Cryptic-habitat
Guides
Asagena americana
Two-spotted Cobweb Spider, Twospotted Cobweb Spider
Asagena americana, commonly known as the two-spotted cobweb spider, is a small theridiid spider native to North America. Males are notably robust with short, muscular legs and possess a stridulating organ used to produce sound during courtship. Females construct cobwebs in concealed microhabitats including under stones, in leaf litter, under bark, and in moss. The species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism in body form and is frequently preyed upon by mud dauber wasps.
Callicerus
Callicerus is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) in the tribe Geostibini. The genus contains seven recognized species distributed across the Palaearctic region, particularly Europe. Species are notably rare to extremely rare in collections, with most records limited to scattered localities. Taxonomic revision in 2001 clarified species boundaries and synonymized several previously described taxa.
Chionea alexandriana
snow fly
Chionea alexandriana is a wingless crane fly species in the family Limoniidae, commonly known as a snow fly. It is active during winter months on snow fields in western North American mountains. Adults are small, measuring 4-8 mm, and are distinguished from related species by specific morphological traits including short antennae and body coloration.
Horologionini
Horologionini is a relict tribe of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae) containing the enigmatic genus Horologion. The tribe was newly recognized in 2024 based on DNA sequence data and morphological analysis. Phylogenetic analysis places Horologionini in the supertribe Trechitae as sister to the Gondwanan tribe Bembidarenini, rejecting previous hypotheses that placed the genus near Anillini, Tachyini, Trechini, Patrobini, or Psydrini. The tribe has no close relatives in the Northern Hemisphere and represents an important component of Appalachian biodiversity.
Ilyobates
A genus of small rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Oxypodini) containing six recognized valid species distributed across the Pontomediterranean region. Adults exhibit pronounced intraspecific morphological variation and overwinter in cryptic underground habitats. The genus has undergone extensive taxonomic revision, with numerous historical synonyms resolved.
Ischyropalpus occidentalis
antlike flower beetle
Ischyropalpus occidentalis is a species of antlike flower beetle in the family Anthicidae. The species measures 2.4–2.8 mm in length. It occurs from Central America northward through Mexico to the southwestern United States. Like other members of Anthicidae, it exhibits an ant-mimicking appearance and behavior.
Porcellanidae
Porcelain Crabs
Porcellanidae, commonly known as porcelain crabs, is a family of decapod crustaceans in the infraorder Anomura. Despite their common name and superficial resemblance to true crabs (Brachyura), they are more closely related to squat lobsters and hermit crabs. The family contains approximately 30+ genera and is distributed worldwide in marine environments, with highest diversity in tropical and subtropical regions. Many species exhibit commensal relationships with other marine organisms.
Texoreddellia
Texoreddellia is a monotypic genus of nicoletiid silverfish described by Wygodzinsky in 1973. The genus contains a single described species, Texoreddellia texensis. As a member of Nicoletiidae, it belongs to a family of small, eyeless, wingless insects adapted to subterranean or cryptic habitats. The genus is known from limited observations and specimens.
Tyrini
Tyrini is a tribe of rove beetles within the subfamily Pselaphinae, established by Reitter in 1882. The tribe comprises four subtribes: Centrophthalmina, Janusculina, Somatipionina, and Tyrina. Members of this tribe are small, compact beetles adapted to cryptic habitats such as leaf litter and soil.