Endemic
Guides
Caloptilia ovatiella
Caloptilia ovatiella is a leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, described by Opler in 1969. The species is endemic to California, United States. Larvae are specialized feeders on sumac species (Rhus) and laurel sumac (Malosma laurina), creating distinctive blotch mines in host leaves. Like other Caloptilia species, adults likely exhibit the characteristic resting posture with forewings held roof-like over the body.
Calosaturnia albofasciata
white-streaked saturnia moth
Calosaturnia albofasciata is a silkmoth endemic to California, United States. It was described by Johnson in 1938 and was formerly placed in the genus Saturnia. The species is known by the common name white-streaked saturnia moth, referring to its distinctive wing pattern. It carries Hodges number 7753 in the MONA numbering system.
Calosaturnia walterorum
Walter's Silkmoth, Walter's saturnia moth
Calosaturnia walterorum, known as Walter's Silkmoth, is a saturniid moth described by Hogue and Johnson in 1958. It was originally placed in the genus Saturnia before being transferred to Calosaturnia. The species occurs in a restricted range spanning southern California and adjacent Mexico. It is among the smaller and less frequently encountered silkmoths in western North America.
Cambarus dubius
Upland Burrowing Crayfish
Cambarus dubius, commonly known as the Upland Burrowing Crayfish, is a burrowing crayfish species native to the central and southern Appalachian region of the eastern United States. The species has a complex taxonomic history with multiple distinct color phases historically recognized across different geographic areas. Recent taxonomic work has restricted C. dubius sensu stricto to populations with orange dorsal and lateral coloration and cream ventral surfaces, found in the central and northern Allegheny Mountains and high elevations of the Appalachian Plateau. The species constructs distinctive burrow systems and faces conservation concerns due to limited distribution data and habitat alterations.
Cambarus speciosus
Beautiful Crayfish
Cambarus speciosus, commonly known as the beautiful crayfish, is a species of freshwater crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is endemic to Georgia, United States. The species is currently listed as Near Threatened (NT) by the IUCN, with a stable population as of the last review in 2010. The specific epithet 'speciosus' refers to its attractive appearance.
Cambarus tartarus
Oklahoma Cave Crayfish
Cambarus tartarus is a critically endangered cave-dwelling crayfish endemic to two caves in Delaware County, Oklahoma. Described in 1972, this species has one of the most restricted ranges of any North American crayfish. The IUCN assessed it as Critically Endangered in 2010, noting an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future due to its tiny geographic range and vulnerability to groundwater contamination.
Camelopsocus hiemalis
Camelopsocus hiemalis is a small, winter-active barklouse (order Psocodea, family Psocidae) described by Mockford in 1984. It belongs to a monobasic genus, meaning it is the sole species in Camelopsocus. The species is endemic to a restricted area of the Front Ranges in Colorado, USA, where it has been observed active during warm winter days. Its specific epithet 'hiemalis' (Latin for 'of winter') reflects this unusual seasonal activity pattern.
Campodeidae
slender entrophs
Campodeidae is a family of small, pale, eyeless hexapods in the order Diplura, distinguished by two long, many-segmented cerci at the abdomen tip. The family contains at least 30 genera and approximately 280 described species, distributed across soil and cave habitats worldwide. Members range from 5–12 mm in length, with the largest species being the cave-dwelling Pacificampa daidarabotchi from Japan. Abdominal spiracles are absent. The family exhibits diverse ecological strategies, with many species adapted to subterranean environments showing troglomorphic features such as elongated appendages and enhanced sensory structures.
Camponotus bakeri
Baker's Carpenter Ant
Camponotus bakeri is a species of carpenter ant endemic to the Channel Islands of California, with additional populations in mainland California and Arizona. It nests in dead wood, including decaying stumps, fallen branches, and hollow trees. Like other members of the genus Camponotus, it excavates galleries rather than consuming wood for nutrition. The species is named in honor of an individual with the surname Baker, following standard entomological naming conventions of the early 1900s.
