Monsoon-active
Guides
Acanthocephala thomasi
giant agave bug
Acanthocephala thomasi, commonly known as the giant agave bug, is a large leaf-footed bug in the family Coreidae. The species occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Despite its common name, observations indicate it utilizes multiple host plants including Baccharis sarothroides (desert broom), not exclusively agave species.
Acmaeodera
Acmaeodera is a large genus of jewel beetles (family Buprestidae) with over 150 species in North America, reaching greatest diversity in the desert southwest and Mexico. Adults are metallic, often with distinctive color patterns, and are frequently observed visiting flowers to feed on pollen. The genus is distinguished by unique flight morphology: elytra are fused along the midline and remain closed during flight, functioning as a protective shield over the abdomen while only the hindwings provide propulsion. This trait, combined with abdominal banding in many species, creates a wasp-like appearance in flight and has led to recognition of several species as hymenopteran mimics. Larvae are wood-borers in twigs and branches of various woody plants.
Buprestidaejewel-beetlesmetallic-wood-boring-beetlesflower-visitorspollen-feederselytra-fusionflight-morphologyhymenopteran-mimicrywood-borersNorth-AmericaMexicoArizonaTexasCaliforniaNew-MexicoOklahomaAlbertaAsteraceaeCercocarpusspring-activemonsoon-activefall-activetaxonomically-difficultcollector's-itemdiurnalCerceris-preyDendrobias mandibularis
Long-jawed Longhorn Beetle
Dendrobias mandibularis is a species of longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae) described by Dupont in 1834. The species is notable for its enlarged mandibles, particularly in males. It has been collected in desert thorn-scrub habitats in Arizona and is associated with Baccharis sarothroides vegetation. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in mandible development, with major males possessing substantially enlarged jaws.
Leptinotarsa lineolata
Burrobrush Leaf Beetle
Leptinotarsa lineolata is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, closely related to the Colorado Potato Beetle. Adults measure 7-8 millimeters and display distinctive coloration: metallic green head and thorax with ivory elytra marked by black streaks. The species is a specialist herbivore, feeding exclusively on Burrobrush (Hymenoclea monogyra). Populations become abundant following summer monsoon rains, typically in early to mid-July.