Desert-specialist
Guides
Andrena accepta
Two-spotted Miner Bee
Andrena accepta is a mining bee species in the family Andrenidae, commonly known as the Two-spotted Miner Bee. It is found in Central America and North America. The species constructs communal nests containing multiple cells and inhabits desert scrub habitat. Its primary host plants for pollen collection belong to the genus Helianthus (sunflowers).
Eubarnesia ritaria
Ocotillo Moth
Eubarnesia ritaria, commonly known as the Ocotillo Moth, is a species of geometrid moth endemic to the American Southwest. It is the sole member of the monotypic genus Eubarnesia. The species was first described by Grossbeck in 1910 and later placed in its current genus by Cockerell in 1917. It is associated with desert habitats where its larval host plant, ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), occurs.
Euproserpinus phaeton
Phaeton primrose sphinx moth, Phaeton Primrose Sphinx
Euproserpinus phaeton is a medium-sized sphinx moth (Sphingidae) native to arid regions of southwestern North America. Adults are diurnal nectar-feeders, flying rapidly close to ground level over desert washes and flats during early spring. The species has a single annual generation and is dependent on Onagraceae plants for larval development. Its restricted activity period and specific habitat requirements make it a notable component of spring desert ecosystems.
Habropoda pallida
pallid habropoda, white-faced bee
Habropoda pallida is a solitary ground-nesting bee in the family Apidae. It is the first native bee to emerge in spring on the Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve. The species has been extensively studied for its chemical communication system, which involves long-chain hydrocarbon sex pheromones. It serves as a host for the parasitic blister beetle Meloe franciscanus, whose larvae mimic the bee's pheromone signals to gain entry to nests. Females provision nests with pollen, with documented use of Larrea tridentata pollen.
Perdita minima
Euphorb Mini-Fairy Bee
Perdita minima is the smallest known bee species, measuring under 2 mm in length and weighing approximately 0.33 mg. This solitary mining bee belongs to the family Andrenidae and is native to the southwestern United States, where it inhabits desert environments. It constructs small nests in sandy soils and has been observed feeding on and pollinating spurges (Euphorbia species).
Philotes sonorensis
Sonoran blue, stonecrop blue
Philotes sonorensis, the Sonoran blue or stonecrop blue, is the sole species in the monotypic genus Philotes. This small butterfly is found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, inhabiting arid rocky environments. The species has a wingspan of 22–25 mm. Larvae are specialized feeders on Dudleya species (stonecrops), boring into leaves. The subspecies P. s. extincta from the upper San Gabriel River wash was declared extinct in 1970 after three decades of annual sampling documented its disappearance.
Ptilothrix chiricahua
Ptilothrix chiricahua is a solitary ground-nesting bee described in 2023 from specimens collected in the Chihuahuan Desert. It is a specialist pollinator of Kallstroemia grandiflora, with flight activity synchronized to this host's late summer bloom. The species exhibits the distinctive water-walking behavior characteristic of its genus, using surface tension to retrieve water for nest excavation. It was previously misidentified as Ptilothrix sumichrasti until taxonomic revision split that species into three distinct taxa.