Camponotus fragilis
Camponotus fragilis is a carpenter ant species endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. First described by Theodore Pergande in 1893, it was synonymized and later revived by Roy Snelling in 2006. The species has been studied for its gut bacterial communities, which show compartmentalization across different gut sections and variation between laboratory-raised and field-collected colonies.
Camponotus laevigatus
Hairless Smooth Carpenter Ant
Camponotus laevigatus is a California endemic carpenter ant species that nests in dead oak branches, particularly of Quercus wislizeni (interior live oak). It maintains an obligate mutualism with the bacterial endosymbiont Blochmaniella, with which it shows strong codiversification patterns. Population genetic studies reveal three phylogeographic clusters with the Central Valley acting as a significant barrier to gene flow, and Pleistocene climatic cycles have shaped its current distribution.
Capniidae
small winter stoneflies, winter stoneflies
Capniidae, the small winter stoneflies, is one of the largest families in the order Plecoptera, comprising approximately 300 species distributed throughout the Holarctic region. Adults are active during winter months, often observed on snow-covered stream banks when most other insects are dormant. The family exhibits notable adaptations to cold environments, including antifreeze compounds and winglessness in some species, which has led to high endemism and restricted distributions. Their closest relatives are the rolled-winged stoneflies (Leuctridae).
Capraita circumdata
Capraita circumdata is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is endemic to North America, with confirmed records from Ontario, Québec, and other parts of Canada and the United States. The species belongs to a genus of leaf-feeding beetles that typically specialize on particular host plants.
Caribbeana bichorda
Caribbeana bichorda is a moth species in the family Notodontidae, first described by Hampson in 1901. It belongs to a genus endemic to the Caribbean region. The species is documented from limited observations, with iNaturalist records indicating it is rarely encountered. As a member of the Heterocampinae subfamily, it shares morphological traits with related prominents but remains poorly studied in terms of natural history.
Carptima
Carptima is a monotypic moth genus in the family Geometridae, containing a single species, Carptima hydriomenata. The genus was described by Pearsall in 1906. It is endemic to Arizona, USA. The genus is classified within the subfamily Larentiinae.
Carptima hydriomenata
Carptima hydriomenata is a rare moth and the sole member of its genus. It was first described by Pearsall in 1906 and is known only from Arizona. The species belongs to the family Geometridae, a large group of moths commonly called inchworms or geometer moths due to their larvae's characteristic looping gait. Its restricted range and limited number of observations make it one of the more poorly documented geometrid moths in North America.
Catamergus kickapoo
Catamergus kickapoo is a species of aphid in the family Aphididae, described by Hottes and Frison in 1931 from Kickapoo State Park, Illinois. It belongs to the tribe Macrosiphini and is one of the few species in the genus Catamergus. Very little is known about its biology or ecology.
Cathormiocerus curvipes
Cathormiocerus curvipes is a species of broad-nosed weevil in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Entiminae. It was described by Thomas Vernon Wollaston in 1854. The species is endemic to the Azores archipelago in the North Atlantic, with records from multiple islands including São Miguel, Faial, Flores, São Jorge, and Corvo. As a member of the Trachyphloeini tribe, it belongs to a group of flightless weevils often associated with soil-dwelling habits and cryptic lifestyles.
Catocala atocala
Brou's underwing, Nutmeg Underwing, atocala underwing
Catocala atocala is a moth in the family Erebidae, first described by Brou in 1985. It is endemic to the United States with a primary range in the lower Mississippi River drainage. The species is notable for its specialized larval diet on nutmeg hickory. Adults fly during mid-summer and possess the characteristic underwing morphology of the genus Catocala, with cryptic forewings concealing brightly patterned hindwings.
