Glade-specialist
Guides
Acmaeodera neglecta
Acmaeodera neglecta is a small metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, measuring 4–6 mm in length. It occurs primarily in the south-central United States, with records from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri. Adults are flower visitors, particularly on yellow composites such as Coreopsis and Thelesperma. The species was described by Fall in 1899 and remained unreported from Missouri until 1987 due to its close resemblance to the more common A. tubulus.
Ataxia hubbardi
Ataxia hubbardi is a longhorned beetle (Cerambycidae) described by Warren Samuel Fisher in 1924. The species is distributed across the United States and Mexico. Adults are active in fall and have been observed on flower stalks of host plants. A distinctive population associated with prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum) in Missouri dolomite glades exhibits smaller, darker, and narrower body proportions compared to typical individuals.
Dicerca pugionata
witch-hazel borer, ninebark borer
A striking jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae, measuring 11–14 mm in length. Unlike most Dicerca species that breed in dead wood, D. pugionata larvae mine living stems of woody shrubs. The species occurs sporadically across eastern North America but reaches locally abundant populations in Missouri glades where host plants grow under stressed conditions.
Poblicia texana
Poblicia texana is a large planthopper in the family Fulgoridae, described by Oman in 1936. The species was formerly placed in the genus Angulapteryx but is now accepted as Poblicia texana. Members of this genus are among the largest North American planthoppers, combining the hopping capabilities of smaller planthoppers with body size approaching that of small cicadas. The genus Poblicia includes only two species known to occur as far north as Missouri, with P. texana representing the western component of the genus' distribution.
Spharagemon bolli
Boll's Grasshopper, Boll's Locust
Spharagemon bolli is a species of band-winged grasshopper in the family Acrididae, commonly known as Boll's Grasshopper or Boll's Locust. It is characterized by cryptic coloration that provides camouflage in its preferred dry, rocky habitats. The species has been documented in xeric igneous glades and surrounding dry woodlands, where its coloration makes it difficult to relocate after jumping. It is one of several Spharagemon species found in 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.