Pacific-northwest
Guides
Macrosiphum tuberculaceps
sweet-after-death aphid
Macrosiphum tuberculaceps is an aphid species endemic to the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is commonly known as the sweet-after-death aphid due to its exclusive association with its host plant, sweet-after-death (Achlys triphylla). The species exhibits distinctive morphological features including antennae longer than its teardrop-shaped body, short siphunculi inflated at the base with blackish tips, and legs longer than the body length. Its highly specialized host relationship makes it a notable example of monophagy among aphids.
Magdalis gracilis
Magdalis gracilis is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1857. The genus Magdalis comprises small to medium-sized weevils commonly associated with woody plants, particularly conifers and hardwoods. This species is recorded from western North America, including British Columbia. Specific ecological details for M. gracilis remain poorly documented in published literature.
Malachius mirandus
Malachius mirandus is a species of soft-winged flower beetle in the family Melyridae. It was described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1859. The species is known from the Pacific Northwest of North America. As a member of Malachiinae, it likely shares the general habitus of related soft-winged flower beetles, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Malthomethes oregonus
Malthomethes oregonus is a species of beetle in the family Omethidae, described by Fender in 1975. The genus Malthomethes belongs to a small family of elateroid beetles whose members are poorly studied. This species is known from very few records, with only one observation documented in iNaturalist. The specific epithet "oregonus" suggests a type locality in Oregon, though comprehensive distribution data remains limited.
Medusapyga chehalis
Medusapyga chehalis is a ground beetle species described in 2023, making it one of the most recently described members of the Carabidae family. It belongs to the genus Medusapyga, which was established in 2019 and is characterized by distinctive morphological features. The species epithet "chehalis" refers to the Chehalis River region of western Washington State, indicating its type locality. As a newly described species, published information on its biology and ecology remains limited.
Melanoplus digitifer
Long-toed Grasshopper
Melanoplus digitifer is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae, described by Hebard in 1936. It belongs to the large and diverse genus Melanoplus, which contains many economically important grasshopper species in North America. The species is known from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
Melanoplus oregonensis
Oregon Short-wing Grasshopper
Melanoplus oregonensis is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is known from a limited number of observations and records, with confirmed presence in Oregon and Wyoming. The species exhibits the short-winged morphology characteristic of its common name. Two subspecies are recognized: M. o. oregonensis and M. o. triangularis.
Microedus fenderi
Microedus fenderi is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Omaliinae. It was described by Hatch in 1957 and is known from limited collection records in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Like other members of the Omaliinae, it is a small beetle associated with forest floor habitats. Very little is known about its biology or ecology due to its rarity and the difficulty of sampling small staphylinid beetles.
Microlipus moerens
Microlipus moerens is a species of soft-bodied plant beetle in the family Melyridae. It was described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1859. The species is known from the Pacific Northwest of North America, with confirmed records from British Columbia. Like other members of the genus Microlipus, it is likely associated with vegetation in forested or riparian habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Monochroa fragariae
strawberry crown miner moth
Monochroa fragariae is a small gelechiid moth described by August Busck in 1919. The species is known from the Pacific Northwest of North America, specifically Oregon and British Columbia. Its common name derives from its association with strawberry plants, where the larvae mine the root crowns. The species is one of relatively few in the genus Monochroa with documented host plant relationships.
Monsoma
green alder sawfly (for M. pulveratum)
Monsoma is a genus of common sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae, containing at least two described species. The genus includes M. pulveratum, known as the green alder sawfly, which has been identified as a potential forest pest in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Species in this genus are associated with forest habitats.
Monsoma pulveratum
green alder sawfly
Monsoma pulveratum, known as the green alder sawfly, is a species of common sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. Native to Europe, it has been accidentally introduced to North America and is documented in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States as well as parts of Canada. The species has been identified as a potential forest pest in its introduced range.
Morophagoides burkerella
Morophagoides burkerella is a small moth species in the family Tineidae, originally described from Washington State in 1904. It belongs to a genus of fungi-feeding moths whose larvae develop in decaying wood and fungal substrates. The species is known from a limited number of records in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
Nebria eschscholtzii
Eschscholtz's gazelle beetle
Nebria eschscholtzii, commonly known as Eschscholtz's gazelle beetle, is a ground beetle species in the family Carabidae. It occurs in western North America, ranging from Alaska through the Pacific Northwest to California. The species inhabits riparian zones along stream edges from lowland to upland elevations. Adults are nocturnal and carnivorous.