Catocala californiensis
California Underwing
Catocala californiensis is an underwing moth in the family Erebidae, endemic to southern California. Adults fly from June to July, with likely one generation per year. The larvae are specialized feeders on Quercus turbinella (scrub oak).
Catocala louiseae
Louise's underwing
Catocala louiseae, commonly known as Louise's underwing, is a moth in the family Erebidae described by John Bauer in 1965. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States, with adults active in May and sometimes into June. The specific epithet honors Louise Mellon, who funded the Carnegie Museum expedition on which the type specimen was collected. The species has been given precedence as a nomen protectum over its senior synonym Catocala protonympha.
Catocala texanae
Texan Underwing
Catocala texanae, the Texan Underwing, is a moth in the family Erebidae described by George Hazen French in 1902. It is endemic to Texas, with adults active from May to June. Like other underwing moths, it likely exhibits the characteristic resting posture with cryptic forewings concealing brightly patterned hindwings.
Catopocerus appalachianus
Catopocerus appalachianus is a small beetle species in the family Leiodidae, subfamily Catopocerinae. It was described by Peck in 1975 and is endemic to the Appalachian region of the eastern United States. The species belongs to a genus characterized by reduced eyes and subterranean or cave-associated habits. Records indicate it has been collected from Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Causeyella
Causeyella is a genus of troglobitic (cave-dwelling) millipedes in the family Trichopetalidae, order Chordeumatida. The genus was established by Shear in 2003 and comprises three species: C. causeyae, C. dendropus, and C. youngsteadtorum. These millipedes are restricted to cave habitats in the southern Ozarks region of the United States.
Cephalosphaera
Cephalosphaera is a genus of flowering plants in the nutmeg family (Myristicaceae), order Magnoliales. The genus was established by Warburg in 1904. Species in this genus are tropical trees or shrubs native to regions including Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. The genus is characterized by distinctive morphological features typical of Myristicaceae, including aromatic properties and specialized floral structures.
Ceranemota albertae
Alberta lutestring
Ceranemota albertae is a moth in the family Drepanidae, described by John Frederick Gates Clarke in 1938. It is endemic to western Canada, with a range extending from south-central British Columbia to south-eastern Saskatchewan. Adults are active in late summer, with flight occurring from August to September. The species inhabits dry open woodlands and shrub areas where wild cherry grows.
Ceranemota crumbi
Ceranemota crumbi is a small moth in the family Drepanidae, described by Foster Hendrickson Benjamin in 1938. It is restricted to a narrow geographic range in the Pacific Northwest, occurring in western Oregon and the Washington Cascade Range. The species inhabits coastal rainforests and mixed hardwood forests, with adults active in late autumn.
Ceratina floridana
Florida Small Carpenter Bee
Ceratina floridana is a small carpenter bee endemic to Florida, described by Mitchell in 1962. As a member of the genus Ceratina, it belongs to a group of diminutive bees that nest in dead twigs and stems rather than excavating wood like their larger carpenter bee relatives (Xylocopa). The species has been documented through 226 iNaturalist observations, indicating moderate levels of contemporary detection. Like other Ceratina species, it likely exhibits solitary or weakly social nesting behavior, though specific behavioral details for this species remain poorly documented in published literature.
Ceratolasma
A genus of harvestmen endemic to the Pacific Northwest of North America. Contains a single described species, Ceratolasma tricantha. Formerly placed in its own family Ceratolasmatidae, now classified as the subfamily Ceratolasmatinae within Ischyropsalididae.
Ceratolasma tricantha
Ceratolasma tricantha is a species of harvestman (Opiliones) in the family Ischyropsalididae, endemic to the Pacific Northwest of North America. It was described by Goodnight and Goodnight in 1942. The species is characterized by three prominent spines on the cephalothorax, a trait reflected in its specific epithet 'tricantha.' It inhabits moist forest environments and has been documented from multiple counties in Oregon and California.
