Chiselmouths
Andrenosoma is a genus of robber flies (family Asilidae) in the subfamily Laphriinae, containing at least 70 described species. The genus is distributed across North America, Europe, and the Neotropics, with greatest diversity in the Neotropical region. Species are associated with dead wood habitats, where larvae prey on wood-boring beetle larvae. Adults are predatory and typically perch on sun-exposed surfaces such as tree trunks, logs, and stumps.
Northern Chiselmouth
Andrenosoma fulvicaudum is a robber fly (family Asilidae) in the subfamily Laphriinae, distributed across most of North America. Adults measure 15–20 mm and are characterized by distinctive reddish-brown terminal abdominal segments contrasting with blue-black anterior segments. The species is associated with dry, sandy habitats and dead wood, where adults perch on sunlit tree trunks and logs to hunt small insects. Larvae develop as predators of wood-boring beetle larvae.
Dragonflies
Anisoptera is the suborder of dragonflies, distinguished from damselflies (Zygoptera) by their larger, stouter bodies, eyes that touch or nearly touch at the top of the head, and wings held horizontally away from the body at rest. The name derives from Greek roots meaning 'unequal wings,' referring to the broader hindwings compared to forewings. With over 3,000 described species globally, dragonflies represent one of the most ancient lineages of flying insects, with fossil relatives dating to the Triassic Period 250 million years ago. Adults are aerial predators with exceptional flight capabilities and vision, while larvae are aquatic predators found in diverse freshwater habitats.
Mayr's Lesser Trap-jaw Ant
Anochetus mayri is a species of trap-jaw ant in the subfamily Ponerinae, distributed across much of northern and central South America. Like other members of the genus Anochetus, it possesses enlarged mandibles capable of rapid closure to capture prey. The species was described by Carlo Emery in 1884 and remains relatively understudied compared to its congener Anochetus simoni. Records indicate presence in Brazil, Colombia, and other Neotropical regions, primarily in forested habitats.
Anoplius americanus americanus is a subspecies of spider wasp in the family Pompilidae. Members of the genus Anoplius are solitary wasps that hunt spiders to provision nests for their larvae. This subspecies is part of a widespread North American species complex. Spider wasps in this genus are known for their distinctive hunting behavior and powerful stings used to paralyze prey.
Anoplius americanus trifasciatus is a subspecies of spider wasp in the family Pompilidae. As part of the genus Anoplius, it shares the general biology of spider wasps: females hunt spiders, paralyze them with venom, and provision underground burrows as food for their larvae. The subspecies designation indicates geographic or morphological variation within the widespread A. americanus species complex. Like other Anoplius species, it is solitary and predatory, with adults likely visiting flowers for nectar.
Anoplius depressipes is a spider wasp in the family Pompilidae, notable for its specialized hunting of fishing spiders in the genus Dolomedes. The species exhibits remarkable aquatic adaptations, including the ability to walk on water and dive underwater for several minutes to capture prey that attempts to escape beneath the surface. This wasp represents a striking example of predator-prey coevolution with semi-aquatic spiders.
Anoplius subcylindricus is a species of spider wasp in the family Pompilidae. It belongs to a diverse genus of solitary wasps that prey primarily on spiders. Like other members of Anoplius, this species exhibits the characteristic behaviors of spider wasps: females hunt spiders, paralyze them with venom, and provision underground burrows with these paralyzed prey for their larval offspring. The species was described by Nathan Banks in 1917.
wētā, king crickets
Anostostomatidae is a family of large, nocturnal orthopterans in the superfamily Stenopelmatoidea, distributed across the southern hemisphere in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the Americas. Members are commonly known as king crickets in Australia and South Africa, and wētā in New Zealand. The family exhibits considerable size variation, with some species exceeding 8 cm in length. Many species are flightless, though winged forms occur in some Australian and Asian genera. The family is notable for diverse feeding strategies including herbivory, scavenging, predation, and specialized fungal feeding.
minute pirate bugs
Anthocoris is a genus of minute pirate bugs in the family Anthocoridae, containing at least 30 described species. These small predatory true bugs are important biological control agents in orchards and natural ecosystems, feeding on aphids, psyllids, mites, and other small arthropods. Several species have been studied extensively for their potential in integrated pest management, particularly in pear orchards and pistachio cultivation. The genus exhibits host-specific associations with particular tree species and prey types, with life cycles often synchronized to exploit seasonal aphid or psyllid populations.
minute pirate bug
Anthocoris musculus is a species of minute pirate bug in the family Anthocoridae, found across Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. At 3.4–4.0 millimeters, it is notably larger than many congeners. The species is associated with cottonwood, willow, and other deciduous trees and shrubs, and has been documented as a predator of red mites and eye-spotted bud moth in orchard settings.
