Montane
Guides
Brachys cephalicus
Brachys cephalicus is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, first described by Schaeffer in 1909. The species is distributed across Central America and North America. Field observations from southeastern Arizona indicate adults are active in late spring (early June), where they have been collected by sweeping foliage of Quercus arizonica (Arizona white oak) and Quercus emoryi (Emory oak). Like other members of the genus Brachys, it is associated with oak foliage and appears to be most readily collected when host trees have freshly flushed new leaves.
Brachys floccosus
Brachys floccosus is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, originally described by Mannerheim in 1837. The species occurs in Central America and North America. Records indicate it has been collected from oak woodland habitats in montane regions of southeastern Arizona, specifically from Quercus hypoleucoides (silverleaf oak).
Bryolymnia ensina
Bryolymnia ensina is a small noctuid moth restricted to montane coniferous forests in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It was first described from Arizona in 1907 and remains one of the more narrowly distributed species in its genus. Adults fly during a brief mid-summer window, and the species is rarely encountered.
Bryolymnia semifascia
half-banded bryolymnia, half-banded bryolymnia moth
Bryolymnia semifascia, known as the half-banded bryolymnia, is a small noctuid moth native to the southwestern United States. First described by John Bernhardt Smith in 1900, this species inhabits conifer forests at moderate elevations. Adults are active during summer months and are characterized by a distinctive wing pattern featuring a partial band.
Bucrates weissmani
Weissman's Conehead
Bucrates weissmani is a katydid species in the conehead tribe Copiphorini, described by Walker in 2014. It occurs in restricted montane habitats in the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico. The species is known from limited collection records and iNaturalist observations.
Caelius montanus
Caelius montanus is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aegialiinae. It was originally described as Aegialia montana by Brown in 1931. The species is found in mountainous and northern regions of western North America, including Alaska, the western Canadian provinces, and the Rocky Mountain states of the United States. Like other members of the tribe Aegialiini, it is associated with sandy or loose soil habitats.
Calacanthia
Calacanthia is a genus of shore bugs in the family Saldidae, established by Reuter in 1891. The genus contains seven described species distributed across alpine and montane regions of Europe and Asia, including the Himalayas, Tibet, and Sichuan. Species in this genus are associated with high-elevation aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats. The genus is part of the tribe Saldoidini within the subfamily Saldinae.
Calliopsis subalpina
Calliopsis subalpina is a species of mining bee in the family Andrenidae, first described by Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell in 1894. As a member of the genus Calliopsis, it belongs to a group of small to medium-sized solitary bees that nest in the ground. The species occurs in Central America and North America, with records spanning from middle to high elevations. Like other Andrenidae, females construct individual burrows in soil to provision with pollen and nectar for their offspring.
Callophrys affinis affinis
Western Green Hairstreak, Immaculate Green Hairstreak
Callophrys affinis affinis, the western green hairstreak, is a subspecies of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It occurs in western North America, where adults have been observed in early summer. The subspecies is distinguished by its greenish wing coloration, typical of the green hairstreak group. Limited specific information exists for this subspecies separate from the broader species Callophrys affinis.
Callophrys sheridanii
Sheridan's Hairstreak, Sheridan's Green Hairstreak
A small, tail-less hairstreak butterfly with a wingspan of 20–24 mm, recognized by the characteristic straight white line crossing the underside of both wings. The species exhibits variable underside coloration from bright green to dark gray-green. It was designated the state butterfly of Wyoming in 2009. The species occupies a broad elevational range and shows significant geographic variation in wing pattern expression.
Campylomorphus
Campylomorphus is a monotypic genus of click beetles (Elateridae) containing a single species, Campylomorphus homalisinus. The genus is characterized by its rare orophilous (mountain-dwelling) habit and discontinuous distribution across southwestern Europe. Adults are small, flower-foraging beetles with generalist feeding strategies. The genus exhibits a fragmented geographic pattern hypothesized to reflect Pleistocene glaciation dynamics.
Carmenta giliae
Carmenta giliae is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae, described by Henry Edwards in 1881. It occurs in montane meadows of western North America, from Alberta and British Columbia south to Arizona and New Mexico. The species has a wingspan of approximately 25 mm. Larvae are root borers in wild Geranium species.
Carterocephalus skada
Western Arctic Skipper
Carterocephalus skada, commonly known as the Western Arctic Skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It belongs to the genus Carterocephalus, which includes several Arctic and subarctic skipper species. The species is part of a group of butterflies adapted to cooler climates and northern latitudes.
Catastia actualis
Catastia actualis is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by George Duryea Hulst in 1886. It is found in western North America, ranging from the Canadian prairies through the Rocky Mountains to the Sierra Nevada. Adults are active in early summer with a relatively narrow flight period.
