High-elevation
Guides
Acidota
A genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini) established in 1829. Species occur across the Holarctic region, with documented presence in Eurasia and North America. The genus includes at least 10 described species, with recent taxonomic work clarifying species boundaries and geographic distributions in Russia and China.
Aculepeira
Aculepeira is a genus of orb-weaver spiders in the family Araneidae, containing 26 species and two subspecies as of January 2026. The genus was established by Chamberlin and Ivie in 1942. North American species are primarily associated with high elevation and high latitude habitats, ranging from Alaska and the Yukon Territory to northern Mexico. Members of this genus construct typical orb webs and have been documented consuming pollen in addition to insect prey.
Admetovis oxymorus
cutworm moth, dart moth
Admetovis oxymorus is a noctuid moth species described by Grote in 1873. It belongs to the cutworm or dart moth group within the family Noctuidae. The species occurs in North America and has been frequently misidentified with related species in the genus. Its larvae are believed to be climbing cutworms that feed on woody shrubs.
Anacaena
Anacaena is a genus of small water scavenger beetles in the tribe Anacaenini, containing at least 150 species worldwide. Adults range 1.5–3.3 mm in length. The genus is characterized by a slightly expanded second maxillary palpomere relative to the third, lack of metallic lustre on the dorsal head, slight hydrofuge pubescence on proximal metafemora, and a non-carinate prosternum. Species-level identification relies primarily on aedeagus morphology.
Aphonopelma marxi
Grand Canyon Black Tarantula
Aphonopelma marxi is a North American tarantula species in the family Theraphosidae, commonly known as the Grand Canyon Black Tarantula. It is a medium-sized, dark-colored species belonging to the 'Marxi species group' of mainly black, high-elevation tarantulas. The species was first described in 1891 and has undergone taxonomic revision, with two former species (A. behlei and A. vogelae) now recognized as synonyms. It is widely distributed but difficult to observe due to its fossorial habits.
Arctia yarrowii
Yarrow's tiger moth, Mountain Tiger Moth
Arctia yarrowii, commonly known as Yarrow's tiger moth or Mountain Tiger Moth, is a species of tiger moth in the family Erebidae. It was first described by Richard Harper Stretch in 1874. The species inhabits high-elevation alpine environments in western North America, specifically barren rocky fellfields and slides above the timberline. Adults are active during mid-summer, with forewings approximately 22 mm in length.
Blaptini
Blaptini is a tribe of darkling beetles within the subfamily Blaptinae (Tenebrionidae). The tribe contains more than 30 genera and was moved from Tenebrioninae to the resurrected subfamily Blaptinae in 2021, representing a major taxonomic reclassification. Members are primarily distributed in arid and semi-arid regions of Asia, with notable diversity on the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau and in the Mediterranean basin. The tribe includes flightless species adapted to high-elevation and xeric environments.
Bombus sylvicola
Forest Bumble Bee, Forest Bumblebee
Bombus sylvicola, the forest bumble bee, is a North American bumble bee species with a broad distribution across Canada and Alaska, extending into the western contiguous United States. In California, it occurs only at high elevations, making it a high-altitude specialist. The species has been identified as particularly vulnerable to climate change, with rising summer temperatures threatening its populations. Research indicates that B. sylvicola is among the cool-adapted bumble bee species experiencing decline due to warming temperatures.
Brachys rileyi
Brachys rileyi is a recently described species of jewel beetle (family Buprestidae) in the genus Brachys. The species was described based on specimens collected from Quercus gambelii (Gambel's oak) in high-elevation mountain locations in southeastern New Mexico and west Texas. Field observations indicate it occurs in alpine meadow and oak-juniper woodland habitats above 8000 feet elevation. The species is known from very few observations, with iNaturalist records documenting only two observations as of the source date.
