Costa-rica
Guides
Aenigmarachne
Aenigmarachne is an accepted genus of tarantulas in the family Theraphosidae, described by Günter Schmidt in 2005. The World Spider Catalog currently lists two accepted species: A. sinapophysis, the type species, and A. colombiana. The genus is documented from Costa Rica and Colombia. Reliable public catalog information is strongest for its classification and species membership; detailed natural-history information should be checked at the species level.
Alasia
Alasia is a flea-beetle genus in the leaf-beetle family Chrysomelidae, described from Costa Rica in 2010. Its described species, Alasia alpina, comes from high-altitude cloud forest in Heredia. The beetle is notable for a smooth, glossy dark body, elongated form, and very long antennae. It has been reported in the forest understory, apparently associated with Melastomataceae plants.
Amblycerus
pea and bean weevils, seed beetles
Amblycerus is the second most diverse genus of seed beetles in the Americas, containing over 60 described species. These bruchid beetles are specialized seed predators, with larvae developing inside seeds of various host plants. The genus exhibits complex evolutionary patterns of host plant association, having radiated from an ancestral association with Fabaceae into at least 12 other plant families including Sterculiaceae, Boraginaceae, and Humiriaceae. Species-level identification requires examination of male genitalia and pygidial morphology.
Anagyrus paralia
Anagyrus paralia is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Encyrtidae, described by Noyes and Menezes in 2000. It belongs to the genus Anagyrus, which contains numerous species used in biological control of mealybugs and other scale insects. The specific epithet "paralia" suggests a coastal or shore-associated habitat, though detailed ecological data remain limited. Like other Anagyrus species, it is presumed to be a primary parasitoid of mealybugs (Pseudococcidae), but host records specific to this species have not been documented in the available literature.
Apanteles
Apanteles is a large genus of braconid wasps in the subfamily Microgastrinae, containing over 600 described species worldwide. A 2014 study from Costa Rica's Area de Conservación Guanacaste alone documented 186 new species, suggesting the genus is far more diverse than previously recognized. These small wasps (1–5 mm) are koinobiont endoparasitoids of caterpillars, with most species showing high host specificity.
Belvosia
Belvosia is a genus of tachinid flies (Diptera: Tachinidae) in the tribe Goniini. The genus contains over 100 species distributed across the New World from Canada to Argentina. Belvosia species are parasitoids of caterpillars, with females laying microtype eggs on host food plant foliage that are ingested by feeding larvae. A 2023 revision described 33 new species from Costa Rica, bringing the total from 72 to 107 species.
Brachypterodina
Brachypterodina is a genus of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae) described from Costa Rica. GBIF lists two species, B. gonzalezi and B. morae. The 2004 description characterizes the genus among flightless Neotropical leaf beetles with reduced hind wings.
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.
Corcovetella
Corcovetella is a small genus of jumping spiders in the family Salticidae. The World Spider Catalog accepts two species: Corcovetella aemulatrix and C. galianoae. Records place the genus in Brazil, French Guiana, and Costa Rica. Its documented natural-history interest includes ant mimicry, but species-level identification and biology require the original taxonomic descriptions.
Coxapopha
Coxapopha is a genus of goblin spiders in the family Oonopidae, described by Norman Platnick in 2000. Five species are listed in the available genus account, and a 2004 taxonomic paper describes three species from the Amazon region. The genus has also been treated in later work on goblin spiders from Costa Rica. Coxapopha is a technical taxonomic group: species-level identification depends on the characters used in spider revisions rather than on a common name or broad body shape.
Curicta scorpio
waterscorpion
Curicta scorpio is a species of waterscorpion in the family Nepidae. It occurs in Central America and North America, with a documented first record for Costa Rica on the Caribbean slope. Waterscorpions are aquatic true bugs characterized by their raptorial forelegs and breathing siphons.
Dylobolus rotundicollis
Firefly Longhorn
Dylobolus rotundicollis is a longhorn beetle (family Cerambycidae) in the subfamily Lamiinae, tribe Hemilophini. It was described by James Thomson in 1868 and is known from Costa Rica and the United States. The species has been historically classified under the genus Mecas, which remains a synonym. Observations suggest adult activity during summer months in North American regions.
