Litter-dwelling
Guides
Anillinus folkertsi
Anillinus folkertsi is a small ground beetle in the tribe Anillini (Carabidae), described from Alabama in 2004. Species in this genus are typically minute, eyeless or with reduced eyes, and adapted to life in soil and leaf litter habitats. The genus Anillinus is part of a diverse radiation of anilline ground beetles in eastern North America.
Anillinus folkertsioides
Anillinus folkertsioides is a small ground beetle species described in 2020 from Jackson County, Alabama. It is a litter-dwelling species, distinguishing it from the sympatric cave-dwelling Anillinus clinei found in the same county. The species belongs to the tribe Anillini, a group of minute carabid beetles often associated with subterranean or forest floor habitats. Its discovery brought the known Anillinus fauna of Alabama to twelve species.
Cephennium gallicum
Cephennium gallicum is a minute rove beetle in the subfamily Scydmaeninae, native to Europe and first recorded in North America in 2004 from Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, Nova Scotia. The species is believed to have been introduced via shipping activity at the port of Halifax. It represents one of several documented cases of Palearctic Coleoptera establishing populations in North American port cities.
Clambus howdeni
Clambus howdeni is a minute beetle species in the family Clambidae, first described by Endrödy-Younga in 1981. The species occurs in eastern North America, with confirmed records from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario in Canada. Like other members of the genus Clambus, it is among the smallest beetles, typically measuring only 1–2 mm in length. The species name honors Henry F. Howden, a prominent Canadian coleopterist.
Dryotribini
Dryotribini is a tribe of weevils within the subfamily Cossoninae of the family Curculionidae. The tribe contains approximately 60 described genera distributed across multiple continents. Members of this tribe are generally small, cryptic weevils associated with dead or decaying plant material. The group has been documented in both temperate and tropical regions, with notable diversity in the Pacific islands and New Zealand.
Holotrochus
Holotrochus is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Osoriinae, established by Erichson in 1839. Members of this genus are small to minute beetles characterized by reduced or absent eyes, a trait common among Osoriinae that inhabit soil and leaf litter environments. The genus is distinguished within Osoriini by particular arrangements of pronotal and elytral setae and specific configurations of the mouthparts. Species are found in various regions but detailed biological information remains limited for most taxa.
Marpissa lineata
Four-lined Slender Jumping Spider
Marpissa lineata is a small jumping spider in the family Salticidae, commonly known as the Four-lined Slender Jumping Spider. It is distinguished by distinctive banded markings on the abdomen and legs that give the species its name. Females are larger than males, measuring 3.50–5.20 mm versus 3.00–4.00 mm. The species is widely distributed across the eastern half of North America, where it inhabits leaf litter in forest, shrub, and prairie grass communities.
Nemastoma
harvestman
Nemastoma is a genus of small harvestmen (Opiliones) in the family Nemastomatidae, first described by C.L. Koch in 1836. Species in this genus are litter-dwelling arachnids found primarily in Eurasia, with some introduced populations in North America. The genus includes species complexes with notable morphological diversity, such as the N. bidentatum complex, which exhibits extensive subspecific differentiation and parapatric distribution patterns in Slovenia. Several species have been documented as introduced to North America, including N. bimaculatum, which has established populations in Canada.
Oreoneta
A genus of dwarf spiders (family Linyphiidae) established in 1894, comprising approximately 30 species distributed across cold-temperate and Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Most species inhabit high-latitude or high-altitude environments. The genus was revised extensively by Saaristo & Marusik in 2004, resulting in numerous new species descriptions.
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coarctata
Long-flange Millipede
Orthomorpha coarctata is a widely introduced millipede species in the family Paradoxosomatidae, commonly known as the long-flange millipede. Presumed native to Southeast Asia, it has established populations in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide through human-mediated transport. The species is notable for its distinctive elongated paranota (lateral keels) and unique male gonopod morphology. Some taxonomists have placed it in the monotypic genus Asiomorpha based on these reproductive structures.
Pacificanthia consors (LeConte, 1851)
brown leatherwing beetle
Pacificanthia consors, commonly known as the brown leatherwing beetle, is a soldier beetle (family Cantharidae) native to western North America. Adults are active in spring, particularly April and May, and are associated with plant litter habitats. The species exhibits predatory habits in both adult and larval stages.
Prolibia rufescens
Prolibia rufescens is a species of rove beetle (Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Osoriinae, described by Hatch in 1957. It is a small beetle with documented occurrences in western North America. The specific epithet "rufescens" refers to a reddish coloration. As a member of the Osoriinae, it belongs to a group of litter-dwelling rove beetles typically found in moist, decomposing organic matter.
Stygnommatidae
Stygnommatid Harvestmen
Stygnommatidae is a small family of harvestmen (Opiliones) in the infraorder Grassatores, containing approximately thirty described species. These arachnids are characterized by their compact body form, enlarged and armed pedipalps, and relatively short legs. They are primarily litter-dwelling inhabitants of Neotropical forests, with some species adapted to cave environments. The family's monophyly remains disputed among arachnologists.
Symphylella
Symphylella is a genus of symphylans in the family Scolopendrellidae, comprising approximately 49 cosmopolitan species of minute soil-dwelling arthropods. These myriapods inhabit soil and litter layers of broad-leaf and bamboo forests, where they are extracted using Berlese-Tullgren funnels. The genus is characterized by diagnostic morphological features including chaetotaxy patterns on the frons and tergites, with recent taxonomic work identifying two morphological groups based on inserted setae patterns on tergal processes.