Ceresini
Buffalo Treehoppers and allies
Ceresini is a tribe of treehoppers within the subfamily Smiliinae (family Membracidae). It is notable among smiliine tribes as the only one with Palaearctic representatives; most other Smiliinae tribes are restricted to the Americas. The tribe includes the genus Ceresa, known as buffalo treehoppers, as well as genera such as Ilithucia, which are primarily distributed across the Andean highlands of South America. Members of this tribe exhibit the characteristic enlarged and often elaborately modified pronotum typical of Membracidae.
Cerophytum
rare click beetles
Cerophytum is a genus of rare click beetles in the family Cerophytidae, established by Latreille in 1809. The genus contains at least four described species distributed across the Holarctic region (Europe, Asia, and North America). Members are characterized by their clicking mechanism, which represents convergent evolution with the true click beetles (Elateridae). A fifth species, Cerophytum lii, was described in 2025 from Yunnan Province, China, representing the first record of the family in that country.
Chalcolepidius apacheanus
Apache click beetle
Chalcolepidius apacheanus is a large click beetle (family Elateridae) native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The species belongs to a genus characterized by metallic coloration and substantial body size among click beetles. Field observations indicate adults are associated with dead or dying coniferous trees, particularly ponderosa pine, where they have been observed at the base of trunks and in association with wood-boring beetle galleries. The species is active during summer months in montane pine-oak woodlands.
Chelis beanii
Bean's Tiger Moth
Chelis beanii, known as Bean's Tiger Moth, is a small tiger moth species in the family Erebidae. First described by Berthold Neumoegen in 1891, it occurs in montane regions of western North America. The species was transferred from the genus Neoarctia to Chelis based on phylogenetic revisions of tiger moth genera.
Chelis brucei
Bruce's tiger moth
Chelis brucei, commonly known as Bruce's tiger moth, is a species of tiger moth in the family Erebidae. Described by Henry Edwards in 1888, this moth is restricted to mountainous regions of western North America. Adults are active during a brief flight period in mid-summer, while larvae have been documented feeding on a limited set of host plants. The species was transferred from the genus Neoarctia to Chelis as part of a broader taxonomic reorganization of tiger moth genera.
Chersotis
Chersotis is a genus of noctuid moths in the subfamily Noctuinae, established by Boisduval in 1840. The genus contains approximately 30 described species distributed primarily across the Palearctic region. Species are predominantly found in mountainous and northern European habitats. Many species were described during the 19th and early 20th centuries, with several taxa originally placed in other genera before reassignment.
Chionea alexandriana
snow fly
Chionea alexandriana is a wingless crane fly species in the family Limoniidae, commonly known as a snow fly. It is active during winter months on snow fields in western North American mountains. Adults are small, measuring 4-8 mm, and are distinguished from related species by specific morphological traits including short antennae and body coloration.
Chionea obtusa
Chionea obtusa is a wingless crane fly in the family Limoniidae, one of sixteen North American species in the genus Chionea commonly known as "snow flies." Described by George Byers in 1983, this species inhabits the Nearctic region of western North America. Like other Chionea species, adults are active during winter months and are adapted to cold environments, though specific biological details for C. obtusa remain largely unstudied.
Chloealtis
slant-faced grasshoppers
Chloealtis is a genus of slant-faced grasshoppers in the family Acrididae, containing approximately five described species. Species in this genus are associated with forested and mountainous habitats in western North America. The genus has been studied extensively for its unusual meiotic chromosome behavior, particularly regarding synaptonemal complex formation and nuclear envelope attachment during cell division.
Chlosyne damoetas
Rockslide Checkerspot
Chlosyne damoetas, commonly known as the Rockslide Checkerspot, is a butterfly species in the family Nymphalidae. It is native to western North America, where it inhabits rocky and montane environments. The species was originally described by Skinner in 1902 under the basionym Melitaea damoetas.
Choristoneura albaniana
Choristoneura albaniana is a tortricid moth first described by Francis Walker in 1863. The species occurs across boreal and montane regions of North America and the northern Palearctic. Larvae feed on Prunus pennsylvanica (pin cherry) and Larix species (larches), making it a conifer and hardwood specialist within its genus.
Choristostigma
Choristostigma is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae, established by Warren in 1892. The genus contains approximately ten described species distributed across North America, including C. roseopennalis, which has been documented at ultraviolet and mercury-vapor light traps in mountain oak woodland habitats. Species within this genus are small to medium-sized crambid moths, though detailed morphological and biological information remains limited in the published literature.
