Montane
Guides
Platypedia putnami keddiensis
Putnam's Cicada
Platypedia putnami keddiensis is a subspecies of Putnam's cicada, a small, slender, hairy black cicada with orange highlights and a distinctive orange pronotal collar. Unlike most cicadas, males lack timbal organs and instead produce sound through crepitation—snapping their wings together or against vegetation to create a subtle tick-ticking noise. This subspecies occurs in western North America at elevations around 6,000 feet, primarily in evergreen forest understory. Both sexes can produce sound through this wing-snapping mechanism, potentially enabling two-way acoustic communication.
Plebejus idas aster
Idas Blue, Northern Blue
Plebejus idas aster is a subspecies of the Idas Blue butterfly, a small lycaenid found in North America. It belongs to a complex of closely related blue butterflies that have been subject to taxonomic revision, with this subspecies sometimes treated under the genus Lycaena. The species is associated with open habitats and has documented relationships with host plants and ants.
Podismini
spur-throated grasshoppers
Podismini is a tribe of spur-throated grasshoppers within the subfamily Melanoplinae of the family Acrididae. It is distinguished from other Melanoplinae tribes by a cosmopolitan northern hemisphere distribution, with substantial representation outside the Americas. The tribe comprises approximately 12 genera and at least 20 described species, organized into four subtribes (Miramellina, Podismina, Tonkinacridina) and one genus group (Bradynotae). Members are characterized by winglessness or reduced wings in many species, particularly in montane and temperate lineages.
Polites sonora
Sonoran skipper, western long dash
Polites sonora is a small skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae found along the Pacific coast of North America. It has a wingspan of 25–27 mm and exhibits one generation annually in Canada, flying from mid-July to mid-August. Research indicates this species overwinters as eggs, with snowpack providing insulating protection that positively influences adult emergence success. Climate change poses significant threats through warming winters and reduced snow cover.
Polygonia gracilis
Hoary Comma
Polygonia gracilis, commonly known as the Hoary Comma, is a butterfly species widespread across boreal North America. It inhabits forested and mountainous regions from Alaska and Canada southward through the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico and the Pacific coast. The species is recognized by its distinctive wing shape with ragged, notched margins. Adults are known to overwinter, allowing for early spring activity in suitable habitats.
Prasinalia
Prasinalia is a genus of jewel beetles (family Buprestidae) established by Casey in 1909. The genus contains at least two recognized species: Prasinalia cuneata (Horn, 1868) and Prasinalia imperialis (Barr, 1969). Based on field observations by buprestid specialists, species in this genus are considered significant finds for collectors and are associated with western North American habitats, particularly in southern California and the southwestern United States.
Prophalangopsidae
grigs, primitive katydids
Prophalangopsidae is the sole extant family of the ancient superfamily Hagloidea (Orthoptera). The family comprises a small number of relict species in North America and Asia, alongside numerous extinct genera known from Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits. Extant members are known as "grigs" in North America. The family diverged from its closest living relatives, the katydids (Tettigoniidae), over 230 million years ago during the Permian, making it one of the most phylogenetically isolated orthopteran lineages. Fossil evidence documents substantial diversity during the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, with sparse records thereafter.
Prumnacris rainierensis
Cascade Timberline Grasshopper
Prumnacris rainierensis, commonly known as the Cascade Timberline Grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper endemic to the Pacific Northwest United States. The species is distinguished by its association with high-elevation timberline habitats, particularly in the Cascade Range. It belongs to the subfamily Melanoplinae, a diverse group of grasshoppers often associated with montane and alpine environments.
Pseudeva palligera
Western Unspotted Looper
Pseudeva palligera is a noctuid moth of western North America, occurring from British Columbia and Alberta south through California. It is a member of the looper moth group within subfamily Plusiinae. The species is characterized by relatively small size and unspotted wing patterning that distinguishes it from related taxa. Adults are attracted to light and have been documented in diverse habitats including montane areas and riparian zones.