Ceuthophilus chiricahuae
Chiricahua cave cricket
Ceuthophilus chiricahuae is a species of camel cricket (family Rhaphidophoridae) endemic to North America. The species was described by Hubbell in 1936 and is named for the Chiricahua Mountains region. Like other members of the genus Ceuthophilus, it is wingless and adapted to cool, dark, moist habitats. Very few observations of this species have been recorded, with only six documented occurrences in biodiversity databases.
Ceutorhynchus querceti
Ceutorhynchus querceti is a small weevil in the family Curculionidae. The species was described by Gyllenhal in 1813. It is part of a large genus of seed weevils, many of which are associated with brassicaceous plants.
Chaetocnema rileyi
Boca Chica flea beetle
Chaetocnema rileyi, known as the Boca Chica flea beetle, is a rare flea beetle species endemic to a single dune system at Boca Chica Beach in Texas. Adults inhabit sedge stems in beachside dunes, while larvae live underground feeding on root portions of host plants. The species faces conservation threats from nearby SpaceX rocket launch activities, which may kill beetles through thermal exposure from engine plumes or damage dune vegetation through debris impacts.
Charhyphus arizonensis
A small rove beetle species in the subfamily Phloeocharinae, described from Arizona in 1972. Like other members of Staphylinidae, it exhibits the characteristic short elytra that leave much of the abdomen exposed. The genus Charhyphus contains few described species, and C. arizonensis appears restricted to the southwestern United States.
Charisalia
Charisalia is a monotypic genus of longhorn beetles in the family Cerambycidae, containing the single species Charisalia americana. The genus was described by Casey in 1913 and is classified within the subfamily Lepturinae, tribe Lepturini. Members of this genus are commonly known as flower longhorns, reflecting their association with flowers as adults. The genus is endemic to the eastern United States.
Cherokeea attakullakulla
Cherokee Moth
Cherokeea attakullakulla is a small, inconspicuous moth in the family Noctuidae and the sole member of its genus. The species was described in 2014 from specimens collected in the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Georgia. It is associated with canebrake habitats dominated by native bamboo species. The specific epithet honors Chief Attakullakulla of the Cherokee Nation, who represented his people in treaty negotiations in 1730, and recognizes the Cherokee as stewards of the region's habitats.
Chilometopon pallidum
Chilometopon pallidum is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, described by Thomas Lincoln Casey in 1890. The genus Chilometopon is endemic to Mexico, and this species appears to be poorly known with no documented observations in major biodiversity databases. Like other tenebrionids, adults likely inhabit arid or semi-arid environments and may be nocturnal or crepuscular in activity.
Chilostigma itascae
headwaters chilostigman
Chilostigma itascae is a winter-emerging caddisfly in the family Limnephilidae, endemic to Minnesota with possible range extension into adjacent Ontario. Discovered in 1974 at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Itasca State Park, it remained known from a single creek for 31 years. Subsequent surveys have documented populations in peatland habitats across northwestern Minnesota. Its most distinctive trait is adult emergence during winter under snow cover, an unusual pattern among caddisflies.
Chloroplus cactocaetes
Texas Cholla Grasshopper
Chloroplus cactocaetes is a spur-throated grasshopper and the sole species in the genus Chloroplus. It is endemic to Texas and closely associated with cholla cacti (Cylindropuntia species). The species was described by Hebard in 1918 and remains poorly known despite its distinctive habitat specialization.
Chlosyne gabbii
Gabb's Checkerspot
Chlosyne gabbii is a rare checkerspot butterfly endemic to California. Adults have a wingspan of 32–45 mm with bright orange-brown and black checkered uppersides; females are lighter than males. The species is threatened throughout its range and is known from only a small geographic area in the western United States.
Choctella cumminsi
Choctella cumminsi is a species of millipede in the family Choctellidae, described by Chamberlin in 1918. It is a member of the order Spirostreptida, a group of large-bodied millipedes commonly known as giant millipedes. The species is known from North America, with confirmed records from Tennessee. As with other members of its family, it is presumed to be a soil-dwelling detritivore, though specific ecological studies are limited.