Chionea
Snow Flies, Snow Crane Flies
Chionea is a genus of wingless crane flies in the family Limoniidae, commonly known as snow flies. The genus contains approximately 37-40 recognized species distributed across the northern hemisphere, with two subgenera: the Holarctic Chionea and the Palearctic Sphaeconophilus. Adults are uniquely adapted to cold environments and are active during winter months, walking across snow surfaces at sub-zero temperatures. The wingless condition is associated with energy conservation in freezing conditions, with flight muscles replaced by expanded egg storage capacity in females.
Cicindela longilabris laurentii
Laurent's Long-lipped Tiger Beetle
Cicindela longilabris laurentii is a subspecies of long-lipped tiger beetle described by Schaupp in 1884. It is associated with high-elevation habitats in the Rocky Mountain region of western North America. The subspecies is considered challenging to locate in the field, with observations concentrated in Wyoming and extending into adjacent areas. It represents one of several geographically isolated populations within the C. longilabris complex.
Cyphoderris buckelli
Buckell's grig
Cyphoderris buckelli is a cold-adapted, hump-winged cricket (family Prophalangopsidae) found in high-elevation coniferous forests of western North America. Males produce acoustic calling songs and modify their chirp duty cycle in response to nearby conspecific males, though they do not defend fixed territories. The species exhibits low site fidelity and extensive male displacement between nights.
Dolichovespula albida
Arctic Yellowjacket
Dolichovespula albida, commonly known as the Arctic Yellowjacket, is a social wasp species in the family Vespidae. It is closely related to other Dolichovespula species such as D. arctica and D. arenaria, with which it shares ecological and behavioral traits. The species is primarily associated with northern and high-elevation habitats. Like other members of its genus, it constructs paper nests and exhibits social colony behavior with distinct castes.
Dolichovespula alpicola
Rocky Mountain Aerial Yellowjacket
Dolichovespula alpicola is a social wasp in the family Vespidae, described by Eck in 1984. It is known from high-elevation habitats in western North America, particularly in coniferous forests of the Rocky Mountains. The species belongs to a genus that includes both independent-founding wasps and social parasites, though the specific biology of D. alpicola remains poorly documented compared to its congeners.
Entomobrya zona
Rocky Mountain Springtail
Entomobrya zona, commonly known as the Rocky Mountain springtail, is a small springtail species endemic to the Rocky Mountains and known from three caves in the Grand Canyon. Adults reach approximately 2 mm in length and are characterized by tan coloration with black markings, including a distinctive wide dark band running down the center of the abdomen. The species occurs at elevations from 1,700 to over 3,000 meters in arid environments and coniferous forests. It is frequently found in subterranean habitats, where it is considered a troglophile.
Erebia magdalena
Magdalena Alpine
Erebia magdalena, commonly known as the Magdalena Alpine, is a high-elevation butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The species is entirely black in coloration and inhabits rocky alpine environments in western North America. It has been described as elusive and is considered one of several rare species associated with Magdalena Mountain in west-central New Mexico. The species was described by Strecker in 1880.
Eudicrana
Eudicrana is a genus of fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae: Sciophilinae) comprising approximately 13 described species. The genus is distinguished by the absence of a mid ocellus, lateral ocelli positioned adjacent to the eye margins, and wing venation where R4 forms an elongated rectangular cell. Four new species were recently described from high Andean ecosystems in Colombia, representing the first records from the extreme northern range of the Andes. Natural history and biology remain poorly documented for most species.
Eumaeini
hairstreaks, elfin butterflies
Eumaeini is a diverse tribe of gossamer-winged butterflies (family Lycaenidae), typically placed in the subfamily Theclinae but sometimes treated as a separate subfamily Eumaeinae. The tribe contains over 1,000 described species, predominantly distributed in the Neotropical realm, with some representatives extending into the Nearctic region and isolated occurrences in the Palearctic. Members are commonly known as hairstreaks or elfin butterflies, characterized by often intricate wing patterns and, in many species, thin tail-like projections on the hindwings. The group has been subject to extensive taxonomic revision due to high species diversity and morphological complexity.
