Nearctic
Guides
Brachycoryna pumila
Brachycoryna pumila is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, first described by Guérin-Méneville in 1844. Adults measure 2.5–3.5 mm in length and exhibit distinctive coloration: black head, brownish-yellow pronotum, and yellow elytra with variable brown markings. The species has been recorded feeding on several plants in the family Malvaceae. Its distribution spans from the southern United States through Mexico and Central America to northern South America, including Caribbean islands.
Brachygluta
ant-loving beetles
Brachygluta is a genus of ant-loving beetles (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) containing over 80 described species. These small rove beetles are specialist predators of mites. The Nearctic fauna has been revised, with 29 species recognized in North America.
Brachygluta terebrata
Brachygluta terebrata is a small rove beetle in the subfamily Pselaphinae, commonly referred to as ant-loving beetles. The species was described by Casey in 1893 and occurs in northeastern and midwestern North America. It was previously confused with B. intricata, which is now treated as a junior synonym. Like other members of its genus, it is likely associated with ant colonies, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Brachypalpus cyanella
Longnose Catkin, Longnose Catkin Fly
Brachypalpus cyanella is a rare Nearctic syrphid fly described by Osten Sacken in 1877. Adults are flower-associated, feeding on nectar and pollen. Larvae are of the rat-tailed type, developing under tree bark in decaying sap. The species has a restricted distribution in southern and central California.
Brachypalpus oarus
eastern catkin
Brachypalpus oarus, commonly known as the eastern catkin, is a Nearctic hoverfly (Syrphidae) described by Walker in 1849. Adults frequent flowers for nectar and pollen, while larvae possess the rat-tailed morphology characteristic of saprophagous syrphids, feeding beneath tree bark.
Brachypnoea
Brachypnoea is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae, primarily distributed in the Neotropical realm with eight species extending into the Nearctic realm. The genus was established by Gistel in 1848 as a replacement name for the preoccupied Noda (Chevrolat, 1836). Several species have been reclassified to other genera, including Dryadomolpus, Chrysodinopsis, and Spintherophyta. The genus belongs to the tribe Typophorini within the diverse leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae.
Bradycellus semipubescens
Des Fées Lake Harp Ground Beetle
Bradycellus semipubescens is a small ground beetle in the family Carabidae, described by Lindroth in 1968. It belongs to a genus of predominantly Palaearctic and Nearctic species associated with open, often sandy or gravelly habitats. The species is known from limited records in Canada and the United States.
Bradycinetulus
Bradycinetulus is a genus of earth-boring scarab beetles in the family Bolboceratidae, established by Cockerell in 1906. The genus contains at least three described species distributed in the Nearctic region. These beetles are robust, fossorial insects adapted for burrowing in soil. Field observations indicate adults are attracted to lights at night and have been collected from sand dune habitats and pack rat runs.
Bradycinetulus rex
earth-boring scarab beetle
Bradycinetulus rex is an earth-boring scarab beetle described by Cartwright in 1953. It belongs to the family Geotrupidae, a group commonly known as earth-boring dung beetles for their habit of digging burrows in soil. The species is known from the Nearctic region, with records from Texas. Like other members of its genus, it likely exhibits the fossorial (burrowing) habits characteristic of the family.
Brucita marmorata
Marbled Palm Forest Leaf Beetle
Brucita marmorata is the sole described species in the genus Brucita, a group of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. The species is known from Texas in the United States and Guatemala in Central America. The common name "Marbled Palm Forest Leaf Beetle" suggests association with palm forest habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Bryantopsis
Bryantopsis is a genus of treehoppers (family Membracidae) in the subfamily Smiliinae. It contains a single described species, Bryantopsis ensigera, with two subspecies: B. e. ensigera and B. e. humerosa. The genus was established by Ball in 1937 and is restricted to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Bryotropha galbanella
Bryotropha galbanella is a small gelechiid moth with a broad distribution across northern Europe, extending eastward to Russia and Japan, and westward to Alaska and extreme north-western Canada. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in wingspan, with males measuring 14–18 mm and females 13–16 mm. Larvae are specialized feeders on mosses, particularly Dicranum scoparium, and construct silken tubes for shelter. The species has been incorrectly recorded from Chile.
Buenoa platycnemis
Buenoa platycnemis is a species of backswimmer in the family Notonectidae. It is a predatory aquatic insect found in freshwater habitats across the Americas. The genus Buenoa is distinguished by males producing audible stridulatory sounds, a rare trait among aquatic Heteroptera. This species has been recorded from North, Central, and South America, including multiple states in Brazil.
