Pacific-northwest-endemic
Guides
Acronicta marmorata
marble dagger moth, Marbled Oak Dagger
Acronicta marmorata, commonly known as the marble dagger moth or Marbled Oak Dagger, is a noctuid moth species native to western North America. The species is characterized by its marbled wing pattern and moderate size, with a wingspan of approximately 43 mm. Adults are active during mid-summer months, with larvae specializing on oak foliage.
Agonum belleri
Beller's Ground Beetle
Agonum belleri is a flightless ground beetle endemic to Pacific Northwest wetlands. It is metallic-black with copper, blue, or green reflections. The species is restricted to sphagnum bogs and associated wetlands in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. It is listed as endangered by the Xerces Society and a species of greatest conservation need in Washington due to habitat loss from peat mining and development.
Axenus arvalis
Axenus arvalis is the sole species in the monotypic genus Axenus, a noctuid moth described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1873. The species is endemic to the Pacific Northwest region of North America, with confirmed records from California and Oregon. Its narrow geographic range and monotypic status make it a distinctive element of the regional noctuid fauna.
Briggsus
Briggsus is a genus of armored harvestmen (Opiliones) in the family Cladonychiidae. The genus contains five described species, all originally described by Briggs in 1971 and later transferred to this genus by Özdikmen & Demir in 2008. Species in this genus are restricted to coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest.
Caurinus dectes
snow scorpionfly
Caurinus dectes is a species of snow scorpionfly in the family Boreidae, endemic to western North America. It is one of only two species in the genus Caurinus, distinguished by its extremely small size (approximately 2 mm), reduced wings, and flea-like appearance. The species is univoltine, with a life cycle adapted to cool, moist coastal forest environments where it feeds on leafy liverworts.
Greya punctiferella
Greya punctiferella is a small moth in the family Prodoxidae, distributed along the Pacific coastal ranges of western North America from Alaska to northern California. Adults have a wingspan of 12.5–19 mm. The larvae are known leaf miners of several saxifrage family plants.
Onycholyda sitkensis
Onycholyda sitkensis is a species of web-spinning sawfly in the family Pamphiliidae, recorded from coastal Pacific Northwest regions including British Columbia and Alaska. Members of this genus construct silken webs on conifer foliage, within which larvae feed. The species appears to be rarely collected, with few documented observations.
Peritelinus oregonus
Peritelinus oregonus is a species of broad-nosed weevil in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Entiminae. The species was described from Oregon in 1936 and is endemic to the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It has been historically classified under the genus Paraptochus, and its taxonomic status remains subject to revision with some sources treating it as a synonym while others recognize it as valid. The species is known from very few observations.
Philodromus rufus pacificus
Pacific running crab spider
Philodromus rufus pacificus is a subspecies of running crab spider endemic to the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It belongs to the family Philodromidae, a group known for their laterigrade leg orientation that permits sideways movement. The subspecies is distinguished from the nominate form by specific morphological traits. Running crab spiders are sit-and-wait predators that do not build webs for prey capture.
Pinodytes newelli
Pinodytes newelli is a small, eyeless beetle in the family Leiodidae. It inhabits soil environments and has been observed in Oregon and Washington. The species belongs to a genus specialized for subterranean life, with reduced visual structures.
Polites mardon
Mardon skipper
Polites mardon, the Mardon skipper, is a small butterfly in the family Hesperiidae endemic to the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It inhabits native grassland prairies, where it has been observed using native fescue grasses as oviposition sites. The species is listed as endangered in Washington state and was petitioned for federal endangered species listing in 2002. Conservation efforts initiated by the Xerces Society have focused on habitat protection and research into its ecological requirements.
Scaphinotus behrensi
Behrens' Snail-eating Beetle, Behren's snail-eating beetle
Scaphinotus behrensi is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae, commonly known as Behrens' Snail-eating Beetle. It is endemic to the Pacific Northwest of the United States, occurring in California and Oregon. Adults are brachypterous (short-winged) and nocturnal, inhabiting temperate coniferous rainforests. The species belongs to the tribe Cychrini, a group of large carabid beetles known as 'snail hunters' due to their specialized diet.
Scaphinotus rugiceps
wrinkle-headed snail-eating beetle
Scaphinotus rugiceps is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae, native to the Pacific Northwest of North America. Adults are notably brachypterous (short-winged) and nocturnal, inhabiting mixed and coniferous forests in California and Oregon. The species belongs to the Cychrini tribe, commonly known as snail-eating beetles, reflecting their specialized predatory ecology.
Speleonychia
Speleonychia is a genus of armoured harvestmen (Opiliones: Laniatores) in the family Cladonychiidae, established by Briggs in 1974. The genus contains at least one described species, S. sengeri, which is endemic to Washington state in the northwestern United States. As a member of the Travunioidea superfamily, it belongs to a group of small, often cryptic harvestmen associated with moist microhabitats. The genus name suggests a cave-associated or subterranean lifestyle, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Tanypteryx hageni
Black Petaltail
Tanypteryx hageni, the black petaltail, is a rare dragonfly species in the family Petaluridae and one of only two members of the genus Tanypteryx. It represents a phylogenetically ancient lineage that diverged from its Japanese sister species T. pryeri approximately 70-73 million years ago, making it a 'living fossil' among dragonflies. The species is a habitat specialist restricted to montane fen environments in the Pacific Northwest of North America, where nymphs construct and inhabit water-filled burrows—a unique life history strategy shared with other petaltail species but uncommon among dragonflies generally.
Tropidischia xanthostoma
Square-legged Camel Cricket
Tropidischia xanthostoma is a notably large cave cricket species in the family Rhaphidophoridae, restricted to the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is commonly known as the Square-legged Camel Cricket. The species was originally described as Raphidophora xanthostoma by Scudder in 1861. Its large size and geographic restriction make it a distinctive representative of the camel cricket group.