Drosera

Guides

• Hemipachnobia monochromatea

  Sundew Cutworm Moth, Sundew Dart

  A small to medium-sized noctuid moth found in wetland habitats across northern North America. The common name references an association with sundew plants (Drosera), though the nature of this relationship remains unclear. Adults are active in late summer and early autumn. The species is among the more obscure members of the cutworm moth group, with limited biological documentation.

  NoctuidaewetlandborealDroserabog-mothcutworm-moth

• Toxomerus

  Calligrapher Flies

  Toxomerus is a large genus of hoverflies (family Syrphidae) distributed across the Americas, with over 130 described Neotropical species and additional Nearctic endemics. Species are small (typically 6–9 mm), characterized by large eyes with posterior indentation and diagnostic abdominal patterns. Most larvae are predatory on soft-bodied insects, particularly aphids, though at least three species are known pollen-feeders. Adults are pollinivorous, feeding on nectar and pollen from diverse flowering plants. The genus includes notable ecological specialists such as Toxomerus basalis, a kleptoparasite of sundews (Drosera), and several species introduced to the Afrotropics.

  hoverflyflower-flyaphid-predatorpollinatorbiological-controlHymenoptera-mimickleptoparasiteintroduced-speciesNeotropicalNearcticAfrotropical-introductionpolyvoltineSyrphiniSyrphinaeDipteraSyrphidaeToxomerus-marginatusToxomerus-disparToxomerus-pulchellusToxomerus-basalisToxomerus-floralisToxomerus-politusToxomerus-apegiensisDroserasundewpollenivorypredatory-larvaeurban-adapteragricultural-beneficialcryptic-larvaeeye-dimorphismterritorial-behaviorDNA-barcodingcitizen-sciencemuseum-collectionsrange-expansionconservation-concern