Nearctic
Guides
Rhyssemus puncticollis
Rhyssemus puncticollis is a small dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Brown in 1929. The species has been recorded from both the Palaearctic region (central and eastern Europe) and the Nearctic region (Ontario, Canada), indicating a transatlantic distribution. It belongs to the tribe Psammodiini, which typically includes species associated with sandy or psammophilous habitats. The specific epithet 'puncticollis' refers to punctation on the pronotum.
Rhyssemus scaber
Rhyssemus scaber is a small aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Haldeman in 1848. The species is known from multiple states in the eastern and central United States. As a member of the subfamily Aphodiinae, it belongs to a group of beetles commonly associated with dung and decaying organic matter. The genus Rhyssemus contains species typically adapted to sandy or psammophilic habitats.
Rhytidops
Rhytidops is a genus of flies in the family Ropalomeridae, established by Lindner in 1930. The genus contains at least two described species: Rhytidops chacoensis from Argentina and Rhytidops floridensis from the southeastern United States. Ropalomeridae flies are generally associated with decaying wood and fungal habitats. Very little is known about the biology of Rhytidops specifically.
Rivula pusilla
Rivula pusilla is a small moth species in the family Erebidae, subfamily Rivulinae. It was first described by Heinrich Benno Möschler in 1890. The species is characterized by its diminutive size, with a wingspan of approximately 14 mm. It has been documented across a broad geographic range spanning the southern United States, Caribbean islands, and parts of Central and South America.
Roburocoris exiguus
Roburocoris exiguus is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, described by Weirauch in 2009. The species is distributed across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. As a member of the Miridae, it belongs to a large and diverse family of true bugs commonly known as plant bugs or leaf bugs.
Robustagramma
lesser dung flies
Robustagramma is a genus of small flies in the family Sphaeroceridae (lesser dung flies), established in 2005 by Marshall & Cui. It comprises 54 species arranged in 8 species groups, of which 52 were described as new in the original monograph. The genus is distributed from Canada to Argentina and represents a distinctive clade within the subfamily Limosininae.
Ropalopus
Ropalopus is a genus of long-horned beetles (Cerambycidae: Callidiini) comprising approximately 20 species distributed across Eurasia, with one species (R. sanguinicollis) occurring in northeastern North America. The genus has been subject to taxonomic revision, particularly the R. ungaricus/insubricus species group in the western Palaearctic, where elevation has been identified as a key factor in species delimitation alongside geographic barriers.
Rosenus abiskoensis
Rosenus abiskoensis is a leafhopper species described by Lindberg in 1926 from the genus Rosenus within the family Cicadellidae. It is currently treated as a synonym of Rosenus laciniatus. The species is known from high-latitude and high-altitude localities across northern Eurasia and Alaska, suggesting an association with cold-climate habitats.
Rosenus decurvus
Rosenus decurvus is a species of leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, subfamily Deltocephalinae, described from British Columbia in 1975. As a member of the tribe Paralimnini, it belongs to a group of grass-associated leafhoppers. The species is known from limited collection records and its specific biology remains poorly documented.
Rotundifronta lutea
Rotundifronta lutea is a species of planthopper in the family Delphacidae, described by Beamer in 1950. It belongs to a genus of small delphacid planthoppers characterized by rounded frontoclypeal structures. The species epithet "lutea" (meaning yellow) likely refers to coloration. Like other delphacids, it is associated with grasses and sedges in wetland habitats.
Ruacodes tela
Ruacodes tela is a moth species in the family Noctuidae, the only member of the monotypic genus Ruacodes. It was first described by John Bernhardt Smith in 1900 and is found in Arizona, United States. The genus was erected by George Hampson in 1908.
Rugaphodius
Rugaphodius is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described by Gordon and Skelley in 2007. The genus belongs to the tribe Aphodiini, a group commonly known as small dung beetles or aphodiine dung beetles. Very limited information is available about this genus, with only one observation recorded in iNaturalist as of the source data.
Rutela formosa
handsome flower scarab
Rutela formosa, commonly known as the handsome flower scarab, is a species of shining leaf chafer in the family Scarabaeidae. The species belongs to the subfamily Rutelinae, a group of scarab beetles often noted for their metallic coloration. It occurs across the Neotropical region and extends into the southeastern United States.
Saetheria
Saetheria is a genus of non-biting midges in the family Chironomidae, established by Jackson in 1977. It belongs to the subfamily Chironominae and is distributed across the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions, including Europe and the Russian Far East. The genus comprises at least four described species. Taxonomic revisions have provided detailed morphological descriptions of adult males, pupae, and larvae for multiple species.