Elasmia mandela
Elasmia mandela is a moth in the family Notodontidae, first described by Herbert Druce in 1887. The species occurs in Mexico, Costa Rica, Texas, and Oklahoma. Adults are active from April to early October. Two subspecies are recognized: the nominate form in Mexico and Costa Rica, and E. m. santaana in Texas, Oklahoma, and probably Mexico.
Eryciini
Eryciini is a tribe of tachinid flies comprising approximately 128 genera. The tribe serves as a repository for exoristine taxa that cannot be placed into other tribes, resulting in a polyphyletic assemblage. Members are parasitoids of Lepidoptera larvae, with documented associations to caterpillars in families Crambidae, Notodontidae, Noctuidae, Pyralidae, and Tortricidae. A new genus, Santarosamyia, was described in 2024 from Costa Rica based on specimens reared from wild-caught caterpillars.
Eucalantica
Eucalantica is a genus of micro-moths in the family Yponomeutidae, first described by Busck in 1904. The genus was long considered monotypic, known only from a single Nearctic species, until a 2011 taxonomic review described six new species from Central America and southern North America. Members of this genus are characterized by silvery white coloration with distinctive dark brown costal streaks on the forewings. Yponomeutid moths, including Eucalantica, are considered important for understanding the evolution of plant associations in Lepidoptera.
Gymnandrosoma
Gymnandrosoma is a genus of tortricid moths in the tribe Grapholitini. The genus includes at least eight described species distributed primarily in the Americas. Gymnandrosoma aurantianum, the most economically significant species, is a major agricultural pest known as the citrus fruit borer in Brazil and the macadamia nut borer in Central America. Other species in the genus have been described from North and South America, with limited biological information available.
Hawaiioscia
Hawaiioscia is a genus of terrestrial isopods in the woodlouse family Philosciidae, with six accepted species listed in major taxonomic catalogs. Its described species span Hawaiian cave studies and coastal collections in Costa Rica, rather than a single documented habitat. Species are distinguished by fine body structures; for example, the Costa Rican H. nicoyaensis is a small, dark, flattened isopod with distinctive eye and appendage characters. These records make the genus an example of how much species diversity can be hidden among small land-dwelling crustaceans.
Heterochele
Heterochele is a genus of leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, tribe Luperini. Taxonomic records recognize two described species, recorded from Costa Rica and Panama. The genus is diagnosed in part by sex-specific leg and abdominal structures, while its placement among galerucine beetles has been treated as tentative.
Hexapopha
Hexapopha is a Neotropical genus of goblin spiders in the family Oonopidae. A 2023 revision recognized 41 species, ranging from Costa Rica through northern Argentina, with Brazil holding the greatest recorded species richness. The genus is treated through formal species diagnoses, an identification key, and distribution maps rather than by a single broad external feature described for every species.
Hyphantrophaga
Hyphantrophaga is a genus of tachinid flies in the tribe Goniini, subfamily Exoristinae, containing 46 valid species. The genus is notable for a major taxonomic revision in 2019 that described 22 new species from Costa Rica and synonymized five previously recognized genera. Species in this genus are parasitoids of caterpillars across a broad range of lepidopteran families.
Ione
Ione is a genus of parasitic isopod crustaceans in the family Ionidae. Its documented species occur in widely separated coastal regions, and the genus includes parasites of decapod crustaceans. A 2023 description from Costa Rica brought the recognized total to seven species and marked the genus’s first record from the tropical eastern Pacific. Species are distinguished using detailed body structures, with males and females differing markedly in form.
Isochaetes
Isochaetes is a genus of slug caterpillar moths (family Limacodidae) described by Harrison Gray Dyar in 1899. The genus contains at least five described species distributed in the Neotropical region, with most species described from Costa Rica in the early 2000s. Like other limacodids, members of this genus have slug-like larval forms.
Lanthanopilio
Lanthanopilio is a genus of harvestmen, or Opiliones, in the family Globipedidae. It is documented from Costa Rica and is currently represented by one accepted species, Lanthanopilio chickeringi. The genus was established in a 1984 taxonomic paper focused on Costa Rican harvestmen, while modern taxonomic databases place it in the suborder Eupnoi.
Marpesia
Daggerwings
Marpesia is a genus of butterflies in the family Nymphalidae, commonly known as daggerwings. These butterflies are found in the Neotropical and Nearctic realms, with species distributed from the southern United States through Central and South America. The genus is named after Marpesia, a queen of the Amazons in Greek and Roman legendary history. Marpesia butterflies are notable for their striking wing patterns and distinctive behavior called "pumping," in which they rapidly imbibe water through their proboscis and expel it from their abdomen, possibly for thermoregulation.
