Prairie-species
Guides
Amblyscirtes oslari
Oslar's Roadside-Skipper, Oslar's roadside skipper
Amblyscirtes oslari, commonly known as Oslar's Roadside-Skipper, is a small skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It occupies a broad range across the North American Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, from southern Canada to the southwestern United States. The species exhibits latitudinal variation in its life cycle, with a single annual generation in northern populations and two generations in southern populations. Both larval and adult stages have documented host associations: larvae feed exclusively on blue grama grass, while adults visit flowers for nectar.
Bradycellus nigerrimus Lindroth, 1968
Prairie Black Harp Ground Beetle
Bradycellus nigerrimus is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae, first described by Lindroth in 1968. It occurs in North America, with records from both Canada and the United States. The species is known by the common name Prairie Black Harp Ground Beetle. Very few observations exist in public databases, with only three records documented on iNaturalist.
Elachista neithanella
Elachista neithanella is a species of microlepidopteran moth in the family Elachistidae, described by Kaila in 1999. It is known from the Canadian Prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. As with other members of the genus, it is a small moth with reduced wing venation.
Kissingeria capitone
Kissingeria capitone is a species of weevil in the family Brentidae, first described by Kissinger in 1968. It belongs to a genus established in honor of the same author, reflecting his significant contributions to weevil taxonomy. The species is known from the Canadian prairie provinces.
Mompha claudiella
Mompha claudiella is a small moth species in the family Momphidae, described by Kearfott in 1907. The species is known from the Canadian prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to have a narrow host plant association, though specific details remain undocumented.
Orphulella speciosa
slant-faced pasture grasshopper, Pasture Locust
Orphulella speciosa, commonly known as the slant-faced pasture grasshopper, is a small, long-winged grasshopper species in the family Acrididae. It is widely distributed across North American grasslands east of the Rocky Mountains, from southern Canada to northern Mexico. The species is particularly abundant in tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies, where it often becomes numerically dominant in short-grass patches. It exhibits considerable color variation, with individuals ranging from green to brown and tan.
Sitochroa chortalis
Dimorphic Sitochroa Moth
Sitochroa chortalis, commonly known as the dimorphic sitochroa moth, is a crambid moth species described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1873. The species exhibits notable sexual dimorphism in coloration and pattern. It occurs across much of North America in grassland and prairie habitats. The larval stage feeds specifically on Amaranthus retroflexus (common amaranth or pigweed).
Vacusus formicetorum
Saskatchewan Ant-like Flower Beetle
Vacusus formicetorum is a small beetle species in the family Anthicidae, commonly known as the Saskatchewan Ant-like Flower Beetle. It is one of the few documented species in the genus Vacusus. The species was described by Wasmann in 1894 and appears to have a restricted distribution in western Canada. Very little is known about its biology or ecology.
Zaglyptus varipes
Zaglyptus varipes is a species of ichneumon wasp in the family Ichneumonidae, first described by Gravenhorst in 1829. The species is documented from multiple localities in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to be a parasitoid wasp, though specific host associations remain unverified. The species name 'varipes' refers to variable legs, a morphological trait characteristic of this taxon.