Sagebrush
Guides
Abagrotis duanca
Dark Dart
Abagrotis duanca is a noctuid moth first described by Smith in 1908. It occurs in the Pacific Northwest of North America, with records from Alberta's extreme southeastern corner, Saskatchewan, and surrounding regions. Adults fly from June to July in a single annual generation. The species has been reared on big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata).
Anabrus simplex
Mormon Cricket
Anabrus simplex, commonly known as the Mormon cricket, is a large flightless shieldbacked katydid (family Tettigoniidae, subfamily Decticinae) native to western North America. Despite its common name, it is not a true cricket. The species is notable for its periodic outbreak populations that form large migratory bands, causing significant damage to rangeland forage and cultivated crops. It exhibits a sex-role reversed mating system where males provide nuptial gifts and females compete for mates. The species has been documented from low-elevation sagebrush steppe to alpine tundra above 11,000 feet.
Aseptis characta
Aseptis characta is a noctuid moth species widespread across western North America, ranging from British Columbia to southern California. Adults are active from April through August depending on elevation and latitude, with earlier emergence in drier habitats. The species inhabits arid environments including sagebrush steppe and juniper woodlands from sea level to 2,500 meters elevation.
Callophrys sheridanii
Sheridan's Hairstreak, Sheridan's Green Hairstreak
A small, tail-less hairstreak butterfly with a wingspan of 20–24 mm, recognized by the characteristic straight white line crossing the underside of both wings. The species exhibits variable underside coloration from bright green to dark gray-green. It was designated the state butterfly of Wyoming in 2009. The species occupies a broad elevational range and shows significant geographic variation in wing pattern expression.
Calosoma monticola
mountain beautiful black searcher
Calosoma monticola is a ground beetle in the family Carabidae, described by Casey in 1913. It is found in the western United States, where it inhabits sagebrush areas. Adults are brachypterous (short-winged) and have been documented preying on various soil-dwelling insect larvae and other beetles. The species belongs to a genus known for active predation on caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects.
Chlosyne acastus
Sagebrush Checkerspot
Chlosyne acastus, the sagebrush checkerspot, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae native to western North America. Adults have a wingspan of 33–44 mm and display the characteristic orange and black checkered pattern typical of the genus. The species has one flight period annually, with adults active from May through early September. Larvae feed on specific Asteraceae host plants, with documented utilization of rabbit-brush, desert-aster, woolly sunflower, arrowleaf balsamroot, and common sunflower.
Cratypedes
Pronotal range grasshopper
Cratypedes is a genus of band-winged grasshoppers in the family Acrididae, established by Scudder in 1876. The genus contains at least two described species: C. lateritius (Nevada red-winged grasshopper) and C. neglectus (Pronotal range grasshopper). These grasshoppers are associated with rangeland habitats in western North America, particularly in sagebrush ecosystems. Some species appear to have a two-year life cycle.
Cratypedes lateritius
Nevada Red-winged Grasshopper
Cratypedes lateritius, the Nevada red-winged grasshopper, is a band-winged grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is native to the Great Basin region of western North America and is rarely encountered in Wyoming. The species appears to have a two-year life cycle. Due to its scarcity, it has no documented economic importance.
Cratypedes lateritius lateritius
Cratypedes lateritius lateritius is a rarely collected grasshopper subspecies native to the Great Basin region of western North America. In Wyoming, it has been recorded only infrequently from sagebrush habitats. The subspecies appears to have a two-year life cycle, with adults present from May through August. Due to its scarcity, it has no documented economic importance.
Crossidius ater
Grizzled Long-horned Beetle
Crossidius ater is a longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, distinguished from congeners by its uniformly black coloration without the yellow, red, or orange markings typical of other Crossidius species. It was described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1861 and occurs across the Great Basin and surrounding mountainous regions of western North America. Unlike its more host-specific relatives, it utilizes multiple rabbitbrush species and shows minimal geographic variation across its range.
Crossidius coralinus temprans
Crossidius coralinus temprans is a subspecies of longhorned beetle in the tribe Trachyderini, described by Linsley & Chemsak in 1961. It is distinguished from other C. coralinus subspecies by its deep red coloration with faint bluish overtones, relatively fine but dense elytral punctation, and smaller average size. Females exhibit broadly expanded black elytral patterns extending along the suture to at least the basal third of the elytra and black humeri connected by a basal band, while males typically show reduced black markings. The subspecies occurs in sagebrush grasslands of western Nevada and Lassen County, California, where adults are found on flower heads of gray rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa).
