Halophile
Guides
Cicindela senilis
Senile Tiger Beetle
Cicindela senilis, commonly known as the senile tiger beetle, is a species of tiger beetle endemic to western California. It inhabits specialized saline environments including tidal mud flats, coastal salt marshes, and inland salt marshes. The species is recognized to have three subspecies: C. s. senilis (nominate), C. s. exoleta, and C. s. frosti. Subspecies frosti has been documented in Lake Elsinore and several counties in southern California including Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and San Diego.
Erythrodiplax berenice
Seaside Dragonlet
Erythrodiplax berenice, the seaside dragonlet, is a small dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is the only dragonfly in the western hemisphere capable of breeding in seawater, with nymphs tolerating salinities up to 260% of normal seawater concentration. The species inhabits coastal salt marshes, mangrove swamps, and alkaline lakes along the Atlantic coast of North America.
Myrmecocystus wheeleri
Wheeler's Honeypot Ant
Myrmecocystus wheeleri is a species of honeypot ant native to arid regions of California, Baja California, and Coahuila. Like other members of the genus, it possesses specialized workers called repletes that store liquid carbohydrates in their distended crops for long-term colony sustenance. The species has been documented to host a gut microbiome dominated by halophiles, distinguishing it from congeners that harbor lactic acid and acetic acid bacteria in their replete crops.
Sigara
water boatmen
Sigara is a genus of water boatmen (family Corixidae) comprising approximately 100 species of aquatic true bugs. The genus is notable for containing halophilic species capable of inhabiting saline and hypersaline waters, including extreme environments such as the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana. Members of this genus are aquatic insects found in various freshwater and saline habitats across multiple continents.