Playa
Guides
Cicindela willistoni sulphontis
Cicindela willistoni sulphontis is a subspecies of the Williston's tiger beetle, a member of the Cicindelidae family. This tiger beetle is associated with saline and alkali habitats in arid western North America. Adults are active during post-monsoonal periods following summer rains. The subspecies is part of a complex of tiger beetles that exhibit fine-scale habitat partitioning in salt flat environments.
Paruroctonus arenicola nudipes
Paruroctonus arenicola nudipes is a subspecies of scorpion in the family Vaejovidae. It is part of the alkali-sink specialist group within the genus Paruroctonus, which has been the focus of recent taxonomic research involving citizen science discoveries. The parent species P. arenicola was described by Haradon in 1984, with the subspecies nudipes recognized at the same time. Members of this genus are typically associated with dry, saline playa habitats in western North America.
Tropisternus lateralis
Lateral-lined Water Beetle
Tropisternus lateralis is a hydrophilid water beetle with a broad distribution across the Americas, ranging from Canada through the United States, Mexico, and South America to the Caribbean. Studies of subspecies T. lateralis nimbatus in Texas playas documented colonization from surrounding aquatic habitats during flood periods, drought avoidance through aerial dispersal, and secondary production of 1.31 g/m²/0.25 year. Males of the related subspecies T. lateralis limbalis produce species-specific stridulatory sounds used in male-male interactions and possibly mate attraction.