Sagenosoma elsa
Elsa Sphinx, elsa sphinx moth
Sagenosoma elsa is a monotypic species of sphinx moth in the family Sphingidae, known as the Elsa Sphinx. It is the sole member of its genus and occurs in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The species was first described by Strecker in 1878 under the name Sphinx elsa. Like other sphingid moths, adults are likely capable of sustained hovering flight and rapid, agile movement.
Salebriaria roseopunctella
Salebriaria roseopunctella is a species of snout moth in the family Pyralidae, described by Neunzig in 2003. The genus Salebriaria comprises small moths distributed primarily in the Americas. This species is distinguished by specific wing pattern elements referenced in its epithet. Like other pyralids, adults possess elongated labial palps that project forward, creating a "snout" appearance. The species has been documented through observation records, though detailed biological studies remain limited.
Salmoperla sylvanica
Salmoperla sylvanica is a species of stonefly in the family Perlodidae, described in 1987 from California. It belongs to the tribe Arcynopterygini within the subfamily Perlodinae. Like other perlodid stoneflies, it is associated with freshwater habitats. The species is known from very few records, with only two observations documented on iNaturalist.
Samea castellalis
Stained-glass Moth
Samea castellalis, commonly known as the Stained-glass Moth, is a species of pyraloid moth in the family Crambidae. The species was described by Guenée in 1854 and is currently treated as a synonym of Samea ecclesialis in some taxonomic databases, though both names remain in use. It is a moderately well-documented species with over 6,000 observations recorded on iNaturalist. The moth occurs across a broad Neotropical and Nearctic range.
Saperda populnea
small poplar borer
Saperda populnea is a longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae) that forms distinctive woody galls on twigs of poplars and willows. The species was described by Linnaeus in 1758 and has a broad distribution across the Northern Hemisphere. Females create characteristic horseshoe-shaped cuts on host twigs where eggs are deposited, leading to gall formation. The beetle is of economic concern in hybrid aspen plantations due to damage to young trees.
Sarata tephrella
Sarata tephrella is a moth species in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. The female was described for the first time in a 2005 taxonomic note, with variation in both sexes illustrated and discussed. The species is known from Wyoming, and habitat photographs have been published.
Sarcophaga bullata
grey flesh fly
Sarcophaga bullata, commonly known as the grey flesh fly, is a species of flesh fly in the family Sarcophagidae. Adults range from 8 to 17 millimeters in length and are distinguished by grey coloration with three black longitudinal thoracic stripes and a checkered abdominal pattern. The species is larviparous, giving birth to first-instar larvae rather than laying eggs. It is widely distributed across the Nearctic region and has become increasingly important in forensic entomology for post-mortem interval estimation.
Sargus elegans
Sargus elegans is a species of soldier fly in the family Stratiomyidae, first described by Loew in 1866. It belongs to the subfamily Sarginae, a group of metallic-colored flies often found in moist or wetland habitats. The genus Sargus is distributed primarily in the Nearctic and Palearctic regions, though specific ecological details for S. elegans remain limited in published literature.
Saropogon
robber flies, assassin flies
Saropogon is a genus of predatory robber flies (Asilidae) comprising at least 128 described species globally. The genus is distinguished by a stout, often twisted spur at the antero-ventral apex of the fore tibiae, open cell m3 on the wing, and an antennal stylus with a single element. Nearctic species north of Mexico include 19 recognized species, with many exhibiting pronounced sexual dimorphism in coloration and wing patterns. Adults are venomous aerial predators that immobilize prey through extra-oral digestion initiated by injected venom.
Saropogon abbreviatus
Saropogon abbreviatus is a species of robber flies in the family Asilidae, described by Johnson in 1903. Robber flies are predatory insects known for their venomous nature and aerial hunting behavior. The genus Saropogon is part of the Nearctic fauna north of Mexico, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited in published literature.
Saropogon albifrons
Saropogon albifrons is a species of assassin fly (family Asilidae) described by Back in 1904. It belongs to the subfamily Dasypogoninae and tribe Saropogonini. Like other members of the genus Saropogon, it is a predatory fly with venomous capabilities. The species is part of the Nearctic fauna, with documented observations primarily from western North America.
Saropogon bryanti
Saropogon bryanti is a species of robber fly (family Asilidae) described by Wilcox in 1966. It belongs to the genus Saropogon, a group of predatory flies within the subfamily Dasypogoninae. Like other robber flies, it is presumed to be an aerial predator of other insects, though specific details of its biology remain poorly documented. The species has been recorded from limited observations, with six documented occurrences in iNaturalist as of the source date.
