Riparian-habitat
Guides
Bembidion mutatum
Bembidion mutatum is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae, first described by Gemminger & Harold in 1868. It is a small predatory beetle distributed across northern North America, with records from Alaska, Canada, and the contiguous United States. The species belongs to the large genus Bembidion, which contains hundreds of species commonly found in diverse terrestrial and riparian habitats.
Catocala grotiana
Grote's Underwing Moth, Grote's Underwing
Catocala grotiana is a large underwing moth in the family Erebidae, first described by James S. Bailey in 1879. The species is characterized by its cryptic forewings and brightly colored hindwings, a defensive trait common to the genus Catocala. It occurs in the western United States, with documented records from Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Washington, and areas north and east of California. Adults are active in late summer, with larvae feeding on Populus and Salix species.
Catocala hermia
Hermia Underwing, Hermia's Underwing Moth
Catocala hermia is an underwing moth in the family Erebidae, first described by Henry Edwards in 1880. The species is endemic to the Great Plains of North America, ranging from southern Canada through the western United States. Adults are active in late summer, and larvae feed on poplar and willow species. Like other underwing moths, it possesses cryptic forewings that conceal brightly patterned hindwings used in startle displays.
Ellipsoptera puritana
Puritan tiger beetle
Ellipsoptera puritana, the Puritan tiger beetle, is a federally threatened species endemic to a highly restricted range in the northeastern United States. Adults are medium-sized, fast-running predators with distinctive cream-white marginal markings on their elytra. The species occupies a narrow ecological niche: sandy beaches and riverbanks backed by eroding cliffs or bluffs, where larvae burrow into exposed sediment faces. Its two-year life cycle involves larval development in burrows followed by brief adult emergence in mid-summer. Habitat loss from shoreline development, dam construction, and bank stabilization has severely reduced populations, prompting intensive conservation efforts including captive rearing programs.
Feniseca
North American Harvesters, Harvester
Feniseca is a monotypic genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae, containing a single species, Feniseca tarquinius (the harvester). This genus is notable for representing the only obligate carnivorous butterfly in North America. The larvae feed exclusively on aphids rather than plant material, a highly unusual trait among butterflies. Adults are found in wooded habitats near streams, particularly in association with alders.
Kybos sublactea
Kybos sublactea is a small leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, subfamily Typhlocybinae. It belongs to a genus of leafhoppers characterized by reduced wing venation and pale coloration. The species is part of the diverse Erythroneurini tribe, which contains many economically significant agricultural pests. Specific biological details for K. sublactea remain poorly documented in scientific literature.
Polistes annularis
Ringed Paper Wasp, Jack Spaniard Wasp, Red Paper Wasp
Polistes annularis is a primitively eusocial paper wasp native to the eastern United States, distinguished by its large size and distinctive red-and-black coloration with a prominent yellow ring on the abdomen. The species exhibits complex social behavior including cooperative nest founding by multiple foundresses, dominance hierarchies, and unique overwintering strategies involving honey storage. Nests are constructed in aggregations under overhangs near water bodies, with colonies typically containing 500 or more cells. Unlike many temperate Polistes species, P. annularis shows relatively robust cold tolerance and has been extensively studied as a model organism for social insect behavior and kin recognition.
social-wasppaper-waspprimitively-eusocialnest-aggregationoverwinteringhoney-storageMüllerian-mimicryfoundress-associationdominance-hierarchykin-recognitioncold-tolerancemodel-organismcaterpillar-predatorriparian-habitatannual-colony-cyclequeen-successioncuticular-hydrocarbonssubgenus-AphanilopterusPolistinaeVespidaeHymenopteraeastern-United-Statesred-and-black-colorationringed-abdomenorange-antennaecliff-nestinghibernaculausurpationaltruismreproductive-competitionjuvenile-hormoneovarian-developmentmicrosatellite-markersmaternity-assignmentbehavioral-ecologysocial-insectnest-architecturepetiole-constructionfoundress-evictionworker-emergencesexual-dimorphismstructural-sex-determinationtrehalosecold-survivalant-predationparasitoidElasmus-polistisChalcoela-iphitalisbiological-controlpollinatorsting-allergenantigen-5Linnaeus-1763Fabricius-1804etymology-Greek-polistesLatin-annularis-ringedStagmomantis limbata
bordered mantis, Arizona mantis, bosque mantis, New Mexico praying mantis
Stagmomantis limbata is one of the largest native mantids in North America, reaching approximately 3 inches in length. It exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are flightless, robust, and typically plain green or gray with a dark spot on the tegmina, while males are slender, long-winged, and capable of flight. The species is notable for female-emitted sex pheromones that attract males, with pheromone production linked to female nutritional status and receptivity. Sexual cannibalism occurs, particularly when females are food-limited.