Orchard Bug, Pear Bug
Anthocoris nemoralis is a predatory true bug in the family Anthocoridae, native to Europe and introduced to North America. It serves as a dominant natural enemy of pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyri) in European pear orchards and is commercially reared for biological pest control. Adults are approximately 3 mm long, predominantly black with distinctive white markings on the wings. The species exhibits temperature-insensitive predation efficiency, with females demonstrating higher attack rates and shorter handling times than males.
Common Flowerbug
Anthocoris nemorum is a predatory anthocorid bug native to Europe, commonly known as the common flowerbug. It is an important biological control agent in orchards and agricultural systems, preying on aphids, psyllids, mites, and other small arthropods. The species exhibits distinct oviposition preferences, laying eggs primarily on apple leaves near leaf margins, and shows preference for damaged leaves over healthy ones. Multiple generations occur annually, with adults overwintering and reproducing in spring.
Anticheta melanosoma is a species of marsh fly in the family Sciomyzidae, described by Melander in 1920. The genus Anticheta belongs to the tribe Tetanocerini, a group known for larvae that are predators or parasitoids of freshwater snails. The specific epithet "melanosoma" refers to the dark body coloration characteristic of this species. Records indicate this species occurs in the northeastern United States, particularly Vermont.
Thin-legged Pixie
Apachekolos tenuipes is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, commonly known as the Thin-legged Pixie. It is a predatory dipteran that hunts other insects in flight. The species was first described by Hermann Loew in 1862 under the name Leptogaster tenuipes. Based on iNaturalist records, it has been documented in at least 39 observations.
aphid midge
Aphidoletes aphidimyza is a predatory gall midge used worldwide in biological control programs against aphids. Adults are small, delicate, nocturnal flies that feed on aphid honeydew and hide beneath leaves during daylight. The bright orange, slug-like larvae are specialized aphid predators that paralyze prey by injecting venom into leg joints before consuming body contents. The species is commercially mass-produced and distributed as pupae in moist substrate for greenhouse applications.
California Bee Assassin
Apiomerus californicus is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, first described by Berniker and Szerlip in 2011. It belongs to the Apiomerini tribe, commonly known as bee assassins, which are specialized predators of bees and other pollinators. The species is found in western North America, particularly in California and surrounding regions.
Desert Bee Assassin
Apiomerus cazieri is a species of assassin bug (family Reduviidae) endemic to the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The species was described in 2011 and is commonly known as the Desert Bee Assassin. It is an active predator with documented prey including the checkered beetle Trichodes ornatus and honey bees (Apis mellifera). The species belongs to the genus Apiomerus, whose members are frequently observed hunting on flowers where they ambush pollinators.
Mountain Bee Assassin
Apiomerus montanus is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, commonly known as the Mountain Bee Assassin. It belongs to a genus of exclusively New World predatory insects often called 'bee killers' for their habit of ambushing flower-visiting insects. The species was formally described in 2011 during a revision of the crassipes and pictipes species groups of Apiomerus. Like other members of its genus, it is an ambush predator that captures prey using its raptorial forelegs and subdues them with a venomous proboscis.
Aporinellus basalis is a species of spider wasp in the family Pompilidae, described by Banks in 1933. Members of the genus Aporinellus are solitary wasps that hunt spiders to provision nests for their larvae. The species is part of the diverse aculeate wasp fauna of North America. Like other pompilids, females paralyze spiders with their sting and cache them as food for their developing offspring.
Typical Spiders, True Spiders, Labidognatha
Araneomorphae is a suborder of spiders comprising approximately 92% of all living spider species. Members are distinguished by chelicerae (fangs) that oppose each other diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, contrasting with the parallel, downward-pointing fangs of Mygalomorphae. This diverse group includes orb-weavers, cobweb spiders, jumping spiders, wolf spiders, crab spiders, and huntsman spiders. Most species have at most one pair of book lungs and typically exhibit annual life cycles.
Northern Short-clawed Centipede
Arenophilus bipuncticeps is a species of soil-dwelling centipede in the family Geophilidae, commonly known as the Northern Short-clawed Centipede. It belongs to the order Geophilomorpha, which comprises elongated, multi-legged centipedes adapted to burrowing in soil and leaf litter. The species was described by Wood in 1862 and is native to North America.
seepage dancer
Argia bipunctulata, commonly known as the seepage dancer, is a species of narrow-winged damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is native to North America and holds a conservation status of Least Concern (LC) according to the IUCN, with a stable population and no immediate threats to its survival. As a member of the genus Argia—the largest genus in the subfamily Argiinae—this species exhibits the characteristic "dancing" flight pattern typical of its congeners.
North American wheel bug, wheel bug
Arilus cristatus, the North American wheel bug, is a large assassin bug distinguished by a semicircular, wheel-shaped pronotal crest. Adults reach up to 38 mm in length and are gray to brownish-gray, while nymphs are bright red and black without the characteristic wheel structure. The species is a generalist predator that employs raptorial front legs and a powerful proboscis to subdue and liquefy prey. It is valued as a biological control agent but possesses a defensive bite to humans that is notably painful and prolonged.