Nebria kincaidi
Kincaid's gazelle beetle
Nebria kincaidi is a ground beetle species in the family Carabidae, first described by Schwarz in 1900. Adults are brachypterous (short-winged), nocturnal, and carnivorous. The species comprises two recognized subspecies with distinct geographic distributions in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
Nebria mannerheimii
Mannerheim's gazelle beetle
Nebria mannerheimii, commonly known as Mannerheim's gazelle beetle, is a ground beetle species in the family Carabidae. It occurs in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, where it inhabits riparian environments along streams and rivers. Adults are nocturnal predators.
Nebria vandykei
Van Dyke's gazelle beetle
Nebria vandykei is an alpine ground beetle in the family Carabidae, endemic to the Pacific Northwest of North America. Adults are brachypterous (short-winged), nocturnal, and carnivorous. The species occupies a specialized niche along stream margins and snowfield edges, habitats subject to extreme environmental stress. Research indicates this species has undergone adaptive evolution in response to cold, heat, and desiccation stress, with selection acting on stress response pathways despite a history of rapid demographic shifts.
Neobolitobius varians
Neobolitobius varians is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Mycetoporinae. It was described by Hatch in 1957. The species is known from the Pacific Northwest region of North America, with records from British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington. As a member of the Mycetoporinae, it likely inhabits forest floor environments where these beetles are commonly found. Beyond taxonomic placement and geographic distribution, detailed biological information about this species remains sparse in the available literature.
Neohypdonus musculus
Neohypdonus musculus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. It was described by Eschscholtz in 1822. The species is known from northwestern North America, with confirmed records from British Columbia, Canada and Alaska, United States. As a member of the click beetle family, it possesses the characteristic body plan and clicking mechanism used for righting itself when overturned.
Neuroterus washingtonensis
Neuroterus washingtonensis is a North American cynipid gall wasp first described by Beutenmüller in 1913. It is known to induce galls on oak (Quercus) species and has been documented as a host for the introduced parasitoid wasp Bootanomyia dorsalis on the Pacific coast of North America. The species is part of the diverse Neuroterus genus, which includes gall-forming wasps known for complex life cycles often involving alternating generations on different oak tissues.
Nisquallia
Olympic Grasshoppers
Nisquallia is a genus of spur-throated grasshoppers in the family Acrididae, containing at least one described species, N. olympica. The genus was established by Rehn in 1952 and is endemic to the Pacific Northwest region of North America. These grasshoppers belong to the diverse subfamily Melanoplinae, which includes many North American species.
Nothodelphax occlusa
Nothodelphax occlusa is a planthopper in the family Delphacidae. The species has been documented utilizing Juncus effusus (soft rush) as a host plant in the Pacific Northwest. Like other delphacids, it is likely associated with wetland and marsh habitats where its host plant grows.
Notiophilus nitens
bright big-eyed beetle
Notiophilus nitens is a ground beetle in the family Carabidae, commonly known as the bright big-eyed beetle. It occurs in western North America, with documented populations in British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Adults exhibit wing dimorphism, with some individuals having reduced wings (brachypterous) and others fully developed wings (macropterous). The species inhabits open, disturbed habitats including grasslands and agricultural areas.
Okanagana yakimaensis
Okanagana yakimaensis is a species of cicada in the family Cicadidae, described by Davis in 1939. The species is endemic to Washington State in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Like other members of the genus Okanagana, it is an annual cicada with a life cycle spanning multiple years underground as nymphs before emerging as adults. The genus Okanagana comprises approximately 60 species distributed primarily in western North America.
Omalorphanus
Omalorphanus is a monotypic genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) described in 1987 from the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon. The sole species, Omalorphanus aenigma, was noted by its authors for possessing multiple unusual morphological features that complicated its taxonomic placement. The genus was ultimately assigned to subfamily Omaliinae based on its distinctive defense gland structure and spiracle arrangement.