Euryopis mulaiki
Euryopis mulaiki is a minute cobweb spider (Theridiidae) in the subfamily Hadrotarsinae, distinguished by its unusual hunting behavior. Unlike web-building relatives, this species is an active ant predator that immobilizes prey by flinging silk rather than constructing capture webs. Adults are exceptionally small, with body lengths of 1.3–4.7 mm, and exhibit a characteristic sub-triangular abdominal shape with bold color patterns. The species was described by Levi in 1954 and occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Formica glacialis
Icy Mound Ant
Formica glacialis is a cold-adapted ant species in the Formicinae subfamily, described by William Morton Wheeler in 1908. It belongs to the Formica fusca species group and is primarily found in montane and boreal environments of eastern North America. The species is notable for its association with cold, high-elevation habitats, including areas with persistent snow cover.
Koebeliini
Koebeliini is a subtribe of leafhoppers within the tribe Athysanini and subfamily Deltocephalinae. It comprises six genera and over 15 species distributed across western North America and parts of the Palearctic and Oriental regions. Members of the subtribe Grypotina within Koebeliini exhibit distinctive morphological features including crown striations, short antennae, and ocelli positioned below the crown margin. Several species are associated with pine trees (Pinus spp.) as host plants.
Lasionycta caesia
Lasionycta caesia is a noctuid moth restricted to high-elevation alpine habitats in the Pacific Northwest. It was described in 2009 as part of a comprehensive revision of the genus Lasionycta. The species occurs exclusively in rocky alpine tundra near tree line in the Cascade Mountains of northern Washington and the British Columbia Coast Range, extending north to 58° latitude. Adults are active for a brief period from mid-July to mid-August.
Liodessus
Liodessus is a genus of small diving beetles in the family Dytiscidae, tribe Bidessini. Species occur across the Americas from North America through the Andes to southern South America, with notable diversity in high-altitude wetlands and páramo ecosystems. Many species inhabit shallow, exposed pools and temporary water bodies, showing phenotypic plasticity in body form correlated with habitat permanence. The genus contains numerous species, with several new species described from the high Andes of Peru and Colombia in recent years. Taxonomic resolution relies heavily on male genital morphology.
diving-beetleaquatic-insecthigh-altitudepáramoAndesphenotypic-plasticityBidessiniHydroporinaeDytiscidaeColeopterawetlandtemporary-poolpeatlandsubantarctictaxonomymale-genitaliaCOI-barcodecryptic-speciesincipient-speciationhybridizationgeometric-morphometricsenvironmental-sentineldrought-indicatorSouth-AmericaNorth-AmericaFijiNavarino-IslandMagallanesPeruColombiaChileArgentinaBoliviaBogotáJunínCuscoHuánucoCundinamarcaSumapazPunasteppepeat-bogshallow-poolpuddlealtitude-3400-4900mL.-affinis-complexL.-bogotensis-complexL.-chilensisL.-affinisL.-obscurellusL.-noviaffinisL.-saratogaeL.-picinusL.-santarositaL.-alpinusL.-hauthiL.-rhigosL.-thespesiosGuignot-1939ZimmermannSharpLeConteSaySteinheilRégimbartBiströmMillerBalkeFranciscoloSanfilippoPederzaniNilssonYoungClarkHatchMannerheimCaseyAubéBalfour-BrowneBrinckPeschetSolierWhiteZootaxaZooKeysInsect-Systematics-&-EvolutionAnales-del-Instituto-de-la-PatagoniaPLoS-ONEGBIFiNaturalistCatalogue-of-LifeNCBI-TaxonomyBOLDBarcode-of-Life-Data-SystemCOImitochondrial-DNAphylogeographypopulation-structurerange-expansionlineagegenetic-structuresubspecieslectotypeneotypesynonymynew-speciesnew-subspeciesrevisionmorphometricsallometrybody-sizebody-shapeelytrapronotumstriaecolorationpunctationhabitusoccipital-linegenital-morphologyaedeagusparamerediagnosisidentification-keytype-localitytype-specimenetymologybionomicsnatural-historygeographic-distributiondistribution-mapNearcticNeotropicalPatagoniaCape-Horn-Biosphere-Reservedroughtclimate-changeenvironmental-changesentinel-speciesplasticityadaptationphenotypic-variationhydrological-landscapewater-permanencepoolbogAltiplanoAndeanhigh-elevationmontanealpineaquaticfreshwaterlenticloticinsectbeetleAdephagaLiodessusMegacraspedus
large twirler moths
Megacraspedus is a genus of small to medium-sized moths in the family Gelechiidae, commonly known as large twirler moths. The genus is primarily Palearctic in distribution and has undergone significant taxonomic revision, with 44 new species described in 2018 alone. Members are characterized by relatively short wings, protruding labial palps, and frequent female flightlessness. Many species inhabit high-elevation mountain habitats up to 3,000 meters.
