Sand-prairie
Guides
Bembix americana
American Sand Wasp
Bembix americana is a solitary digger wasp in the family Crabronidae, widely distributed across the Americas from the Caribbean to North and South America. Females construct burrows in loose sand where they provision cells with paralyzed flies as food for their larvae. The species exhibits notable parental care, with females progressively increasing prey deliveries as larvae grow. Seven subspecies are currently recognized, reflecting considerable geographic variation in morphology and nesting behavior.
Bembix americana comata
Western Sand Wasp
Bembix americana comata is a subspecies of sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, native to western North America. It is a solitary digger wasp that constructs burrows in loose sand to provision with paralyzed flies for its larvae. The subspecies is part of a variable species complex where nest architecture shows population-level variation in cell number. Adults are active during warmer months and are commonly observed on barren sand exposures.
Bembix americana hamata
Bembix americana hamata is a subspecies of sand wasp in the family Crabronidae. Adult females construct burrows in loose sand and provision them with paralyzed flies to feed their developing larvae. The subspecies is part of the broader B. americana complex, which includes several geographically variable forms across North America. Like other members of the genus, this wasp exhibits solitary nesting behavior with progressive provisioning—providing increasing numbers of prey items as the larva grows.
Bembix americana spinolae
Eastern Sand Wasp
A sand wasp subspecies common on barren sand exposures where females dig burrows into loose sand. Adults provision nests with paralyzed flies, with females providing progressively more prey as larvae grow. Formerly placed in family Sphecidae, now classified in Crabronidae. The subspecies is part of a variable species complex with intermediate characteristics between B. americana comata and B. americana spinolae in some populations.
Bembix belfragei
A solitary sand wasp in the genus Bembix, characterized by ground-nesting behavior in loose, sandy substrates. Females excavate burrows to provision with paralyzed flies, exhibiting progressive parental care by delivering prey as larvae develop. Adults of both sexes visit flowers for nectar, particularly composites. The species is part of a diverse North American radiation of sand wasps with complex nesting behaviors.
Bembix nubilipennis
Bembix nubilipennis is a sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, first described by Cresson in 1873. Like other members of the genus Bembix, this species is associated with sandy habitats where females excavate burrows to provision with paralyzed flies as food for their larvae. The species is found in North America and Middle America, though specific behavioral and ecological details for this particular species remain limited in published literature. Most information about Bembix biology derives from studies of more common congeners.
Bembix pallidipicta
A sand wasp species in the genus Bembix, first described by Frederick Smith in 1873. As with other members of this genus, females construct burrows in loose, sandy substrates and provision nests with paralyzed flies for their developing larvae. The species is part of a diverse group of solitary wasps known for their rapid, energetic movements and distinctive nesting behaviors.
Bembix sayi
sand wasp
Bembix sayi is a species of sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, found in Central America and North America. Like other members of the genus, it is a solitary wasp that excavates burrows in sandy substrates and provisions nests with paralyzed flies for its larvae. The species exhibits progressive provisioning, where females continue to supply food as the larva grows.
Bombylius helvus
Bombylius helvus is a North American bee fly species first described by Christian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann in 1821. As a member of the family Bombyliidae, it shares the characteristic bee-mimicking appearance and parasitic larval life history typical of this diverse group of flies. The species belongs to the genus Bombylius, which is distinguished from related genera such as Systoechus by wing venation characters including the position of the r-m vein.
Chelinidea vittiger aequoris
cactus bug, cactus leaffooted bug
Chelinidea vittiger aequoris is a subspecies of cactus bug in the leaf-footed bug family Coreidae. It is a specialist herbivore that feeds almost exclusively on prickly pear cacti (Opuntia spp.), with its range closely tied to the distribution of these host plants. The species is found across the United States and southward into northern Mexico, with the subspecies aequoris occurring in specific regions. In Missouri, it occurs on Opuntia humifusa in sand prairies and glades, and on O. cespitosa in igneous glade habitats.