Omoglymmius hamatus
wrinkled bark beetle
A small beetle in the family Rhysodidae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1875. Adults measure 6–7 mm in length. The common name 'wrinkled bark beetle' applies to this species but also refers to the entire family Rhysodidae.
Ophryastes cinerascens
broad-nosed weevil
Ophryastes cinerascens is a species of broad-nosed weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae, first described by Pierce in 1913. It belongs to the tribe Ophryastini within the subfamily Entiminae. The species is native to western North America, with documented occurrences in British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington. As a member of the broad-nosed weevil group, it possesses the characteristic elongated snout typical of the family Curculionidae.
Opiona
Opiona is a genus of millipedes in the family Caseyidae, established by Chamberlin in 1951. The genus comprises approximately 16 described species. These millipedes belong to the order Chordeumatida, a group commonly known as the "snake millipedes" or "whip millipedes." The genus has been documented in the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
Opiona columbiana
Opiona columbiana is a small millipede species in the family Caseyidae, described by Chamberlin in 1951. It belongs to the order Chordeumatida, a group of short-bodied millipedes commonly known as silk millipedes or bristly millipedes. The species has documented populations in the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
Oreodytes snoqualmie
Oreodytes snoqualmie is a species of predaceous diving beetle in the family Dytiscidae. It was described by Hatch in 1933 and was originally placed in the genus Hydroporus. The species is known from western North America, with records from Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. As a member of the genus Oreodytes, it belongs to a group of small diving beetles typically associated with lotic (flowing water) habitats.
Oskoron
A genus of harvestmen in the family Taracidae, established by Shear in 2016. It was erected to accommodate O. spinosus, transferred from Taracus where it had been placed by Banks in 1894, along with two newly described species from the Pacific Northwest. The genus is distinguished from Taracus by cheliceral morphology.
Osobenus yakimae
Yakima Springfly
Osobenus yakimae is a species of stonefly in the family Perlodidae, commonly known as the Yakima Springfly. It is distributed across the Pacific Northwest of North America, with records from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. As a member of the order Plecoptera, it is an aquatic insect with nymphal stages developing in freshwater habitats. The species was first described by Hoppe in 1938.
Ostrocerca dimicki
Hooked Forestfly
Ostrocerca dimicki, commonly known as the hooked forestfly, is a species of spring stonefly in the family Nemouridae. It belongs to the order Plecoptera, a group of aquatic insects whose nymphs inhabit cold, clean streams. The species was described by Frison in 1936. It is recorded from the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
Papilio machaon oregonius
Oregon Swallowtail
Papilio machaon oregonius is a subspecies of the Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) endemic to western North America. It represents one of several North American subspecies of this widespread Holarctic species, which has a broad distribution across Europe, Asia, and North America. The Oregon Swallowtail is distinguished from other P. machaon subspecies by geographic range and subtle morphological differences. Like other swallowtails in the genus Papilio, it undergoes complete metamorphosis with larvae that feed on plants in the carrot family (Apiaceae).
Paranonychus
Paranonychus is a genus of harvestmen (order Opiliones) established by Briggs in 1971. The genus contains three described species with a disjunct distribution: two species occur in the Pacific Northwest of North America, while one species is found in northern Japan. The genus is the namesake of the family Paranonychidae, which belongs to the superfamily Travunioidea. The Japanese species, P. fuscus, was originally described in a separate genus as Mutsunonychus fuscus before being transferred to Paranonychus.
Paranonychus brunneus
armoured harvestman
Paranonychus brunneus is an armoured harvestman (Order Opiliones) in the family Paranonychidae. The species was originally described as Sclerobunus brunneus by Banks in 1893 and later transferred to Paranonychus. It is found in western North America, with records from Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska. The species belongs to the suborder Laniatores, characterized by relatively short legs and heavily sclerotized body armor.
Philonthus sanguinolentus
A medium-sized rove beetle in the genus Philonthus, characterized by dark coloration with reddish or blood-red markings that give the species its name. Like other members of Staphylinidae, it exhibits the family's distinctive short elytra that leave much of the abdomen exposed. The species has a Palearctic native distribution but has been introduced to North America, where it is established in the Pacific Northwest and parts of Canada.