Pseudeva purpurigera
Western Straight-lined Looper, Straight-lined Looper Moth
Pseudeva purpurigera, the Western Straight-lined Looper, is a noctuid moth found across western and eastern North America. Adults display distinctive thoracic and abdominal tufts that give a 'mohawk' appearance. The species has one generation annually, with adults active in mid-summer.
Psorthaspis portiae
Psorthaspis portiae is a species of spider wasp in the family Pompilidae, first described by Rohwer in 1921. The species has been documented in the southwestern United States, with specific observations in Arizona. As a member of the genus Psorthaspis, it belongs to a group of wasps known for hunting spiders to provision their nests. The species is recognized by its distinctive coloration, featuring a black body with bright orange thorax and whitish abdominal apex.
Psychomastax
monkey grasshoppers
Psychomastax is a genus of monkey grasshoppers in the family Eumastacidae, first described by Rehn and Hebard in 1918. The genus contains at least four described species distributed in arid regions of the western United States, primarily California and Nevada. These grasshoppers are characterized by their distinctive morphology typical of Eumastacidae, which are known for their jumping ability and often colorful appearance. The genus name reflects their placement within the Psychomastacini tribe.
Puto
giant mealybugs, Puto scale insects
Puto is a genus of scale insects in the family Putoidae, commonly known as giant mealybugs. The genus was established by Signoret in 1875 and is distinguished by its large body size relative to other mealybugs, dense white wax coating, and distinctive morphological features including cerarii and multilocular disc-pores. Putoidae is recognized as a distinct family separate from Pseudococcidae, representing a transitional evolutionary group between archaeococcoids and neococcoids. Species in this genus are primarily associated with woody host plants in temperate and montane regions.
Pyla rainierella
Pyla rainierella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. It was described by Harrison G. Dyar in 1904. The species is known from the Pacific Northwest region of North America, with the type locality associated with Mount Rainier in Washington State. Very few observations of this species have been documented.
Pyrgus centaureae
Northern Grizzled Skipper
A skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae, found in mountainous regions of Scandinavia. Adults fly in June and July. The species has been documented to switch larval foodplants between years of development.
Pyrgus ruralis
Two-banded Checkered-Skipper, Two-banded Checkered Skipper
Pyrgus ruralis is a small skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae, commonly known as the two-banded checkered skipper. It occurs across western North America from southern British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains south to central California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. The species has one generation annually, with adults active from April to July. A federally endangered subspecies, P. r. lagunae (Laguna Mountains skipper), persists in a restricted range in the mountains east of San Diego, California.
Rhyacophilidae
Free-living Caddisflies
Rhyacophilidae is a family of caddisflies (Trichoptera) commonly known as free-living caddisflies. Larvae are distinctive for not constructing portable cases, instead living freely on substrates in freshwater habitats. Most species are predatory. The family contains over 700 described species, with the genus Rhyacophila alone comprising approximately 500 species distributed primarily across the Northern Hemisphere.
Rindgea subterminata
Rindgea subterminata is a species of geometrid moth in the family Geometridae, described by Barnes and McDunnough in 1913. It belongs to the genus Rindgea, a group of North American moths characterized by relatively plain, grayish-brown coloration and subtle wing patterns. The species is known from western North America, where adults are active during the summer months.
Saphenista
Saphenista is a genus of tortricid moths established by Walsingham in 1914. It belongs to the tribe Cochylini within the subfamily Tortricinae. Species in this genus are primarily distributed in the Neotropical region, with documented occurrences in Central and South America including Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico. The genus is part of a diverse radiation of Cochylini in montane habitats.
Saphenista bartellae
Saphenista bartellae is a small tortricid moth described in 2019. The species occurs in two disjunct populations: a coastal California population found at low elevations, and a montane population ranging from British Columbia through the Sierra Nevada to the Rocky Mountains. Adults fly in mid-summer at high elevations but in autumn along the coast. The species is known from relatively few collections.
