Forest-dwelling
Guides
Achilini
Achilini is a tribe of planthoppers within the family Achilidae, characterized by their flattened, often cryptically colored bodies and association with fungal substrates. Members of this tribe are distinguished from other achilid tribes by specific wing venation patterns and genitalia structures. The group is primarily tropical and subtropical in distribution, with many species exhibiting complex host relationships with fungi. Achilini represents one of the more species-rich tribes within Achilidae.
Autochton
Autochton is a genus of skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae, subfamily Eudaminae. The genus was historically classified within the spread-winged skippers (Pyrginae) as a tribe before recognition of Eudaminae as a distinct subfamily. Species in this genus occur from Mexico through Central America to South America. The genus includes approximately 20 described species.
Callomyia
Callomyia is a genus of flat-footed flies (Diptera: Platypezidae) comprising approximately 24 described species distributed across the Holarctic and Oriental regions. The genus is distinguished by a setulose R1 wing vein and enlarged female antennae. Larvae are xylobiont, developing under bark of fallen trees where they feed on fungal mycelia. Adults are typically found in forested habitats and are active from spring through autumn.
Calpodini
Calpodini is a tribe of satyrine butterflies distributed primarily in the Neotropical region. The group includes medium-sized species with relatively plain wing patterns compared to other satyrines. Members are associated with forested and semi-open habitats in Central and South America. The tribe has received less taxonomic attention than related groups such as the Euptychiina, and its internal phylogenetic relationships remain partially unresolved.
Centromerus sylvaticus
sheetweb spider, money spider
Centromerus sylvaticus is a small sheetweb spider in the family Linyphiidae, commonly known as money spiders. The species has a broad Holarctic distribution spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. Adults measure 2.2–4 mm in body length. Two subspecies are recognized: the nominate C. s. sylvaticus and C. s. paucidentatus described from Bulgaria.
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.
Chorisoneura texensis
small Texas cockroach, Small Yellow Texas Cockroach
Chorisoneura texensis is a small cockroach species native to the Southeastern United States. It belongs to the family Ectobiidae, a group often referred to as wood cockroaches or forest cockroaches. The species is commonly encountered in outdoor environments and is not considered a significant household pest. It is distinguished from other regional cockroaches by its small size and coloration.
Cryphoeca montana
Cryphoeca montana is a species of true spider in the family Cybaeidae, originally described by Emerton in 1909. It is a nocturnal spider belonging to the subfamily Cryphoecinae, which was historically classified within the family Hahniidae. The species occurs in forested habitats of the United States and Canada, where it has been documented from under bark on dead trees, in leaf litter, moss, and beneath stones.
Cyllopsis
gemmed satyrs
Cyllopsis is a genus of satyrid butterflies in the family Nymphalidae, established by Rudolf Felder in 1869. The genus comprises approximately 30 species distributed across the Neotropical realm, with at least one species, C. gemma, extending into North America as far north as Missouri and Illinois. These butterflies are commonly known as "gemmed satyrs" and are typically associated with forested habitats where adults fly low near the ground.
Dascillus
soft-bodied plant beetles
Dascillus is a genus of soft-bodied beetles in the family Dascillidae, containing approximately 20-24 described species. The genus belongs to the subfamily Dascillinae, which comprises free-living beetles found primarily in forested areas of the Northern Hemisphere and Australia. Species of Dascillus have been described from China, including Hubei and Sichuan provinces, as well as from Europe.
Diachrysia balluca
green-patched looper, hologram moth
Diachrysia balluca is a large noctuid moth occurring in northeastern North America, recognized by its metallic green forewing patches. Adults are active from May through September, with peak abundance in July. The species inhabits mature poplar and mixedwood forests, where larvae feed on woody plants including quaking aspen and Canadian woodnettle. It produces one brood annually.
Ectobius sylvestris
forest cockroach, lesser cockroach
Ectobius sylvestris, commonly known as the forest cockroach or lesser cockroach, is a small cockroach species in the family Ectobiidae. It is native to Europe and northern Asia, and has been introduced to North America. The species belongs to a genus with a complex biogeographic history, including ancient fossil records from the Eocene of North America and subsequent reintroduction to the continent after a 49-million-year absence. It is one of two recognized subspecies within E. sylvestris, with the nominate subspecies E. s. sylvestris described by Poda in 1761.
