cycling through decomposition of organic matter. The class contains approximately 12,000 described species across 16 extant orders, with body forms ranging from elongated cylindrical forms to short, pill-like species capable of conglobation (rolling into a defensive ball).
Gasteruption
carrot wasps
Gasteruption is a genus of parasitoid wasps commonly known as "carrot wasps" due to their slender, elongated bodies and frequent association with umbelliferous flowers. The genus comprises approximately 64 species worldwide, with 21 species recorded in Central Europe and at least 15 in North America. Adults are characterized by a pronounced "neck" between the head and thorax, an abdomen attached high on the thorax, and enlarged hind tibiae that function in flight dynamics and vibrational sensing. Females possess long ovipositors for accessing host nests. Larvae are predator-inquilines in the nests of solitary bees and wasps.
Laevicaudata
clam shrimp
Laevicaudata is a suborder of small branchiopod crustaceans commonly known as clam shrimp, characterized by a laterally compressed bivalved carapace that encloses the entire body. The group contains approximately 36 described species in the single family Lynceidae, with the genus Lynceus as the primary representative. Laevicaudatans inhabit temporary freshwater habitats worldwide, with documented occurrences across six continents including remote insular locations. The group has been historically understudied compared to other large branchiopods, though recent taxonomic revisions have clarified species boundaries, particularly in Australia where six species are now recognized.
Ospriocerus aeacus
Ospriocerus aeacus is a robber fly species in the family Asilidae. Current taxonomic consensus treats this name as a synonym of Ospriocerus abdominalis (Say, 1824), with the latter name having priority. The species has been used frequently in literature under the O. aeacus designation, but this usage is now considered taxonomically unnecessary. As a member of the genus Ospriocerus, it belongs to a group of large, wasp-mimicking robber flies associated with grassland habitats in western North America.
Parcoblatta lata
Broad Wood Cockroach
Parcoblatta lata, the broad wood cockroach, is one of the largest species in the genus Parcoblatta. It is native to the eastern United States and is particularly notable as a primary food source for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, comprising more than half the biomass of this bird's diet. The species has been studied for its unusual macrocyclic lactone sex pheromone, parcoblattalactone, which has potential applications in monitoring cockroach populations for conservation purposes.
Peltis
Peltis is a genus of small, flattened beetles and the sole extant member of the family Peltidae. Species occur in North America and Europe, where they inhabit primeval forests and deadwood habitats. The genus includes rare, red-listed species such as Peltis grossa, which has shown population recovery following natural forest disturbances that increase deadwood availability.
Pyrochroidae
Fire-colored Beetles, Fire-coloured Beetles, Red Cardinal Beetles
Pyrochroidae is a family of beetles commonly known as fire-colored beetles or red cardinal beetles, comprising approximately 150 species distributed worldwide except Antarctica. Members of this family are saproxylic, with larvae developing beneath bark and in decaying woody debris of dead logs. The family was expanded to include most former members of the defunct family Pedilidae. Many species in the subfamily Pyrochroinae exhibit distinctive comb- or antler-like antennae.
Stelis
leach orchids
Stelis is a genus of Old World cleptoparasitic bees in the family Megachilidae, tribe Anthidiini. These bees are obligate cleptoparasites, meaning they do not construct their own nests but instead lay eggs in the nests of host bees, where their larvae consume the host's pollen provisions. The genus was established by Panzer in 1806 and contains multiple species distributed across Europe, Asia, and into the Arabian Peninsula. Some species have shown recent range expansions, with new country records continuing to be documented.