Scaphinotus debilis
weakly thorax snail-eating beetle
Scaphinotus debilis is a ground beetle in the family Carabidae, placed in the tribe Cychrini. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States, with records from Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Two subspecies are recognized: the nominate S. d. debilis and S. d. alpinus, the latter restricted to high-elevation areas of North Carolina. Like other members of its genus, it is a specialized predator of land snails.
Scaphinotus interruptus
Ménétriés' snail-eating beetle, Menetries' Snail-eating Beetle
Scaphinotus interruptus is a species of ground beetle in the tribe Cychrini, commonly known as Ménétriés' snail-eating beetle. Adults are flightless due to reduced wings (brachyptery) and are specialized predators of terrestrial snails. The species is endemic to mountainous regions of the western United States, specifically California and Oregon.
Scaphinotus johnsoni
Johnson's Snail-eating Beetle
Scaphinotus johnsoni is a large ground beetle in the subfamily Carabinae, commonly known as the snail-eating beetles. It is native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, where it inhabits coniferous forests in montane and subalpine zones. Adults are brachypterous (short-winged), flightless, and nocturnal, with gregarious tendencies. As a member of the genus Scaphinotus, it is presumed to be a molluscivore, using its elongated jaws to extract snails from their shells.
Scaphinotus oreophilus
mountain loving snail-eating beetle
Scaphinotus oreophilus is a large ground beetle in the subfamily Carabinae, commonly known as the mountain loving snail-eating beetle. Adults are brachypterous (short-winged), rendering them flightless. The species belongs to a group of "snail hunters" characterized by robust bodies and prominent, sculptured mandibles adapted for crushing mollusk shells. It occurs in montane regions of the western United States.
Scaphinotus relictus
Relic Snail-eating Beetle, rilictual snail-eating beetle
Scaphinotus relictus is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae, commonly known as the Relic Snail-eating Beetle. This species is found in western North America, with records from Alberta and British Columbia in Canada southward through Idaho, Montana, Washington, and California in the United States. It inhabits deciduous, mixed, and coniferous forest habitats. Adults are brachypterous (short-winged) and nocturnal in their activity patterns.
Scaralina
Scaralina is a genus of planthoppers in the family Fulgoridae described in 2024. The genus contains 15 species distributed from Idaho to Panama, with most species occurring at elevations above 1000 meters. Adults are strongly attracted to blacklights and are most diverse in the Madrean Sky Islands bioregion.
Scaralina aethrinsula
Scaralina aethrinsula is a planthopper species in the family Fulgoridae, described in 2024. It was formerly confused with three related species under the misapplied name Alphina glauca. The species occupies montane habitats across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it is associated with oak woodlands.
Scaralina cristata
Scaralina cristata is a planthopper species in the family Fulgoridae, distinguished by its association with oak habitats at higher elevations. It occurs from Arizona south through the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico, overlapping in range with congeners S. aethrinsula and S. metcalfi. Adults are readily attracted to blacklights, facilitating detection and study. The species was formally described in 2024, resolving decades of taxonomic confusion under the misapplied name Alphina glauca.
Schinia villosa
Little Dark Gem
Schinia villosa, commonly known as the Little Dark Gem, is a small noctuid moth first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1864. It is primarily a western North American species associated with montane habitats, though its range extends eastward across the Canadian prairies. The species exhibits the typical Schinia trait of flower-visiting behavior, with adults active in mid-summer and larvae feeding on Asteraceae hosts.
Sclerobunus
harvestman
Sclerobunus is a genus of harvestmen (Opiliones: Laniatores) endemic to western North America. The genus was revised in 2014, which elevated several former subspecies to species rank, described five new species, and synonymized Cyptobunus under Sclerobunus. Species in this genus are primarily montane and show strong phylogeographic structure consistent with persistence in isolated mountain refugia during glacial cycles.