Epilampra
Epilampra is a genus of cockroaches in the family Blaberidae, first described by Burmeister in 1838. The genus contains more than 70 described species distributed primarily in the Americas. Epilampra species are classified within the subfamily Epilamprinae and tribe Epilamprini. These cockroaches are part of the diverse Blaberidae family, which includes many of the larger cockroach species.
Epiphelini
Epiphelini is a tribe of butterflies within the subfamily Biblidinae (Nymphalidae). Members of this tribe are Neotropical in distribution and are characterized by their medium to large size and often striking wing patterns. The tribe includes genera such as Epiphile and Catonephele, commonly known as the 'fire-winged' or 'banner' butterflies. These butterflies are primarily forest-dwelling and are often encountered along forest edges and streams.
Melasini
Melasini is a tribe of false click beetles within the family Eucnemidae, established by Fleming in 1821. Members of this tribe are classified under the subfamily Melasinae, a group characterized by their inability to produce the clicking sound typical of true click beetles (Elateridae). The tribe encompasses multiple genera of small to medium-sized beetles found primarily in forested habitats.
Nadata gibbosa
White-dotted Prominent, Rough Prominent, Tawny Prominent
Nadata gibbosa is a common moth in the family Notodontidae, found across North America from northern boreal forests to Florida. Adults are nocturnal and attracted to lights, with flight activity beginning soon after dusk. The species is most abundant in deciduous forests at elevation. Its caterpillars serve as hosts for the parasitoid wasp Ammophila procera.
Oskoron
A genus of harvestmen in the family Taracidae, established by Shear in 2016. It was erected to accommodate O. spinosus, transferred from Taracus where it had been placed by Banks in 1894, along with two newly described species from the Pacific Northwest. The genus is distinguished from Taracus by cheliceral morphology.
Paranonychus
Paranonychus is a genus of harvestmen (order Opiliones) established by Briggs in 1971. The genus contains three described species with a disjunct distribution: two species occur in the Pacific Northwest of North America, while one species is found in northern Japan. The genus is the namesake of the family Paranonychidae, which belongs to the superfamily Travunioidea. The Japanese species, P. fuscus, was originally described in a separate genus as Mutsunonychus fuscus before being transferred to Paranonychus.
Ponera pennsylvanica
Common Porthole Ant
Ponera pennsylvanica is a small ant species inhabiting mesic forests of the Eastern United States. Colonies are notably small, typically containing fewer than 100 workers. Nests occur in diverse microhabitats including decaying wood, soil, acorns, and leaf litter. The species belongs to the ponerine ant subfamily, characterized by relatively primitive social organization compared to more derived ant groups.
Pseudophyllodromiinae
Pseudophyllodromiinae is a subfamily of cockroaches within the family Ectobiidae, distributed worldwide. The subfamily contains at least five tribes (Baltini, Neoblattellini, Plectopterini, Pseudophyllodromiini, Supellini) and numerous genera including Allacta, Supella, and Cariblatta. Some species are notable tree climbers in forest habitats.
Scaphinotus tenuis
Thin Snail-eating Beetle
Scaphinotus tenuis, commonly known as the thin snail-eating beetle, is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in North Carolina, USA, where it inhabits forest environments. Adults are brachypterous (short-winged) and nocturnal in their activity pattern.
Simplocaria metallica
Metallic Pill Beetle
Simplocaria metallica is a pill beetle in the family Byrrhidae, distributed across Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. It is an obligate herbivore specialized on mosses, particularly species in the genera Pohlia, Ceratodon, and Bryum. The species has been studied in forest habitats of northern Alberta, Canada, where it occurs alongside other pill beetle species.
Syngrapha rectangula
Salt-and-pepper Looper Moth, Salt and Pepper Looper, Angulated Cutworm
Syngrapha rectangula is a noctuid moth species found across northern North America, from eastern Canada through the Great Lakes region and westward to the Pacific Northwest. Adults are active during summer months, with larvae feeding on coniferous trees including balsam fir, western hemlock, white spruce, and Douglas-fir. The species exhibits two recognized subspecies with distinct geographic distributions.