Fragmented-habitat
Guides
Rhyssomatus lineaticollis
Milkweed Stem Weevil
Rhyssomatus lineaticollis, commonly known as the milkweed stem weevil, is a specialized herbivore associated with milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.). Adults feed on stems and leaf petioles, while larvae develop inside seed pods. The species is notable for its monophagous to oligophagous relationship with milkweeds, including the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and the rare, threatened Asclepias meadii. Research indicates this weevil is relatively sedentary, with limited dispersal distances, functioning as a patchy population in fragmented agricultural landscapes. The species is distributed across eastern and central North America.
Trimerotropis saxatilis
lichen grasshopper
Trimerotropis saxatilis, commonly known as the lichen grasshopper, is a band-winged grasshopper (subfamily Oedipodinae) renowned for its exceptional cryptic coloration that renders it nearly invisible against lichen-encrusted rock surfaces. The species exhibits striking intraspecific color variation, ranging from vivid blue-green individuals matching crustose lichens to darker brown and black forms adapted to barren rock exposures. It inhabits fragmented glade habitats in the Ozark Highlands and adjacent regions, where populations remain small and isolated due to forest barriers limiting dispersal.