Mesembrina latreillii
Mesembrina latreillii is a large, conspicuous muscid fly historically considered to have a broader distribution but now regarded as restricted to the Nearctic Region following taxonomic revision. The species belongs to a genus typically associated with boreal forests and high-elevation habitats in the Northern Hemisphere.
Mesoleiini
Darwin wasps
Mesoleiini is a tribe of approximately 600 described species within the subfamily Ctenopelmatinae (Ichneumonidae). Members are koinobiont endoparasitoids of larval sawflies (Symphyta), primarily associated with hosts in Tenthredinoidea. The tribe is predominantly distributed in Holarctic regions, with fewer species in Neotropical and Oriental regions.
Metaxmeste nubicola
The Tundra Moth
Metaxmeste nubicola is a species of moth in the family Crambidae, first described by Eugene G. Munroe in 1954. It is known from high-elevation localities in western North America, specifically Colorado and Washington. The species is associated with arctic-alpine environments, reflected in its common name 'The Tundra Moth'. As a member of the subfamily Odontiinae, it belongs to a group of small to medium-sized crambid moths.
Molytinae
Molytinae is a large and diverse subfamily of weevils (Curculionidae) described by Carl Johan Schönherr in 1823. The subfamily contains numerous tribes and genera distributed worldwide, with particularly high diversity in tropical and subtropical regions. Many Molytinae species are associated with specific host plants, including conifers, oaks, and various flowering plants. Some species are economically important as pests of forestry and agricultural crops, while others are restricted to specialized habitats such as leaf litter, caves, or high-elevation ecosystems. The subfamily has undergone significant taxonomic revision in recent decades, with many new species described particularly from Central America, Africa, and Asia.
Monoctonina
Monoctonina is a subtribe of aphid parasitoid wasps within the subfamily Aphidiinae (Braconidae). Members are small parasitic wasps that develop within aphid hosts, eventually killing them. The subtribe includes genera such as Monoctonus and Falciconus, with species documented from high-elevation mountain habitats in Europe and Asia.
Morsea kaibabensis
kaibab monkey grasshopper
Morsea kaibabensis is a species of monkey grasshopper in the family Eumastacidae, endemic to the Kaibab Plateau region of northern Arizona. The species was described by Rehn and Grant in 1958 and is one of few documented members of its genus. Monkey grasshoppers in this family are characterized by their distinctive body proportions and reduced wing development compared to typical grasshoppers.
Oeneis uhleri uhleri
Uhler's Arctic
Oeneis uhleri uhleri is a subspecies of Arctic butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It occurs in the western United States and Canada, inhabiting high-elevation mountain environments. Like other members of the genus Oeneis, it is associated with alpine and subalpine habitats. The species has been documented from the Rocky Mountain region northward into the Canadian prairie provinces.
Pardosa
Thin-legged Wolf Spiders
Pardosa is a large genus of wolf spiders comprising over 500 described species with worldwide distribution except Australia. These spiders are generally small to medium-sized (3–12 mm body length), characterized by long, thin legs with prominent perpendicular spines. They occupy diverse habitats including wetlands, woodlands, grasslands, and high-elevation environments. Many species exhibit sexual dimorphism in coloration, with mature males often displaying distinct patterns from females. Species identification requires microscopic examination of genitalia.
