Freeze-tolerant
Guides
Brochymena quadripustulata
Four-humped Stink Bug, Rough Stink Bug
Brochymena quadripustulata is a native North American stink bug commonly known as the four-humped stink bug or rough stink bug. Adults range from 10–19 mm in body length and display remarkable cryptic coloration resembling lichen-mottled tree bark. The species is frequently confused with the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys), but can be distinguished by spiny projections on the pronotum and uniformly dark antennae lacking white bands. It has one generation per year in temperate climates, with adults overwintering beneath loose bark or in firewood piles.
Phyllocnistis populiella
common aspen leaf miner, aspen serpentine leafminer, Aspen Serpentine Leafminer Moth
Phyllocnistis populiella is a microlepidopteran leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. It has become common and abundant in western North America, where it feeds exclusively on Populus tremuloides (trembling aspen) and P. balsamifera (balsam poplar). Larvae create serpentine mines in the epidermal layer of leaves, with heavy infestations causing mid-summer defoliation. The species exhibits remarkable cold hardiness, overwintering as larvae in leaf litter with freeze tolerance to -40°C.
Upis ceramboides
Roughened Darkling Beetle, kökskörven
Upis ceramboides is a fire-dependent darkling beetle that colonizes burned deciduous trees, particularly birch. The species has declined in southern Sweden due to fire suppression and modern forestry, persisting mainly in northern Scandinavia, Alaska, and Canada. Adults exhibit extreme freeze tolerance, surviving temperatures well below freezing through unique biochemical adaptations including xylomannan antifreeze and threitol. Larvae develop in fire-damaged inner bark rich in fungal mycelia, with a two-to-three-year life cycle.
Xylophagus
wood flies
Xylophagus is a genus of flies in the family Xylophagidae, containing more than 30 described species. The genus was established by Meigen in 1803. Larvae are associated with wood and exhibit freeze tolerance, maintaining ion homeostasis during extracellular ice formation. Adults are commonly known as wood flies.
Xylophagus cinctus
Red-belted Awl-fly
Xylophagus cinctus is a species of awl-fly in the family Xylophagidae, commonly known as the Red-belted Awl-fly. Its larvae are freeze-tolerant and inhabit wood, where they have been observed to maintain transmembrane ion distribution during freezing—a physiological adaptation that allows survival in cold environments. The species has a broad distribution across the Northern Hemisphere.