Myrmeleon crudelis
antlion
Myrmeleon crudelis is a pit-building antlion species whose larvae construct conical traps in fine-grained soil to capture small arthropods. Research on this species has focused on its behavioral plasticity in trap construction and prey capture kinematics. Larvae demonstrate sophisticated modulation of mandible velocity during strikes and adjust pit architecture in response to prey availability and soil conditions. The species occurs in tropical dry forests of Costa Rica and has been recorded from Middle and North America.
Narberdia
Narberdia is a genus of true weevils in the family Curculionidae, tribe Anthonomini. The genus was monotypic when described by Burke in 1976 from the United States, but expanded to at least five species following descriptions of four additional species from México and Costa Rica in 2017. All species are intimately associated with plants of the genus Bernardia (Euphorbiaceae). Sexual dimorphism is pronounced, with females possessing a longer, more slender rostrum and a distinctive tibial tooth absent in males.
Norrbomia fulvipennis
A small dung fly in the family Sphaeroceridae, described in 1992 from material collected in Costa Rica. The species epithet refers to the tawny or yellowish-brown coloration of the wings. Sphaeroceridae are commonly known as lesser dung flies and are associated with decaying organic matter.
Ochrotrichia
microcaddisfly
Ochrotrichia is a large genus of microcaddisflies (family Hydroptilidae) comprising approximately 226 extant species, making it the most species-rich microcaddisfly genus in the Neotropics. The genus is predominantly distributed in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, with one exceptional African record from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Species are primarily found in freshwater stream habitats.
Oligostigmoides cryptalis
Oligostigmoides cryptalis is a moth in the family Crambidae, subfamily Acentropinae. It was described by Herbert Druce in 1896 based on specimens from Mexico. The species has been recorded from montane localities in Mexico (Xalapa, Orizaba), Costa Rica, and Panama. Very few observations exist, with only three records documented on iNaturalist.
Ophraea rugosa
Ophraea rugosa is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, first described by Jacoby in 1886. The species has a transcontinental distribution spanning from the southwestern United States through Mexico to Central America. It is one of approximately 13 species in the genus Ophraea, a group of leaf beetles primarily distributed in the Neotropical and Nearctic regions.
Orasema costaricensis
Orasema costaricensis is a species of parasitic wasp in the family Eucharitidae, first described by Wheeler & Wheeler in 1937. Like other members of the genus Orasema, it is likely a parasitoid of ant larvae, though specific host associations for this species remain poorly documented. The species name indicates its Costa Rican origin. Records from the Galápagos Islands suggest some dispersal capacity or potential human-mediated introduction.
Orwellion gibbulum arizonense
Orwellion gibbulum arizonense is a subspecies of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It belongs to the tribe Elaphidiini within the subfamily Cerambycinae. The subspecies was described by Casey in 1891 and is distributed in parts of North and Middle America. Very little specific information is documented about this particular subspecies beyond its taxonomic status and general geographic occurrence.
Polana
Polana is a genus of leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) in the tribe Gyponini, established by DeLong in 1942. The genus includes multiple subgenera (Polana, Nihilana, Polanana, Hobemanella, Bulbusana, Varpulana) with over 34 species described in the nominate subgenus alone. Species occur primarily in the Neotropical region, with documented diversity in Brazil, Costa Rica, and surrounding areas. The group has undergone extensive taxonomic revision, with numerous new combinations proposed to clarify subgeneric placement.
Salbia
Salbia is a genus of crambid moths (family Crambidae, subfamily Pyraustinae) established by Achille Guenée in 1854. The genus contains leaf-rolling species, including Salbia lotanalis, which has been studied as a potential biological control agent for the invasive tree Miconia calvescens. Larvae feed on Melastomataceae and construct leaf rolls for shelter.
Sandinista
Sandinista is a genus of tarantulas in the family Theraphosidae. The genus currently contains one accepted species, Sandinista lanceolatum, recorded from the Pacific lowlands of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The known species is a relatively small Central American tarantula with a reddish-brown covering of hairs. Its history is notable because the species has moved through several genera and names as its classification was revised.