Buprestis connexa
Buprestis connexa is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, native to North America. The species was described by Horn in 1875. Like other members of the genus Buprestis, it exhibits the characteristic metallic coloration typical of jewel beetles. The species occurs within the Nearctic realm and has been documented through limited observation records.
Buprestis consularis
Buprestis consularis is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It is found in North America, with records from the United States and Canada including Ontario and Québec. The species was first described by Gory in 1841. Adults have been observed on dead and dying Pinus edulis (Colorado pinyon pine) in pinyon/juniper/oak woodland habitat in northeastern New Mexico. The species has been documented as prey of the predatory wasp Cerceris fumipennis, which has facilitated its detection in areas where it was previously unrecorded.
Buprestis langii
Buprestis langii is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. It has a widespread distribution across the northwestern Nearctic region of North America. The species was described by Mannerheim in 1843 and represents one of many jewel beetles in the genus Buprestis known for their metallic coloration. A 2010 record from Watson Lake, Yukon Territory extended its known Canadian distribution.
Buprestis parmaculativentris
Buprestis parmaculativentris is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, described by Knull in 1958. It is native to North America and belongs to the Nearctic realm. As a member of the genus Buprestis, it shares the characteristic brilliant metallic coloration typical of jewel beetles. Very limited information is available regarding its biology, habitat preferences, and distribution specifics.
Buprestis salisburyensis
Buprestis salisburyensis is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, subgenus Stereosa. The species is characterized by brilliant metallic blue-green coloration with bright red margins on the elytra. It is associated with pine habitats in eastern North America and has been collected from Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana) in Tennessee.
Burkseus robustus
Burkseus robustus is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eulophidae, described by Perry in 2019. It belongs to a genus of parasitoid wasps within the superfamily Chalcidoidea. Records indicate this species has been documented in Costa Rica (Alajuela province), Colombia (Boyacá department), and Canada. As a member of Eulophidae, it likely functions as a parasitoid of other insects, though specific host relationships remain undocumented.
Burnettweldia
Burnettweldia is a genus of oak gall wasps (Cynipidae: Cynipini) established in 2021, containing five species distributed in the Nearctic region. Species were transferred from other genera or newly described based on morphological and molecular data. The genus is associated with oak hosts (Quercus), inducing galls on various plant tissues.
Burnettweldia californicordazi
Burnettweldia californicordazi is a species of oak cynipid gall wasp described in 2021 as the type species of the new genus Burnettweldia. The genus was established to accommodate five Nearctic species previously assigned to other genera or newly described. As a member of tribe Cynipini, this species induces galls on oak trees (Quercus spp.). The species name references California, indicating the geographic region of its type locality.
Burnsius oileus
Tropical Checkered-Skipper
A small skipper butterfly (family Hesperiidae) found from the southern United States through the Neotropics. Adults are active year-round in tropical regions and during warmer months in temperate areas. The species was transferred from genus Pyrgus to Burnsius in 2019 based on molecular phylogenetic studies.
Cabera
wave moths, cream moths
Cabera is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae, established by Georg Friedrich Treitschke in 1825. The genus comprises approximately 30 species distributed across the Palaearctic, Nearctic, Neotropical, and Afrotropical regions, with limited representation in the Indo-Australian region and absence from Australia. Several species were previously classified under the genera Petelia and Gyalomia due to morphological similarities. The genus name derives from Cabeiro, daughter of the sea god Proteus in Greek mythology.
Cacotherapia flexilinealis
Cacotherapia flexilinealis is a species of snout moth described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1905. It belongs to the family Pyralidae, subfamily Galleriinae, and is currently known only from the US state of Texas. The species name refers to the flexuous or wavy wing lines characteristic of this moth.
Caelius humeralis
Caelius humeralis is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aegialiinae. Described by Brown in 1931, this small beetle is part of a genus associated with sandy habitats. The species is known from scattered records across northeastern North America.
Caenia
Caenia is a genus of net-winged beetles in the family Lycidae, established by Newman in 1838. The genus contains at least three described species, including Caenia amplicornis and Caenia dimidiata. Members of this genus share the characteristic reticulated wing venation that defines the family Lycidae. The genus is part of a diverse group of beetles known for their aposematic coloration and soft, flexible elytra.
