Louisiana
Guides
Amblycorypha cajuni
Cajun round-headed katydid
Amblycorypha cajuni is a species of round-headed katydid (bush-cricket) in the family Tettigoniidae, described by Walker in 2004. Like other members of its genus, it possesses remarkable leaf-mimicking camouflage with wing venation that closely resembles leaf veins. The species is known from the Gulf Coast region of the United States, specifically Louisiana and Mississippi. As with related Amblycorypha species, males produce courtship songs using stridulatory organs on their forewings, and females detect these songs through tympanal organs located on their forelegs.
Archips goyerana
baldcypress leafroller, BCLR
Archips goyerana, the baldcypress leafroller, is a tortricid moth native to the Gulf Coast region of the United States. The species has undergone significant range expansion since 1983, spreading from forested wetlands in southern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi. Larvae are specialized herbivores of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) and have been identified as a serious pest of this tree species, particularly in restoration plantings.
Atopetholus angelus
Atopetholus angelus is a millipede species in the family Atopetholidae, described by Chamberlin in 1920. It belongs to the order Spirobolida, a group of large, cylindrical millipedes commonly known as giant millipedes or round-backed millipedes. The species has been recorded in North America, with specific locality data indicating presence in Louisiana, United States. Very little detailed biological information has been published for this species.
Atta texana
Texas Leafcutter Ant, Town Ant, Parasol Ant, Fungus Ant, Cut Ant, Night Ant
Atta texana is a fungus-farming leafcutter ant and the northernmost species in the genus Atta, distributed across Texas, Louisiana, and northeastern Mexico. Colonies are large and polygynous, containing several queens and up to several million workers. Foragers harvest leaf material from over 200 plant species to cultivate symbiotic fungus gardens, making this species a significant agricultural and ornamental pest capable of defoliating a citrus tree within 24 hours.
Colaspis louisianae
Colaspis louisianae is a leaf beetle species in the family Chrysomelidae, distributed in Texas and Louisiana. According to Chapin (1979), it is the most common species of the genus Colaspis in field crops in Louisiana. It is morphologically similar to Colaspis brunnea, requiring careful examination for identification.
Diceroprocta delicata
Delicate Flag-Bearer
A small cicada species in the family Cicadidae, Diceroprocta delicata occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of the southern United States and Mexico. Like other Diceroprocta species, it produces sound using tymbal organs. The specific epithet 'delicata' suggests relatively small or slender proportions compared to congeners. Available records indicate it is an 'annual' cicada with staggered generations rather than synchronized periodic emergence.
Dromochorus pilatei
Cajun Tiger Beetle, Cajun Dromo Tiger Beetle
Dromochorus pilatei is a species of tiger beetle in the family Cicindelidae, commonly known as the Cajun Tiger Beetle. It is endemic to a restricted range in the south-central United States, specifically Texas and Louisiana. The species belongs to the genus Dromochorus, a group of flightless, fast-running tiger beetles that inhabit open, eroded clay and loam habitats. Like congeners, it is likely secretive and easily overlooked due to its rapid movements and tendency to seek cover in vegetation or soil cracks.
Euclemensia barksdalensis
Euclemensia barksdalensis is a micro-moth in the family Cosmopterigidae, described from Louisiana in 2011. The species is named for Barksdale Air Force Base, its type locality. Sexual dimorphism in forewing length has been documented, with males slightly larger than females. This species belongs to a genus whose members are associated with scale insects.
Euparixia moseri
Euparixia moseri is a species of aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It was described by Woodruff and Cartwright in 1967. The species is known from North America, with records from Louisiana. As a member of the Aphodiinae, it is associated with dung decomposition.
Friseria acaciella
Friseria acaciella is a small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of approximately 13 mm. The species is distinguished by its dark purple forewings with a distinctive yellowish-white quadrangular spot and contrasting lighter apex. It occurs in Mexico and the southern United States, with larvae that feed specifically on Acacia farnesiana.
Lissohypnus texanus
Lissohypnus texanus is a rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) described by Casey in 1906. It belongs to the tribe Xantholinini within the subfamily Staphylininae. The species is known from scattered records in the southern United States and Mexico. Like other staphylinids, it likely inhabits moist terrestrial environments where it functions as a predator or scavenger, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Listronotus dietzi
Listronotus dietzi is a species of underwater weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It was described by O'Brien in 1979. The species is known from a very limited geographic range, with records restricted to Louisiana in the United States. Very little is known about its biology or ecology.