Chrismania pictipennalis
Chrismania pictipennalis is a species of moth in the family Crambidae, subfamily Odontiinae. It is the sole member of the genus Chrismania. The species has been recorded from arid regions of the southwestern United States, specifically southern California and Arizona. It was first described by Barnes and McDunnough in 1914.
Chrysanthrax lepidotoides
Chrysanthrax lepidotoides is a species of bee fly (family Bombyliidae) described in 1919. It belongs to a genus of parasitic flies whose larvae develop as predators or parasitoids of other insects. The species is known from a very limited geographic range, with records restricted to New Jersey. Like other bee flies, adults likely visit flowers for nectar.
Chrysobothris nelsoni
Chrysobothris nelsoni is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, first described by Westcott & Alten in 2006. The species is known from sand dune habitats in southern Utah and northern Arizona, where it is associated with Eriogonum alatum (winged buckwheat) as its larval host plant. Adults are bright metallic green and have been observed resting on the basal rosette of leaves of their host plant during daylight hours. The species appears to have a relatively narrow seasonal activity period, with most records from late May through June.
Chrysobothris seminole
Chrysobothris seminole is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, described in 2007 as part of a revision of the Chrysobothris femorata species-group. It is notable as the only member of this species-group associated with a non-woody host plant. The species has a highly restricted distribution in the southeastern United States and is considered rare, with only a few individuals documented at its type locality.
Chrysobothris sloicola
Chrysobothris sloicola is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It is a member of the Chrysobothris femorata species-group, a taxonomically challenging complex of species that was revised in 2007. The species is known only from Michigan and is associated with Prunus (cherry/plum) as its host plant. It was described by Manley & Wellso in 1976.
Chrysotus arkansensis
Chrysotus arkansensis is a species of long-legged fly in the family Dolichopodidae. It was described by Van Duzee in 1930 based on six specimens collected from Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1906. As a member of the genus Chrysotus, it belongs to a diverse group of small to medium-sized predatory flies. The species remains poorly known, with no subsequent records or biological studies published since its original description.
Cicindela albissima
Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle
Cicindela albissima is a highly endemic tiger beetle restricted to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes in southern Utah. Adults are distinguished by nearly pure white elytra with reduced pigmentation, contrasting with a bronze to brown thorax. The species exhibits a bimodal adult activity pattern with peak abundance in mid-April to early May, followed by a smaller secondary emergence in late August to October. Originally described as a subspecies of C. limbata, molecular and morphological evidence elevated it to full species status. The entire global population occupies approximately 400 hectares, making it one of North America's most geographically restricted tiger beetles.
Cicindela amargosae
Great Basin tiger beetle
Cicindela amargosae, commonly known as the Great Basin tiger beetle, is a species of tiger beetle endemic to the Great Basin region of the western United States. It occurs in Oregon, Nevada, and California. The species contains two recognized subspecies: the nominate C. a. amargosae and C. a. nyensis. As with other tiger beetles, it is a predatory insect in the subfamily Cicindelinae, though specific behavioral and ecological details for this particular species remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Cicindela arenicola
St. Anthony Dune Tiger Beetle, Idaho Dunes Tiger Beetle
Cicindela arenicola is a rare, endemic tiger beetle restricted to sand dune ecosystems in southern Idaho and southwestern Montana. First described by Rumpp in 1967 from the St. Anthony Dune system of the Snake River Valley, this species is one of several closely related sand dune endemics in the C. maritima species group. Adults display striking coloration with bold white elytral markings, green and copper highlights on the head and pronotum, and dense white pubescence on the sides and undersurface. The species is considered globally imperiled due to its extremely limited range and ongoing habitat degradation from invasive plants, cattle trampling, and off-road vehicle traffic.