Chrysina
Jewel Scarabs
Chrysina is a genus of large, charismatic scarab beetles commonly known as jewel scarabs. Adults are noted for their brilliant metallic iridescence, with coloration ranging from silver and gold to green, blue, and purple. The genus contains approximately 100 species distributed from the southwestern United States through Mexico and Central America to northern South America. Adults are nocturnal and readily attracted to lights. Larvae develop in decaying wood.
Chrysobothris axillaris
Chrysobothris axillaris is a North American jewel beetle in the family Buprestidae. The species was described by Horn in 1886. Based on field observations in the Davis Mountains of Texas, adults have been collected from Quercus grisea (gray oak) with fresh foliage, suggesting an association with oak hosts. The species appears to be active in late spring to early summer.
Chrysobothris vulcanica
A metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, found in western North America. The species is named for its volcanic association, with records from volcanic regions of the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains. Like other members of the genus Chrysobothris, it develops in dead or dying wood, though specific host plant associations remain poorly documented compared to better-studied congeners.
Cicindela decemnotata montevolans
Cicindela decemnotata montevolans is a subspecies of the Badlands Tiger Beetle described in 2012 based on morphological and molecular evidence. It represents one of four subspecific entities recognized within C. decemnotata, a species that has undergone rapid phylogenetic radiation following glacial recession in the past 10,000 years. The subspecies occupies montane or high-elevation habitats within the broader range of the species, which extends across the Rocky Mountains from the northwestern Great Plains and northern Great Basin north to Yukon.
Clepsis anderslaneyii
Clepsis anderslaneyii is a small tortricid moth described in 2009 from montane regions of southeastern Arizona. The species is known from three mountain ranges at elevations between 1,490 and 1,770 meters. Adults fly during summer months, with records from July to August. The species name honors the marriage of Sara Anderson and Malcolm Slaney.
Clepsis moeschleriana
Clepsis moeschleriana is a small tortricid moth described by Maximilian Ferdinand Wocke in 1862. It occurs in alpine and subalpine environments across a disjunct distribution spanning Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and western North America from Alaska to Newfoundland. The species has a wingspan of 15–23 mm and is active during summer months, with flight periods varying by region. Larvae feed on Delphinium barbeyi, a larkspur species.
Coccinella alta
High-country Lady Beetle
Coccinella alta is a small lady beetle species in the family Coccinellidae, first described by W.J. Brown in 1962. It is native to western North America, with confirmed records from Alberta, Utah, Colorado, and California. Adults measure approximately 4.80–5.30 mm in length and display distinctive black and pale coloration patterns on the head, pronotum, and elytra. The species appears to be associated with high-elevation or montane habitats, as suggested by its specific epithet and common name.
Coccinella monticola
mountain lady beetle, Tamarack ladybug
Coccinella monticola is a species of lady beetle native to western North America, with disjunct populations in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. Adults measure 5.2 to 7 mm in length and are distinguished by two oval spots on each elytron plus a single spot behind the head. The species is known to occur in montane and northern forest habitats, including areas with tamarack (Larix laricina), which contributes to one of its common names. It can be confused with the similar Coccinella difficilis.
Colias christina
Christina Sulphur
Colias christina is a Pierid butterfly endemic to western North America, ranging from the Yukon and Northwest Territories south through the Canadian prairie provinces to the northern Rocky Mountain states of the United States. The species was named in 1863 by William Henry Edwards in honor of its first collector, Christina Ross. Adults display sexual dimorphism in wing coloration and are active from May through September.
Colias scudderii
Scudder's Sulphur, willow sulphur
Colias scudderii, commonly known as Scudder's Sulphur or the willow sulphur, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It inhabits mountain meadows and willow bogs across a broad elevational range from Alaska through the Rocky Mountains to northern New Mexico. The species has a wingspan of 38–51 mm and is active during summer months. Larvae feed exclusively on willow species (Salix), with later instars overwintering.
Colladonus waldanus
Colladonus waldanus is a leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, first described by Ball in 1903. It belongs to the genus Colladonus, a group of leafhoppers found primarily in North America. The species has been recorded from multiple Canadian provinces and U.S. states in western and north-central North America. Like other members of its family, it is a plant-feeding insect with piercing-sucking mouthparts.
Coloradia pandora davisi
Coloradia pandora davisi is a subspecies of giant silkmoth in the family Saturniidae, first described by Barnes and Benjamin in 1926. It represents the southernmost population of Coloradia pandora, distributed in Middle America and the southwestern United States. Like other Hemileucinae, adults do not feed and rely on fat reserves accumulated during the larval stage. The subspecies is distinguished from the nominate form by geographic range and subtle morphological differences.