Megamelus toddi
Megamelus toddi is a species of delphacid planthopper in the family Delphacidae, described by Beamer in 1955. The genus Megamelus comprises small planthoppers primarily associated with wetland and aquatic habitats, with many species feeding on monocotyledonous plants. Megamelus toddi is known from the southeastern United States, specifically recorded from Florida and Louisiana. Like other members of its genus, it is likely associated with emergent aquatic vegetation, though specific host plant records for this species are not well documented in the available literature.
Minuca longisignalis
longwave gulf fiddler, Gulf Marsh Fiddler Crab
Minuca longisignalis, formerly Uca longisignalis, is a fiddler crab endemic to Gulf of Mexico salt marshes. It exhibits striking reproductive seasonality characteristic of warm-temperate lineages, with ovigerous females appearing no earlier than April and peak ovigery in June. The species constructs burrows in vegetated marsh areas, with burrow density and depth varying by elevation and distance from shoreline. It co-occurs with congeners such as Uca spinicarpa, though shows substrate preferences for different clay compositions.
Oopterinus distinctus
Oopterinus distinctus is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae, described by O'Brien in 1985. The species was initially known from only four counties in Arkansas at its discovery but has since been documented in additional counties in Arkansas as well as Louisiana and Alabama by 2016. As a member of the diverse Curculionidae family, it belongs to one of the largest groups of beetles, though specific ecological details remain limited.
Phytocoris taxodii
Phytocoris taxodii is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, described by Knight in 1926. It is a member of the large genus Phytocoris, which contains numerous plant-feeding species. Very little specific information is available for this particular species beyond its original description and basic taxonomic placement.
Poecilonota thureura
Poecilonota thureura is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. The species is found in North America, with records from Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan) and the United States. It has been collected as prey by the biosurveillance wasp Cerceris fumipennis, which specializes in capturing buprestid beetles. The species is considered uncommon in collections.
Polistes bahamensis
Bahamian Paper Wasp
Polistes bahamensis is a large, colorful paper wasp native to the Bahamas, with populations also established in Florida, Louisiana, and coastal areas of the southeastern United States. First described in 1931, this species has undergone extensive taxonomic revision, having been treated as varieties of P. exclamans before being re-elevated to full species status in 1983. It builds characteristic umbrella-shaped paper nests suspended by a stalk, typically under building eaves or palm fronds. The species is notable for its taxonomic complexity, with three originally described color varieties based on geographic distribution within the Bahamas.
Rhyssa howdenorum
Rhyssa howdenorum is an ichneumonid wasp that parasitizes Sirex nigricornis, a siricid woodwasp pest of pine trees. It was described by Townes in 1960 and has been studied in central Louisiana pine plantations. The species has a single generation per year, with adults emerging from infested loblolly pine logs between mid-August and early November. It serves as a biological control agent against its host, which damages pine timber.
Samea multiplicalis
salvinia stem-borer moth
Samea multiplicalis is an aquatic moth native to the Americas, ranging from the southern United States to Argentina, and introduced to Australia in 1981 as a biological control agent for invasive water ferns. Adults are small, tan moths with darker wing markings and a wingspan of approximately 20 mm. The species completes its entire life cycle on or near aquatic host plants, with larvae feeding internally on stems and externally on leaves, often causing plant death. High rates of parasitism by native wasps and flies limit its effectiveness as a weed control agent in introduced ranges.
Sanctanus fusconotatus
Sanctanus fusconotatus is a species of leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, subfamily Deltocephalinae. It was described by Osborn in 1922. The species belongs to the genus Sanctanus, a group of small, active insects commonly associated with grasses and herbaceous vegetation. Very little specific information is documented about the biology or ecology of this particular species.
Telenomus calvus
Telenomus calvus is a phoretic egg parasitoid of the spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris. Females exhibit a distinctive riding behavior, attaching to host bodies at 25 different locations with preference for the pronotum and femurs, using hypertrophied arolia for secure attachment. They dismount specifically during host oviposition to parasitize egg masses. The species has a relatively low fecundity of approximately 22 progeny per female, with female production peaking early in life and declining rapidly, while male production remains low and constant.
Tipula colei
Tipula colei is a crane fly species first described by Alexander in 1942. It belongs to the subgenus Triplicitipula within the large genus Tipula. The species has been documented from residential areas in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is distributed across parts of the eastern United States and Mexico. Detailed behavioral studies reveal complex male genital courtship functions involving rhythmic stimulation of females during extended copulation periods lasting approximately three hours.