Sclerobunus robustus
Sclerobunus robustus is a montane-restricted harvestman species occurring in the southwestern United States. A 2014 taxonomic revision elevated two former subspecies (S. glorietus and S. idahoensis) to full species status. Population genomic research has identified multiple Pliocene-era refugia in the Southern Rocky Mountains and Intermontane Plateau, with genetically distinct clades showing patterns of isolation by distance in continuous mountain habitats and isolation by environment in isolated sky island populations.
Scopula fuscata
Scopula fuscata is a moth in the family Geometridae, first described by George Duryea Hulst in 1887. It is distributed across western North America from southwestern Saskatchewan through British Columbia and southward to California and Arizona. The species inhabits montane environments including foothill regions. Adults have a wingspan of 24–28 mm.
Scopula luteolata
Scopula luteolata is a small moth in the family Geometridae, subfamily Sterrhinae. It is restricted to western North America, occurring in montane habitats from southwestern Canada through the western United States. The species is associated with forest edge and opening habitats in mountainous regions. Adults have a wingspan of 23–26 mm. Like other geometrid moths, its larvae are likely 'inchworm' type caterpillars, though specific host plant associations remain poorly documented.
Scopula siccata
Scopula siccata is a species of geometrid moth first described by James Halliday McDunnough in 1939. It occurs in mountainous regions of western North America, inhabiting dry slopes at moderate to high elevations. The species has a relatively restricted distribution spanning from northern Colorado northward through Wyoming, western Montana, and Idaho to southern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta. Adults have a wingspan of 23–24 mm. Like other members of the genus Scopula, the larvae are likely inchworm-type caterpillars, though specific host plant associations remain undocumented.
Semioscopis
Semioscopis is a genus of small moths in the family Depressariidae, comprising approximately 14 valid species distributed across the Palearctic and Nearctic regions. The genus was established by Hübner in 1825 and is currently classified in the subfamily Depressariinae. Species are distinguished primarily by genitalia morphology and grouped into seven species-level clades based on phylogenetic analysis of COI gene sequences. A new species, S. sinicella, was described in 2025 from montane habitat in central China.
Serica anthracina
Serica anthracina is a small scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by LeConte in 1856. Adults measure 5–8.5 mm in length and exhibit variable coloration ranging from uniform testaceous to black. The species is distributed across western North America, from the Canadian prairies through the Rocky Mountain region to the Pacific coast.
Siederia
Siederia is a genus of small bagworm moths in the family Psychidae, established by Meier in 1953. The genus was erected to accommodate species previously placed in the large, polyphyletic 'wastebin genus' Solenobia, which is now recognized as a junior synonym of Taleporia. Siederia species are classified in the subfamily Naryciinae, though some authorities place them in Taleporiinae if Naryciinae is not considered sufficiently distinct. The genus contains approximately eight described species distributed primarily in the Palearctic region.
Sparganothoides
Sparganothoides is a New World genus of tortricid moths established in 1986, containing 32 described species. The genus exhibits greatest species diversity at middle elevations from central and southern Mexico through Costa Rica. A 2009 systematic revision organized species into six monophyletic groups based primarily on male genitalia morphology. Biological data remain limited, derived mainly from laboratory rearings of eight species.
Sparganothoides hydeana
Sparganothoides hydeana is a tortricid moth described by Klots in 1936. It belongs to the Hydeana Group, one of six monophyletic species groups recognized in the genus Sparganothoides. The species occurs in montane regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Speyeria carolae
Carole's fritillary
Speyeria carolae, known as Carole's fritillary, is a brush-footed butterfly endemic to the Charleston Mountains of Clark County, Nevada. Described in 1942 by dos Passos and Grey, this species is notable for its extremely restricted range, having been recorded only from this single mountain range. Adults fly from mid-June to September in a single annual generation. The species is closely associated with Viola charlestonensis, which serves as the sole known larval host plant.