Shellenius
Shellenius is a small genus of planthoppers in the family Derbidae, subfamily Otiocerinae, tribe Otiocerini. The genus was established by Ball in 1928 and contains species distributed in the eastern United States and Mesoamerica. At least one species has been documented in association with palms in Costa Rica. A recent taxonomic revision transferred Otiocerus interruptus Fowler to this genus as Shellenius interruptus.
Sphaerobothria
Sphaerobothria is a genus of tarantulas in the family Theraphosidae. It is currently treated as monotypic, containing Sphaerobothria hoffmanni. The genus has been reported from Panama and Costa Rica in Central America. Its taxonomic placement is established, but published sources provide little accessible information about its appearance, habitat, behavior, or ecology.
Strumigenys ananeotes
Strumigenys ananeotes is a species of miniature trap-jaw ant described in 2019 from Costa Rica. It belongs to a diverse genus of predatory ants known for their elongated mandibles that snap shut to capture prey. The species name derives from Greek, meaning 'newly emerged' or 'returning to life', possibly referencing its discovery or cryptic habits. Like other members of its genus, it is likely a specialized predator of small soil arthropods.
Sufetula
Sufetula is a pantropical genus of moths in the family Crambidae (subfamily Lathrotelinae), established by Walker in 1859. The genus contains at least 32 described species, including several that are economically significant pests of cultivated plants. Sufetula anania is a destructive root borer of pineapple (Ananas comosus) in Central America, causing damage that can destroy the root system. Sufetula culshawi, described in 2024, is a previously unrecognized species associated with cultivated palms (Areca Palm, Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), spread through horticultural trade. Larvae of at least some species are root-feeders that create tunnels within plant tissues.
Telothyria
Telothyria is a genus of tachinid flies established by van der Wulp in 1890. The genus contains approximately 50 described species, with 25 new species described in 2020 from Costa Rica alone. All studied species are parasitoids of caterpillars, specifically targeting two lepidopteran families. The genus is distributed almost exclusively in the Neotropical region.
Unplaced
Unplaced is a genus of braconid wasps within the tribe Heterospilini, subfamily Doryctinae. The genus was established to accommodate species that could not be assigned to existing genera within this diverse tribe of parasitoid wasps. A 2013 study on Costa Rican Doryctinae described 286 species in Heterospilini, with additional specimens remaining in this genus pending further taxonomic resolution. The genus reflects the extraordinary undescribed biodiversity of braconid wasps in tropical regions.
Urania fulgens
urania swallowtail moth, green page moth
Urania fulgens is a day-flying moth in the family Uraniidae, notable for its iridescent green coloration and swallowtail-like wing shape. The species is highly migratory, with populations moving through Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America. It has been recorded as a vagrant to Texas. Mass migrations have been documented, including a significant event observed in Costa Rica in 2005 with Tapantí National Park identified as a possible destination.
Uranotaenia lowii
Pale-footed Uranotaenia
Uranotaenia lowii is a frog-biting mosquito distributed across the Americas. The species exhibits a unique phonotactic behavior: females are attracted to the acoustic calls of male frogs, specifically the barking tree frog (Hyla gratiosa). This represents the first documented case of a female mosquito being attracted to host sound rather than visual or chemical cues. The species inhabits lowland environments and has been documented using 450 Hz frequency detection via antennae to locate hosts.
Valeriaaschero
Valeriaaschero is a genus of ground beetles (Carabidae) established from two described species, V. flora and V. nigrita. Both were described from Costa Rica; V. flora has also been recorded in northwestern Panama. The original account places these lebiine beetles in the trees of lowland forests. Their formal descriptions include diagnoses and illustrations, so reliable identification depends on those technical characters rather than color or a common name.
Valeriophonus
Valeriophonus is a monotypic genus of thelyphonid whip scorpions in the family Thelyphonidae. It was first described by Víquez and Armas in 2005. The genus contains a single species, Valeriophonus nara, which is known from Costa Rica.
Zelomorpha
Zelomorpha is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae (superfamily Ichneumonoidea). Members of this genus are part of the hyperdiverse ichneumonoid wasp fauna, with numerous species remaining undescribed. The genus was used as a case study to demonstrate a novel rapid species description protocol combining mitochondrial DNA sequences with lateral holotype images. Species in this genus are known from the Neotropical region, particularly Costa Rica.