Patrobini
Patrobini is a tribe of ground beetles (Carabidae) established by Kirby in 1837. Members include subtribe Deltomerodina, which contains genera such as Deltomerodes characterized by slender medium-sized bodies (8.5–12.0 mm), dorsally pubescent tarsi, and distinctive genitalia morphology. The tribe occurs in alpine and high-elevation habitats across the Himalayas and adjacent regions.
Plagiognathus longipennis
Plagiognathus longipennis is a plant bug species in the family Miridae. It is found at higher elevations of western North America. The species measures 5 to 6 millimeters in length with a long, slender body form.
Platambus apache
Platambus apache is a predatory diving beetle endemic to high elevations in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. First described in 1981, this species exhibits unusual morphological adaptations for a dytiscid, including reduced swimming setae that suggest a primarily crawling rather than swimming lifestyle. Its restricted range and specific habitat requirements make it of conservation interest.
Plebejus glandon
Arctic Blue, Glandon Blue
Plebejus glandon, commonly known as the Arctic Blue or Glandon Blue, is a small lycaenid butterfly found in alpine and arctic regions of Europe. It is currently classified under the genus Agriades by some authorities, though historically placed in Plebejus. The species inhabits high-elevation habitats and has been documented across mountainous regions of central and southern Europe. Like other members of the Lycaenidae family, it likely engages in associations with ants, though specific behavioral details for this species are not well documented in the provided sources.
Sciophilinae
fungus gnats
Sciophilinae is a subfamily of fungus gnats within the family Mycetophilidae, comprising at least 40 genera and 340 described species. Members are found in humid environments, often associated with decaying wood and fungi. The subfamily has a global distribution with significant diversity in Neotropical, Nearctic, and Palearctic regions. Natural history information remains limited for most species.
Stenocorus copei
Stenocorus copei is a species of longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by Linsley and Chemsak in 1972. It belongs to the subfamily Lepturinae and tribe Rhagiini. The species is considered rare and has been collected in high-elevation coniferous forests of the southwestern United States. Field observations indicate it is attracted to sweet red wine-baited traps hung in Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) along the margins of alpine coniferous forest.
Tetracis montanaria
Tetracis montanaria is a recently described geometrid moth species known only from a restricted high-elevation range in southeastern Arizona. Described by Ferris in 2010, it represents one of three new species added to the genus during a major taxonomic revision that synonymized Synaxis with Tetracis. The species inhabits montane aspen-coniferous forests at elevations between 2,440 and 2,715 meters. Adults are active in early autumn, with flight records from early October and possibly late September.
Theridiosomatidae
ray orbweavers, ray spiders, slingshot spiders
Theridiosomatidae is a small family of orb-weaving spiders known for constructing distinctive cone-shaped or slingshot webs. The family comprises approximately 137 extant species in 20 genera, distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Members are commonly called "ray spiders" or "slingshot spiders" due to their unique web architecture where the web center is pulled back and anchored, then released to propel the spider toward prey. Most species are small, typically under 1 cm in body length. The family exhibits remarkable behavioral diversity in web construction, with some genera showing specialized adaptations including cave-dwelling and high-elevation habitat preferences.
Tricholita ferrisi
Tricholita ferrisi is a small noctuid moth described in 2009, known exclusively from two sky island localities in southeastern Arizona. The species occupies high-elevation coniferous forest habitats in the Madrean Sky Islands region. All known specimens were collected by light trap in late July, suggesting a narrow seasonal activity window.
Trimerotropis verruculata suffusa
Crackling Forest Grasshopper
Trimerotropis verruculata suffusa is a subspecies of bandwinged grasshopper in the family Acrididae, commonly known as the Crackling Forest Grasshopper. It belongs to the Oedipodinae subfamily, characterized by their ability to produce sound during flight. The subspecies designation indicates geographic variation within the broader species T. verruculata. Available records indicate presence across western North America including British Columbia, California, New Mexico, and Vermont.