Arpedium is a Holarctic genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini) first described by Erichson in 1839. The genus comprises approximately 14 species distributed across the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions, including Europe, Japan, North America, and Central Asia. At least one species, A. cribratum, has been identified as a subnivium specialist—active beneath winter snowpack and rare or inactive during summer. The genus has undergone taxonomic revision, with five new species described recently and several synonymies resolved.
Arpedium cribratum is a small rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Omaliinae) in the Quadrum species group. It is one of four arthropods identified as a possible subnivium specialist—organisms that have evolved to live in the air gap beneath winter snowpack and appear rare or inactive during summer. The species is transcontinental and boreal in distribution, occurring across northern North America.
Arrenuridae is a family of water mites (Hydrachnidia) in the order Trombidiformes, containing at least three genera and approximately 110 described species. Members are primarily freshwater predators as adults and deutonymphs, with larvae that parasitize aquatic insects. The family exhibits complex mating behaviors mediated by chemical communication, including female-emitted sex pheromones that trigger male responses.
water mites
Arrenurus is the largest genus of water mites, comprising approximately 950 species with cosmopolitan distribution in lentic freshwater habitats. Adults are heavily sclerotized, predatory, and exhibit marked sexual dimorphism—males possess diagnostic caudal modifications used in mating, while female taxonomy remains problematic. The life cycle includes seven stages: egg, inactive prelarva, parasitic larva, protonymph, deutonymph, tritonymph, and adult. Larvae are ectoparasites of aquatic insects, particularly Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), but also Diptera and Coleoptera, utilizing hosts for both nutrition and phoretic dispersal.
Hornet robberfly
Asilus is a genus of robber flies (family Asilidae) established by Linnaeus in 1758, containing at least 150 described species. The genus includes some of the largest robber flies in the Palearctic region, with Asilus crabroniformis being the largest fly species in the United Kingdom. Members of this genus are predatory insects known for their powerful flight, large compound eyes, and habit of capturing other insects in mid-air.
Astenus cinctus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Thomas Say in 1831. As a member of the subfamily Paederinae, it belongs to a diverse group of predatory beetles characterized by their elongated bodies and short elytra. The genus Astenus contains numerous species distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, with A. cinctus documented from parts of Canada and the United States.
watersnipe fly
Atherix lantha is a species of watersnipe fly in the family Athericidae. The larvae are aquatic, piercing-sucking predators that feed on other aquatic invertebrates. The species has a univoltine life cycle with overwintering fifth-instar larvae. Mass egg-laying behavior results in large aggregations of dead females attached to egg masses.
Auplopus architectus metallicus is a subspecies of spider wasp in the family Pompilidae, tribe Auplopini. Like other Auplopus, females construct small, free-standing mud cells to house paralyzed spider prey and developing larvae. The subspecies was described by Banks in 1910. Members of this genus are small wasps, typically around 10 millimeters in length, with several species exhibiting bright metallic blue-green coloration.
clown beetle
Baconia venusta is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1845. The genus Baconia is renowned for brilliant coloration and bizarrely flattened body forms, with species exhibiting jewel-like metallic hues that are rare in the Histeridae family. Species in this genus are believed to be predators of wood-boring beetles and their larvae, with some attracted to bark beetle pheromones. B. venusta is one of approximately 116 species in the genus, most of which were described in a 2013 systematic revision.
Batrisodes riparius is a small rove beetle in the subfamily Pselaphinae, commonly known as short-winged mould beetles. It was described by Thomas Say in 1824, making it one of the earlier described species in the genus. Males of this species, like other Batrisodes, possess distinctive facial modifications including horns, spines, or other projections that give the genus its informal nickname "gargoyle beetles." The species occurs across eastern North America in leaf litter habitats.
Gargoyle beetle
Batrisodes schaumii is a species of rove beetle in the subfamily Pselaphinae, commonly referred to as a "gargoyle beetle" due to the distinctive facial ornamentation of males. The species was described by Aubé in 1844 and occurs across a broad range in the eastern and central United States. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to inhabit leaf litter and prey on small arthropods such as mites and collembola.
Bdella is a genus of predatory mites in the family Bdellidae. Species in this genus are active predators of small arthropods and function as biological control agents of pest species such as spider mites and springtails. The genus has a wide geographic distribution, with records from Europe, Northern America, and China. Life cycle stages include larva, protonymph, deutonymph, tritonymph, and adult.