Flexamia huroni
Huron River Leafhopper
Flexamia huroni is a leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, described by Bess & Hamilton in 1999. It belongs to the genus Flexamia, a group of leafhoppers known for their specialized host plant associations with grasses. The species is named after the Huron River in Michigan, where it was first collected. Like other members of the genus, it likely exhibits strong ecological dependence on specific grass host plants.
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lobal-biodiversity-information-facilityesbiodiversity-image-portalspanish-collectionstype-specimenlichenantarcticabernensisliyellowstoneHemileuca hera
Sagebrush Sheep Moth, Hera Buckmoth
Hemileuca hera is a large, day-flying Saturniid moth (buck moth) native to western North America. First described by Thaddeus William Harris in 1841, this species exhibits striking geographic color variation ranging from nearly white to nearly black depending on locale. Adults are diurnal, lack functional feeding mouthparts, and do not feed. The species comprises two recognized subspecies: H. h. hera (Great Basin) and H. h. marcata (Southern Oregon). Larvae feed on sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata, A. tripartita) and other plants including Lupinus and Eriogonum.
Melanoplus complanatipes
Western Sagebrush Grasshopper
A spur-throated grasshopper species in the family Acrididae, commonly known as the western sagebrush grasshopper. The species comprises two recognized subspecies and occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America and Central America.
Microtes
Microtes is a genus of band-winged grasshoppers (Acrididae) endemic to western North America. The genus contains at least three described species, including the little buzzer grasshopper (M. occidentalis). Members of this genus are placed in the tribe Sphingonotini within the subfamily Oedipodinae, a group characterized by enlarged hind wings with dark bands used in courtship displays.
Phidippus californicus
Phidippus californicus is a large jumping spider in the family Salticidae, native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is notable for its striking coloration featuring a bright red or orange abdomen with black markings, and its apparent mimicry of velvet ants (Dasymutilla spp.). The species inhabits sagebrush communities of the Great Basin Desert, where it hunts actively on shrubs during daylight hours. Both sexes share similar coloration, which is unusual for the genus Phidippus.
Rhopalomyia pomum
Sponge Gall Midge
Rhopalomyia pomum, commonly known as the sponge gall midge, is a gall-forming insect in the family Cecidomyiidae. The species induces distinctive leaf galls on Great Basin sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). It was described by Gagné in 1975 and is recognized as a valid species in current taxonomic databases.
Satyrium semiluna
Sagebrush Sooty Hairstreak, Half-moon Hairstreak
Satyrium semiluna is a small hairstreak butterfly in the family Lycaenidae, distributed across western North America in sagebrush steppe habitats. Larvae feed on lupines, particularly Lupinus sericeus and Lupinus lepidus. The species was formerly treated as a subspecies of Satyrium fuliginosa but is now recognized as distinct. It is similar in range to Satyrium behrii but does not extend as far south.
Schinia acutilinea
Acute-lined Flower Moth, Angled Gem
Schinia acutilinea is a small noctuid moth found in arid western North America. Adults have a wingspan of 25–27 mm and are active in August. The species was described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1878 and was synonymized with Schinia accessa by David F. Hardwick in 1996, though subsequent research by Michael G. Pogue suggests this lumped multiple distinct species.
Steiroxys trilineatus
Three-lined Shieldback, Three-lined Camel Cricket
Steiroxys trilineatus is a shieldback katydid native to western North America, recognized by the three pale longitudinal stripes running along its dorsal surface. This flightless, ground-dwelling species inhabits grassland and sagebrush steppe ecosystems, where it occupies a cryptic lifestyle among vegetation and litter. Adults are active during summer months, with males producing songs via tegminal stridulation to attract mates. The species has been documented from the Great Basin through the Rocky Mountain region, with populations adapted to semi-arid conditions.
Tibicinoides utahensis
Tibicinoides utahensis is a cicada species described by Davis in 1919, originally placed in the genus Okanagana before being transferred to Tibicinoides. It occurs in the western United States and extends into British Columbia, Canada. The species has a documented association with big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), suggesting a degree of host plant specificity uncommon among cicadas.
Trimerotropis gracilis
Thomas' slender grasshopper, sagebrush clicker
Trimerotropis gracilis is a band-winged grasshopper in the subfamily Oedipodinae, known by the common names Thomas' slender grasshopper and sagebrush clicker. The species was described by Thomas in 1872. It is recorded from Colorado, Wyoming, and Saskatchewan, placing it in the western North American grassland and sagebrush ecosystems. Like other members of the genus Trimerotropis, it likely inhabits open, dry habitats, though specific biological details remain poorly documented in the available literature.