Cicindela formosa generosa
Eastern Big Sand Tiger Beetle, Eastern Sand Tiger Beetle
Cicindela formosa generosa, the Eastern Big Sand Tiger Beetle, is a robust, visually striking tiger beetle subspecies found in deep, dry sand habitats across the Great Plains and north-central United States. Adults are characterized by dark brown dorsal coloration with bold, thick white markings on the elytra that are separate dorsally and joined along the outer edges. The subspecies exhibits distinctive behavioral traits including powerful escape flights ending in characteristic bounces and tumbles, and a preference for foraging in sparsely vegetated areas rather than completely barren sand. Populations in Missouri sometimes show coppery-red coloration, possibly related to soil chemistry rather than genetic differentiation from the western nominotypical subspecies.
Cryptocephalus australobispinus
Sand Plains Cryptocephalus
Cryptocephalus australobispinus is a case-bearing leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It was described by Riley and Gilbert in 2000. The species is found in North America and is associated with sand prairie habitats. Like other members of the genus, adults likely feed on foliage of host plants and larvae develop in portable cases constructed from fecal material and plant debris.
Myrmeleon immaculatus
Doodlebug
Myrmeleon immaculatus is a pit-trapping antlion species in the family Myrmeleontidae. Adults are approximately 30 mm in length and typically blue-grey in color. The species is particularly common in the eastern United States, though its range extends across North America and into Central America. Like other members of the genus Myrmeleon, its larvae construct characteristic conical pits in sandy soil to capture prey.
Spharagemon
band-winged grasshoppers
Spharagemon is a genus of band-winged grasshoppers in the family Acrididae, containing approximately 9–10 described species distributed across North America. Members of this genus are characterized by their association with sandy or loose soil habitats and their distinctive hindwing coloration patterns. The genus includes several well-studied species such as the mottled sand grasshopper (S. collare) and Say's grasshopper (S. equale), which serve as important indicators of sand prairie ecosystems.
Stichopogon
Stichopogon is a genus of small robber flies (family Asilidae) in the subfamily Dasypogoninae, comprising at least 100 described species worldwide. These diminutive predatory flies are most diverse in arid and semi-arid regions, with strong representation in North America, the Neotropics, North Africa, and the Middle East. The genus is ecologically associated with open, barren habitats—particularly sandy, gravelly, or rocky substrates near water or in dry washes—where they perch low to the ground and ambush small arthropod prey.
Stichopogon fragilis
Stichopogon fragilis is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, described by Back in 1909. As a member of the genus Stichopogon, it belongs to a group of small, ground-dwelling predatory flies often associated with sandy or barren habitats. The species is poorly documented in available sources, with minimal published information on its biology and distribution beyond taxonomic records.
Stictiella emarginata
sand wasp
Stictiella emarginata is a solitary sand wasp in the family Crabronidae, subfamily Bembicinae. It constructs nests in sandy soils and provisions cells with lepidopteran larvae, primarily Noctuidae and Hesperiidae. The species occurs across eastern North America from northern Michigan to the Atlantic Coast, with a flight season concentrated in late June through early August. Nesting behavior includes temporary nest closure, mound leveling, and orientation flights.
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ox beetle, smooth ox beetle
Strategus antaeus, commonly known as the ox beetle or smooth ox beetle, is a large rhinoceros beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is the second largest beetle in eastern North America. The species occurs in xeric sand prairie remnants and is associated with oak trees, particularly Quercus marilandica (post oak). Live individuals are rarely encountered; carcass remnants are typically found at the base of host trees.
Tetraopes quinquemaculatus
five-spotted milkweed beetle
Tetraopes quinquemaculatus is a milkweed-associated longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae) described by Haldeman in 1847. It is native to North America and is one of several species in the genus Tetraopes that specialize on milkweeds (Asclepias). The species is considerably less common than the widespread T. tetrophthalmus and has been documented from sand prairie and dry sandy habitats in the Mississippi River Alluvial Basin. Adults are visually distinctive and larvae develop as root borers in living milkweed plants.
Ululodes macleayanus
Macleay's Owlfly
Ululodes macleayanus is a species of owlfly in the tribe Ululodini, family Ascalaphidae. It is widely distributed across the Caribbean, Central America, North America, and South America. The species is characterized by divided eyes and clubbed antennae. Adults are known for a distinctive cryptic resting posture where the abdomen projects from the perch to resemble a twig.