Speyeria egleis
Great Basin fritillary, egleis fritillary
Speyeria egleis is a medium-sized fritillary butterfly native to western North America. Adults are active from late June through August and inhabit mountain meadows, forest openings, and exposed rocky ridges. The species exhibits strong fidelity to Viola species as larval host plants. Multiple subspecies have been described across its range, reflecting geographic variation in morphology and distribution.
Speyeria hesperis irene
Speyeria hesperis irene is a subspecies of the Hesperis fritillary, a North American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It belongs to the greater fritillary group within the genus Speyeria, which are medium to large butterflies with characteristic silver spots on the undersides of their wings. The subspecies designation indicates geographic variation within the broader species S. hesperis. Like other Speyeria species, it is associated with violets (Viola spp.) as larval host plants. GBIF currently lists this taxon as a synonym of Speyeria atlantis, reflecting ongoing taxonomic revision in this complex group.
Speyeria mormonia
Mormon fritillary
Speyeria mormonia, commonly known as the Mormon fritillary, is a small montane butterfly distributed across western North America from the Yukon to California and Nevada. The species exhibits extreme protandry, with males emerging at least two weeks before females, leading to skewed adult sex ratios toward males. It occupies diverse habitats including rocky mountainsides, meadows, grasslands, and forest clearings, with populations typically occurring in small, semi-isolated patches. Multiple subspecies have been described, reflecting the species' broad geographic range and high genetic variability.
Sphaeroderma
Sphaeroderma is a genus of flea beetles (Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) comprising approximately 250 species distributed across the Old World. Members of this genus are small leaf beetles characterized by enlarged hind femora adapted for jumping. The genus has been subject to taxonomic revision, with new species continuing to be described from montane regions.
Sphodrini
Sphodrini is a tribe of ground beetles in the family Carabidae, subfamily Platyninae. The tribe comprises more than 30 genera and at least 910 described species. Members of this tribe exhibit considerable diversity in geographic distribution, ranging from the Himalayas and East Asia to Europe and the Middle East. Some genera, such as Pristosia, show complex biogeographic patterns associated with Tertiary Tibetan faunal components and Himalayan uplift.
Spilomyia liturata
Rocky Mountain Hornet Fly
Spilomyia liturata, commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Hornet Fly, is an uncommon species of hoverfly (Syrphidae) found in western North America. Adults are notable mimics of yellowjacket wasps, exhibiting sophisticated visual and auditory deception. The species is associated with montane habitats along the Rocky Mountains, where larvae develop in water-filled tree holes.
Staphylinini
Staphylinini is a tribe of large rove beetles within the family Staphylinidae. The tribe contains at least 20 genera and approximately 120 described species. Members are distributed across multiple biogeographic regions, with documented occurrences in the Palaearctic, Neotropical, and Oriental regions. Some species exhibit specialized ecological associations, including termitophily.
Stenamma schmittii
Stenamma schmittii is a species of ant in the genus Stenamma, described by Wheeler in 1903. The genus Stenamma comprises cryptic "leaf-litter" ants found in moderately humid to wet forest habitats across the Holarctic region, Central America, and northwestern South America. Species in this genus are adapted to cool, wet environments at mid to high elevations, often becoming the most common ant genus in cloud forest leaf-litter samples. Stenamma species exhibit diverse life history strategies and nesting behaviors, including the use of clay "door-pebbles" for nest protection in some species.
Stenotothorax cribratulus
Stenotothorax cribratulus is a species of scarab beetle in the subfamily Aphodiinae, originally described by Schmidt in 1917. It is a small dung beetle native to the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The species belongs to a genus characterized by distinctive body sculpturing. Records indicate it occurs in forested mountainous regions.
Stethophyma gracilis
Graceful Grasshopper
Stethophyma gracilis is a grasshopper species in the subfamily Gomphocerinae, native to western North America. It inhabits moist meadows and grasslands, particularly in montane and subalpine regions. The species is characterized by its slender body form and relatively long wings. Populations are typically found at higher elevations compared to many other grasshopper species in the region.