Purple Pixie
Beameromyia punicea is a species of robber fly described by Martin in 1957. The common name "Purple Pixie" refers to its diminutive size and coloration. Like other members of the Asilidae family, it is a predatory fly. The species belongs to a genus endemic to western North America.
giant water bugs, electric-light bugs, toe-biters
Belostoma is a genus of giant water bugs in the family Belostomatidae, comprising approximately 70 species organized into 16 subgroups. These aquatic predators are native to freshwater habitats throughout the Americas, with highest diversity in tropical South America. The genus is distinguished by male paternal care, where males carry eggs cemented to their backs until hatching. Species range in body length from 15 to 41.5 mm.
giant water bug
Belostoma bakeri is a giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, described by Montandon in 1913. The species is distributed across Central America and North America. Research at Montezuma Well, Arizona has established it as a significant top predator in fishless desert spring ecosystems, where it contributes substantially to secondary consumer production and trophic energy flow.
Belostoma confusum is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, described by Lauck in 1959. As a member of this family, it is an aquatic predator found in freshwater habitats. The species occurs in North America and Middle America based on distribution records. Like other Belostoma species, it possesses raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey and likely exhibits the reversed sexual size dimorphism characteristic of the genus, where females are larger than males and males carry eggs on their backs.
giant water bug, toe biter
Belostoma flumineum is a North American giant water bug reaching 2–2.5 cm in length. This aquatic predator inhabits ponds, wetlands, and marshes with muddy bottoms, where it preys on aquatic invertebrates including backswimmers, water boatmen, dragonfly nymphs, and snails. The species exhibits exclusive paternal care: females deposit eggs on the male's back, and males carry and oxygenate the eggs for 7–14 days until hatching. Recent studies document significant shifts in reproductive phenology, with northeastern populations losing their historical fall breeding peak between 2005–2006 and 2012–2015.
Belostoma fusciventre is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, first described by Dufour in 1863. Like other members of the genus Belostoma, it is an aquatic predator inhabiting freshwater environments. The species is known from Middle America and North America, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain limited in available literature.
giant water bug
Belostoma lutarium is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, native to North America. This aquatic insect is notable for its distinctive paternal care behavior, in which males carry egg clutches on their backs until hatching—a rare form of male parental investment in insects. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism with females being the larger sex, and studies suggest males may be the choosier sex in mate selection. As a predator, it feeds on aquatic invertebrates, small fish, and amphibian larvae including tadpoles.
giant water bug
Belostoma minor is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It occurs in the northern Caribbean bioregion, with documented records from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and southern Florida. Like other members of its genus, it is an aquatic predator. The species was described by Palisot de Beauvois in 1820.
giant water bug
Belostoma testaceum is a species of giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is found in the eastern United States, ranging from New York south to southern Florida and west to Texas and Michigan. Like other members of its family, it is an aquatic predator inhabiting freshwater environments.
giant water bugs, toe-biters, Indian toe-biters, electric-light bugs, alligator ticks, alligator fleas
Belostomatidae is a family of large freshwater hemipteran insects comprising approximately 170 species worldwide. Members are the largest insects in the order Hemiptera, with some species exceeding 12 cm in length. They are aggressive predators found in ponds, marshes, and slow-flowing streams, feeding on aquatic invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and even small vertebrates. The family exhibits remarkable paternal care, with males of many species carrying eggs on their backs until hatching. Several species are consumed as food in Southeast Asia.
giant water bugs
Belostomatinae is a subfamily of large aquatic true bugs within the family Belostomatidae. Members are commonly known as giant water bugs or toe-biters. They are among the largest insects in the order Hemiptera and are entirely aquatic as adults. The subfamily includes genera such as Belostoma and Appasus, distinguished from the other subfamily Lethocerinae by their smaller adult size and different respiratory strategies.
Sand Wasps
Bembicini is a large tribe of solitary wasps commonly known as sand wasps, comprising approximately 20 genera distributed across multiple subtribes. These wasps are characterized by their ground-nesting behavior in sandy substrates and their role as predators provisioning nests with paralyzed insect prey. The tribe exhibits notable diversity in prey preferences, with most genera specializing on particular insect orders—most commonly Diptera, though some target Hemiptera, Orthoptera, or other groups. Many species form dense nesting aggregations where numerous females excavate burrows in close proximity, creating conspicuous colonies that attract specialized parasites and cleptoparasites.
Bembidion orion is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae, described by Cooper and Maddison in 2014. The species belongs to the large genus Bembidion, which comprises numerous small, often metallic beetles that are primarily ground-dwelling predators. Like other members of its genus, B. orion is likely associated with moist habitats near water bodies. The species is known from limited collection records in the United States.
Bicyrtes fodiens is a solitary sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, native to North and Middle America. Like other members of its genus, it is a fossorial species that excavates burrows in sandy or coarse soil to provision with paralyzed true bugs for its larval offspring. The species is part of a guild of beneficial predatory wasps that help control pest insect populations, including stink bugs. Adults are nectar-feeders and can often be observed visiting flowers.