Mate-choice
Guides
Korscheltellus gracilis
Conifer Swift Moth
Korscheltellus gracilis, the Conifer Swift Moth, is a hepialid moth native to eastern and central North America. Adults are active at dusk and exhibit a primitive mating system where males form aerial lek swarms to attract females. Larvae are root-feeders primarily associated with coniferous trees, particularly balsam fir and red spruce, though they can survive on deciduous hosts. The species is considered a forest pest due to larval damage to tree roots and associated pathogen entry points.
Parasitidae
predatory mites, bee mites, beetle mites
Parasitidae is a family of predatory mites in the order Mesostigmata, representing the sole family in the superfamily Parasitoidea. These mites are relatively large for their group, often appearing yellowish to dark brown in color. The family has worldwide distribution and contains approximately 400 species across 29 genera organized into two subfamilies: Pergamasinae (soil-dwelling, non-phoretic) and Parasitinae (nest-dwelling, phoretic deutonymphs). Members prey on diverse microarthropods and nematodes, with individual species typically exhibiting narrower prey ranges than the family as a whole.
Rhamphomyia
dance flies
Rhamphomyia is a large genus of dance flies (Empididae) comprising over 600 species arranged in 8 subgenera. The genus exhibits remarkable diversity in mating systems, including sex-role reversal where females compete for mates and males provide nuptial gifts. Several species display elaborate visual ornaments used in courtship, such as inflatable abdominal sacs and modified leg scales. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with particular diversity in the Holarctic region, including specialized radiations in arctic tundra environments.
Schizocosa mccooki
McCook's Split Wolf Spider
Schizocosa mccooki is a large wolf spider in the family Lycosidae, distributed across western North America from the Pacific coast to western Lake Erie. This species inhabits diverse open habitats including grasslands, chaparral, desert, and pinyon pine forests. Males produce complex vibratory courtship signals consisting of thumps and raps, with female mate choice influenced by male body mass and signal characteristics. Some populations have been observed digging burrows.
Timarcha
bloody-nosed beetles
Timarcha is a genus of flightless leaf beetles comprising over 100 species across three subgenera, with a disjunct distribution spanning the Mediterranean region and western North America. The genus exhibits several unusual traits for Chrysomelidae, including complete apterism (winglessness), fused elytra, and archaic genital morphology. All species are uniformly black and herbivorous, with host plant associations concentrated in Rubiaceae and Plumbaginaceae. The most familiar species is T. tenebricosa, commonly known as the bloody-nosed beetle, named for its defensive reflex bleeding behavior.