Calamoncosis
frit flies
Calamoncosis is a genus of small flies in the family Chloropidae (frit flies), established by Enderlein in 1911. The genus contains species distributed across both Palearctic and Nearctic regions. Nearctic fauna includes at least five described species, with most specimens collected from peatlands and marshes in eastern North America. Some species have documented associations with wetland grasses including common reed (Phragmites australis).
Calephelis
metalmarks, metalmark butterflies
Calephelis is a genus of metalmark butterflies in the family Riodinidae, comprising 54 species distributed across the Americas. Eleven species occur in the Nearctic region and 43 in the Neotropical realm. The genus includes both widespread and highly localized species, with some like C. borealis being globally rare and declining due to habitat loss.
Caligodorus
Caligodorus is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described in 2007 by Gordon and Skelley. The genus belongs to the tribe Aphodiini, a group commonly known as small dung beetles or aphodiine dung beetles. Very few observations exist in public databases, suggesting either restricted distribution, cryptic habits, or recent taxonomic recognition.
Caligodorus vandykei
Caligodorus vandykei is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. The species was described by Barret in 1931 and is known from California, USA. It belongs to a genus of small to medium-sized aphodiine scarabs associated with dung and decomposing organic matter.
Caliothrips cinctipennis
bean thrips
Caliothrips cinctipennis is a minute phytophagous thrips in the family Thripidae, commonly known as bean thrips. Adults measure approximately 1 mm in length and are distinguished by black-and-white banded forewings. The species is a documented pest of soybean (Glycine max) and has been recorded in both North and South America. Populations can increase rapidly under dry conditions due to a short life cycle of approximately two weeks from egg to egg.
Callibaetis ferrugineus ferrugineus
Callibaetis ferrugineus ferrugineus is a subspecies of small minnow mayfly in the family Baetidae. As a member of the genus Callibaetis, it belongs to a group of mayflies commonly known as pond mayflies or speckled mayflies. The subspecies is distributed in the Nearctic region, with records from North America including Vermont in the United States. Like other Baetidae, it has a relatively short adult lifespan focused on reproduction.
Callibaetis ferrugineus hageni
Callibaetis ferrugineus hageni is a subspecies of mayfly in the family Baetidae. The genus Callibaetis comprises small minnow mayflies found in aquatic habitats across North America. As with other mayflies in this genus, this subspecies has a multi-stage life cycle involving aquatic nymphs and short-lived winged adults. The subspecific epithet honors Hermann Hagen, a prominent 19th-century entomologist.
Calligrapha diversa
Calligrapha diversa is a leaf beetle species in the family Chrysomelidae, first described by Carl Stål in 1859. It belongs to the C. argus species group, characterized by distinctive elytral patterning including a single spot enclosed by humeral lunule and a complete arcuate band laterally confluent with a subsutural stripe. The species has one of the largest geographic ranges in its group, extending from the southwestern United States through Central America to northern South America. It has been recorded feeding on plants in the families Malvaceae and Solanaceae.
Calliopsini
Calliopsini is a tribe of mining bees (family Andrenidae, subfamily Andreninae) comprising at least 120 described species across six genera. Members are solitary, ground-nesting bees found primarily in the Americas. The tribe includes the genera Acamptopoeum, Arhysosage, Calliopsis, Callonychium, Litocalliopsis, and Spinoliella.
Calocoris texanus
Calocoris texanus is a species of true bug in the family Miridae, first described by Knight in 1942. It belongs to the genus Calocoris, a group of plant bugs within the suborder Heteroptera. The species is known from the Nearctic region, with confirmed records from Texas.
Caloparyphus mariposa
Caloparyphus mariposa is a species of soldier fly in the family Stratiomyidae, first described by James in 1939. The specific epithet "mariposa" (Spanish for butterfly) refers to Mariposa County, California, where the type specimen was collected. It is one of approximately 20 species in the genus Caloparyphus, a group of Nearctic soldier flies characterized by distinctive wing venation and body patterning. As with most Stratiomyidae, the larvae are likely aquatic or semi-aquatic, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Calycomyza cynoglossi
Calycomyza cynoglossi is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae, a group known for larvae that tunnel through plant leaf tissue. The species was described in 1956 and is recorded from Indiana. Like congeners, it likely produces distinctive serpentine or blotchy mines on host plant foliage, though specific host associations remain poorly documented.