Saropogon coquilletti
Saropogon coquilletti is a species of assassin fly (family Asilidae) first described by Back in 1909. It belongs to the genus Saropogon, which was reviewed for Nearctic species north of Mexico by Charlotte Herbert Alberts as part of her dissertation research on assassin fly systematics. Like other members of the Asilidae, this species is a predatory fly with venomous capabilities. The species is part of a group that has received recent taxonomic attention due to the discovery and description of related new species in the southwestern United States.
Saropogon hypomelas
Saropogon hypomelas is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, first described by Loew in 1866. As a member of the genus Saropogon, it belongs to a group of predatory flies that are venomous and feed on other insects. The genus Saropogon was the subject of a 2023 taxonomic review by Charlotte Herbert Alberts, which examined all Nearctic species north of Mexico. Like other assassin flies, S. hypomelas likely plays a role as an aerial predator in its ecosystem.
Saropogon luteus
Saropogon luteus is a species of robber fly (family Asilidae) described by Coquillett in 1904. It belongs to the subfamily Dasypogoninae and tribe Saropogonini. The species epithet 'luteus' (Latin for yellow or golden-yellow) likely refers to its coloration. Like other members of the genus Saropogon, it is a predatory fly that captures other insects in flight.
Saropogon mohawki
robber fly, assassin fly
Saropogon mohawki is a species of robber fly (family Asilidae) described by Wilcox in 1966. It belongs to the subfamily Dasypogoninae and tribe Saropogonini. The genus Saropogon is part of the Nearctic fauna north of Mexico, with species reviewed in a 2023 taxonomic revision. Like other Asilidae, this species is a predatory fly, though specific ecological details remain undocumented.
Saropogon pritchardi
Saropogon pritchardi is a species of robber fly (family Asilidae) described by Bromley in 1934. Robber flies in this genus are predatory insects known for their venomous attacks on other arthropods. The genus Saropogon occurs in the Nearctic region, with species distributed across North America. Specific details about the biology and ecology of S. pritchardi remain limited in published literature.
Saropogon semiustus
Saropogon semiustus is a species of assassin fly (family Asilidae) described by Coquillett in 1904. It belongs to the subfamily Dasypogoninae and tribe Saropogonini. As with other members of the genus Saropogon, it is a predatory fly, though specific details of its biology remain poorly documented. The genus Saropogon has been the subject of recent taxonomic revision work focusing on Nearctic species.
Saropogon senex
Saropogon senex is a species of assassin fly (family Asilidae) described by Osten Sacken in 1887. As a member of the genus Saropogon, it belongs to the tribe Saropogonini within the subfamily Dasypogoninae. The genus Saropogon is part of a taxonomic group that has been subject to recent revisionary work for the Nearctic fauna north of Mexico. Assassin flies in this genus, like other Asilidae, function as aerial predators of other arthropods.
Scabrostomus
Scabrostomus is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. The genus was established in 2007 by Gordon and Skelley based on Nearctic species. It belongs to the tribe Aphodiini, a group commonly known as small dung beetles. Very little published information exists on the biology or ecology of this genus.
Scaphytopius nr-elegans
Scaphytopius nr-elegans is a Nearctic leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, subfamily Deltocephalinae. The "nr-" prefix indicates this designation follows the "near" convention used when a specimen closely resembles the described species S. elegans but has not been definitively confirmed. Members of this genus are generally small to medium-sized leafhoppers with distinctive head morphology. The species is documented in western North American collections, though published biological studies remain limited.
Scellus
long-legged flies
Scellus is a genus of long-legged flies in the family Dolichopodidae, distributed across the Palearctic and Nearctic regions. Males possess distinctive flag-like abdominal appendages called signa, connected by a U-shaped cingulum, which likely function in courtship signaling. The genus is closely related to Hydatostega, which shares a reduced form of this structure.
Sceptea
Sceptea is a genus of small moths in the family Autostichidae, subfamily Symmocinae. The genus was described by Walsingham in 1911 and contains two described species: Sceptea aequepulvella (Chambers, 1872) and Sceptea decedens Walsingham, 1911. The name derives from Greek σκεπτέα, meaning 'to be considered'. As a member of Autostichidae, it belongs to a diverse group of gelechioid moths often characterized by narrow wings and relatively inconspicuous coloration.
Schaefferellus
Schaefferellus is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was established by Gordon and Skelley in 2007 and is classified within the tribe Aphodiini. The genus belongs to the dung beetle group Aphodiina, which are generally small to medium-sized beetles associated with decomposing organic matter. Very little published information exists on the biology or species diversity of this genus.