Compsocryptus resolutus
Compsocryptus resolutus is a species of ichneumon wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. It belongs to a genus of parasitoid wasps that target lepidopteran hosts. The species was described by Cresson in 1879. Very few observations exist, with records limited to specific locations in western Canada.
Cremastocheilus armatus montanus
Cremastocheilus armatus montanus is a subspecies of anteater scarab beetle, a myrmecophilous beetle that lives within ant colonies. Adults and larvae are predators of ant brood, feeding on ant larvae and pupae. The subspecies occurs in western North America at higher elevations, with records from montane regions of California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and British Columbia. Like other members of the genus, it exhibits specialized morphological adaptations for life within ant nests, including a heavily armored exoskeleton and modified mouthparts for piercing ant larvae.
Cryphoeca montana
Cryphoeca montana is a species of true spider in the family Cybaeidae, originally described by Emerton in 1909. It is a nocturnal spider belonging to the subfamily Cryphoecinae, which was historically classified within the family Hahniidae. The species occurs in forested habitats of the United States and Canada, where it has been documented from under bark on dead trees, in leaf litter, moss, and beneath stones.
Cryptomaster
daddy longlegs
Cryptomaster is a genus of armoured harvestmen (Opiliones) in the family Cryptomastridae, established in 1969 and containing two described species: C. leviathan and C. behemoth. Both species are endemic to the mountains of southwest Oregon and represent short-range endemic arachnids. The genus remained understudied for decades until 2016, when expanded distributional records of C. leviathan prompted discovery of the second species. These harvestmen belong to the suborder Laniatores, characterized by relatively short legs and cryptic habits in forest floor habitats.
Cucullia montanae
Mountain Hooded Owlet Moth
Cucullia montanae, commonly known as the mountain hooded owlet moth, is a species of noctuid moth found in North America. The species was described by Grote in 1882 and belongs to the subfamily Cuculliinae. It is recorded from western Canada including Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The common name references both its mountainous distribution and the characteristic hooded appearance of Cucullia larvae.
Cyrtopogon albifacies
Cyrtopogon albifacies is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, described by Johnson in 1942. The specific epithet "albifacies" refers to the white face, a distinctive morphological feature. As a member of the genus Cyrtopogon, it shares the general robber fly habit of being an aerial predator of other insects. The species has been documented in Colorado, including during bioblitz surveys at Blodgett Peak Open Space.
Cyrtopogon dasylloides
Cyrtopogon dasylloides is a species of robber fly (family Asilidae) described by Samuel Wendell Williston in 1883. It belongs to the genus Cyrtopogon, a group of medium-sized robber flies found primarily in North America. The species is documented in Colorado, where it has been observed in foothill and montane habitats. Like other asilids, it is a predatory insect that captures prey in flight.
Dasycerus unicoi
Dasycerus unicoi is a species of rove beetle in the subfamily Dasycerinae, a small group of beetles characterized by their distinctive compact, rounded body form that differs markedly from the typically elongate shape of most staphylinids. The species epithet 'unicoi' references the Unicoi Mountains, part of the southern Appalachian range in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. This beetle is associated with high-elevation forest habitats in the Great Smoky Mountains region.
Decticita
shield-backed katydids
Decticita is a genus of shield-backed katydids in the family Tettigoniidae, established by Hebard in 1939. The genus contains at least three described species distributed in western North America, particularly California. Members are characterized by their reduced or modified forewings and shield-like pronotum typical of the shield-backed katydid group. The genus name reflects its relationship to the broader Decticinae group within Tettigoniidae.
Delomeristini
Delomeristini is a tribe of ichneumonid wasps within the subfamily Pimplinae. The tribe comprises approximately ten species in Europe, including genera such as Atractogaster, Delomerista, and Perithous. These wasps are parasitoids, with females using their elongated ovipositors to access hosts concealed in wood or other substrates.
Diarsia calgary
Calgary Dart
Diarsia calgary, commonly known as the Calgary Dart, is a noctuid moth described by Smith in 1898. It is a medium-sized moth with a wingspan of approximately 30 mm. The species occupies a broad elevational range across western North America, from subarctic Yukon through mountainous regions to the southwestern United States.
Diarsia dislocata
Dislocated Dart
Diarsia dislocata, commonly known as the Dislocated Dart, is a noctuid moth species described by Smith in 1904. It occurs across boreal and montane regions of North America, with a transcontinental Canadian distribution and scattered records in Alaska, Washington, and Colorado. The species belongs to the diverse genus Diarsia, which contains numerous similar-looking dart moths. Its common name likely refers to a distinctive wing pattern feature that separates it from congeners.