Cryophilic
Guides
Desoria
Desoria is a genus of springtails (Collembola: Isotomidae) characterized by cold-adapted, cryophilic species active in low-temperature environments. Members occur in diverse cold habitats including alpine glaciers, subnivean zones, and Antarctic ice-free areas. The genus is currently considered polyphyletic based on genetic analysis. Several species face elevated extinction risk due to climate change and habitat loss, particularly those restricted to shrinking glacial environments.
Grylloblatta
ice crawler, rock crawler
Grylloblatta is a genus of ice-crawlers comprising 15 described species endemic to western North America. These insects represent an ancient lineage with obligate physiological dependence on stable near-freezing temperatures, with acute thermal tolerance between approximately -8.5°C and 10°C. The genus exhibits deep genetic subdivision and geographic structure, with diversification patterns tied to Pliocene-Pleistocene glacial cycles. Species occur in montane habitats, ice caves, glaciers, and subalpine forests, with some populations utilizing saproxylic habitats in beetle-killed trees.
Hypogastrura
snow fleas
Hypogastrura is a large genus of springtails in the family Hypogastruridae, comprising at least 150 described species with a cosmopolitan distribution. The genus includes the well-known "snow fleas" such as Hypogastrura nivicola, which are conspicuous on snow surfaces in winter. Members are small, typically 1–3 mm, with the characteristic springtail body plan including a furcula for jumping and a ventral collophore. The genus occupies diverse habitats from Arctic tundra to caves and forest floors.
Hypogastrura tooliki
toolik snow flea
Hypogastrura tooliki, commonly known as the toolik snow flea, is a species of springtail in the family Hypogastruridae. It belongs to the genus Hypogastrura, which contains species often found active on snow surfaces during winter months. The species was described by Fjellberg in 1985. Like other members of its genus, it possesses cryoprotectant proteins that enable activity in subfreezing conditions.
Leiodes
round fungus beetles
Leiodes is a genus of small, rounded beetles in the family Leiodidae, comprising at least 110 described species with a primarily Holarctic distribution. Most species are subterranean mycophages, with several species acting as economically significant pests of truffle orchards. The genus exhibits specialized morphological and behavioral adaptations for life in ephemeral and solid fungi, including unique larval structures such as pseudomycangia.
Sclerobunus robustus
Sclerobunus robustus is a montane-restricted harvestman species occurring in the southwestern United States. A 2014 taxonomic revision elevated two former subspecies (S. glorietus and S. idahoensis) to full species status. Population genomic research has identified multiple Pliocene-era refugia in the Southern Rocky Mountains and Intermontane Plateau, with genetically distinct clades showing patterns of isolation by distance in continuous mountain habitats and isolation by environment in isolated sky island populations.