Schaefferellus arizonensis
Schaefferellus arizonensis is a species of scarab beetle in the subfamily Aphodiinae, described by Schaeffer in 1907. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. As a member of the Aphodiinae, it belongs to a group commonly known as dung beetles, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Schaffneria davisi
Schaffneria davisi is a species of plant bug in the family Miridae, described by Knight in 1923. It is distributed across the eastern Nearctic region, with records from multiple U.S. states and Canadian provinces. The species was originally described under the genus Pamillia before being transferred to Schaffneria.
Schizopus sallei
Schizopus sallei is a species of false jewel beetle in the family Schizopodidae, a small family within the superfamily Buprestoidea. The species was described by George Henry Horn in 1885. Two subspecies are recognized: the nominate S. s. sallei and S. s. nigricans, described by Nelson in 1991. It is one of the few species in this distinctive family, which was historically classified within Buprestidae but is now recognized as a separate lineage.
Sclerocona
streaked orange moth
Sclerocona is a monotypic genus of crambid moths in the subfamily Pyraustinae, containing only the species Sclerocona acutella. The genus was established by Meyrick in 1890, though it is treated as a synonym of Calamochrous in some taxonomic databases. The sole species, commonly known as the streaked orange moth, has a broad Palearctic distribution and has been introduced to eastern North America.
Scopula umbilicata
swag-lined wave moth
Scopula umbilicata is a small geometrid moth species first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794. It occurs across a broad geographic range spanning the southern United States, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The species is characterized by its distinctive white wings with sparse speckling and relatively small size, with a wingspan of approximately 18 mm. Like other members of the genus Scopula, its caterpillars are likely inchworm-type larvae that move with a characteristic looping gait.
Scotobaenus
Scotobaenus is a genus of darkling beetles in the family Tenebrionidae, established by LeConte in 1859. Species in this genus are found in the Nearctic region, with records primarily from western North America. The genus is part of the large and diverse darkling beetle family, whose members are generally associated with arid and semi-arid environments. Scotobaenus species are ground-dwelling beetles, though specific ecological details for the genus remain limited in published literature.
Scylaceus pallidus
dwarf spider
Scylaceus pallidus is a dwarf spider species in the family Linyphiidae, first described by Emerton in 1882 under the basionym Tmeticus pallidus. The species is distributed across the United States and Canada. As a member of the sheet-web weaving family Linyphiidae, it constructs flat horizontal webs for prey capture. The genus Scylaceus comprises small-bodied spiders, with this species representing one of the Nearctic representatives of this primarily Palearctic genus.
Scymnus securus
Coastal Marsh Scymnus
Scymnus securus is a small lady beetle (Coccinellidae) described by Chapin in 1973. It belongs to the subfamily Scymninae, a group of minute lady beetles often associated with wetland habitats. The species is known from coastal marsh environments in eastern North America, with confirmed records from Ontario, Canada. It is among the less frequently documented Scymnus species, with limited observational data available.
Seeversiella globicollis
A small rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) distributed from southern Canada through the United States to Honduras. Originally described as Atheta globicollis in 1907, the species was transferred to Seeversiella in a 2006 revision that synonymized S. bispinosa with it. The genus Seeversiella is primarily Nearctic and Neotropical in distribution. No ecological or biological studies of this species have been published.
Selatosomus festivus
Festive Click Beetle
Selatosomus festivus, commonly known as the Festive Click Beetle, is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. The species is distributed across central and western Canada. It belongs to a genus characterized by metallic coloration and the ability to 'click' to right itself when overturned. The specific epithet 'festivus' suggests colorful or celebratory appearance, though detailed morphological descriptions are limited in available sources.
Selenacentrus wallacei
Selenacentrus wallacei is a treehopper species in the family Membracidae, described by Morris and Dietrich in 2016. It represents the sole species of the monotypic genus Selenacentrus. The species was discovered among mislabeled specimens in multiple museum collections and is known from Texas and northern Mexico. Its taxonomic placement required the establishment of a new genus due to unique morphological characteristics that do not align with any recognized tribes within the subfamily Centrotinae.
Selonodon papillatus
Selonodon papillatus is a species of click beetle in the family Cebrionidae, described as new to science in a 2001 revision of the genus Selonodon. It is one of 17 new species described from the southern United States in this taxonomic work. The species is known from Tennessee and belongs to one of six recognized species groups within the genus based on cladistic analysis. Like other cebrionids, adults are likely nocturnal and males possess distinctive morphological features used in species identification.