Phloeonomus suffusus
Phloeonomus suffusus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Omaliinae. It is documented from coastal regions of western North America, including British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California. Like other members of its genus, it is likely associated with decaying plant matter and fungal habitats in moist forest environments. The species was described by Casey in 1893.
Phloeopora oregona
Phloeopora oregona is a species of rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) described by Casey in 1906. As a member of the subfamily Aleocharinae and tribe Oxypodini, it belongs to one of the most species-rich lineages of beetles. The specific epithet 'oregona' indicates its association with Oregon, which forms part of its known distribution in western North America.
Platyceroides aeneus
Platyceroides aeneus is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, first described by Van Dyke in 1928. The species is endemic to the Pacific Northwest of North America. It belongs to a genus of small stag beetles characterized by reduced mandibles compared to their larger relatives.
Platyceroides viriditinctus
Platyceroides viriditinctus is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, described by Benesh in 1942. It is known from the Pacific Northwest region of North America, with confirmed records from Oregon and Washington. Like other members of the genus Platyceroides, it belongs to a group of small stag beetles that are less well-studied than their larger relatives in the genus Lucanus.
Platystoechotes lineatus
Platystoechotes lineatus is a species of spongillafly in the family Sisyridae, a group of lacewing relatives specialized for feeding on freshwater sponges. The species is native to western North America. Like other sisyrids, its larvae are aquatic predators with piercing-sucking mouthparts adapted for extracting fluids from sponge tissue. Adults are terrestrial and typically found near streams or lakes where their larval hosts occur.
Plectrura spinicauda
Thorn-tailed Longhorn Beetle
Plectrura spinicauda, commonly known as the Thorn-tailed Longhorn Beetle, is a species of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was first described in 1845 (authored as Mannerheim, 1852). The species occurs in northwestern North America, with records from Alaska, British Columbia, and adjacent regions. It is a member of the subfamily Lamiinae and tribe Parmenini.
Priocnemis oregona
Priocnemis oregona is a species of spider wasp in the family Pompilidae, first described by Banks in 1933. As a member of the genus Priocnemis, it belongs to a group of solitary wasps that hunt spiders to provision nests for their larvae. The species epithet suggests an association with Oregon or the Pacific Northwest region. Specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented in available sources.
Pristiphora siskiyouensis
Pristiphora siskiyouensis is a sawfly species in the family Tenthredinidae, first described by Marlatt in 1896. The species is part of a genus containing numerous sawfly species, many of which are associated with coniferous hosts. Like other Pristiphora species, it likely exhibits the typical sawfly life cycle with larvae feeding on plant foliage. The specific epithet "siskiyouensis" suggests a connection to the Siskiyou Mountains region of the Pacific Northwest.
Proteinus collaris
Proteinus collaris is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Hatch in 1957. It belongs to the subfamily Proteininae, a group of beetles often associated with fungal habitats. The species is known from the Pacific Northwest region of North America, with records from coastal British Columbia, Washington, and Alaska. Like other members of the genus Proteinus, it is likely associated with decaying organic matter and fungal fruiting bodies.
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.
Pseudanostirus hoppingi
Pseudanostirus hoppingi is a click beetle species in the family Elateridae, first described by Van Dyke in 1932. The species belongs to the tribe Ampedini and is known from the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Records indicate presence in coastal Alaska and British Columbia. Like other elaterids, it possesses the characteristic clicking mechanism for righting itself when overturned.
Pseudohylesinus grandis
Pseudohylesinus grandis is a bark beetle (Curculionidae, formerly Scolytidae) associated with western hemlock forests of coastal North America. It completes one generation annually with two broods and four larval instars, overwintering as a teneral adult. The species exhibits distinct breeding habitat preferences, utilizing fresh slash in thinned stands rather than stumps. Adult females engage in pre-oviposition feeding on the inner bark of standing live host trees before constructing egg galleries in slash material.
Ptenothrix beta
springtail
Ptenothrix beta is a species of globular springtail (Collembola: Symphypleona) first described in 1981. It exhibits exceptional morphological variability across its range in the northwestern United States. The species was historically confused with Ptenothrix maculosa and Ptenothrix delongi until citizen scientist observations in early 2025 clarified diagnostic characters, particularly antennal morphology.