Calycomyza malvae
Mallow Leaf Miner
Calycomyza malvae is a leaf-mining fly in the family Agromyzidae. The species creates distinctive mines in leaves of mallow plants (Malva species). It has been documented across the Americas from the United States through the West Indies to Brazil, with more recent records from Mexico. The common name 'Mallow Leaf Miner' reflects its specialized association with this host plant genus.
Calycopis
groundstreaks, hairstreaks
Calycopis is a genus of small butterflies in the family Lycaenidae, commonly known as groundstreaks or hairstreaks. The genus contains numerous species distributed across the Neotropical and Nearctic realms. A controversial taxonomic revision by Kurt Johnson in 1991 proposed extensive splitting of the genus, but most modern authors reject these changes as unjustified. Species within Calycopis are typically associated with forest edges and disturbed habitats where their larval host plants occur.
Calycopis isobeon
dusky-blue groundstreak
Calycopis isobeon, the dusky-blue groundstreak, is a small hairstreak butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It ranges from Venezuela northward through Central America and Mexico to central Texas. The species is extremely similar in appearance to the red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops), and the two are sometimes treated as conspecific due to their close morphological resemblance.
Calyxochaetus
Calyxochaetus is a genus of long-legged flies in the family Dolichopodidae, subfamily Sympycninae. Formerly treated as a subgenus of Sympycnus, it is now recognized as a distinct genus containing 36 species in the New World. The genus was revised in 2024, with species organized into five species groups based on morphological characters.
Calyxochaetus frontalis
Calyxochaetus frontalis is a species of long-legged fly in the family Dolichopodidae, subfamily Sympycninae. Originally described by Loew in 1861, it belongs to the C. frontalis species group within the genus. A lectotype was designated for this species during a comprehensive 2021 revision that recognized 36 species in the genus and established five species groups. The species is known from the Nearctic region.
Camelobaetidius
minnow mayflies
Camelobaetidius is a genus of small minnow mayflies in the family Baetidae, comprising at least 40 described species distributed across the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. The genus is one of the most studied within Baetidae, with nymphs commonly inhabiting lotic (flowing water) environments. Species are distinguished by specific morphological characters, particularly the spatulate (flattened, spoon-shaped) tarsal claws present in nymphs. The genus exhibits considerable diversity in Central and North America, with additional species described from Costa Rica and southeastern Brazil.
Camponotus absquatulator
Camponotus absquatulator is a species of carpenter ant native to California, Nevada, and Baja California. It was formally separated from the Camponotus festinatus species complex in 2006 by myrmecologist Roy Snelling. As a member of the genus Camponotus, it is a large-bodied ant that excavates wood for nesting. The specific epithet "absquatulator" is derived from a humorous pseudo-Latin verb meaning "to abscond" or "to leave hurriedly," reflecting the species' elusive nature or perhaps the taxonomic confusion that preceded its formal description.
Camponotus schaefferi
Schaeffer's Carpenter Ant
Camponotus schaefferi is a species of carpenter ant in the genus Camponotus, described by Wheeler in 1909. It is native to the southwestern United States and possibly Venezuela. Like other carpenter ants, it excavates wood to create nest galleries rather than consuming wood for nutrition. The species belongs to the diverse subgenus Myrmobrachys, characterized by a relatively low and broad mesosoma.
Camptoprosopella
Camptoprosopella is a genus of true flies in the family Lauxaniidae, established by Hendel in 1907. The genus contains over 30 described species distributed primarily in the Americas, with records ranging from North America through Central America to South America. Species in this genus are small to medium-sized flies, many of which were described by Canadian dipterist G.E. Shewell in 1939.
Camptoprosopella verticalis
Camptoprosopella verticalis is a species of lauxaniid fly in the family Lauxaniidae, order Diptera. The species was described by Loew in 1861. Lauxaniid flies are generally small to medium-sized flies, often found in association with vegetation and decaying organic matter. This species belongs to a genus whose members are primarily Nearctic in distribution.
Camptoptera
Camptoptera is a genus of fairyflies (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) characterized by reduced wing venation and distinctive male genitalia. The genus includes the subgenus Eofoersteria, whose males were described for the first time in 2021 based on specimens from India. Species within this genus are extremely small parasitoid wasps, typical of Mymaridae, with body lengths often under 1 mm. Taxonomic revisions have clarified species boundaries and geographic distributions, particularly in the Palaearctic and Oriental regions.
Canacea
beach flies
Canacea is a genus of beach flies in the family Canacidae, established by Malloch in 1924. The genus comprises four described species restricted to the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. All known species inhabit coastal environments.